May Measurement Month 2021: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from the Philippines.

The Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH) took part again in the annual May Measurement Month 2021 (MMM21) blood pressure (BP) campaign to raise awareness of hypertension. The MMM standard protocol designed by the MMM coordinating centre was used during screening. These included the collection of basic data on demography, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Standardized sitting BP measurements were taken three times, using automated BP apparatus and were either entered via MMM21 app, MMM@Home, and Google Forms or recorded on paper and transferred to Excel spreadsheets by PSH encoders. Hypertension was defined either as systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg or on antihypertensive medication. A total of 59 655 participated through opportunistic convenience sampling. After multiple imputation, a total of 26 813 (44.9%) participants were identified as having hypertension. Of these, 14 449 (53.9%) were aware and 12 978 (48.4%) were on antihypertensive medication. Of those who were treated, 5644 (43.5%) had controlled BP (<140/90 mmHg) and 7334 (56.5%) were uncontrolled. These latest local data showed that BP awareness is still low with BP control achieved in less than half of treated patients. Continued collaboration is needed to improve BP screening programmes in the country.

Estimating dementia incidence in insured older Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California: an application of inverse odds of selection weights.

Literature shows heterogeneous age-standardized dementia incidence rates across US Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI), but no estimates of population-representative dementia incidence exist due to lack of AANHPI longitudinal probability samples. We compared harmonized characteristics between AANHPI Kaiser Permanente Northern California members (KPNC cohort) and the target population of AANHPI 60+ with private or Medicare insurance using the California Health Interview Survey. We used stabilized inverse odds of selection weights (sIOSW) to estimate ethnicity-specific crude and age-standardized dementia incidence rates and cumulative risk by age 90 in the target population. Differences between the KPNC cohort and target population varied by ethnicity. sIOSW eliminated most differences in larger ethnic groups; some differences remained in smaller groups. Estimated crude dementia incidence rates using sIOSW (versus unweighted) were similar in Chinese, Filipinos, Pacific Islanders and Vietnamese, and higher in Japanese, Koreans, and South Asians. Unweighted and weighted age-standardized incidence rates differed for South Asians. Unweighted and weighted cumulative risk were similar for all groups. We estimated the first population-representative dementia incidence rates and cumulative risk in AANHPI ethnic groups. We encountered some estimation problems and weighted estimates were imprecise, highlighting challenges using weighting to extend inferences to target populations.

Heterogeneity in the effect of type 2 diabetes on dementia incidence in a diverse cohort of Asian American and non-Latino White older adults.

Dementia incidence is lower among Asian Americans than Whites, despite higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes, a well-known dementia risk factor. Determinants of dementia, including type 2 diabetes, have rarely been studied in Asian Americans. We followed 4,846 Chinese, 4,129 Filipino, 2,784 Japanese, 820 South Asian, and 123,360 non-Latino White members of a California-based integrated healthcare delivery system from 2002-2020. We estimated dementia incidence rates by race/ethnicity and type 2 diabetes status, and fit Cox proportional hazards and Aalen additive hazards models for the effect of type 2 diabetes (assessed 5 years before baseline) on age of dementia diagnosis controlling for sex/gender, educational attainment, nativity, height, race/ethnicity, and a race/ethnicity*diabetes interaction. Type 2 diabetes was associated with higher dementia incidence in Whites (hazard ratio [HR] 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.40-1.52). Compared with Whites, the estimated effect of diabetes was larger in South Asians (2.26 [1.48-3.44]), slightly smaller in Chinese (1.32 [1.08-1.62]) and Filipino (1.31 [1.08-1.60]), and similar in Japanese (1.44 [1.15-1.81]) individuals. Heterogeneity in this association across Asian subgroups may be related to type 2 diabetes severity. Understanding this heterogeneity may inform prevention strategies to prevent dementia for all racial and ethnic groups.

Abortive reaction leads to selective adsorbate rotation.

