Search

United States (US) background ozone (O3) is the counterfactual O3 that would exist with zero US anthropogenic emissions. Estimates of US background O3 typically come from chemical transport models (CTMs), but different models vary in their estimates of both background and total O3. Here, a measurement–model data fusion approach is used to estimate CTM biases in US anthropogenic O3 and multiple US background O3 sources, including natural emissions, long-range international emissions, short-range international emissions from Canada and Mexico, and stratospheric O3. Spatially and temporally varying bias correction factors adjust each simulated O3 component so that the sum of the adjusted components evaluates better against observations compared to unadjusted estimates. The estimated correction factors suggest a seasonally consistent positive bias in US anthropogenic O3 in the eastern US, with the bias becoming higher with coarser model resolution and with higher simulated total O3, though the bias does not increase much with higher observed O3. Summer average US anthropogenic O3 in the eastern US was estimated to be biased high by 2, 7, and 11 ppb (11 %, 32 %, and 49 %) for one set of simulations at 12, 36, and 108 km resolutions and 1 and 6 ppb (10 % and 37 %) for another set of simulations at 12 and 108 km resolutions. Correlation among different US background O3 components can increase the uncertainty in the estimation of the source-specific adjustment factors. Despite this, results indicate a negative bias in modeled estimates of the impact of stratospheric O3 at the surface, with a western US spring average bias of −3.5 ppb (−25 %) estimated based on a stratospheric O3 tracer. This type of data fusion approach can be extended to include data from multiple models to leverage the strengths of different data sources while reducing uncertainty in the US background ozone estimates.

Massive rotator cuff tears constitute approximately 20% of all rotator cuff tears. Poor tissue quality or significant retraction can lead to failure of the repair. The anterior rotator cuff cable is essential in transmitting force to the proximal humerus and serves as the main load-bearing structure within the supraspinatus. Utilizing the long head of the biceps tendon (LHBT) for anterior cable reconstruction in the setting of rotator cuff tears, known as biceps augmentation, has the potential for improved biomechanical and healing properties. Importantly, the proximal LHBT remains attached to the superior glenoid labrum, serving as a viable collagen scaffold, a structural scaffold for the cable, and potentially as a conduit for living tenocytes to migrate into the hypovascular region of the rotator cuff, promoting repair healing. Similar methods utilize the transfer of the intact LHBT into the rotator cuff without a biceps tenodesis. While this accomplishes the aforementioned goals, it may create a source of biceps pain in these patients, and it changes the length–tension relationship of the LHBT distal to the transfer site. In this technical note, we detail an anterior cable reconstruction employing an autologous LHBT to reinforce a repaired massive rotator cuff tear with concurrent subpectoral tenodesis of the LHBT to achieve goals of 1) rotator cuff augmentation and grafting and, importantly and 2) securing the LHBT in a subpectoral position to mitigate pain and maintain supination strength while maintaining the anatomic length–tension relationship of the biceps. We feel this approach is superior in ensuring sufficient tendon is retained for an effective transfer and allows for a subpectoral tenodesis to prevent biceps symptoms.

Abstract The eukaryotic Glucose Induced Degradation/C-Terminal to LisH (GID/CTLH) complex is a highly conserved E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in a broad range of biological processes. However, a role of this complex in host anti-microbial defenses has not been described. We exploited Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) induced cytotoxicity in macrophages in a FACS based CRISPR genetic screen to identify host determinants of intracellular Mtb growth restriction. Our screen identified 5 (GID8, YPEL5, WDR26, UBE2H, MAEA) of the 12 predicted members of the GID/CTLH complex as determinants of intracellular growth of both Mtb and Salmonella serovar Typhimurium. We show that the anti-microbial properties of the GID/CTLH complex knockout macrophages are mediated by enhanced GABAergic signaling, activated AMPK, increased autophagic flux and resistance to Mtb induced necrotic cell death. Meanwhile, Mtb isolated from GID/CTLH knockout macrophages are nutritionally starved and oxidatively stressed. Our study identifies the GID/CTLH complex activity as broadly suppressive of host anti-microbial responses against intracellular bacterial infections.

Abstract Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, remains an enduring global health challenge due to the limited efficacy of existing treatments. Although much research has focused on immune failure, the role of host macrophage biology in controlling the disease remains underappreciated. Here we show, through multi-modal single-cell RNA sequencing in a murine model, that different alveolar macrophage subsets play distinct roles in either advancing or controlling the disease. Initially, alveolar macrophages that are negative for the CD38 marker are the main infected population. As the infection progresses, CD38+ monocyte-derived and tissue-resident alveolar macrophages emerge as significant controllers of bacterial growth. These macrophages display a unique chromatin organization pre-infection, indicative of epigenetic priming for pro-inflammatory responses. Moreover, intranasal BCG immunization increases the numbers of CD38+ macrophages, enhancing their capability to restrict Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth. Our findings highlight the dynamic roles of alveolar macrophages in tuberculosis and open pathways for improved vaccines and therapies.

Background: Studies on air pollution and outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF) have focused on couples undergoing autologous IVF, in which it is challenging to disentangle maternal and paternal exposures during gametogenesis. We sought to evaluate the independent associations between air pollution exposure during oogenesis and spermatogenesis on fertilization and embryo quality in non-identified donor oocyte IVF cycles. Methods: Our study included 500 oocyte donors and 915 male recipient partners who contributed 1,095 oocyte thaw cycles (2008–2019). Daily ambient air pollutant exposure was estimated using spatio-temporal models based on residential address and averaged over folliculogenesis (i.e., three months prior to initiation of controlled ovarian stimulation), controlled ovarian stimulation, and spermatogenesis (i.e., 72 days prior to oocyte thaw). We used multivariable generalized estimating equations to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for an interquartile range increase in pollutant exposure in relation to the proportion of oocytes surviving thaw, oocytes fertilized, and usable embryos. Results: Oocyte donors with higher exposure to organic carbon (OC) (aOR = 0.86 95 %CI 0.79,0.94) and particulate matter

