A Potential Antidote for Both Azide and Cyanide Poisonings.

There do not appear to be any established therapeutics for treating azide poisoning at this time, and presently available antidotes to cyanide poisoning are far from ideal, being particularly impractical for use if multiple victims present. The cobalt (II/III) complex of the Schiff-base ligand trans-[14]-diene (5,7,7,12,14,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradeca-4,11-diene (CoN4[14]) is shown to act as an effective antidote to both azide and cyanide toxicity in mice. Groups of animals challenged with an LD40 dose of NaCN (100 µmol/kg i.p.) exhibited significantly faster recovery from knockdown and fewer (zero) deaths if given CoN4[14] (50 µmol/kg i.p.) 2 minutes after the toxicant. Groups of animals challenged with an essentially lethal dose of NaCN (1.5 x LD50 = 150 µmol/kg i.p.) all survived if given the CoN4[14] (75 µmol/kg i.p.) 5 minutes before the toxicant dose. These data represent improved antidotal capability over the Food and Drug Administration-approved cobalt-based cyanide antidote hydroxocobalamin. Recovery of animals challenged sublethally with NaN3 (415 µmol/kg i.p.) was assessed employing a modified pole-climbing test. Mice given the CoN4[14] antidote (70 µg/kg i.p.) 5 minutes after the toxicant dose recovered twice as fast as the controls given no antidote. The interactions of cyanide and azide with CoN4[14] in vitro (buffered aqueous solutions) have been further investigated by a combination of spectroscopic approaches. The Co(II) form of the complex is able to bind two CN- anions while only binding a single N3 -, providing a reasonable explanation for the difference between their therapeutic abilities. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The Schiff-base complex CoN4[14] is shown to be an effective antidote to cyanide in mice, with improved therapeutic capabilities compared to the Food and Drug Administration-approved cobalt-containing hydroxocobalamin. CoN4[14] is also antidotal in mice toward azide poisoning, for which there is seemingly no approved therapy currently available. The activity toward cyanide involves a "redox-switching" mechanism that could be a common, but largely unrecognized, feature of all cobalt-based cyanide antidotes in use and under development.

Physical activity and social interaction assessments in schoolyard settings using the System for Observing Outdoor Play Environments in Neighborhood Schools (SOOPEN).

BACKGROUND: The schoolyard environment provides key opportunities to promote physical activity and socioemotional development for children. Schoolyards can also serve as a community park resource outside of school hours. We aimed to: (i) implement and evaluate reliability of the System for Observing Outdoor Play Environments in Neighborhood Schools (SOOPEN), (ii) assess schoolyard use by children during recess and community members of all ages outside of school hours, and (iii) investigate relationships of schoolyard and children´s group characteristics with physical activity levels and prosocial interactions. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we observed student and community visitor behavior using SOOPEN at three urban elementary schoolyards in Tacoma, Washington, USA, prior to renovations intended to expand each facility's use as a community park in neighborhoods with poor park access. We assessed interrater reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients and described current levels of schoolyard use (at the group level), physical activity, and prosocial behavior. Physical activity was assessed on a five-point scale and dichotomized to indicate moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Social interactions were coded as prosocial, antisocial, or neutral. We examined associations of selected schoolyard features and group characteristics with group MVPA and prosocial behavior during recess using modified Poisson regression to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: We observed a total of 981 activity-defined, informal groups in the schoolyards, and achieved good to excellent interrater reliability using SOOPEN. Community use of the schoolyards during evenings and weekends was limited (n = 56 groups). During 26, 25-50 min recess periods (n = 833 groups), 19% of groups were engaged in MVPA. Schoolyard areas with paved surfaces were associated with more MVPA (PR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.04, 2.23) compared to field/grass areas; supervised groups were associated with less MVPA than groups not directly supervised by an adult (PR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.96). Schoolyard characteristics were not associated with prosocial behavior. Mixed-gender groups were associated with more MVPA and more prosocial behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Our study using SOOPEN, a reliable new activity observation tool, highlights the multi-dimensional dynamics of physical activity and social interactions in schoolyards, which could be leveraged to promote healthy behaviors during and outside of school hours.

