Workplace violence during the COVID-19 pandemic: March-October, 2020, United States.

PROBLEM: COVID-19 has impacted United States workers and workplaces in multiple ways including workplace violence events (WVEs). This analysis scanned online media sources to identify and describe the characteristics of WVEs related to COVID-19 occurring in the United States during the early phases of the pandemic. METHOD: Publicly available online media reports were searched for COVID-19-related WVEs during March 1-October 31, 2020. A list of 41 keywords was used to scan four search engines using Natural Language Processing (NLP). Authors manually reviewed media reports for inclusion using the study definition and to code variables of interest. Descriptive statistics were calculated across three types of violence: non-physical, physical, and events with both physical and non-physical violence. RESULTS: The search of media reports found 400 WVEs related to COVID-19 during March 1-October 31, 2020. Of the WVEs, 27% (n = 108) involved non-physical violence, 27% (n = 109) physical violence, and 41% (n = 164) both physical and non-physical violence. Nineteen WVEs could not be assigned to a specific type of violence (5%). Most occurred in retail and dining establishments (n = 192, 48%; n = 74, 19%, respectively). Most WVEs related to COVID-19 were perpetrated by a customer or client (n = 298, 75%), but some were perpetrated by a worker (n = 61, 15%). Most perpetrators were males (n = 234, 59%) and acted alone (n = 313, 79%). The majority of WVEs were related to mask disputes (n = 286, 72%). In 22% of the WVEs, the perpetrator coughed or spit on a worker while threatening infection from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. DISCUSSION: This analysis demonstrated that media scraping may be useful for workplace violence surveillance. The pandemic resulted in unique violent events, including those perpetrated by workers. Typical workplace violence prevention strategies may not be effective in reducing COVID-19-related violence. More research on workplace training for workers during public health crises is needed.

Combined reduced expression of two gene families lowers nicotine content to ultra-low levels in cultivated tobacco.

KEY MESSAGE: Reduced expression of two gene families results in ultra-low nicotine accumulation in Nicotiana tabacum. The potential for mandated lowering of tobacco cigarette filler nicotine levels to below 0.4 mg g-1 is currently being discussed by regulatory and public health organizations. Commercial tobacco cultivars that would routinely meet this proposed standard do not currently exist. Inactivation or silencing of gene families corresponding to single enzymatic steps in the nicotine biosynthetic pathways have not resulted in tobacco genotypes that would meet this standard under conventional agronomic management. Here, we produced and evaluated under field conditions tobacco genotypes expressing an RNAi construct designed to reduce expression of the Methyl Putrescine Oxidase (MPO) gene family associated with nicotine biosynthesis. In a standard flue-cured genetic background, cured leaf nicotine levels were reduced to only 1.08 to 1.65 mg g-1. When MPO RNAi was combined with reduced Berberine Bridge Like (BBL) activity conferred by induced mutations, genotypes producing cured leaf nicotine levels slightly lower than 0.4 mg g-1 were generated. Past research has suggested that MPO activity may contribute to the biosynthesis of nornicotine in a route that does not involve nicotine. However, nornicotine was not reduced to zero in MPO-silenced plants that were also homozygous for induced mutations in known Nicotine Demethylase genes that are responsible for the vast majority of nornicotine accumulation.

Evaluating the Merit of a Syringol Derived Fluorophore as a Charge Transfer Probe for Detection of Serum Albumins.

In this article a syringol-π-benz[e]indolium based donor-acceptor fluorophore has been reported. The fluorophore shows a solvent polarity dependent change in the absorption and emission spectra in solution. A combined spectroscopic and time dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) studies reveal higher dipole moment of the fluorophore in the excited state, resulting positive solvatochromism. In physiological pH, the phenol group in the fluorophore is easily deprotonated owing to the electron pulling effect of the substituents. Consequently, the phenolate (PhO-) becomes a strong active donor in the new donor-acceptor pair. In aqueous solution, the new phenolate fluorochrome shows negligible fluorescence due to energy loss via non-radiative pathways from the low-lying polar excited states. The fluorochrome can detect human and bovine serum albumins in physiological buffer solution with high selectivity. The underlying mechanism of human serum albumin (HSA) detection was estimated to be strong (1.46 × 105 M-1, ΔG = -7.05 kcal/mol) supramolecular complexation between the fluorophore and albumin in hydrophobic binding site III-B. The linear relationship between fluorescence intensity and HSA concentration extends from 40 mg/L to an impressive upper limit (540 mg/L), thereby opening an opportunity for albumin detection in a broad range of health conditions. The practical applicability of the fluorophore was tested in spiked urine samples and a good correlation was observed between fluorescence intensity and the concentration of human serum albumin in neutral aqueous samples.