Ambient air quality across the southeastern US has improved substantially in recent decades. However, emissions from prescribed burns remain high, which may pose a substantial health threat. We employed a multistage modeling framework to estimate year-round, long-term effects of prescribed burns on air quality and premature deaths. The framework integrates a chemical transport model with a data-fusion approach to estimate 24-h average PM2.5 and maximum daily 8-h averaged O3 (MDA8-O3) concentrations attributable to prescribed burns for the period 2013–2020. The Global Exposure Mortality Model and a log-linear exposure–response function were used to estimate the premature deaths ascribed to long-term prescribed burn PM2.5 and MDA8-O3 exposure in ten southeastern states. Our results indicate that prescribed burns contributed on annual average 0.59 ± 0.20 µg/m3 of PM2.5 (∼10 % of ambient PM2.5) over the ten southeastern states during the study period. On average around 15 % of the state-level ambient PM2.5 concentrations were contributed by prescribed burns in Alabama (0.90 ± 0.15 µg/m3), Florida (0.65 ± 0.19 µg/m3), Georgia (0.91 ± 0.19 µg/m3), Mississippi (0.65 ± 0.10 µg/m3) and South Carolina (0.65 ± 0.09 µg/m3). In the extensive burning season (January–April), daily average contributions to ambient PM2.5 increased up to 22 % in those states. A large part of Alabama and Georgia experiences ≥3.5 µg/m3 prescribed burn PM2.5 over 30 days/year. Additionally, prescribed burns are responsible for an average increase of 0.32 ± 0.12 ppb of MDA8-O3 (0.8 % of ambient MDA8-O3) over the ten southeastern states. The combined effect of prescribed burn PM2.5 exposure, population growth, and increase of baseline mortality over time resulted in a total of 20,416 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 16,562–24,174) excess non-accidental premature deaths in the ten southeastern states, with 25 % of these deaths in Georgia. Prescribed burn MDA8-O3 was responsible for an additional 1,332 (95 % CI: 858–1,803) premature deaths in the ten southeastern states. These findings indicate significant impacts from prescribed burns, suggesting potential benefits of enhanced forest management strategies.

Abstract China’s strategy to concurrently address climate change and air pollution mitigation is hindered by a lack of comprehensive information on source contributions to health damage and carbon emissions. Here we show notable discrepancies between source contributions to CO2 emissions and fine particulate matter (PM2.5)-related mortality by using adjoint emission sensitivity modeling to attribute premature mortality in 2017 to 53 sector and fuel/process combinations with high spatial resolution. Our findings reveal that monetized PM2.5 health damage exceeds climate impacts in over half of the analyzed subsectors. In addition to coal-fired energy generators and industrial boilers, the combined health and climate costs from energy-intensive processes, diesel-powered vehicles, domestic coal combustion, and agricultural activities exceed 100 billion US dollars, with health-related costs predominating. This research highlights the critical need to integrate the social costs of health damage with climate impacts to develop more balanced mitigation strategies toward these dual goals, particularly during fuel transition and industrial structure upgrading.

Abstract Mobile health (mHealth) interventions provide a low‐cost, scalable approach to supporting parents with infant feeding advice with the potential to reduce health care visits and associated costs for infant feeding support. This Australian study examined the impact of the Growing healthy (GH) app on health service utilisation and out‐of‐pocket costs for families in the first 9 months of their infants life. A quasi‐experimental study with a comparison group was conducted in 2015–2016 with an mHealth intervention group (GH app, n = 301) and a nonrandomized usual care group (n = 344). The GH app aimed to support parents of young infants with healthy infant feeding behaviours from birth to 9 months of age. App‐generated notifications directed parents to age‐and feeding‐specific content within the app. Both groups completed surveys at baseline when infants were less than 3 months old (T1), at 6 months (T2) and 9 months (T3) of age. At T3, participants reported health services used and any out‐of‐pocket costs for advice on infant feeding, growth or activity. App users had lower odds (odds ratio: 0.38 95% confidence interval: 0.25, 0.59) of using one or more services and had lower number of visits to a general practitioner (1.0 vs. 1.5 visits, p = 0.003) and paediatrician (0.3 vs. 0.4 visits, p = 0.049) compared to the usual care group. There was no difference in out‐of‐pocket costs between groups. Provision of an evidenced‐based infant feeding app may provide substantial savings to the health system and potentially to parents through fewer primary health care and paediatrician visits.

Introduction Child eating behaviours develop through interactions between the child’s characteristics, psychological factors and the child’s social environment and this affects the child’s diet and weight. To examine the currently existing birth cohort studies examining child eating behaviours, a review was conducted. There are currently no birth cohorts that concurrently examine child eating behaviours, dietary intake, growth and parental feeding practices from birth into early childhood. Therefore, the primary objective of the Longitudinal Assessment of Children’s Eating (LACE) study is to examine the bidirectional and transactional processes of child eating behaviours and parental feeding practices explaining poor dietary intake and excess weight across infancy and early childhood.Methods and analysis The LACE study will be a prospective, longitudinal parent-reported study following infants from younger than 4 months of age across nine waves of data collection: younger than 4 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 18 months, 2 years, 3 years and 5 years. Participants will be included if they are parents of infants younger than 4 months, 18 years or older, fluent in English and living in Australia at baseline. A sample size of 1210 is proposed. Participants will be recruited online via paid social media (Facebook and Instagram) advertisements. The study will examine child eating behaviours, body mass index Z-score, dietary intake, screen time, temperament, parent feeding practices and styles, and demographics. The data will be obtained using the online survey software Qualtrics. Data analyses will be conducted using Stata.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval was granted by the Deakin University Human Ethics Advisory Group, Faculty of Health (HEAG-H 120_2022). The findings from this study will be disseminated via presentations at scientific conferences and published manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. Findings will be disseminated to the general public via mainstream media and to participants of the study with a summary of the findings.

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD), which is typically seen in the younger pediatric population, is uncommon in older adolescent and young adult populations. We report on an atypical outbreak of HFMD among college students at a mid-size university in the mid-Atlantic U.S. The outbreak included 138 qualifying cases of HFMD among students at the institution between August and November 2018. All tested samples were positive for CVA6, a less common cause of HFMD. Signs and symptoms and campus mitigation strategies are described. This case report aims to highlight an atypical outbreak of HFMD for clinicians who care for older adolescent and college-aged patients in primary care and community settings, and may see cases and/or outbreaks of HFMD in these populations.

Observational studies have shown that the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) exerts an influence on the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO). The downward propagation of the QBO tends to speed up and slow down during El Niño and La Niña, respectively. Recent results from general circulation models have indicated that the ENSO modulation of the QBO requires a relatively high horizontal resolution, and that it does not show up in the climate models with parameterized but temporally constant gravity wave sources. Here, we demonstrate that the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) E2.2 models can capture the observed ENSO modulation of the QBO period with a horizontal resolution of 2∘ latitude by 2.5∘ longitude but with its gravity wave sources being parameterized interactively. This is because El Niño events lead to more vigorous gravity wave sources generating more absolute momentum fluxes over the equatorial belt, as well as less filtering of these waves into the tropical lower stratosphere through a weakening of the Walker circulation. Various components of the ENSO system, such as the sea surface temperatures, the convective activities, and the Walker circulation, are intimately involved in the generation and propagation of parameterized gravity waves, through which ENSO modulates the QBO period in GISS E2.2 models.