Concussion education for youth athletes using Pre-Game Safety Huddles: a cluster-randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Determine whether Pre-Game Safety Huddles, a novel and low-resource approach to concussion education, increase the expected likelihood of concussion reporting for youth athletes. METHODS: A cluster-randomised trial compared Safety Huddles to usual care. Safety Huddles bring together athletes and coaches from both teams before the start of each game for coaches to briefly affirm the importance of speaking up if a concussion is suspected. Participants were athletes from 22 competitive community-based American football and girls and boys soccer teams (ages 9-14), and randomisation into intervention or control occurred at the level of the bracket (group of teams that compete against each other during the regular season). The primary outcome was expected likelihood of reporting concussion symptoms to the coach, measured via validated athlete survey at the beginning and end of the season. RESULTS: Of 343 eligible participants, 339 (99%) completed baseline surveys and 303 (88%) completed surveys at season end. The mean (SD) age was 11.4 (1.1) years, 26% were female soccer athletes, 27% were male soccer athletes and 47% were football athletes. In adjusted analyses accounting for baseline values and clustering by sport and team via random effects, expected likelihood of concussion reporting at the end of the season was significantly higher in the intervention group compared to controls (mean difference=0.49, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.88; Cohen's d=0.35). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Pre-Game Safety Huddles increased the expected likelihood of athletes reporting concussion symptoms. While further study is warranted, sport organisations should consider this approach a promising low-resource option for improving concussion safety in their setting. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04099329.

Feasibility and acceptability of at-home play kits for middle school physical activity promotion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Schools are central to providing opportunities for youth physical activity (PA), however such opportunities were limited during the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifying feasible, acceptable, and effective approaches for school-based PA promotion amid pandemic-related barriers can inform resource allocation efforts in future circumstances necessitating remote instruction. The aims of this study were to: (1) describe the pragmatic, stakeholder-engaged and theory-informed approach employed to adapt one school's PA promotion efforts to pandemic restrictions, leading to the creation of at-home "play kits" for students, and (2) assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of this intervention. METHODS: Intervention activities occurred in one middle school (enrollment: 847) located in a Federal Opportunity Zone in the Seattle, WA area, with control data from a nearby middle school (enrollment: 640). Students at the intervention school were eligible to receive a play kit during the quarter they were enrolled in physical education (PE) class. Student surveys were completed across the school year (n = 1076), with a primary outcome of days/week that the student engaged in ≥ 60 min of PA. Qualitative interviews (n = 25) were conducted with students, staff, parents, and community partners, and focused on play kit acceptability and feasibility. RESULTS: During remote learning play kits were received by 58% of eligible students. Among students at the intervention school only, students actively enrolled in PE (versus not enrolled) reported significantly more days with ≥ 60 min of PA in the previous week, however the comparison between schools was not statistically significant. In qualitative interviews, most students reported the play kit motivated them to participate in PA, gave them activity ideas, and made virtual PE more enjoyable. Student-reported barriers to using play kits included space (indoors and outdoors), requirements to be quiet at home, necessary but unavailable adult supervision, lack of companions to play outdoors, and inclement weather. CONCLUSIONS: A pre-existing community organization-school partnership lent itself to a rapid response to meet student needs at a time when school staff and resources were highly constrained. The intervention developed through this collaborative response-play kits-has potential to support middle school PA during future pandemics or other conditions that necessitate remote schooling, however modifications to the intervention concept and implementation strategy may be needed to improve reach and effectiveness.

Barriers and facilitators to comprehensive, school-based physical activity promotion for adolescents prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.