Electron-induced dissociation of a fluorocarbon adsorbate CF3 (ad) at 4.6 K is shown by Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (STM) to form directed energetic F-atom 'projectiles' on Cu(110). The outcome of a collision between these directed projectiles and stationary co-adsorbed allyl 'target' molecules was found through STM to give rotational excitation of the target allyl, clockwise or anti-clockwise, depending on the chosen collision geometry. Molecular dynamics computation linked the collisional excitation of the allyl target to an 'abortive chemical reaction', in which the approach of the F-projectile stretched an H-C bond lifting the allyl above the surface, facilitating isomerization from 'Across' to 'Along' a Cu row.

Cd2+ removal efficiency of activated carbon from Prosopis juliflora: Optimization of preparation parameters by the Box-Behnken Design of Response Surface Methodology.

The study focuses on the preparation of activated carbon from Prosopis juliflora (PJAC) wood by pyrolysis and chemical activation. The objective is to assess its effectiveness as an adsorbent for synthesizing a composite adsorbent coating (CAC) for Cadmium (Cd2+) removal from aqueous solution. The effect of preparation factors related to Cd2+ removal efficiency was assessed. The Design of Experiments (DoE) for the adsorption of Cd2+ on the PJAC were done using the Box-Behnken Design (BBD) of the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) (Design Expert software version 11). The influence of impregnation ratio (IR), carbonization time (t), and carbonization temperature (T) on the Cd (II) percent (%) removal was evaluated. The response surface graphs in 3D were also generated for the response variable, and the higher R2 coefficient values were fitted into the polynomial quadric model. The results indicated that all the variable preparation factors were significant in the Cd2+ removal by PJAC with carbonization temperature being the most significant. At the optimum conditions i.e. impregnation ratio (1.8), carbonization temperature (595 °C) and carbonization time (174 min), the model predicted a 99.9 % Cd2+ removal efficiency while the adsorption experiment obtained a 96.7 % removal efficiency, respectively. Later, the morphological and chemical properties of the PJAC prepared with optimal parameters were analyzed using different characterization techniques including SBET, SEM-EDX, pHPZC, FTIR and XRD. The SEM images revealed a rough and porous morphological surface with an SBET of 600.4 m2/g and a near neutral pHPZC of 6.92. The XRD pattern indicated the crystalline nature of the prepared adsorbent. The pre and post adsorption FTIR spectrum of the PJAC demonstrated a distinct difference with the latter showing a reduction in peak intensity and height. These results underpin the potential of utilizing invasive plants like Prosopis Juliflora as adsorbents for heavy metal removal.

Social Isolation, Brain Food Cue Processing, Eating Behaviors, and Mental Health Symptoms.

Importance: Perceived social isolation is associated with negative health outcomes, including increased risk for altered eating behaviors, obesity, and psychological symptoms. However, the underlying neural mechanisms of these pathways are unknown. Objective: To investigate the association of perceived social isolation with brain reactivity to food cues, altered eating behaviors, obesity, and mental health symptoms. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional, single-center study recruited healthy, premenopausal female participants from the Los Angeles, California, community from September 7, 2021, through February 27, 2023. Exposure: Participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a food cue viewing task. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcomes included brain reactivity to food cues, body composition, self-reported eating behaviors (food cravings, reward-based eating, food addiction, and maladaptive eating behaviors), and mental health symptoms (anxiety, depression, positive and negative affect, and psychological resilience). Results: The study included 93 participants (mean [SD] age, 25.38 [7.07] years). Participants with higher perceived social isolation reported higher fat mass percentage, lower diet quality, increased maladaptive eating behaviors (cravings, reward-based eating, uncontrolled eating, and food addiction), and poor mental health (anxiety, depression, and psychological resilience). In whole-brain comparisons, the higher social isolation group showed altered brain reactivity to food cues in regions of the default mode, executive control, and visual attention networks. Isolation-related neural changes in response to sweet foods correlated with various altered eating behaviors and psychological symptoms. These altered brain responses mediated the connection between social isolation and maladaptive eating behaviors (ß for indirect effect, 0.111; 95% CI, 0.013-0.210; P = .03), increased body fat composition (ß, -0.141; 95% CI, -0.260 to -0.021; P = .02), and diminished positive affect (ß, -0.089; 95% CI, -0.188 to 0.011; P = .09). Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that social isolation is associated with altered neural reactivity to food cues within specific brain regions responsible for processing internal appetite-related states and compromised executive control and attentional bias and motivation toward external food cues. These neural responses toward specific foods were associated with an increased risk for higher body fat composition, worsened maladaptive eating behaviors, and compromised mental health. These findings underscore the need for holistic mind-body-directed interventions that may mitigate the adverse health consequences of social isolation.