Introduction An “escape room” is a game requiring teamwork and problem-solving during which a series of puzzles are solved to escape a locked room. Various escape room activities have been designed for healthcare professionals, including internal medicine residents and nursing students (Anderson et al. Simulation & Gaming 2021; 52(1) 7-17; Rodríguez-Ferrer et al. BMC Med Educ 2022; 22:901; Khanna et al. Cureus 2021; 13 (9) e18314). Escape rooms provide an opportunity for social activity, an important component of resident wellness (Mari et al. BMC Med Educ 2019; 19(1):437). This abstract describes an escape room challenge designed and implemented at our psychiatry residency program quarterly wellness afternoon event, which is an afternoon session dedicated to resident wellness. Objectives The objective of this project was to design and implement an escape room challenge containing multiple game mechanics, including hidden roles, information asymmetry, acting, logical deduction, and spying. This activity was conducted to enhance bonding among residents while reinforcing knowledge in psychiatry. Methods We designed and implemented an escape room for 22 residents. Residents were divided into four teams each tasked with completing a sequence of puzzles to open the final lockbox. Two novel mechanics were added to the activity. Each team had a “clue holder” with clues to help solve all the puzzles. This team member had to conceal their identity because, if any of the other teams identified this person, the original winning team would have to give up the prize to the team that guessed the identity of this person. One member of each team was assigned a “spy” role whose mission was to make it hard for the clue holder to reveal all the clues. An anonymous post-activity survey was completed using Google Forms. Results The script was set in a fictional, abandoned psychiatric emergency room. The first task was a visual puzzle of a historic figure in psychiatry. The second activity involved residents guessing the psychotropic medication being acted out by another resident in the style of charades. The third activity required residents to apply developmental milestones to decode a combination lock. The fourth puzzle involved residents solving riddles by using information gathered from resident profiles on the residency program website. Eleven (50%) residents completed the post-game survey. All residents answered true or very true that they enjoyed the game and that participation helped them better connect with their peers. Eight (73%) residents answered true or very true that they learned something from the activity. Conclusions An adapted escape room challenge is a novel wellness activity that enhance resident collegiality, teamwork, and bonding. All residents who completed the post-activity survey indicated that they enjoyed the activity and felt more connected to their peers afterwards. Disclosure of Interest None Declared

Packaging design is a communication device and a critical component in branding strategy, and has relevance for food policy. Presently, packaging-related nutrition policy initiatives focus on the role of regulated claims, nutrition information panels and front-of-pack nutrition labels to help guide consumer food choices and address high prevalences of discretionary and ultra-processed food consumption in many countries. However, these nutrition labelling systems are not optimized as public health policy tools as many consumers do not use them to inform their food choices. Visual communication design theory posits that a designer orders the elements and principles of design into hierarchies that prioritize certain elements over others, and that some of these elements are more dominant and given more emphasis than others. The overall design of the package thereby directs consumer attention to some aspects of pack design (e.g., characters, contents of the package) and away from others (e.g., nutrition details). Dual processing frameworks propose that food decisions are made with the interplay between automatic and rational thinking processes. Packaging designs affect whether consumers rely predominantly on automatic or rational thinking to select a food. This narrative review outlines the role of food packaging design and how it impacts the clear communication of nutrition aspects of food products and how the use of nutrition information by consumers to make decisions may depend upon design structures in packaging. This article attests that nutrition scientists and policy makers should incorporate visual communication design into research on the food packaging as a public health promotion tool. A stronger focus on the communication of regulated front-of-pack nutrition information can be made with a re-evaluation of the hierarchy of elements in the front-of-pack design enabling consumers to make healthier decisions.

Health promotion programs and strategies have the potential to support people to live healthier lives. Dementia, a collective name for brain disorders that impact thinking and memory, affects over 55 million people worldwide. Currently, there is no cure for dementia, so prevention is critical. Health promotion has the potential to reduce dementia by targeting the twelve potentially modifiable risk factors. A project currently being undertaken by the research team aims to strengthen the quality of clinical care and health services that specifically address dementia risk for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. One of the intended strategies supporting the project's aim is the need for appropriate and safe health promotion programs and resources that support dementia risk reduction. Consequently, the aim of this scoping review is to identify and determine the quality and appropriateness of existing health promotion programs and resources aimed at dementia risk reduction developed or modified for Indigenous populations of Canada, the USA, Aotearoa New Zealand, and Australia that could be incorporated into the broader project. The Joanna Briggs Institute method for scoping reviews will be used to identify programs and resources focussed on dementia risk reduction for Indigenous peoples. Searches will be limited to the English language and literature published since January 2010. Databases to be searched include: CINAHL, Medline, PsychInfo, PubMed, Scopus and Google. Data that answers the research questions will be extracted from the literature and recorded on a data charting form. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods will be used to analyse the findings of the scoping review. Dissemination of the findings through continuing community engagement, conference presentations and publications will be led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of the research team.

Tools screening depression and anxiety developed using the Western biomedical paradigm are still used with First Nations Peoples globally, despite calls for cross-cultural adaption. Recent work by this research team found that tools used to screen for depression and anxiety were inappropriate for use with Australian First Nations Peoples living in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area of Australia. The objective of this Delphi study, the second phase of a broader four-phase project, was to gain consensus from an expert mental health and/or social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) panel to inform the development of an appropriate screening tool. This Delphi study took place between March and May 2023. Three sequential rounds of anonymous online surveys delivered using QualtricsTM were planned, although only two were needed to reach 75% consensus. The first round sought consensus on whether a new screening tool needed to be developed or whether existing tools could be used. The second round achieved consensus. Twenty-eight experts (47% response rate) participated across the two Delphi rounds. In the second round, 83% of these experts agreed or strongly agreed that a new screening tool, using the holistic First Nations concept of social and emotional wellbeing, be developed. Ninety-four percent of them agreed that it should take a Yarning approach. These findings enabled the development of a new SEWB screening tool that adopted a Yarning (narrative) approach designed for use in primary care and geriatric settings in the region. The new tool has four different Yarning areas: Community engagement and behaviour; Stress worries; Risk; and Feeling strong. Guidelines for tool use are integrated as well as Summary and Recommendation sections. At a macro-level this project responds to the need for new screening tools that are underpinned by First Nations worldviews.

