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Anwar E Ahmed,1 Michael H Yim,1 Jimmy Dawood,2 Cara H Olsen,1 Andrew J Waters,3 Darrell E Singer,1 James D Mancuso1 1Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA; 2School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA; 3Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USACorrespondence: Anwar E Ahmed, Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA, Email anwar.ahmed@usuhs.eduBackground: This study aimed to 1) determine the prevalence of past-year suicidal ideation (SI) and attempts (SA) among active-duty SMs; 2) determine whether differences exist by age, sex, and race; and 3) assess whether prevalence estimates vary by risk profiles of mental health conditions and substance use.Methods: Data were from the 2018 Health-Related Behavior Survey (HRBS), a cross-sectional survey of active-duty SMs (n = 17,166). We used the logistic model to identify the factors of SI and SA and latent class analysis (LCA) to identify the risk profiles.Results: Among active duty SMs, 8.26% had SI and 1.25% had SA in the past year. Gender and age have been shown to influence how race might contribute to suicidal behaviors. Mental health conditions were associated with higher odds of SI and SA, as were younger ages; LGB identity; being separated, divorced, or widowed; use of e-cigarettes, dual use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes, or drugs; and history of deployment of less than 12 months. Frequencies of cigarette and e-cigarette use were also associated with SI and SA, indicating the odds were increasing by 0.3% for every additional cigarette or e-cigarette used. Five risk profiles were identified: class 1 (illegal drug use), class 2 (mental health needs with tobacco and alcohol use), class 3 (mental health conditions only), class 4 (“low risk” SMs with low levels of illegal drug use, mental health visits, tobacco use, and alcohol use), and class 5 (alcohol use). Compared to class 4 (“low risk”), all other risk profiles were associated with increased odds of suicidal behaviors.Conclusion: Despite the resources and increased access provided for mental health support, the prevalence of SI among active-duty SMs is greater than in the general population of the same age, likely due to additional military exposures and stressors.Keywords: suicide, ideation, attempts, mental health, e-cigarette, active-duty service member

To investigate experts' imagery in chess, players were required to recall briefly presented positions in which pieces were placed on the intersections between squares (intersection positions). Position types ranged from game positions to positions in which both the piece distribution and the location were randomized. Simulations were run with the CHREST model (Gobet & Simon, 2000). The simulations assumed that pieces had to be centered back, one by one, to the middle of the squares in the mind's eye before chunks could be recognized. Consistent with CHREST's predictions, chess players (N = 36), ranging from weak amateurs to grandmasters, exhibited much poorer recall for intersection positions than for standard positions (pieces placed on the centers of the squares). For the intersection positions, the skill difference in recall was larger for game positions than for the randomized positions. The participants recalled bishops better than they recalled knights, suggesting that Stroop-like interference impairs recall of the latter. The data supported both the time parameter in CHREST for shifting pieces in the mind's eye (125 msec per piece) and the seriality assumption. In general, the study reinforces the plausibility of CHREST as a model of cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIMS: Many theories of addiction assume that responses to drug cues maintain drug use and precipitate relapse. There is evidence that measures derived from experimental cognitive psychology yield important information about cue reactivity. We used a pictorial version of the visual probe task to evaluate: (i) whether minimally deprived smokers attend differentially to smoking cues (attentional bias); (ii) whether this bias is related to self-reported craving and dependence; and (iii) whether it predicted outcome in a subsequent cessation attempt. DESIGN: Participants took part in a structured smoking cessation program. Each participant completed the visual probe task roughly 2 weeks before quitting while non-deprived. SETTING: A research smoking cessation clinic. PARTICIPANTS: 141 heavy smokers seeking treatment for smoking cessation. MEASUREMENTS: The computerized attentional bias measure and self-reported urge were taken in a laboratory session. Participants also monitored their smoking and craving on electronic diaries both when smoking ad libitum and for up to 6 weeks post-cessation. FINDINGS: Participants were faster and more accurate in responding to a visual probe that replaced a smoking picture than to a neutral picture, indicating that they showed attentional bias towards the smoking cues. Attentional bias on the first half of the task correlated with pre-task craving, indicating that the bias may tap motivational processes, but it did not predict outcome in smoking cessation. CONCLUSIONS: The visual probe task can add useful information about attentional responses to drug cues. Further work is required to uncover the theoretical significance and utility of this measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives: Attention bias (AB) toward food is associated with obesity, but it is unclear if programs designed to reduce AB can impact adolescents' eating behavior. We investigated whether a two-week, smartphone-delivered attention retraining (AR) program (vs a control program) altered food AB in adolescent girls with overweight., Methods: Participants completed three food-cue visual-probe trainings/day. The AR and control programs directed attention away from food stimuli during 100% and 50% of trainings, respectively. Before and after completion of the programs, girls completed a food-cue visual-probe task while undergoing magnetoencephalography (MEG), and then a laboratory test meal., Results: Sixty-eight adolescents were randomized; 58 completed post-program visits. There was minimal effect of condition on AB scores (β [95%CI] = -1.9 [-20.8, 16.9]; d = -0.06). There was a small effect of condition on energy intake (EMM control = 1017 kcal, EMM AR = 1088 kcal, d = 0.29). Within the AR group, there was slightly blunted initial engagement in brain areas associated with reward response and subsequent increased goal-directed attention and action control., Conclusions: We found preliminary support for efficacy of an intensive smartphone-delivered AR program to alter neural correlates of attention processing in adolescent girls with overweight or obesity. Studies with larger sample sizes are needed to elucidate if AR trainings disrupt the link between food AB and eating behavior.