Lessons Learned From TranslateCovid, a Multilingual Online Resource Hub for Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities and Beyond.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated health disparities among immigrant communities. Delivering accurate information and addressing misinformation on protective measures and vaccination to linguistically disadvantaged groups was critical for mitigating the effects of the pandemic. One group that was especially vulnerable to miscommunication about COVID-19 was non-native English-speaking immigrants. To address these disparities, the Asian American Studies Center and the Fielding School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles, partnered to create a multilingual resource hub, TranslateCovid.org, to disseminate credible and reliable information about COVID-19 safety measures, the science behind the vaccines, and vaccine safety. We identified >1300 verified resources in 60 languages from government, academic, and nonprofit organizations and reposted them on the TranslateCovid website. We also developed public service announcement videos on handwashing, use of face masks, and social distancing in 10 languages and a fact sheet for frequently asked questions in 20 languages. We used a participatory approach to develop strategies for disseminating these resources. We discuss lessons learned, including strategies for forming government, community, and academic partnerships to support the timely development and dissemination of information. We conclude with a discussion on the unique role of universities in promoting equitable access to public health resources among immigrant communities in times of crisis.

A Microfluidic Platform for Evaluating the Internalization of Liposome Drug Carriers in Tumor Spheroids.

The development of in vitro models recapitulating nanoparticle transport under physiological flow conditions is of great importance for predicting the efficacy of nanoparticle drug carriers. Liposomes are extensively used for drug delivery owing to their biocompatibility and biodegradability and the ability to carry both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds. Here, we used a library of liposomes with various dimensions and a microfluidic platform comprising a large array of uniformly sized breast cancer spheroids to explore size-dependent liposome internalization and retention in the spheroids under close-to-physiological interstitial conditions. Such a platform showed promising applications in the preclinical screening of small molecule drugs; however, the capability to deliver nanoparticles in the spheroid interior under close-to-physiological flow conditions was not explored. For the liposomes with diameters in the range of 45-200 nm, we show experimentally and by simulations that in comparison with liposome delivery solely by diffusion, flow significantly enhances liposome internalization in the microgels and mitigates the size-dependent spheroid penetration by the liposomes. The utility of the microfluidic platform was validated by evaluating the efficacy of clinically approved doxorubicin-loaded liposomes (Doxil), which exhibited superior retention in the spheroids under flow conditions, in comparison with free doxorubicin. This MF platform can serve as an in vitro model for screening the efficacy of drugs encapsulated in liposomes and find applications for screening other types of nanoparticle carriers for vaccine delivery, diagnostics, and skincare.

Vigilance and Protection: How Asian and Pacific Islander, Black, Latina, and Middle Eastern Women Cope with Racism.

BACKGROUND: Research is needed to fully investigate the differential mechanisms racial and ethnic groups use to deal with ongoing intersectional racism in women's lives. The aim of this paper was to understand how Asian American and Pacific Islander, Black, Latina, and Middle Eastern women experience racism-from personal perceptions and interactions to coping mechanisms and methods of protection. METHODS: A purposive sample of 52 participants participated in 11 online racially/ethnically homogeneous focus groups conducted throughout the USA. A team consensus approach was utilized with codebook development and thematic analysis. RESULTS: The findings relate to personal perceptions and interactions related to race and ethnicity, methods of protection against racism, vigilant behavior based on safety concerns, and unity across people of color. A few unique concerns by group included experiences of racism including physical violence among Asian American Pacific Islander groups, police brutality among Black groups, immigration discrimination in Latina groups, and religious discrimination in Middle Eastern groups. Changes in behavior for safety and protection include altering methods of transportation, teaching their children safety measures, and defending their immigration status. They shared strategies to help racial and ethnic minorities against racism including mental health resources and greater political representation. All racial and ethnic groups discussed the need for unity, solidarity, and allyship across various communities of color but for it to be authentic and long-lasting. CONCLUSION: Greater understanding of the types of racism specific groups experience can inform policies and cultural change to reduce those factors.