Studies in mice and older, subfertile women have found that air pollution exposure may compromise female reproduction. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of air pollution on ovarian reserve and outcomes of ovarian stimulation among young, healthy females. We included 472 oocyte donors who underwent 781 ovarian stimulation cycles at a fertility clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, USA (2008–2019). Antral follicle count (AFC) was assessed with transvaginal ultrasonography and total and mature oocyte count was assessed following oocyte retrieval. Ovarian sensitivity index (OSI) was calculated as the total number of oocytes divided by total gonadotrophin dose × 1000. Daily ambient exposure to nitric oxide (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter ≤ 2.5 (PM2.5) was estimated using a fused regional + line-source model for near-surface releases at a 250 m resolution based on residential address. Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate the associations of an interquartile range (IQR) increase in pollutant exposure with outcomes adjusted for donor characteristics, census-level poverty, and meteorological factors. The median (IQR) age among oocyte donors was 25.0 (5.0) years, and 31% of the donors were racial/ethnic minorities. The median (IQR) exposure to NOx, CO, and PM2.5 in the 3 months prior to stimulation was 37.7 (32.0) ppb, 612 (317) ppb, and 9.8 (2.9) µg/m3, respectively. Ambient air pollution exposure in the 3 months before AFC was not associated with AFC. An IQR increase in PM2.5 in the 3 months before AFC and during stimulation was associated with −7.5% (95% CI −14.1, −0.4) and −6.4% (95% CI −11.0, −1.6) fewer mature oocytes, and a −1.9 (95% CI −3.2, −0.5) and −1.0 (95% CI −1.8, −0.2) lower OSI, respectively. Our results suggest that lowering the current 24-h PM2.5 standard in the US to 25 µg/m3 may still not adequately protect against the reprotoxic effects of short-term PM2.5 exposure.

ABSTRACTHIV-1 latency is a multi-dimensional, dynamic process, and many aspects of how the viral latency is established and maintained remain incompletely characterized. We have investigated how the host cellular epigenomic and transcriptomic microenvironments compare depending on the transcriptional state of the virus. Using a dual-reporter HIVGKO virus, we identified a significant divergence in chromatin reorganization and cellular gene expression patterns between active and latent HIV-1 infections of SupT1 cells. Latent HIV-1 infection induced significantly more cellular epigenomic restructuring than active infection. Furthermore, the nature of epigenomic changes also differed between the two states of HIV-1 infection. The majority of the changes in latent HIV-1 infection were repressive, whereas active viral infection led to an overall increase in chromatin accessibility. The repressed chromatin remodeling in latent infection was associated with the downregulation of genes involved in DNA replication, DNA repair, and cell cycle pathways, whereas the open chromatin structure in active infection led to increased expression of genes enriched for lipid metabolism, vesicle, and small molecule transport pathways. Similar to cellular mRNAs, our comprehensive transcriptomic analysis also identified a significant shift in long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) epigenomic and expression profiles between active and latent HIV-1 infections. Putative functional roles of novel lncRNAs associated with cellular pathways dysregulated in active and latent HIV-1 infections were identified, and the effects of viral reactivation on lncRNA expression in latently infected cells were evaluated. This study revealed that HIV-1 latent infection necessitates substantially greater alterations in the cellular epigenome and transcriptome than active HIV-1 infection.IMPORTANCEHIV-1 infection of T-lymphocytes depends on co-opting cellular transcriptional and translational machineries for viral replication. This requires significant changes in the cellular microenvironment. We have characterized and compared the changes in cellular chromatin structures as well as gene expression landscapes in T cells that are either actively or latently infected with HIV-1. Our results reveal that chromatin accessibility and expression of both protein-coding mRNAs and non-coding lncRNAs are uniquely regulated in HIV-1-infected T cells, depending on whether the virus is actively transcribing or remains in a transcriptionally silent, latent state. HIV-1 latent infection elicits more robust changes in the cellular chromatin organization than active viral infection. Our analysis also identifies the effects of such epigenomic changes on the cellular gene expression and subsequent biological pathways. This study comprehensively characterizes the cellular epigenomic and transcriptomic states that support active and latent HIV-1 infection in an in vitro model of SupT1 cells.

Abstract Background Although pro-inflammatory cytokines are involved in the clearance of Plasmodium falciparum during the early stages of the infection, increased levels of these cytokines have been implicated in the pathogenesis of severe malaria. Amongst various parasite-derived inducers of inflammation, the malarial pigment haemozoin (Hz), which accumulates in monocytes, macrophages and other immune cells during infection, has been shown to significantly contribute to dysregulation of the normal inflammatory cascades. Methods The direct effect of Hz-loading on cytokine production by monocytes and the indirect effect of Hz on cytokine production by myeloid cells was investigated during acute malaria and convalescence using archived plasma samples from studies investigating P. falciparum malaria pathogenesis in Malawian subjects. Further, the possible inhibitory effect of IL-10 on Hz-loaded cells was examined, and the proportion of cytokine-producing T-cells and monocytes during acute malaria and in convalescence was characterized. Results Hz contributed towards an increase in the production of inflammatory cytokines, such as Interferon Gamma (IFN-γ), Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) and Interleukin 2 (IL-2) by various cells. In contrast, the cytokine IL-10 was observed to have a dose-dependent suppressive effect on the production of TNF among other cytokines. Cerebral malaria (CM) was characterized by impaired monocyte functions, which normalized in convalescence. CM was also characterized by reduced levels of IFN-γ-producing T cell subsets, and reduced expression of immune recognition receptors HLA-DR and CD 86, which also normalized in convalescence. However, CM and other clinical malaria groups were characterized by significantly higher plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines than healthy controls, implicating anti-inflammatory cytokines in balancing the immune response. Conclusions Acute CM was characterized by elevated plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines but lower proportions of cytokine-producing T-cells and monocytes that normalize during convalescence. IL-10 is also shown to have the potential to indirectly prevent excessive inflammation. Cytokine production dysregulated by the accumulation of Hz appears to impair the balance of the immune response to malaria and exacerbates pathology.

Abstract Background There is a substantial body of research on children’s eating behaviours (e.g., food responsiveness and fussiness) and related constructs (e.g., eating in the absence of hunger, appetite self-regulation). This research provides a foundation for understanding children’s dietary intakes and healthy eating behaviours, as well as efforts at intervention, whether in relation to food avoidance, overeating and/or trajectories to excess weight gain. The success of these efforts and their associated outcomes is dependent on the theoretical foundation and conceptual clarity of the behaviours and constructs. This, in turn contributes to the coherence and precision of the definitions and measurement of these behaviours and constructs. Limited clarity in these areas ultimately creates uncertainty around the interpretation of findings from research studies and intervention programs. At present there does not appear to be an overarching theoretical framework of children’s eating behaviours and associated constructs, or for separate domains of children’s eating behaviours/constructs. The main purpose of the present review was to examine the possible theoretical foundations of some of the main current questionnaire and behavioural measures of children’s eating behaviours and related constructs. Methods We reviewed the literature on the most prominent measures of children’s eating behaviours for use with children aged ~ 0–12 years. We focused on the explanations and justifications for the original design of the measures and whether these included theoretical perspectives, as well as current theoretical interpretations (and difficulties) of the behaviours and constructs. Results We found that the most commonly used measures had their foundations in relatively applied or practical concerns rather than theoretical perspectives. Conclusions We concluded, consistent with Lumeng & Fisher (1), that although existing measures have served the field well, to advance the field as a science, and better contribute to knowledge development, increased attention should be directed to the conceptual and theoretical foundations of children’s eating behaviours and related constructs. Suggestions for future directions are outlined.