Pathogenic variants in RAD51C confer an elevated risk of breast and ovarian cancer, while individuals homozygous for specific RAD51C alleles may develop Fanconi anemia. Using saturation genome editing (SGE), we functionally assess 9,188 unique variants, including >99.5% of all possible coding sequence single-nucleotide alterations. By computing changes in variant abundance and Gaussian mixture modeling (GMM), we functionally classify 3,094 variants to be disruptive and use clinical truth sets to reveal an accuracy/concordance of variant classification >99.9%. Cell fitness was the primary assay readout allowing us to observe a phenomenon where specific missense variants exhibit distinct depletion kinetics potentially suggesting that they represent hypomorphic alleles. We further explored our exhaustive functional map, revealing critical residues on the RAD51C structure and resolving variants found in cancer-segregating kindred. Furthermore, through interrogation of UK Biobank and a large multi-center ovarian cancer cohort, we find significant associations between SGE-depleted variants and cancer diagnoses., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Many variants that we inherit from our parents or acquire de novo or somatically are rare, limiting the precision with which we can associate them with disease. We performed exhaustive saturation genome editing (SGE) of BAP1, the disruption of which is linked to tumorigenesis and altered neurodevelopment. We experimentally characterized 18,108 unique variants, of which 6,196 were found to have abnormal functions, and then used these data to evaluate phenotypic associations in the UK Biobank. We also characterized variants in a large population-ascertained tumor collection, in cancer pedigrees and ClinVar, and explored the behavior of cancer-associated variants compared to that of variants linked to neurodevelopmental phenotypes. Our analyses demonstrated that disruptive germline BAP1 variants were significantly associated with higher circulating levels of the mitogen IGF-1, suggesting a possible pathological mechanism and therapeutic target. Furthermore, we built a variant classifier with >98% sensitivity and specificity and quantify evidence strengths to aid precision variant interpretation., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Continual advancements in genomics have led to an ever-widening disparity between the rate of discovery of genetic variants and our current understanding of their functions and potential roles in disease. Systematic methods for phenotyping DNA variants are required to effectively translate genomics data into improved outcomes for patients with genetic diseases. To make the biggest impact, these approaches must be scalable and accurate, faithfully reflect disease biology, and define complex disease mechanisms. We compare current methods to analyze the function of variants in their endogenous DNA context using genome editing strategies, such as saturation genome editing, base editing and prime editing. We discuss how these technologies can be linked to high-content readouts to gain deep mechanistic insights into variant effects. Finally, we highlight key challenges that need to be addressed to bridge the genotype to phenotype gap, and ultimately improve the diagnosis and treatment of genetic diseases., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests A.R.B. has been a founder and consultant for EnsoCell since August 2023., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: This study investigated the acceptability and feasibility of digital phenotyping in a military sample with a history of traumatic brain injury and co-occurring psychological and cognitive symptoms. The first aim was to evaluate the acceptability of digital phenotyping by (1a) quantifying the proportion of participants willing to download the app and rates of dropout and app discontinuation and (1b) reviewing the stated reasons for both refusing and discontinuing use of the app. The second aim was to investigate technical feasibility by (2a) characterizing the amount and frequency of transferred data and (2b) documenting technical challenges. Exploratory aim 3 sought to leverage data on phone and keyboard interactions to predict if a participant (a) is depressed and (b) has depression that improves over the course of the study., Materials and Methods: A passive digital phenotyping app (Mindstrong Discovery) functioned in the background of the participants' smartphones and passively collected phone usage and typing kinematics data., Results: Fifteen out of 16 participants (93.8%) consented to install the app on their personal smartphone devices. Four participants (26.7%) discontinued the use of the app partway through the study, primarily because of keyboard usability and technical issues. Fourteen out of 15 participants (93.3%) had at least one data transfer, and the median number of days with data was 40 out of a possible 57 days. The exploratory machine learning models predicting depression status and improvement in depression performed better than chance., Conclusions: The findings of this pilot study suggest that digital phenotyping is acceptable and feasible in a military sample and provides support for future larger investigations of this technology., (© The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2024. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site–for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Loss-of-function of DDX3X is a leading cause of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) in females. DDX3X is also a somatically mutated cancer driver gene proposed to have tumour promoting and suppressing effects. We perform saturation genome editing of DDX3X, testing in vitro the functional impact of 12,776 nucleotide variants. We identify 3432 functionally abnormal variants, in three distinct classes. We train a machine learning classifier to identify functionally abnormal variants of NDD-relevance. This classifier has at least 97% sensitivity and 99% specificity to detect variants pathogenic for NDD, substantially out-performing in silico predictors, and resolving up to 93% of variants of uncertain significance. Moreover, functionally-abnormal variants can account for almost all of the excess nonsynonymous DDX3X somatic mutations seen in DDX3X-driven cancers. Systematic maps of variant effects generated in experimentally tractable cell types have the potential to transform clinical interpretation of both germline and somatic disease-associated variation., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Tobacco smoking is a leading cause of preventable death worldwide. The perinatal period provides a unique opportunity for intervention, as many smokers quit smoking during pregnancy but relapse postpartum. Novel relapse prevention interventions that reduce the burden of treatment attendance in this population are needed. Attentional retraining (AR) has been shown to reduce attentional biases toward smoking-related stimuli, a cognitive process implicated in smoking, AR has not been applied to perinatal smokers, and the effect of AR on craving and smoking is not clear. The goal of this study was to evaluate the delivery of AR for smoking cues in perinatal smokers utilizing a mobile intervention., Methods: This pilot study utilized Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) methodology delivered on a mobile device to examine the relapse process and evaluate the utility of AR in former smokers attempting to remain abstinent postpartum. AR (or Control Training) was administered to abstinent smokers ( N = 17) for up to 2 weeks both before and after delivery., Results: All 17 participants completed the study. There was evidence that AR reduced attentional bias in the AR group (vs. Controls). There was no evidence that AR reduced craving. An exploratory analysis revealed that there was no evidence that AR reduced smoking during the study period., Discussion: AR using EMA methodology via a mobile device is feasible in perinatal smokers. Further research using larger samples is required to evaluate the utility of mobile AR in reducing craving and smoking., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Forray, Gunter-Riley, Maltz and Waters.)