This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to comprehensive, school-based physical activity (PA) promotion among adolescents prior to and during the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, considering the perspectives of students, parents, and school staff. Data were collected from 2020 to 2021 using semi-structured individual interviews with students (n = 15), parents (n = 20), and school staff (n = 8) at a Title I middle school (i.e. high percentage of students from low-income families). Two theoretical frameworks guided analysis: the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program framework and Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Using an iteratively developed codebook, data were coded, thematically analyzed, and synthesized. PA barriers and facilitators were present throughout the school day, at home, and in the community. Key determinants included pandemic-induced challenges (e.g. COVID-19 exposure); neighborhood characteristics/weather (e.g. neighborhood safety); school-family communication/collaboration; implementation climate (i.e. school staff's support for programming); time, spatial, and monetary resources (e.g. funding); staffing capacity/continuity and school champions; staffing creativity and adaptability; PA opportunities before, during, and after school; and child's motivation/engagement. Efforts to improve school-based PA programs, irrespective of pandemic conditions, should include strategies that address factors at the community, school, family and individual levels. School-family communication/collaboration, school staff programming support, and PA opportunities throughout the day can help promote comprehensive, school-based PA.

A Cobalt Schiff-Base Complex as a Putative Therapeutic for Azide Poisoning.

There is presently no antidote available to treat azide poisoning. Here, the Schiff-base compound Co(II)-2,12-dimethyl-3,7,11,17-tetraazabicyclo-[11.3.1]heptadeca-1(17)2,11,13,15-pentaenyl dibromide (Co(II)N4[11.3.1]) is investigated to determine if it has the capability to antagonize azide toxicity through a decorporation mechanism. The stopped-flow kinetics of azide binding to Co(II)N4[11.3.1] in the absence of oxygen exhibited three experimentally observable phases: I (fast); II (intermediate); and III (slow). The intermediate phase II accounted for ∼70% of the overall absorbance changes, representing the major process observed, with second-order rate constants of 29 (±4) M-1 s-1 at 25 °C and 70 (±10) M-1 s-1 at 37 °C. The data demonstrated pH independence of the reaction around neutrality, suggesting the unprotonated azide anion to be the attacking species. The binding of azide to Co(II)N4[11.3.1] appears to have a complicated mechanism leading to less than ideal antidotal capability; nonetheless, this cobalt complex does protect against azide intoxication. Administration of Co(II)N4[11.3.1] at 5 min post sodium azide injection (ip) to mice resulted in a substantial decrease of righting-recovery times, 12 (±4) min, compared to controls, 40 (±8) min. In addition, only two out of seven mice "knocked down" when the antidote was administered compared to the controls given toxicant only (100% knockdown).

Antidotal Action of Some Gold(I) Complexes toward Phosphine Toxicity.

Phosphine (PH3) poisoning continues to be a serious problem worldwide, for which there is no antidote currently available. An invertebrate model for examining potential toxicants and their putative antidotes has been used to determine if a strategy of using Au(I) complexes as phosphine-scavenging compounds may be antidotally beneficial. When Galleria mellonella larvae (or wax worms) were subjected to phosphine exposures of 4300 (±700) ppm·min over a 20 min time span, they became immobile (paralyzed) for ∼35 min. The administration of Au(I) complexes auro-sodium bisthiosulfate (AuTS), aurothioglucose (AuTG), and sodium aurothiomalate (AuTM) 5 min prior to phosphine exposure resulted in a drastic reduction in the recovery time (0-4 min). When the putative antidotes were given 10 min after the phosphine exposure, all the antidotes were therapeutic, resulting in mean recovery times of 14, 17, and 19 min for AuTS, AuTG, and AuTM, respectively. Since AuTS proved to be the best therapeutic agent in the G. mellonella model, it was subsequently tested in mice using a behavioral assessment (pole-climbing test). Mice given AuTS (50 mg/kg) 5 min prior to a 3200 (±500) ppm·min phosphine exposure exhibited behavior comparable to mice not exposed to phosphine. However, when mice were given a therapeutic dose of AuTS (50 mg/kg) 1 min after a similar phosphine exposure, only a very modest improvement in performance was observed.