A post-conference evaluation of the 2015 National Occupational Injury Research Symposium.

INTRODUCTION: The National Occupational Injury Research Symposium (NOIRS) is the only national forum focused on occupational injury research findings, data and methods, and prevention strategies; it has been convened every 3-5years since 1997. Held in May 2015, the 6th symposium's theme was "Advancing Occupational Injury Research through Integration and Partnership." Organizers requested that attendees complete a post-meeting evaluation to assess meeting impact, and gather information useful in planning subsequent meetings and activities. METHOD: The questionnaire was publicized via a quick response code and link to the survey on symposium book cover, and mentioned at each scientific session. The online survey was designed to be completed in ≤15min; no identifying information was collected. Survey link remained open for seven days post-symposium. RESULTS: About 50% of registered attendees responded. Almost half were attending their first NOIRS. Most were researchers (69%); 45% were affiliated with government and 38% with university or research institute. Five of six reported that the symposium mostly or completely met expectations. Reasons for attending included gaining exposure to new areas of research (87%), sharing their research (80%), and to develop new ideas for conducting research (79%). The majority (90%) reported that the symposium provided adequate networking opportunities. The conference venue was reported as good or better by 69%, moreso among repeat attendees (77%) compared to first-timers (61%). DISCUSSION: The evaluation demonstrated that NOIRS was valuable to attendees, and provided a forum for sharing research results, developing new research ideas, and networking. Respondents provided input on different aspects of NOIRS and suggestions useful in planning next NOIRS, tentatively scheduled for 2018. NOIRS 2015 objectives for integration across disciplines and partnership with industry and safety professionals were partially met. In planning NOIRS 2018, more attention should be paid to attracting and engaging a broader spectrum of attendees.

National Randomized Controlled Trial of Virtual House Calls for People with Parkinson's Disease: Interest and Barriers.

BACKGROUND: Delivering specialty care remotely directly into people's homes can enhance access for and improve the healthcare of individuals with chronic conditions. However, evidence supporting this approach is limited. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Connect.Parkinson is a randomized comparative effectiveness study that compares usual care of individuals with Parkinson's disease in the community with usual care augmented by virtual house calls with a Parkinson's disease specialist from 1 of 18 centers nationally. Individuals in the intervention arm receive four virtual visits from a Parkinson's disease specialist over 1 year via secure, Web-based videoconferencing directly into their homes. All study activities, including recruitment, enrollment, and assessments, are conducted remotely. Here we report on interest, feasibility, and barriers to enrollment in this ongoing study. RESULTS: During recruitment, 11,734 individuals visited the study's Web site, and 927 unique individuals submitted electronic interest forms. Two hundred ten individuals from 18 states enrolled in the study from March 2014 to June 2015, and 195 were randomized. Most participants were white (96%) and college educated (73%). Of the randomized participants, 73% had seen a Parkinson's disease specialist within the previous year. CONCLUSIONS: Among individuals with Parkinson's disease, national interest in receiving remote specialty care directly into the home is high. Remote enrollment in this care model is feasible but is likely affected by differential access to the Internet.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibition attenuates fibroblast activation and development of fibrosis following renal ischemia-reperfusion in mice.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK3ß) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that plays an important role in renal tubular injury and regeneration in acute kidney injury. However, its role in the development of renal fibrosis, often a long-term consequence of acute kidney injury, is unknown. Using a mouse model of renal fibrosis induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury, we demonstrate increased GSK3ß expression and activity in fibrotic kidneys, and its presence in myofibroblasts in addition to tubular epithelial cells. Pharmacological inhibition of GSK3 using TDZD-8 starting before or after ischemia-reperfusion significantly suppressed renal fibrosis by reducing the myofibroblast population, collagen-1 and fibronectin deposition, inflammatory cytokines, and macrophage infiltration. GSK3 inhibition in vivo reduced TGF-ß1, SMAD3 activation and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels. Consistently in vitro, TGF-ß1 treatment increased GSK3ß expression and GSK3 inhibition abolished TGF-ß1-induced SMAD3 activation and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression in cultured renal fibroblasts. Importantly, overexpression of constitutively active GSK3ß stimulated α-SMA expression even in the absence of TGF-ß1 treatment. These results suggest that TGF-ß regulates GSK3ß, which in turn is important for TGF-ß-SMAD3 signaling and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation. Overall, these studies demonstrate that GSK3 could promote renal fibrosis by activation of TGF-ß signaling and the use of GSK3 inhibitors might represent a novel therapeutic approach for progressive renal fibrosis that develops as a consequence of acute kidney injury.