Discrimination exposure impacts unhealthy processing of food cues: crosstalk between the brain and gut.

Experiences of discrimination are associated with adverse health outcomes, including obesity. However, the mechanisms by which discrimination leads to obesity remain unclear. Utilizing multi-omics analyses of neuroimaging and fecal metabolites, we investigated the impact of discrimination exposure on brain reactivity to food images and associated dysregulations in the brain-gut-microbiome system. We show that discrimination is associated with increased food-cue reactivity in frontal-striatal regions involved in reward, motivation and executive control; altered glutamate-pathway metabolites involved in oxidative stress and inflammation as well as preference for unhealthy foods. Associations between discrimination-related brain and gut signatures were skewed towards unhealthy sweet foods after adjusting for age, diet, body mass index, race and socioeconomic status. Discrimination, as a stressor, may contribute to enhanced food-cue reactivity and brain-gut-microbiome disruptions that can promote unhealthy eating behaviors, leading to increased risk for obesity. Treatments that normalize these alterations may benefit individuals who experience discrimination-related stress.

Life Space and Activity Space Measurement: Making 'Room' for Structural Racism.

As we age, the ability to move is foundational to health. Life space is one measure of a person's ability to move and engage in activity beyond the home. A separate but related concept is activity space, a measurement of a person's spatial behaviors and visited locations that include social networks, neighborhoods, and institutions. In this article, we integrate the literature on life space and activity space discussing how physical function is not only determined by individual capabilities, but also by the surrounding social and environmental factors which may limit their agency. We show how structural racism contributes to inequities within this paradigm linking related concepts of movement, agency, belonging, and timing. We also explore implications for research and theory for mobility, social connection, and activity.

Self-assembled monolayer-based blue perovskite LEDs.

Blue perovskite light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have shown external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of more than 10%; however, devices that emit in the true blue-those that accord with the emission wavelength required for Rec. 2100 primary blue-have so far been limited to EQEs of ~6%. We focused here on true blue emitting CsPbBr3 colloidal nanocrystals (c-NCs), finding in early studies that they suffer from a high charge injection barrier, a problem exacerbated in films containing multiple layers of nanocrystals. We introduce a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) active layer that improves charge injection. We identified a bifunctional capping ligand that simultaneously enables the self-assembly of CsPbBr3 c-NCs while passivating surface traps. We report, as a result, SAM-based LEDs exhibit a champion EQE of ~12% [CIE of (0.132, 0.069) at 4.0 V with a luminance of 11 cd/m2], and 10-fold-enhanced operating stability relative to the best previously reported Rec. 2100-blue perovskite LEDs.

Mediation of the association between disadvantaged neighborhoods and cortical microstructure by body mass index.