Move & Thrive: Development of a Web-Based Training for Schools About Trauma-Informed Physical Activity.

BACKGROUND: Youth who have experienced trauma or other adverse childhood events have the potential to uniquely benefit from physical activity (PA). However, how PA is administered in schools can be re-traumatizing and fail to create positive experiences through movement. We sought to develop role-specific training to help increase the implementation of trauma-informed PA. METHODS: Guided by intervention mapping methodology, we developed "Move & Thrive"-a brief web-based training about trauma-informed PA. We then conducted a pilot evaluation of this training using a pre-posttest design with no control group in a sample of youth sport coaches, parents of school-aged children, and teachers (n = 150) recruited from an online opt-in non-probability panel. RESULTS: Mixed methods feedback found that "Move & Thrive" was highly acceptable. Across all roles (coaches, teachers, and parents/guardians) there were statistically significant increases in all targeted implementation determinants (knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and perceived resources/support), with moderate to large effect sizes. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide the foundation for a larger, adequately powered trial with randomization and follow-up to assess the implementation of trauma-informed PA.

Project nature: promoting outdoor physical activity in children via primary care.

BACKGROUND: Families face a range of barriers in supporting their children's active play in nature including family circumstances, environmental constraints, and behavioral factors. Evidence-based strategies to address these barriers are needed. We aimed to develop and pilot test a primary care-based family-centered behavioral intervention to promote active outdoor play in 4-10 year-old children. METHODS: Project Nature, a provider-delivered intervention that provides informational resources and an age-appropriate toy for nature play, was initially developed for children ages 0-3. With stakeholder input, we adapted existing materials for 4-10 year-olds and conducted usability testing at an urban clinic serving families from diverse backgrounds. Subsequently, we conducted a mix-methods pilot study to evaluate intervention feasibility and acceptability. Parents of 4-10 year-olds completed pre- and post-surveys (n = 22), and a purposive subset (n = 10) completed qualitative interviews. Post-intervention, pediatric providers (n = 4) were interviewed about their implementation experiences. RESULTS: The majority (82%) of parents liked the information provided and the remaining (18%) were neutral. Qualitatively, parents reported that: the toy provided a tangible element to help children and parents be active, they did not use the website, and they wished the intervention emphasized strategies for physical activity during cold and wet seasons. Providers felt the materials facilitated discussion about behavior change with families. There were no statistically significant changes in PA and outdoor time pre- and post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Project Nature was welcomed by providers and families and may be a practical intervention to promote outdoor active play during well-child visits. Providing an age-appropriate nature toy seemed to be a critical component of the intervention, and may be worth the additional cost, time and storage space required by clinics. Building from these results, Project Nature should be revised to better support active outdoor play during suboptimal weather and evaluated to test its efficacy in a fully-powered trial.

Developing a conceptual model of coach concussion communication by adapting the theory of planned behavior and the social ecological model.

Objective: Acknowledging that coach communication about concussion increases the likelihood of athletes reporting concussive symptoms, the goal of this study was to examine factors affecting such communication, in order to develop a conceptual model that would inform the design of future educational interventions.Participants: Division I contact sport coaches.Methods: We conducted structured qualitative interviews with coaches and analyzed interviews using Thematic Analysis, viewed through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior nested within the Social Ecological Model.Results: Coaches had good knowledge of concussion and understood the dangers of playing with symptoms. However, they also discussed the lack of objective criteria for concussion diagnosis, and pressure to win in order to remain employed, both of which created barriers to concussion communication. Ultimately, most coaches reported not engaging in significant concussion communication as they did not feel this was their role, instead deferring to medical staff.Conclusions: Educational interventions might benefit from a focus on the importance of coach concussion safety-supportive coach communication, with a goal of increasing the likelihood of athlete concussion reporting.