The growing abundance of data is conducive to using numerical methods to relate air quality, meteorology and emissions to address which factors impact pollutant concentrations. Often, it is the extreme values that are of interest for health and regulatory purposes (e.g., the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone uses the annual maximum daily fourth highest 8 h average (MDA8) ozone), though such values are the most challenging to predict using empirical models. We developed four different computational models, including the generalized additive model (GAM), multivariate adaptive regression splines, random forest, and support vector regression, to develop observation-based relationships between the fourth highest MDA8 ozone in the South Coast Air Basin and precursor emissions, meteorological factors and large-scale climate patterns. All models had similar predictive performance, though the GAM showed a relatively higher R2 value (0.96) with a lower root mean square error and mean bias.

Abstract Background Little is known about the pathways linking parent feeding practices with appetitive traits and BMIz throughout infancy. This study examined bidirectional associations between parental feeding practices, infant appetitive traits, and infant BMIz. Methods Parents (n = 380) of infants aged less than 6 months at baseline reported their feeding practices (using the Feeding Practices and Structure Questionnaire (FPSQ) for infants and toddlers), infant appetitive traits (using the Baby Eating Behaviour Questionnaire) and infant BMIz (parent-reported) at three timepoints (

Abstract Aims Chlamydia disproportionately affects individuals aged 15–24 years. A lack of chlamydia knowledge in this high‐risk group likely contributes to decreased testing, but interventions to increase chlamydia knowledge in this population are not well‐described in the literature. The purpose of this pilot project was to increase chlamydia knowledge in a sample of university students using nurse‐developed web‐based education. Design A pre‐ and post‐test design was used to evaluate participant knowledge of chlamydia before and after completing a nurse‐developed web‐based education intervention designed for university students. Methods Forty‐seven undergraduate students at one U.S. university participated. A focus group and scientific evidence informed the development of the web‐based education. Results Participants had a significant increase in chlamydia knowledge after completing the online educational intervention (M = 8.0, SD = 0.000) compared to baseline (M = 6.5, SD = 1.5), t(33) = −5.821, p

Purpose In this proof-of-concept pilot study, we aimed to increase nurse practitioner (NP) student knowledge of ophthalmology to prepare NPs for encounters in primary care settings. The Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) endorse core knowledge that medical students should achieve. We assess the effectiveness of an innovative ophthalmologist-led curriculum based on these competencies tailored to issues NPs encounter in primary care.

An inhibitor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) survival acts as an iron chelator, demonstrating that iron deprivation alters Mtb cholesterol and central carbon metabolism.

The incidence of reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) has increased since the Food and Drug Administration approved its use in the United States in 2004. With the current RSA implants available for surgeon use within the United States of America, each design, regardless of humeral inlay vs. onlay, distalizes the shoulder’s center of rotation. This new center of rotation purposely increases tension to the deltoid, which is the main working muscle in RSA, but also retensions the adjacent tendons. Some patients after RSA experience continued anterior shoulder discomfort that limits their active range of motion and overall patient satisfaction. It has been isolated with physical examination that there is tenderness to palpation at the coracoid process and throughout the conjoint tendon. We have completed conjoint tendon lengthening procedures on this subset of patients with excellent clinical results. This article describes the technique for patients who underwent conjoint tendon lengthening after RSA for recalcitrant anterior shoulder pain.

Abstract The product encoded by the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) gene is a multi-functional protein which not only controls caspase-dependent cell death, but also participates in inflammatory signalling, copper homeostasis, response to hypoxia and control of cell migration. Deregulation of XIAP, either by elevated expression or inherited genetic deletion, is associated with several human disease states. Reconciling XIAP-dependent signalling pathways with its role in disease progression is essential to understand how XIAP promotes the progression of human pathologies. In this study we have created a panel of genetically modified XIAP-null cell lines using TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9 to investigate the functional outcome of XIAP deletion. Surprisingly, in our genetically modified cells XIAP deletion had no effect on programmed cell death, but instead the primary phenotype we observed was a profound increase in cell migration rates. Furthermore, we found that XIAP-dependent suppression of cell migration was dependent on XIAPdependent control of C-RAF levels, a protein kinase which controls cell signalling pathways that regulate the cytoskeleton. These results suggest that XIAP is not necessary for control of the apoptotic signalling cascade, however it does have a critical role in controlling cell migration and motility that cannot be compensated for in XIAP-knockout cells.

Abstract Tropospheric ozone (O3) affects Earth’s climate and human health. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), major contributors to O3 formation, are of particular interest. Generally, the measured concentrations of VOCs (M-VOCs) and O3 show nonlinear or even opposite time serial-trend. We attributed the phenomenon to survivor bias: lack of insight of the photochemically consumed VOCs (C-VOCs) which emitted from sources to ambient and devote to forming O3, while excessive concern on the measured VOCs (M-VOCs) at observation site. Both observational and model results provide evidence that C-VOCs are the key to O3 formation. We proposed an improved model to quantify the source contributions of C-VOCs (biogenic emissions, gasoline evaporation, industry, etc.) and their impacts on the formation of O3, successfully avoiding the misidentification of dominant VOCs sources originated from the survivor bias in observational data. The survivor bias found in this study highlights that focusing of M-VOCs directly is insufficient and demonstrates the necessity of capture the sources of C-VOCs which contribute to O3 formation.

Summary: To elucidate how different immune cells contribute to control or progression of M. tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, we developed a technique to perform multi-modal single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) from in vivo Mtb-infected lung macrophages. This protocol simultaneously acquires the transcriptome, surface marker expression, and bacterial phenotype of each infected cell. We describe steps for sorting Mtb-infected cells and staining with CITE-seq antibodies, as well as for methanol fixation and generation of scRNA-seq libraries. This protocol can be used on tissues derived from murine, nonhuman primate, and human infections.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Pisu et al. (2021).1 : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

ObjectiveTo determine store availability, total number of products, and types of Formulated Supplementary Sports Foods in Australia, along with their stated nutrition content, sweeteners added, total number, and type of claims displayed on the packaging.DesignA cross-sectional, visual product audit of mainstream retailers.SettingSupermarkets, pharmacies, health food stores, and gym/fitness centres.ResultsA total of 558 products were captured in the audit, 275 of which displayed the correct mandatory packaging attributes. Three categories of products were identified, based on the dominant nutrient. Only 184 products appeared to display the correct energy value based on the listed macronutrient content (protein, fat, carbohydrate, dietary fibre). The stated nutrient content was highly variable across all product subcategories. Nineteen different sweeteners were identified, with most foods containing only one (38.2%) or two (34.9%) types. The predominant sweetener was stevia glycosides. Packages displayed multiple claims, with a maximum of 67 and minimum of 2 claims. Nutrition content claims were most frequently displayed (on 98.5% of products). Claims included regulated, minimally regulated and marketing statements.ConclusionSports food consumers should be provided with accurate and detailed on pack nutrition information, to ensure informed choices are made. However, this audit showed multiple products which did not conform to current standards, appeared to provide inaccurate nutrition information, contained multiple sweeteners, and displayed an overwhelming number of on-pack claims. The increase in sales, availability, and products available in mainstream retail environments, could be impacting both intended consumers (athletes), and general non-athlete population. The results indicate underperformance in manufacturing practices which preference marketing over quality and stronger regulatory approaches are needed to protect consumer health and safety, and to prevent misleading consumers.