Does expertise mostly stem from pattern recognition or look-ahead search? van Opheusden et al. contribute to this important debate in cognitive psychology and artificial intelligence (AI) with a multi-method, multi-experiment study and a new model. Using a novel, relatively simple board game, they show that players increase depth of search when improving their skill., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests No interests are declared., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite high co-occurrence, chronic pain is often unaddressed in treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) and little is known about mechanisms that may underlie associations between pain and opioid use. Using an attentional bias (AB) task with both pain and opioid cues, we evaluated a cognitive bias modification (CBM) task administered during regularly scheduled medications for OUD (mOUD) dosing visits. The current study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the CBM task. Outcomes for AB tasks used traditional mean-based score and trial-level bias scores (TLBS)., Methods: In a double-blind, randomized controlled trial, 28 individuals with OUD and chronic pain engaged in mOUD were randomized to either CBM or an AB control condition and completed up to three tasks per week for four weeks. Standard AB task was completed at baseline and post-treatment. Participants completed feasibility and acceptability measures, and preliminary efficacy (i.e., change in AB) was assessed using ANOVA models., Results: Participants attended 83.3% of scheduled sessions and generally reported the task was enjoyable, credible, and easy to complete. Preliminary results demonstrated a condition by time interaction highlighting a reduction in AB in the CBM group but not the control group in opioid TLBS variability (F[1,26]=5.01, p = .034) and pain TLBS towards (F[1,26]=6.42, p = .018) and pain TLBS variability (F[1,26]=5.24, p = .03)., Conclusions: The current study supports integrating brief, computer-based tasks designed to reduce AB into mOUD clinical care. The preliminary results suggest that TLBS outcomes may be more sensitive to capture changes in AB; however, larger studies are required., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to report., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Unhealthy food advertisements ("advertisements" hereafter referred to as "ads") are linked to poor diet and obesity, and food companies disproportionally target Black youth. Little is known about the mechanisms whereby food ads influence diet. One possibility may be racially-targeted ads that appeal to Black youth. Those with food-related attentional biases may be especially vulnerable. The objective of this project was to assess the feasibility and initial effects of a pilot study testing the influence of racially-targeted food ads and food-related attentional biases on eating behaviors among a sample of Black adolescent females. Feasibility of recruitment, retention, and procedures were examined. Participants (N = 41, 12-17y) were randomized to view a television episode clip of the Big Bang Theory embedded with either four 30-second racially-targeted food ads or neutral ads. A computer dot probe task assessed food-related attentional biases. The primary outcome was caloric consumption from a laboratory test meal. Interactions based on weight and ethnic identity were also examined. Analyses of variance and regressions were used to assess main and interaction effects. Exposure to racially-targeted food ads (versus neutral ads) did not affect energy consumption (p > .99). Although not statistically significant, adolescents with obesity consumed nearly 240 kcal more than non-overweight adolescents (p = 0.10). There were no significant preliminary effects related to food-related attentional biases or ethnic identity (ps = 0.22-0.79). Despite a non-significant interaction, these data provide preliminary support that adolescents with obesity may be particularly vulnerable to racially-targeted food ads. An adequately powered trial is necessary to further elucidate the associations among racially-targeted food ads among Black adolescent girls with obesity., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.)

Studies have examined burnout and its impact on health, to include its influence on sleep. While many studies report a significant relationship between burnout and insomnia in civilian populations, no studies have examined this relationship in a military population. The United States Air Force (USAF) Pararescue personnel are an elite combat force who are specially trained to conduct both first-line combat and full spectrum personnel recovery and may be at high risk of burnout and insomnia. The current study investigated the association between dimensions of burnout and insomnia, and also examined potential moderators of the associations. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 203 Pararescue personnel (Mean Age = 32.1 years; 100% Male; 90.1% Caucasian) recruited from six US bases. The survey included measures of three dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal achievement), insomnia, psychological flexibility, and social support. Emotional exhaustion was significantly associated with insomnia with a moderate to large effect size, when controlling for covariates. Depersonalization, but not personal achievement, was also significantly associated with insomnia. There was no evidence that associations between burnout and insomnia were moderated by psychological flexibility or social support. These findings help to identify individuals at risk of insomnia and may ultimately be useful in developing interventions for insomnia in this population.

Cultivated oat (Avena sativa L.) is an allohexaploid (AACCDD, 2n = 6x = 42) thought to have been domesticated more than 3,000 years ago while growing as a weed in wheat, emmer and barley fields in Anatolia 1,2 . Oat has a low carbon footprint, substantial health benefits and the potential to replace animal-based food products. However, the lack of a fully annotated reference genome has hampered efforts to deconvolute its complex evolutionary history and functional gene dynamics. Here we present a high-quality reference genome of A. sativa and close relatives of its diploid (Avena longiglumis, AA, 2n = 14) and tetraploid (Avena insularis, CCDD, 2n = 4x = 28) progenitors. We reveal the mosaic structure of the oat genome, trace large-scale genomic reorganizations in the polyploidization history of oat and illustrate a breeding barrier associated with the genome architecture of oat. We showcase detailed analyses of gene families implicated in human health and nutrition, which adds to the evidence supporting oat safety in gluten-free diets, and we perform mapping-by-sequencing of an agronomic trait related to water-use efficiency. This resource for the Avena genus will help to leverage knowledge from other cereal genomes, improve understanding of basic oat biology and accelerate genomics-assisted breeding and reanalysis of quantitative trait studies., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

As one of the US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service flagship databases, GrainGenes (https://wheat.pw.usda.gov) serves the data and community needs of globally distributed small grains researchers for the genetic improvement of the Triticeae family and Avena species that include wheat, barley, rye and oat. GrainGenes accomplishes its mission by continually enriching its cross-linked data content following the findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable principles, enhancing and maintaining an intuitive web interface, creating tools to enable easy data access and establishing data connections within and between GrainGenes and other biological databases to facilitate knowledge discovery. GrainGenes operates within the biological database community, collaborates with curators and genome sequencing groups and contributes to the AgBioData Consortium and the International Wheat Initiative through the Wheat Information System (WheatIS). Interactive and linked content is paramount for successful biological databases and GrainGenes now has 2917 manually curated gene records, including 289 genes and 254 alleles from the Wheat Gene Catalogue (WGC). There are >4.8 million gene models in 51 genome browser assemblies, 6273 quantitative trait loci and >1.4 million genetic loci on 4756 genetic and physical maps contained within 443 mapping sets, complete with standardized metadata. Most notably, 50 new genome browsers that include outputs from the Wheat and Barley PanGenome projects have been created. We provide an example of an expression quantitative trait loci track on the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium Chinese Spring wheat browser to demonstrate how genome browser tracks can be adapted for different data types. To help users benefit more from its data, GrainGenes created four tutorials available on YouTube. GrainGenes is executing its vision of service by continuously responding to the needs of the global small grains community by creating a centralized, long-term, interconnected data repository. Database URL:https://wheat.pw.usda.gov., (© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2022. Elements of this work were written by an US Government Employee and the work is public domain in the US. Published by Oxford University Press 2022.)