Stakeholder-Engaged Development of a Theory-Driven, Feasible, and Acceptable Approach to Concussion Education.

Concussion education is widely mandated and largely ineffective. Recent consensus guidance on concussion education asserts the importance of (1) theory-driven programming that targets the team as a system and (2) working with end users throughout the development process, and considering issues such as feasibility, acceptability, and sustainability. Consistent with this guidance, and in collaboration with youth sport stakeholders in two regions of the United States, we developed a novel approach to concussion education: Pre-game safety huddles. Safety huddles have the following two core components: (1) athletes, coaches, and other stakeholders come together before the start of each game and (2) opinion leaders (coaches, referees) affirm the importance of care seeking for suspected concussion. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the collaborative process through which we refined the safety huddle concept into an acceptable and feasible intervention with potential for sustainable implementation in diverse youth sports settings with minimal resource demands. In describing our process and discussing challenges and opportunities, we hope to provide an example for others seeking to develop and implement injury prevention interventions in youth sports settings.

Presumptive Contamination: A New Approach to PFAS Contamination Based on Likely Sources.

While research and regulatory attention to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has increased exponentially in recent years, data are uneven and incomplete about the scale, scope, and severity of PFAS releases and resulting contamination in the United States. This paper argues that in the absence of high-quality testing data, PFAS contamination can be presumed around three types of facilities: (1) fluorinated aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) discharge sites, (2) certain industrial facilities, and (3) sites related to PFAS-containing waste. While data are incomplete on all three types of presumptive PFAS contamination sites, we integrate available geocoded, nationwide data sets into a single map of presumptive contamination sites in the United States, identifying 57,412 sites of presumptive PFAS contamination: 49,145 industrial facilities, 4,255 wastewater treatment plants, 3,493 current or former military sites, and 519 major airports. This conceptual approach allows governments, industries, and communities to rapidly and systematically identify potential exposure sources.

Socioeconomic Inequities in Youth Participation in Physical Activity and Sports.

Access to opportunities for physical activity and sports, and therefore potential benefits of participation, are distributed inequitably. The aims of this study were to describe and compare youth experiences related to sport and physical activity by socioeconomic factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted of students in 5-12th grades in King County, Washington, USA. Students were asked about physical activity and sports experiences and about demographic factors including family affluence, which was categorized as low, medium, and high. Participants were 1038 youth (50% girls, 58% non-White, and 32% from homes where languages other than English are spoken). Children from low-affluence families reported fewer days/week of physical activity, fewer sports sampled, and lower rates of ever playing sports. Greater proportions of children from low-affluence families reported these barriers to sports: (1) don't want to get hurt, (2) don't feel welcome on teams, (3) too expensive, and (4) transportation. Middle school children from high-affluence families had three times higher odds of meeting physical activity recommendations, and high-affluence high schoolers had three times higher odds of ever participating in sports compared to peers from low-affluence families. Socioeconomic status was inversely associated with outcomes related to youth physical activity and sports participation. The disproportionately reported barriers to sports participation are modifiable, and cross-sector solutions can help promote play equity.

Development of a scale to measure expected concussion reporting behavior.