Abstract Ionic liquids (ILs) have been used for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture, however, which have never been used as catalysts to accelerate CO2 capture. The record is broken by a uniquely designed IL, [EMmim][NTf2]. The IL can universally catalyze both CO2 sorption and desorption of all the chemisorption‐based technologies. As demonstrated in monoethanolamine (MEA) based CO2 capture, even with the addition of only 2000 ppm IL catalyst, the rate of CO2 desorption—the key to reducing the overall CO2 capture energy consumption or breaking the bottleneck of the state‐of‐the‐art technologies and Paris Agreement implementation—can be increased by 791% at 85 °C, which makes use of low‐temperature waste heat and avoids secondary pollution during CO2 capture feasible. Furthermore, the catalytic CO2 capture mechanism is experimentally and theoretically revealed.

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that can infect many host species and is a cause of significant human morbidity worldwide. T. gondii secretes a diverse array of effector proteins into the host cell which are critical for infection. The vast majority of these secreted proteins have no predicted functional domains and remain uncharacterised. Here, we carried out a pooled CRISPR knockout screen in the T. gondii Prugniaud strain in vivo to identify secreted proteins that contribute to parasite immune evasion in the host. We demonstrate that ROP1, the first-identified rhoptry protein of T. gondii, is essential for virulence and has a previously unrecognised role in parasite resistance to interferon gamma-mediated innate immune restriction. This function is conserved in the highly virulent RH strain of T. gondii and contributes to parasite growth in both murine and human macrophages. While ROP1 affects the morphology of rhoptries, from where the protein is secreted, it does not affect rhoptry secretion. Finally, we show that ROP1 co-immunoprecipitates with the host cell protein C1QBP, an emerging regulator of innate immune signaling. In summary, we identify putative in vivo virulence factors in the T. gondii Prugniaud strain and show that ROP1 is an important and previously overlooked effector protein that counteracts both murine and human innate immunity.

This protocol describes the methodology and methods for a collaborative project with eight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care (PHC) organisations, across three Australian states and one territory, to increase clinical service performance and access to preventive health and health promotion services for preventing, identifying, treating, and managing dementia risk in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Aboriginal participatory action research (APAR) methodology will be the framework for this project, incorporating continuous quality improvement (CQI), informed by research yarning with stakeholder groups, comprising community members and PHC staff and service providers and data collected from the auditing of client health records and the mapping of existing clinical processes and health services at each partnering PHC organisation. The qualitative and quantitative data will be summarised and discussed with stakeholder groups. Priorities will be identified and broken down into tangible PHC organisation deliverable strategies and programs, which will be co-developed with stakeholder groups and implemented cyclically over 24 months using the Plan, Do, Study, Act model of change. Key project outcome measures include increased clinical service performance and availability of preventive health and health promotion services for safeguarding against dementia. Project implementation will be evaluated for quality and transparency from an Indigenous perspective using an appropriate appraisal tool. The project processes, impact, and sustainability will be evaluated using the RE-AIM framework. A dementia safeguarding framework and accompanying tool kit will be developed from this work to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PHC organisations to identify, implement, and evaluate dementia safeguarding practice and service improvements on a broader scale.

We present the development of a multiphase adjoint for the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model, a widely used chemical transport model. The adjoint model provides location- and time-specific gradients that can be used in various applications such as backward sensitivity analysis, source attribution, optimal pollution control, data assimilation, and inverse modeling. The science processes of the CMAQ model include gas-phase chemistry, aerosol dynamics and thermodynamics, cloud chemistry and dynamics, diffusion, and advection. Discrete adjoints are implemented for all the science processes, with an additional continuous adjoint for advection. The development of discrete adjoints is assisted with algorithmic differentiation (AD) tools. Particularly, the Kinetic PreProcessor (KPP) is implemented for gas-phase and aqueous chemistry, and two different automatic differentiation tools are used for other processes such as clouds, aerosols, diffusion, and advection. The continuous adjoint of advection is developed manually. For adjoint validation, the brute-force or finite-difference method (FDM) is implemented process by process with box- or column-model simulations. Due to the inherent limitations of the FDM caused by numerical round-off errors, the complex variable method (CVM) is adopted where necessary. The adjoint model often shows better agreement with the CVM than with the FDM. The adjoints of all science processes compare favorably with the FDM and CVM. In an example application of the full multiphase adjoint model, we provide the first estimates of how emissions of particulate matter (PM2.5) affect public health across the US.

Signaling between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria regulates a number of fundamental physiological processes. This signaling involves close physical contacts between the two organelles that are mediated by the VAPB-PTPIP51 ″tethering” proteins. The VAPB-PTPIP51 tethers facilitate inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor delivery of Ca2+ from ER to mitochondria. Damage to the tethers is seen in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and frontotemporal dementia with related amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FTD/ALS). Understanding the mechanisms that regulate the VAPB‐PTPIP51 interaction thus represents an important area of research. Recent studies suggest that an FFAT motif in PTPIP51 is key to its binding to VAPB but this work relies on in vitro studies with short peptides. Cellular studies to support this notion with full-length proteins are lacking. Here we address this issue. Immunoprecipitation assays from transfected cells revealed that deletion of the PTPIP51 FFAT motif has little effect on VAPB binding. However, mutation and deletion of a nearby coiled-coil domain markedly affect this binding. Using electron microscopy, we then show that deletion of the coiled-coil domain but not the FFAT motif abrogates the effect of PTPIP51 on ER-mitochondria contacts. Finally, we show that deletion of the coiled-coil domain but not the FFAT motif abrogates the effect of PTPIP51 on the IP3 receptor-mediated delivery of Ca2+ to mitochondria. Thus, the coiled-coil domain is essential for PTPIP51 ER-mitochondria signaling functions.