Motivation: CRISPR/Cas9-based technology allows for the functional analysis of genetic variants at single nucleotide resolution whilst maintaining genomic context. This approach, known as saturation genome editing (SGE), a form of deep mutational scanning, systematically alters each position in a target region to explore its function. SGE experiments require the design and synthesis of oligonucleotide variant libraries which are introduced into the genome. This technology is applicable to diverse fields such as disease variant identification, drug development, structure-function studies, synthetic biology, evolutionary genetics and host-pathogen interactions. Here, we present the Variant Library Annotation Tool (VaLiAnT) which can be used to generate variant libraries from user-defined genomic coordinates and standard input files. The software can accommodate user-specified species, reference sequences and transcript annotations., Results: Coordinates for a genomic range are provided by the user to retrieve a corresponding oligonucleotide reference sequence. A user-specified range within this sequence is then subject to systematic, nucleotide and/or amino acid saturating mutator functions. VaLiAnT provides a novel way to retrieve, mutate and annotate genomic sequences for oligonucleotide library generation. Specific features for SGE library generation can be employed. In addition, VaLiAnT is configurable, allowing for cDNA and prime editing saturation library generation, with other diverse applications possible., Availability and Implementation: VaLiAnT is a command line tool written in Python. Source code, testing data, example input and output files and executables are available (https://github.com/cancerit/VaLiAnT) in addition to a detailed user manual (https://github.com/cancerit/VaLiAnT/wiki). VaLiAnT is licensed under AGPLv3., Supplementary Information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Key Message: Moisture content during nixtamalization can be accurately predicted from NIR spectroscopy when coupled with a support vector machine (SVM) model, is strongly modulated by the environment, and has a complex genetic architecture. Lack of high-throughput phenotyping systems for determining moisture content during the maize nixtamalization cooking process has led to difficulty in breeding for this trait. This study provides a high-throughput, quantitative measure of kernel moisture content during nixtamalization based on NIR scanning of uncooked maize kernels. Machine learning was utilized to develop models based on the combination of NIR spectra and moisture content determined from a scaled-down benchtop cook method. A linear support vector machine (SVM) model with a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of 0.852 between wet laboratory and predicted values was developed from 100 diverse temperate genotypes grown in replicate across two environments. This model was applied to NIR spectra data from 501 diverse temperate genotypes grown in replicate in five environments. Analysis of variance revealed environment explained the highest percent of the variation (51.5%), followed by genotype (15.6%) and genotype-by-environment interaction (11.2%). A genome-wide association study identified 26 significant loci across five environments that explained between 5.04% and 16.01% (average = 10.41%). However, genome-wide markers explained 10.54% to 45.99% (average = 31.68%) of the variation, indicating the genetic architecture of this trait is likely complex and controlled by many loci of small effect. This study provides a high-throughput method to evaluate moisture content during nixtamalization that is feasible at the scale of a breeding program and provides important information about the factors contributing to variation of this trait for breeders and food companies to make future strategies to improve this important processing trait., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a multi-purpose row crop grown worldwide, which, over time, has often been bred for increased yield at the detriment of lower composition grain quality. Some knowledge of the genetic factors that affect quality traits has been discovered through the study of classical maize mutants; however, much of the underlying genetic control of these traits and the interaction between these traits remains unknown. To better understand variation that exists for grain compositional traits in maize, we evaluated 501 diverse temperate maize inbred lines in five unique environments and predicted 16 compositional traits (e.g., carbohydrates, protein, and starch) based on the output of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. Phenotypic analysis found substantial variation for compositional traits and the majority of variation was explained by genetic and environmental factors. Correlations and trade-offs among traits in different maize types (e.g., dent, sweetcorn, and popcorn) were explored, and significant differences and meaningful correlations were detected. In total, 22.9-71.0% of the phenotypic variation across these traits could be explained using 2,386,666 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers generated from whole-genome resequencing data. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using these same markers and found 72 statistically significant SNPs for 11 compositional traits. This study provides valuable insights in the phenotypic variation and genetic control underlying compositional traits that can be used in breeding programs for improving maize grain quality., (© 2021 The Authors. The Plant Genome published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Crop Science Society of America.)

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) are an increasingly popular form of a nicotine delivery device, particularly among young adults and adolescents. The health consequences of long-term ENDS use are not known. Two populations that warrant special consideration are members of the United States Military (service members) and US Veterans. In this narrative review of literature before December 2019, research on ENDS use in these two populations is described in relation to four themes relevant to ENDS use: Prevalence of ENDS use; perceptions of ENDS; correlates of ENDS use; and use of ENDS for smoking cessation. This narrative review summarized research findings in each of these four areas and identified areas for future research., Competing Interests: The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Uniformed Services University or the Department of Defense., (© 2021 Society for Military Psychology, Division 19 of the American Psychological Association.)

Cigarette smoking remains the largest cause of preventable death in the United States and worldwide. In South Korea and other Asian countries, a large proportion of males smoke, increasing the need to examine cigarette smoking in these populations. Research suggests that the association between positive affect and negative affect, and between affect and craving, may differ across cultures, and that it is useful to examine these associations using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA). South Korean smokers ( N  = 20, Mean Age = 21.15, 25% female) completed baseline questionnaires and downloaded an EMA app which prompted 4 random assessments (RAs) each day for 1-week. At each assessment, participants responded to items assessing momentary negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA), craving, and number of cigarettes smoked since the previous EMA assessment. Linear mixed models (LMMs) were used to analyze EMA data (544 assessments), separating out between- and within- subject associations. There was a significant positive association between positive affect and negative affect at the between-subjects level. Both positive affect and negative affect were significantly positively associated with craving at between-subjects and within-subject levels. Craving was associated with subsequent smoking behavior at the within-subjects level. Overall, results suggest that associations between positive affect and negative affect may be different in South Korean smokers than in Western smokers, and that there are robust associations between both negative and positive affect and craving., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2020 The Authors.)