BACKGROUND: Most concussion education aims to increase athlete self-report of concussive symptoms. Although the population burden of concussion is high, frequency with which this injury occurs on a given sports team in a given season is relatively low. This means that powering concussion education evaluation studies to measure change in post-injury symptom reporting behavior requires what is often a prohibitively large sample size. Thus, evaluation studies are typically powered to measure proximal cognitions. Expected reporting behavior, a cognition that reflects planned and reactive decision-making, is a theoretically indicated construct for inclusion in evaluation studies. However, previously no scales were available to measure this construct with demonstrated reliability and validity among youth athletes. The objective of this study was to develop and assess the validity of a brief single-factor scale to measure expected youth athlete concussion reporting behavior (CR-E) in a sample of youth athletes. METHODS: A mixed methods approach was used, including cognitive interviews with youth athletes, and quantitative item reduction and validation. Participants were youth athletes (aged 9-16) from the Seattle metropolitan and rural south-Georgia regions. After refining an initial pool of items using cognitive interviews with a diverse group of youth athletes (n = 20), a survey containing these items was administered to youth soccer and football players (n = 291). Item reduction statistics and sequential confirmatory factor analyses were used to reduce the initial scale using a randomly selected half of the sample. Then, a final confirmatory factor analysis and validation tests were applied to the other half of the sample of youth athletes. Predictive validation was conducted longitudinally in a separate sample of youth athletes (n = 155). RESULTS: Internal consistency was high (alpha = 0.89), model fit was excellent, validation tests were in the hypothesized directions, and the scale was feasible to use. Using the finalized 4-item scale, we observed that less than one-third of youth soccer and football athletes expect to "always" tell their coach about symptoms of a suspected concussion. CONCLUSIONS: The CR-E measure should be included in future studies evaluating concussion education programming in youth athlete populations.

Effectiveness of an Education Platform (GoHuddle) for Increasing Likelihood of Coach Concussion Communication with Athletes.

Research suggests coaches play a central role in establishing a context conducive to concussion reporting, particularly via direct verbal communication about concussion. Informed by qualitative interviews and stakeholder feedback, we developed a web-based concussion education platform for collegiate coaches (GoHuddle). The goal of GoHuddle is to encourage concussion safety-supportive coach communication using behavioral modeling and experiential learning. We then conducted a pre-post survey study to examine the impact of engaging with the platform on coach concussion communication, with outcomes of: (a) expected likelihood of communicating with athletes about concussive symptom reporting; (b) expected likelihood of pressuring medical staff to return athletes to play; and (c) belief in the usefulness of engaging in the communication described in a and b (i.e., response efficacy). We also assessed feasibility and acceptability of the platform in the collegiate sport context. The platform was sent to 435 coaches at five institutions, and 334 (77%) completed surveys (70% male, 37.8 years mean age). After completing GoHuddle, coaches had 2.5 greater odds of expecting to discuss concussion with their team (odds ratio [OR] 2.53, p < 0.001). Response efficacy for talking about concussion also increased significantly post-intervention (OR 3.78, p < 0.001). No significant change was seen in expectancies regarding pressure on medical staff to return athletes to play "as soon as possible." A high proportion (82%) of coaches would recommend this platform for coach concussion education. In conclusion, this study suggests GoHuddle is a feasible and acceptable approach to coach concussion education, and use of this platform holds promise for shifting coach communication about concussion.

Nature and Children's Health: A Systematic Review.

CONTEXT: Daily outdoor play is encouraged by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Existing evidence is unclear on the independent effect of nature exposures on child health. OBJECTIVE: We systematically evaluated evidence regarding the relationship between nature contact and children's health. DATA SOURCES: The database search was conducted by using PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsychInfo, ERIC, Scopus, and Web of Science in February 2021. STUDY SELECTION: We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. In all searches, the first element included nature terms; the second included child health outcome terms. DATA EXTRACTION: Of the 10 940 studies identified, 296 were included. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed. RESULTS: The strongest evidence for type of nature exposure was residential green space studies (n = 147, 50%). The strongest evidence for the beneficial health effects of nature was for physical activity (n = 108, 32%) and cognitive, behavioral, or mental health (n = 85, 25%). Physical activity was objectively measured in 55% of studies, and 41% of the cognitive, behavioral, or mental health studies were experimental in design. LIMITATIONS: Types of nature exposures and health outcomes and behaviors were heterogenous. Risk of selection bias was moderate to high for all studies. Most studies were cross-sectional (n = 204, 69%), limiting our ability to assess causality. CONCLUSIONS: Current literature supports a positive relationship between nature contact and children's health, especially for physical activity and mental health, both public health priorities. The evidence supports pediatricians in advocating for equitable nature contact for children in places where they live, play, and learn.