Background: Traumatic posterolateral rotatory instability after elbow dislocation or fracture dislocation has been well described. However, few reports cover atraumatic posterolateral rotatory instability as a cause of lateral-sided elbow pain. We assessed the risk factors and epidemiology of atraumatic posterolateral rotatory instability in a case-control study. Methods: A retrospective review of all patients treated operatively for atraumatic posterolateral rotatory instability during a 6-year period was compared with a group of patients with extensor carpi radialis brevis tendinopathy without instability treated during the same time period. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression statistical analyses were used to investigate the following risk factors: gender, age, hand dominance, diabetes, smoking, body mass index, corticosteroid injection history, and duration of symptoms. Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand and pain scores were obtained preoperatively and postoperatively. Results: Thirteen patients with atraumatic posterolateral rotatory instability were compared with 12 patients with extensor carpi radialis brevis tendinopathy. Multivariate analysis revealed patients with atraumatic posterolateral rotatory instability were more likely to have multiple corticosteroid injections (P = .05) and present with a longer duration of symptoms (P = .03). Postoperative pain scores improved in both groups. Conclusions: Atraumatic posterolateral rotatory instability should be considered in the differential diagnosis of lateral elbow when patients present with a protracted clinical course. Statistically, posterolateral rotatory instability patients more often present with a history of multiple corticosteroid injections.

Aerosol acidity governs several key processes in aerosol physics and chemistry, thus affecting aerosol mass and composition and ultimately climate and human health. Previous studies have reported aerosol pH values separately in China and the United States (USA), implying different aerosol acidity between these two countries. However, there is debate about whether mass concentration or chemical composition is the more important driver of differences in aerosol acidity. A full picture of the pH difference and the underlying mechanisms responsible is hindered by the scarcity of simultaneous measurements of particle composition and gaseous species, especially in China. Here we conduct a comprehensive assessment of aerosol acidity in China and the USA using extended ground-level measurements and regional chemical transport model simulations. We show that aerosols in China are significantly less acidic than in the USA, with pH values 1–2 units higher. Based on a proposed multivariable Taylor series method and a series of sensitivity tests, we identify major factors leading to the pH difference. Compared to the USA, China has much higher aerosol mass concentrations (gas + particle, by a factor of 8.4 on average) and a higher fraction of total ammonia (gas + particle) in the aerosol composition. Our assessment shows that the differences in mass concentrations and chemical composition play equally important roles in driving the aerosol pH difference between China and the USA – increasing the aerosol mass concentrations (by a factor of 8.4) but keeping the relative component contributions the same in the USA as the level in China increases the aerosol pH by ∼ 1.0 units and further shifting the chemical composition from US conditions to China's that are richer in ammonia increases the aerosol pH by ∼ 0.9 units. Therefore, China being both more polluted than the USA and richer in ammonia explains the aerosol pH difference. The difference in aerosol acidity highlighted in the present study implies potential differences in formation mechanisms, physicochemical properties, and toxicity of aerosol particles in these two countries.

Prescribed burning is a major source of a fine particular matter, especially in the southeastern United States, and quantifying emissions from burning operations accurately is an integral part of ascertaining air quality impacts. For instance, a critical factor in calculating fire emissions is identifying fire activity information (e.g., location, date/time, fire type, and area burned) and prior estimations of prescribed fire activity used for calculating emissions have either used burn permit records or satellite-based remote sensing products. While burn permit records kept by state agencies are a reliable source, they are not always available or readily accessible. Satellite-based remote sensing products are currently used to fill the data gaps, especially in regional studies; however, they cannot differentiate prescribed burns from the other types of fires. In this study, we developed novel algorithms to distinguish prescribed burns from wildfires and agricultural burns in a satellite-derived product, Fire INventory from NCAR (FINN). We matched and compared the burned areas from permit records and FINN at various spatial scales: individual fire level, 4 km grid level, and state level. The methods developed in this study are readily usable for differentiating burn type, matching and comparing the burned area between two datasets at various resolutions, and estimating prescribed burn emissions. The results showed that burned areas from permits and FINN have a weak correlation at the individual fire level, while the correlation is much higher for the 4 km grid and state levels. Since matching at the 4 km grid level showed a relatively higher correlation and chemical transport models typically use grid-based emissions, we used the linear regression relationship between FINN and permit burned areas at the grid level to adjust FINN burned areas. This adjustment resulted in a reduction in FINN-burned areas by 34%. The adjusted burned area was then used as input to the BlueSky Smoke Modeling Framework to provide long-term, three-dimensional prescribed burning emissions for the southeastern United States. In this study, we also compared emissions from different methods (FINN or BlueSky) and different data sources (adjusted FINN or permits) to evaluate uncertainties of our emission estimation. The comparison results showed the impacts of the burned area, method, and data source on prescribed burning emission estimations.

Ecosystem productivity is strongly modulated by the atmospheric deposition of inorganic reactive nitrogen (the sum of ammonium and nitrate). The individual contributions of ammonium and nitrate vary considerably over space and time, giving rise to complex patterns of nitrogen deposition. In the absence of rain, much of this complexity is driven by the large difference between the dry deposition velocity of nitrogen-containing molecules in the gas or condensed phase. Here we quantify how aerosol liquid water and acidity, through their impact on gas–particle partitioning, modulate the deposition velocity of total NH3 and total HNO3 individually while simultaneously affecting the dry deposition of inorganic reactive nitrogen. Four regimes of deposition velocity emerge: (i) HNO3 – fast, NH3 – slow, (ii) HNO3 – slow, NH3 – fast, (iii) HNO3 – fast, NH3 – fast, and (iv) HNO3 – slow, NH3 – slow. Conditions that favor partitioning of species to the aerosol phase strongly reduce the local deposition of reactive nitrogen species and promote their accumulation in the boundary layer and potential for long-range transport. Application of this framework to select locations around the world reveals fundamentally important insights: the dry deposition of total ammonia displays little sensitivity to pH and liquid water variations, except under conditions of extreme acidity and/or low aerosol liquid water content. The dry deposition of total nitric acid, on the other hand, is quite variable, with maximum deposition velocities (close to gas deposition rates) found in the eastern United States and minimum velocities in northern Europe and China. In the latter case, the low deposition velocity leads to up to 10-fold increases in PM2.5 nitrate aerosol, thus contributing to the high PM2.5 levels observed during haze episodes. In this light, aerosol pH and associated liquid water content can be considered to be control parameters that drive dry deposition flux and can accelerate the accumulation of aerosol contributing to intense haze events throughout the globe.

The advent of antiretroviral therapy almost 25 years ago has transformed HIV-1 infection into a manageable chronic condition, albeit still incurable. The inability of the treatment regimen to eliminate latently infected cells that harbor the virus in an epigenetically silent state poses a major hurdle. Current cure approaches are focused on a “shock and kill” strategy that uses latency-reversing agents to chemically reverse the proviral quiescence in latently infected cells, followed by immune-mediated clearance of reactivated cells. To date, hundreds of compounds have been investigated for viral reactivation, yet none has resulted in a functional cure. The insufficiency of these latency-reversing agents (LRAs) alone indicates a critical need for additional, alternate approaches such as genetic manipulation. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are an emerging class of regulatory RNAs with functional roles in many cellular processes, including epigenetic modulation. A number of lncRNAs have already been implicated to play important roles in HIV-1 latency and, as such, pharmacological modulation of lncRNAs constitutes a rational alternative approach in HIV-1 cure research. In this review, we discuss the current state of knowledge of the role of lncRNAs in HIV-1 infection and explore the scope for a lncRNA-mediated genetic approach within the shock and kill strategy of HIV-1 cure.