Introduction: Although cigarettes and alcohol are frequently used together, few studies have evaluated evidence of attentional bias to both smoking and alcohol cues. Attentional bias (AB) is defined as preferential attention to drug-specific cues and is most often studied in a laboratory with one cue type. AB may be an important mechanism associated with cigarette and alcohol co-use. In this study, we evaluated AB to both smoking and alcohol cues in daily life using ambulatory assessment., Methods: Daily smokers (N = 21) who consume moderate to heavy amounts of alcohol completed surveys and a dot probe task four times per day using a personal digital assistant over a period of 1 week., Results: Aggregated over subjects, there was evidence of AB to smoking and AB to alcohol cues. When smoking AB was higher than the person-specific average, alcohol AB was elevated, and when alcohol AB was higher than the person-specific average, smoking AB was elevated. AB was not significantly associated with craving for cigarettes or alcohol., Conclusions: It is feasible to assess AB for cigarette and alcohol cues using ambulatory assessment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report a within-subject association between AB for two drug cues. The relationship between cigarette and alcohol use is likely dynamic and depends on context and exposure to substance-specific cues. Additionally, a larger sample may be needed to evaluate relationships between AB and craving. Further research on possible cognitive mechanisms that increase the likelihood of co-use can inform targeted interventions., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to report., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Although the prevalence of cigarette smoking has declined in Western countries over the past few decades, a comparable decline among males has not been observed in Asian countries, especially in South Korea, where approximately 40%-50% of men and 4%-8% of women have been identified as smokers, and there is a pressing need to understand the background of cigarette smoking in these populations. The present study is a narrative review of the research literature on cigarette smoking in South Korea. First, we describe the social, economic, and cultural factors that impact cigarette smoking in South Korea. The paper also reviews the available peer-reviewed literature comprising observational studies and interventional studies, including randomized controlled trials. The extant literature on smoking in Korean Americans is also reviewed. Cigarette smoking in South Korea has been relatively understudied, and this review identifies priority areas for future research, including the use of mobile interventions.

Objectives: Using Ecological Momentary Assessment we aimed to describe the time course of temptation episodes in alcohol-dependent outpatients in a real-life setting. We also examined whether affective and motivational variables were cross-sectionally and prospectively associated with temptation episodes. Additionally, we tested whether outpatients who drank against treatment goals (i.e., "lapsers") differed in craving, affect, and motivation from abstainers., Methods: Participants were 43 alcohol-dependent outpatients (13 female). Using personal digital assistants (PDAs), patients were signaled to complete three random assessments per day for 4 weeks. They were also instructed to complete a temptation assessment whenever they experienced the temptation to drink alcohol., Results: The number of temptation assessments declined over time and did not differ between lapsers and abstainers. Overall, craving was generally higher in lapsers (n = 14) than abstainers (n = 27). In lapsers, but not abstainers, abstinence motivation was lower at temptation assessments vs. random assessments. Across all patients, negative affect was prospectively associated with entry of temptation assessments later the same day. There were no significant effects for positive affect., Conclusions: In alcohol-dependent outpatients attempting to remain abstinent, negative affect is cross-sectionally associated with entry of temptation assessments. There is more evidence that negative affect precipitates temptations than vice versa. Professionals should be watchful of outpatients who report generally high levels of craving, and who report more negative affect and lower abstinence motivation, when tempted., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

It is unclear whether nicotine and perceived nicotine exposure can influence automatic evaluations of cigarette stimuli. In the present study, we investigated the effects of nicotine dose and instructed dose on motivational responses to smoking cues. Forty overnight nicotine-deprived smokers completed an Implicit Association Test (IAT) at each of the four laboratory sessions in a balanced-placebo design that crossed nicotine dose (Given-NIC [given nicotine] vs. Given-DENIC [given denicotinized]) with instructed dose expectancy (Told-NIC [told-nicotine] vs. Told-DENIC. [told-denicotinized]). We measured participants' behavioral performance, including reaction time (RT) and accuracy rate, and the early posterior negativity (EPN) component using the event-related potential (ERP) technique to the target pictures. During congruent trials when the categorization condition was smoking or unpleasant, smokers had greater classification accuracy, shorter RT latency, and greater EPN amplitudes compared to the incongruent trials when the categorization condition was smoking or pleasant. The Given-NIC condition was associated with increased classification accuracy, longer RT latency, and decreased EPN amplitudes compared to the Given-DENIC condition. Similarly, the Told-NIC condition was associated with increased accuracy and decreased EPN amplitudes compared to the Told-DENIC condition, but with shorter RT latency. Cigarette-related pictures produced greater EPN amplitudes than neutral pictures. Both behavioral and ERP results suggest that smokers have negative implicit attitudes toward smoking. While both nicotine dose and expected dose facilitated stimulus categorization, there was no evidence that either factor altered smokers' negative attitudes toward smoking cues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Cigarette smoking remains an important public health concern, and novel smoking cessation interventions are needed. Craving for cigarettes is a well-established target for intervention. Recent research has identified cognitive processes associated with craving, such as attentional bias to smoking cues, as targets for intervention. One intervention that may be effective in reducing attentional bias is hypnotic suggestion. Using a counterbalanced within-subjects design in a sample of active smokers ( N  = 33), this laboratory study examined if hypnotic suggestion can modify attention, assessed by the classic and smoking Stroop tasks, and craving. Hypnotic susceptibility was assessed using the Stanford Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility. There was no evidence that hypnotic susceptibility moderated the effect of hypnotic suggestion on the classic or smoking Stroop effects. However, hypnotic susceptibility did moderate the effect of hypnotic suggestion on craving, such that hypnotic suggestion reduced craving in individuals with high levels of susceptibility. Further research into the mechanisms by which hypnotic suggestion reduces craving is warranted., Competing Interests: All authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Rationale: Minocycline, a tetracycline antibiotic, inhibits activation of microglia. In preclinical studies, minocycline prevented development of opioid tolerance and opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH). The goal of this study was to determine if minocycline changes pain threshold and tolerance in individuals with opioid use disorder who are maintained on agonist treatment., Methods: In this double-blind, randomized human laboratory study, 20 participants were randomized to either minocycline (200 mg/day) or placebo treatment for 15 days. The study had three test sessions (days 1, 8, and 15 of treatment) and one follow-up visit 1 week after the end of treatment. In each test session, participants were assessed on several subjective and cognitive measures, followed by assessment of pain sensitivity using the Cold Pressor Test (CPT). Daily surveys and cognitive measures using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) were also collected four times a day on days 8 through 14 of treatment, and proinflammatory serum cytokines were assessed before and on the last day of treatment., Results: Minocycline treatment did not change pain threshold or tolerance on the CPT. Similarly, minocycline did not change severity of pain, opioid craving, withdrawal, or serum cytokines. Minocycline treatment increased accuracy on a Go/No-Go task., Conclusions: While these findings do not support minocycline's effects on OIH, minocycline may have a potential use as a cognitive enhancer for individuals with opioid use disorder, a finding that warrants further systematic studies.