BACKGROUND: Living in a disadvantaged neighborhood is associated with worse health outcomes, including brain health, yet the underlying biological mechanisms are incompletely understood. We investigated the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and cortical microstructure, assessed as the T1-weighted/T2-weighted ratio (T1w/T2w) on magnetic resonance imaging, and the potential mediating roles of body mass index (BMI) and stress, as well as the relationship between trans-fatty acid intake and cortical microstructure. METHODS: Participants comprised 92 adults (27 men; 65 women) who underwent neuroimaging and provided residential address information. Neighborhood disadvantage was assessed as the 2020 California State area deprivation index (ADI). The T1w/T2w ratio was calculated at four cortical ribbon levels (deep, lower-middle, upper-middle, and superficial). Perceived stress and BMI were assessed as potential mediating factors. Dietary data was collected in 81 participants. RESULTS: Here, we show that worse ADI is positively correlated with BMI (r = 0.27, p = .01) and perceived stress (r = 0.22, p = .04); decreased T1w/T2w ratio in middle/deep cortex in supramarginal, temporal, and primary motor regions (p < .001); and increased T1w/T2w ratio in superficial cortex in medial prefrontal and cingulate regions (p < .001). Increased BMI partially mediates the relationship between worse ADI and observed T1w/T2w ratio increases (p = .02). Further, trans-fatty acid intake (high in fried fast foods and obesogenic) is correlated with these T1w/T2w ratio increases (p = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Obesogenic aspects of neighborhood disadvantage, including poor dietary quality, may disrupt information processing flexibility in regions involved in reward, emotion regulation, and cognition. These data further suggest ramifications of living in a disadvantaged neighborhood on brain health.

Neighborhood disadvantage (a combination of low average income, more people leaving education earlier, crowding, lack of complete plumbing, etc.) is known to impact the health of people's brains. We evaluated whether neighborhood disadvantage was associated with differences in the structure of people's brains, and whether any differences were related to an unhealthily high weight and a high intake of trans-fatty acids, a component of fried fast food, on the structure of people's brains. Based on our results, regions of the brain that are involved in reward, emotion and gaining knowledge and understanding might be affected by aspects of neighborhood disadvantage that contribute to obesity, such as poor dietary quality. This suggests that it might be important to make healthier food more readily available in disadvantaged neighborhoods to improve the health of people's brains.

Whose Knowledge Heals? Transforming Teaching in the Struggle for Health Equity.

Racial health inequities persist despite many attempts to correct them. Inadequate comprehension of racism obscures the ordinariness of racism in public health institutions. In addition to applying critical race theory (CRT) to the research and practice of public health, we argue that the struggle for health equity must also apply CRT toward the teaching of public health students. Adhering to conventional approaches in academic public health without grappling with their roots in Whiteness reproduces a public health workforce that is insufficiently equipped to address the complex, systemic issues underlying health inequities. By default, academic public health excludes the perspectives of scholars of color, relies too heavily on theories of individual behavior, and applies top-down teaching methods. To make durable changes, the rising generation of public health scholars and practitioners must understand how health equity fits within broader struggles for racial and social justice. Thus, we critique three responsibilities for teaching about public health: assigning readings, shaping analytical lenses with theories, and modeling change through andragogy. By questioning whose knowledge is legitimized when defining public health needs, whose lenses are used to prioritize solutions, and whose insights drive change, we can train a public health workforce more critical of racism, and more prepared to deal with the enduring reality of racial relations.

Colloidal Clusters and Networks Formed by Oppositely Charged Nanoparticles with Varying Stiffnesses.

Colloidal clusters and gels are ubiquitous in science and technology. Particle softness has a strong effect on interparticle interactions; however, our understanding of the role of this factor in the formation of colloidal clusters and gels is only beginning to evolve. Here, we report the results of experimental and simulation studies of the impact of particle softness on the assembly of clusters and networks from mixtures of oppositely charged polymer nanoparticles (NPs). Experiments were performed below or above the polymer glass transition temperature, at which the interaction potential and adhesive forces between the NPs were significantly varied. Hard NPs assembled in fractal clusters that subsequently organized in a kinetically arrested colloidal gel, while soft NPs formed dense precipitating aggregates, due to the NP deformation and the decreased interparticle distance. Importantly, interactions of hard and soft NPs led to the formation of discrete precipitating NP aggregates at a relatively low volume fraction of soft NPs. A phenomenological model was developed for interactions of oppositely charged NPs with varying softnesses. The experimental results were in agreement with molecular dynamics simulations based on the model. This work provides insight on interparticle interactions before, during, and after the formation of hard-hard, hard-soft, and soft-soft contacts and has impact for numerous applications of reversible colloidal gels, including their use as inks for additive manufacturing.