Ammonia (NH3) emissions have large impacts on air quality and nitrogen deposition, influencing human health and the well-being of sensitive ecosystems. Large uncertainties exist in the “bottom-up” NH3 emission inventories due to limited source information and a historical lack of measurements, hindering the assessment of NH3-related environmental impacts. The increasing capability of satellites to measure NH3 abundance and the development of modeling tools enable us to better constrain NH3 emission estimates at high spatial resolution. In this study, we constrain the NH3 emission estimates from the widely used 2011 National Emissions Inventory (2011 NEI) in the US using Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer NH3 column density measurements (IASI-NH3) gridded at a 36 km by 36 km horizontal resolution. With a hybrid inverse modeling approach, we use the Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System (CMAQ) and its multiphase adjoint model to optimize NH3 emission estimates in April, July, and October. Our optimized emission estimates suggest that the total NH3 emissions are biased low by 26 % in 2011 NEI in April with overestimation in the Midwest and underestimation in the Southern States. In July and October, the estimates from NEI agree well with the optimized emission estimates, despite a low bias in hotspot regions. Evaluation of the inversion performance using independent observations shows reduced underestimation in simulated ambient NH3 concentration in all 3 months and reduced underestimation in NH4+ wet deposition in April. Implementing the optimized NH3 emission estimates improves the model performance in simulating PM2.5 concentration in the Midwest in April. The model results suggest that the estimated contribution of ammonium nitrate would be biased high in a priori NEI-based assessments. The higher emission estimates in this study also imply a higher ecological impact of nitrogen deposition originating from NH3 emissions.

The continuous development in telecommunication tech­nologies has created opportunities for health professionals to optimise healthcare delivery by adopting digital tools into rehabilitation programs (i.e., telerehabilitation). These tech­nological advances, along with the demographic and social characteristics of each country, have made the implementa­tion of telerehabilitation a disparate process across regions. We have gathered the experience of four countries (Australia, Chile, Brazil, and Colombia) in two different regions (Ocea­nia and South America) to recompile the history pre- and post-Covid-19 outbreak until January of 2021, the barriers to, and facilitators of telerehabilitation, and outline the future challenges for these countries.

Abstract Background In order to measure and understand trajectories of parental feeding practices and their relationship with child eating and weight, it is desirable to perform assessment from infancy and across time, in age-appropriate ways. While many feeding practices questionnaires exist, none is presently available that enables tracking of feeding practices from infancy through childhood. The aim of the study was to develop a version of the Feeding Practices and Structure Questionnaire (FPSQ) for parents with infants and toddlers (

The capability of ambient particles to generate in vivo reactive oxygen species (ROS), called oxidative potential (OP), is a potential metric for evaluating the health effects of particulate matter (PM) and is supported by several recent epidemiological investigations. Studies using various types of OP assays differ in their sensitivities to varying PM chemical components. In this study, we systematically compared two health-relevant acellular OP assays that track the depletion of antioxidants or reductant surrogates: (i) the synthetic respiratory-tract lining fluid (RTLF) assay that tracks the depletion of ascorbic acid (AA) and glutathione (GSH) and (ii) the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay that tracks the depletion of DTT. Yearlong daily samples were collected at an urban site in Atlanta, GA (Jefferson Street), during 2017, and both DTT and RTLF assays were performed to measure the OP of water-soluble PM2.5 components. PM2.5 mass and major chemical components, including metals, ions, and organic and elemental carbon were also analyzed. Correlation analysis found that OP as measured by the DTT and AA depletion (OPDTT and OPAA, respectively) were correlated with both organics and some water-soluble metal species, whereas that from the GSH depletion (OPGSH) was exclusively sensitive to water-soluble Cu. These OP assays were moderately correlated with each other due to the common contribution from metal ions. OPDTT and OPAA were moderately correlated with PM2.5 mass with Pearson's r=0.55 and 0.56, respectively, whereas OPGSH exhibited a lower correlation (r=0.24). There was little seasonal variation in the OP levels for all assays due to the weak seasonality of OP-associated species. Multivariate linear regression models were developed to predict OP measures from the particle composition data. Variability in OPDTT and OPAA were not only attributed to the concentrations of metal ions (mainly Fe and Cu) and organic compounds but also to antagonistic metal–organic and metal–metal interactions. OPGSH was sensitive to the change in water-soluble Cu and brown carbon (BrC), a proxy for ambient humic-like substances.

Abstract Background In developmental science, there is an extensive literature on non-food related self-regulation in childhood, where several domains relating to emotions, actions and cognitions have been identified. There is now growing attention to food related self-regulation in childhood, especially difficulties with ASR, and the consequences for weight gain and adiposity. The aim of this narrative review was to conduct a reciprocal analysis of self-regulation in the food and non-food domains in childhood (referred to as appetite self-regulation (ASR) and general self-regulation (GSR) respectively). The focus was on commonalities and differences in key concepts and underpinning processes. Methods Databases and major journals were searched using terms such as self-regulation, appetite self-regulation, or self-regulation of energy intake, together with associated constructs (e.g., Executive Function, Effortful Control, delay-of-gratification). This was followed by backward and forward snowballing. Results and discussion The scholarship on GSR in childhood has had a focus on the role of the cognitively-oriented Executive Function (EF), the temperamentally-based Effortful Control (EC) and the recursive interplay between bottom-up (reactive, emotion driven, approach or avoidance) and top-down (cognitive, conscious decision-making) processes. “Hot” and “cool/cold” EF and self-regulation situations have been distinguished. There were some parallels between GSR and ASR in these areas, but uncertainty about the contribution of EF and EC to ASR in young children. Possible differences between the contribution to ASR-related outcomes of delay-of-gratification in food and non-food tasks were apparent. Unique elements of ASR were identified; associated with psychological, biological and neurological responses to food and bottom-up processes. A diverse number of situations or elements connected to ASR exist: for example, energy balance homeostasis, caloric compensation, hunger regulation, satiation, satiety, energy density of food, eating in the absence of hunger, emotional eating, etc. Conclusions Self-regulation in food and non-food domains are amenable to a reciprocal analysis. We argue that self-regulation of appetite should be added as a domain under the umbrella of self-regulation in childhood along with the other non-food related domains. This could lead to a broader understanding of self-regulation in childhood, and generate novel lines of enquiry.