Background: Psychosocial stress and anger trigger cardiovascular events, but their relationship to heart failure (HF) exacerbations is unclear. We investigated perceived stress and anger associations with HF functional status and symptoms. Methods and Results: In a prospective cohort study (BETRHEART), 144 patients with HF (77% male; 57.5 ± 11.5 years) were evaluated for perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale; PSS) and state anger (STAXI) at baseline and every 2 weeks for 3 months. Objective functional status (6-min walk test; 6MWT) and health status (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire; KCCQ) were also measured biweekly. Linear mixed model analyses indicated that average PSS and greater than usual increases in PSS were associated with worsened KCCQ scores. Greater than usual increases in PSS were associated with worsened 6MWT. Average anger levels were associated with worsened KCCQ, and increases in anger were associated with worsened 6MWT. Adjusting for PSS, anger associations were no longer statistically significant. Adjusting for anger, PSS associations with KCCQ and 6MWT remained significant. Conclusion: In patients with HF, both perceived stress and anger are associated with poorer functional and health status, but perceived stress is a stronger predictor. Negative effects of anger on HF functional status and health status may partly operate through psychological stress.

Objectives: One way to enhance the impact of smoking health risk messages may be to tailor their content to individual difference factors such as need for cognition (NFC). In this study, we examined how NFC influenced responses to different smoking risk messages. Outcomes included knowledge, risk perceptions, and behavioral expectations related to quitting smoking. Methods: We randomized 402 participants to one of 4 different risk message sets that were manipulated in terms of emotionality and framing in a 2x2 design: (1) factual gain-framed, (2) factual loss-framed, (3) emotional gain-framed, and (4) emotional loss-framed. Results: Statistically significant main effects emerged for NFC and emotionality. For certain risk perceptions, those with lower NFC reported greater perceived risk in response to emotional messages and lower risk in response to factual messages; those with higher NFC showed an opposite pattern. Similarly, those with lower NFC reported greater risk in response to gain-framed messages and lower risk in response to loss-framed messages; the opposite pattern emerged for those lower in NFC. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of an individual difference variable in influencing the impact of different types of smoking risk messages.

Hazardous alcohol use remains a significant global public health problem. A better understanding of relapse may assist the development of new interventions. Low levels of dispositional mindfulness may be a risk factor for craving and alcohol use, but few studies have examined these associations prospectively in an alcohol-dependent sample. In an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study, Dutch alcohol dependent patients (N = 43) carried around a personal digital assistant for 4 weeks while trying to maintain abstinence. Participants completed assessments at random times 3 times per day, and when they felt a strong urge to drink or came to the brink of drinking without doing so. At each assessment, stress, negative affect, craving, recent drinking, and attentional or approach bias were assessed. Dispositional mindfulness was assessed at baseline with the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). More mindful individuals (higher MAAS scores) reported lower craving than less mindful individuals. There was no evidence that stress, negative affect, attentional bias, or approach bias mediated the association between MAAS and craving. However, there was evidence for an indirect path from MAAS to drinking such that higher mindfulness was associated with lower craving ratings that in turn were associated with less drinking. There was no evidence that MAAS significantly moderated associations between stress/negative affect/cognitive biases and craving, or between craving and drinking. In sum, more mindful recovering alcohol dependent patients reported lower craving ratings than less mindful patients, and this association appeared to be independent of stress/negative affect and cognitive biases. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Introduction: PTSD and harmful alcohol use, including alcohol use disorder (AUD), frequently co-occur. Recent research has used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine the associations between PTSD symptoms and alcohol-related variables, such as craving for alcohol, alcohol use, and the presence of alcohol-related problems. The overall purpose of this narrative review is to summarize this emerging literature., Methods: Inclusion criteria for studies were: 1) Use of ecological momentary assessment as the method for gathering data on alcohol use and/or craving in populations with both problematic alcohol use and PTSD, and the inclusion of an assessment of both PTSD symptoms and at least one alcohol use variable during EMA; and 2) At screening, participants were required to meet study criteria for a) elevated PTSD symptoms or trauma exposure, and b) alcohol use., Results: The pertinent extant literature is reviewed in terms of four underlying themes: Methodological considerations of EMA research in a population with PTSD symptoms and harmful alcohol use; Associations between PTSD symptoms and alcohol use variable/s; Moderators of PTSD-alcohol use associations; Mediators of PTSD-alcohol use associations., Conclusions: Collectively, studies provide support for the self-medication hypothesis. Several variables were found to moderate association between PTSD symptoms and alcohol-related variables. EMA data may ultimately be useful in identifying when individuals are at risk for harm due to increased symptoms or alcohol misuse and may inform treatment approaches administered remotely., Competing Interests: All authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Background: Opioid use in the United States is a national public health emergency. The primary treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) is medication assisted treatment (MAT). Although effective in improving treatment outcomes in OUD, there is a need to develop behavioral treatments adjunctive to MAT. The current study investigates attentional bias in OUD as a possible target for adjunctive behavioral treatments., Methods: Comprehensive literature searches of psychological, medical, and educational databases were conducted through October 2017. Eligible peer-reviewed studies evaluated attentional bias in opioid users, used a task to evaluate attentional bias that included active response to study stimuli, calculated attention bias by comparing response to drug and neutral stimuli, and could isolate attentional bias specific to opioid versus neutral stimuli from bias to other salient stimuli., Conclusions: The results of our systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that individuals with OUD exhibit robust attentional bias to opioid cues, even when engaged in MAT. Interventions that reduce attentional bias may be a useful adjunct to MAT., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The ability to erect rationally-engineered reproductive barriers in animal or plant species promises to enable a number of biotechnological applications such as the creation of genetic firewalls, the containment of gene drives or novel population replacement and suppression strategies for genetic control. However, to date no experimental data exist that explores this concept in a multicellular organism. Here we examine the requirements for building artificial reproductive barriers in the metazoan model Drosophila melanogaster by combining CRISPR-based genome editing and transcriptional transactivation (CRISPRa) of the same loci. We directed 13 single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) to the promoters of 7 evolutionary conserved genes and used 11 drivers to conduct a misactivation screen. We identify dominant-lethal activators of the eve locus and find that they disrupt development by strongly activating eve outside its native spatio-temporal context. We employ the same set of sgRNAs to isolate, by genome editing, protective INDELs that render these loci resistant to transactivation without interfering with target gene function. When these sets of genetic components are combined we find that complete synthetic lethality, a prerequisite for most applications, is achievable using this approach. However, our results suggest a steep trade-off between the level and scope of dCas9 expression, the degree of genetic isolation achievable and the resulting impact on fly fitness. The genetic engineering strategy we present here allows the creation of single or multiple reproductive barriers and could be applied to other multicellular organisms such as disease vectors or transgenic organisms of economic importance.

Reducing smoking among adolescents is a public health priority. Affect, craving, and cognitive processes have been identified as predictors of smoking in adolescents. The current study examined associations between implicit attitude for smoking (assessed via the positive-negative valence implicit association test) and affect, craving, and smoking assessed using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Adolescent smokers (n = 154; Mage = 16.57, SD = 1.12) completed a laboratory assessment of implicit smoking attitudes and carried a palm-top computer for several days while smoking ad libitum. During EMA, they recorded affect, craving, and smoking behavior. Data were analyzed using a multilevel path analysis. At the between-subjects level, more positive implicit smoking attitude was indirectly associated with smoking rate via craving. This association was moderated by positive affect, such that it was stronger for those with greater traitlike positive affect. At the event (within-subject) level, implicit attitude potentiated associations between stress and craving and between positive affect and craving. Individuals with a more positive implicit attitude exhibited more robust indirect associations between momentary stress-positive affect and smoking. In sum, a more positive implicit attitude to smoking was associated with overall levels of craving and smoking and might have potentiated momentary affect-craving associations. Interventions that modify implicit attitude may be an approach for reducing adolescent smoking. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).)

Introduction: Tobacco use among persons living with HIV represents an important risk factor for poor treatment outcomes, morbidity, and mortality. Thus, efforts designed to inform the development of appropriate smoking cessation programs for this population remains a public health priority. To address this need, a study was conducted to longitudinally assess the relationship between intention to quit smoking and cessation over the 12-month period following initiation of HIV care., Methods: Patients initiating HIV care at a large inner city safety net clinic were enrolled (n = 378) in a 12-month prospective study. Audio computer-assisted self-interviews were conducted at baseline, and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-enrollment, and HIV-related clinical data were collected from participants' electronic medical records. Variables of interest included intention to quit smoking, 7-day point prevalence smoking abstinence (biochemically verified), and stage of HIV. Data were collected in Houston, Texas from 2009 to 2015., Results: The sample was 75% male and 62% Black. Findings indicated that intention to quit smoking increased between baseline and 3 months, and subsequently trended downward from 3 to 12 months. Results from linear and generalized linear mixed models indicated that participants with advanced HIV disease (vs. not advanced) reported significantly (p < .05) higher intention to quit smoking at 3, 6, and 12 months post-study enrollment. A similar though nonsignificant pattern was observed in the smoking abstinence outcome., Conclusions: HIV treatment initiation appears to be associated with increases in intention to quit smoking thus serves as a potential teachable moment for smoking cessation intervention., Implications: This study documents significant increases in intention to quit smoking in the 3-month period following HIV care initiation. Moreover, quit intention trended downward following the 3-month follow-up until the 12-month follow-up. In addition, a marked effect for HIV disease stage was observed, whereby participants with advanced HIV disease (vs. those without) experienced a greater increase in intention to quit. HIV treatment initiation appears to be associated with increases in intention to quit smoking, thus serves as a crucial teachable moment for smoking cessation intervention for people living with HIV.

Introduction: Many African Americans live in communities with a disproportionately high density of tobacco advertisements compared to Whites. Some research indicates that point-of-sale advertising is associated with impulse purchases of cigarettes and smoking. Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) can be used to examine associations between tobacco advertisement exposure and smoking variables in the natural environment., Methods: Non-treatment seeking African American smokers were given a mobile device for 2weeks (N=56). They were prompted four times per day and responded to questions about recent exposure to tobacco advertisements. Participants were also asked to indicate the number of cigarettes smoked, and if they made any purchase, or an impulse purchase, since the last assessment. Linear mixed models (LMMs) analyzed between- and within-subject associations between exposure and outcomes., Results: Participants reported seeing at least one advertisement on 33% of assessments. Of those assessments, they reported seeing menthol advertisements on 87% of assessments. Between-subject analyses revealed that participants who on average saw more advertisements were generally more likely to report purchasing cigarettes and to purchase cigarettes on impulse. Within-subject analyses revealed that when an individual participant reported seeing more advertisements than usual they were more likely to have reported purchasing cigarettes, making an impulse purchase and smoking more cigarettes during the same period, but not the subsequent time period., Conclusions: Many African American smokers are frequently exposed to pro-tobacco marketing. Advertisement exposure is cross-sectionally associated with impulse purchases and smoking. Future research should assess prospective associations in more detail., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Introduction: Effective treatment for cocaine use disorder should dampen hypersensitive cue-induced motivational processes and/or strengthen executive control. Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention, the primary aim of this study was to investigate the effect of N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) and working memory (WM)-training to reduce cocaine use and craving and to improve inhibition assessed in the laboratory and during Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA). The second aim was to examine correspondence between laboratory and EMA data., Methods: Twenty-four of 38 cocaine-using men completed a 25-day intervention with 2400mg/day NAC or placebo and WM-training as well as two lab-visits assessing cocaine use, craving and inhibition (Stop Signal task). Additionally, cocaine use, craving and cognition (Stroop task) were assessed using EMA during treatment, with 26 participants completing 819 assessments., Results: Cocaine problems according to the Drug Use Disorder Identification Test (DUDIT) decreased more after NAC than after placebo, and the proportion of cocaine-positive urines at lab-visit 2 was lower in the NAC group. No NAC effects were found on craving. For cocaine use and craving, results from the lab data were generally similar to EMA results. NAC also showed some effects on cognitive control: improved inhibition assessed with the Stop Signal task in the lab, and decreased classic Stroop performance during EMA. There were no significant effects of number of completed WM-training sessions., Conclusions: Overall this study revealed mixed findings regarding the treatment of cocaine use disorders with NAC and WM-training. The effect of NAC on inhibition should be further investigated., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Drugs that enhance cholinergic transmission have demonstrated promise treating addictive disorders. Galantamine, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, may reduce cigarette smoking in otherwise healthy treatment-seeking smokers., Methods: The current study is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, study that randomized daily smokers (n = 60) to receive one of two doses of galantamine extended release (8 or 16 mg/day), or a placebo treatment. Participants completed a smoking choice task as well as study measures and cognitive tasks in the laboratory and daily life using ecological momentary assessment. Analysis focused on smoking behavior and satisfaction, cognitive performance, and decision to smoke prior to a quit attempt., Results: Linear mixed models demonstrated that, compared with placebo, both doses of galantamine reduced smoking in a laboratory choice task (p = 0.006) and decreased urine cotinine levels, but not self-reported cigarettes, during the pre-quit period (p = 0.007). Treatment had minimal effect on smoking satisfaction or cognitive performance., Conclusions: The results suggest that galantamine reduces nicotine intake but it is unlikely that galantamine improves cognitive performance in otherwise healthy, treatment-seeking smokers. Larger randomized clinical trials can determine if galantamine adjunctive to addiction treatment can improve smoking treatment outcomes., (Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Objective: Attentional bias (AB) may be one mechanism contributing to the development and/or maintenance of disordered eating. AB has traditionally been measured using reaction time in response to a stimulus. Novel methods for AB measurement include eye tracking to measure visual fixation on a stimulus, and electroencephalography to measure brain activation in response to a stimulus. This systematic review summarizes, critiques, and integrates data on AB gathered using the above-mentioned methods in those with binge eating behaviors, including binge eating, loss of control eating, and bulimia nervosa., Method: Literature searches on PubMed and PsycInfo were conducted using combinations of terms related to binge eating and biobehavioral AB paradigms. Studies using AB paradigms with three categories of stimuli were included: food, weight/shape, and threat. For studies reporting means and standard deviations of group bias scores, Hedges' g effect sizes for group differences in AB were calculated., Results: Fifty articles met inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Individuals who binge eat in the absence of compensatory behaviors show an increased AB to food cues, but few studies have examined such individuals' AB toward weight/shape and threatening stimuli. Individuals with bulimia nervosa consistently show an increased AB to shape/weight cues and socially threatening stimuli, but findings for AB to food cues are mixed., Discussion: While there are important research gaps, preliminary evidence suggests that the combination of AB to disorder-specific cues (i.e., food and weight/shape) and AB toward threat may be a potent contributor to binge eating. This conclusion underscores previous findings on the interaction between negative affect and AB to disorder-specific cues. Recommendations for future research are provided., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Effective treatment for cocaine use disorder should dampen hypersensitive cue-induced motivational processes and/or strengthen executive control. Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention, the primary aim of this study was to investigate the effect of N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) and working memory (WM)-training to reduce cocaine use and craving and to improve inhibition assessed in the laboratory and during Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA). The second aim was to examine correspondence between laboratory and EMA data., Methods: Twenty-four of 38 cocaine-using men completed a 25-day intervention with 2400mg/day NAC or placebo and WM-training as well as two lab-visits assessing cocaine use, craving and inhibition (Stop Signal task). Additionally, cocaine use, craving and cognition (Stroop task) were assessed using EMA during treatment, with 26 participants completing 819 assessments., Results: Cocaine problems according to the Drug Use Disorder Identification Test (DUDIT) decreased more after NAC than after placebo, and the proportion of cocaine-positive urines at lab-visit 2 was lower in the NAC group. No NAC effects were found on craving. For cocaine use and craving, results from the lab data were generally similar to EMA results. NAC also showed some effects on cognitive control: improved inhibition assessed with the Stop Signal task in the lab, and decreased classic Stroop performance during EMA. There were no significant effects of number of completed WM-training sessions., Conclusions: Overall this study revealed mixed findings regarding the treatment of cocaine use disorders with NAC and WM-training. The effect of NAC on inhibition should be further investigated., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Efforts are needed to ensure that smokers with lower health literacy are provided with understandable and impactful information about the health consequences of smoking and benefits of quitting., Purpose: To test the influence of health literacy on smokers' responses to health risk messages manipulated on framing (gain vs. loss) and emotionality (factual vs. emotional)., Methods: Participants (N = 402) were randomized to evaluate one of four sets of smoking risk messages (factual gain-framed, factual loss-framed, emotional gain-framed, or emotional loss-framed). Multiple linear regressions examined main effects of health literacy, message emotionality, and message framing on: (a) risk perceptions, (b) behavioral expectations (i.e. cut down, limit, quit), and (c) risk knowledge. Two-way interactions of health literacy with emotionality and framing were examined for these outcomes. Analyses were based on theory-driven, a priori hypotheses., Results: As hypothesized, main effects emerged such that smokers with higher health literacy reported stronger risk perceptions and knowledge retention regardless of message type. Additionally, emotional (vs. factual) and gain- (vs. loss-) framed messages were associated with certain lower risk perceptions regardless of health literacy level. Consistent with hypotheses, two-way crossover interactions emerged between health literacy and emotionality. Among smokers with higher health literacy, factual messages produced higher perceived risk and stronger expectations for quitting. Among smokers with lower health literacy, emotional messages produced higher perceived risk and stronger expectations for quitting., Conclusions: Health literacy plays an important role in influencing how smokers respond to different risk messages. One's health literacy should be considered when determining whether risk communications emphasize factual or emotional content.

Introduction: Difficulties in emotion regulation are associated with addictive behaviors, including smoking. Difficulties in emotion regulation may underlie large, rapid changes in negative affect that can increase likelihood of relapse. We investigated the association between emotion regulation ability and negative affect in smokers assessed both in the laboratory and in the field using Ecological Momentary Assessment., Methods: Adult community smokers ( N  = 44) carried a personal digital assistant (PDA) for two weeks and were instructed to complete assessments of negative affect multiple times per day. Participants were instructed that they could smoke as much or as little as they liked. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) were completed at three lab visits., Results: Participants with higher average DERS scores reported greater negative affect at lab visits. When a participant reported a DERS score at a lab visit higher than their individual average, they also reported higher negative affect at that lab visit. Participants with higher baseline DERS scores reported more labile negative affect during EMA than those with lower baseline DERS scores, and they also reported a higher maximum level of negative affect during EMA., Discussion and Conclusions: Overall, the findings suggest that changes in emotion regulation are associated with negative affect and that emotion regulation ability is related to both the intensity and lability of negative affect. A better understanding of momentary changes in emotion regulation and negative affect may lead to improved interventions for preventing substance use relapse.