When the Going Gets Tough: Multimorbidity and Heavy and Binge Drinking Among Adults.

INTRODUCTION: Multimorbidity, the presence of two or more long-term health conditions in the same individual, is an emerging epidemic associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Continued drinking concurrent with alcohol-related chronic conditions, particularly with multimorbidity, is likely to further elevate health risk. This study aimed to examine the associations of multimorbidity among diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer with drinking, and moderation of these associations by age. METHODS: Logistic regression modeling was performed in 2023 using a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults from the 2015-19 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Multimorbidity was assessed using (1) a count of these conditions and (2) disease-specific categories. The outcomes were past month heavy drinking (7+/14+ drinks weekly) and binge drinking (4+/5+ drinks per occasion) for women and men. RESULTS: A pattern of reduced odds for drinking outcomes associated with a greater degree of multimorbidity was found. This pattern was more apparent in models using the continuous measure of multimorbidity than in those using the categorical measure, and more consistent for binge drinking than for heavy drinking and for women than for men. Significant age interactions were found: the log odds of heavy drinking and binge drinking for both men and women decreased as the number of conditions increased, and more steeply for those ages 50+ than the younger. The log odds of heavy drinking varied little among men under age 50 regardless of multimorbidity. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol interventions to reduce drinking with multimorbidity, particularly among heavy-drinking men under age 50, are warranted.

Distinct expression patterns of Hedgehog signaling components in mouse gustatory system during postnatal tongue development and adult homeostasis.

The Hedgehog (HH) pathway regulates embryonic development of anterior tongue taste fungiform papilla (FP) and the posterior circumvallate (CVP) and foliate (FOP) taste papillae. HH signaling also mediates taste organ maintenance and regeneration in adults. However, there are knowledge gaps in HH pathway component expression during postnatal taste organ differentiation and maturation. Importantly, the HH transcriptional effectors GLI1, GLI2 and GLI3 have not been investigated in early postnatal stages; the HH receptors PTCH1, GAS1, CDON and HHIP, required to either drive HH pathway activation or antagonism, also remain unexplored. Using lacZ reporter mouse models, we mapped expression of the HH ligand SHH, HH receptors, and GLI transcription factors in FP, CVP and FOP in early and late postnatal and adult stages. In adults we also studied the soft palate, and the geniculate and trigeminal ganglia, which extend afferent fibers to the anterior tongue. Shh and Gas1 are the only components that were consistently expressed within taste buds of all three papillae and the soft palate. In the first postnatal week, we observed broad expression of HH signaling components in FP and adjacent, non-taste filiform (FILIF) papillae in epithelium or stroma and tongue muscles. Notably, we observed elimination of Gli1 in FILIF and Gas1 in muscles, and downregulation of Ptch1 in lingual epithelium and of Cdon, Gas1 and Hhip in stroma from late postnatal stages. Further, HH receptor expression patterns in CVP and FOP epithelium differed from anterior FP. Among all the components, only known positive regulators of HH signaling, SHH, Ptch1, Gli1 and Gli2, were expressed in the ganglia. Our studies emphasize differential regulation of HH signaling in distinct postnatal developmental periods and in anterior versus posterior taste organs, and lay the foundation for functional studies to understand the roles of numerous HH signaling components in postnatal tongue development.

Lavender essential oil alleviates depressive-like behavior in alcohol-withdrawn rats: Insights from gut metabolites and hippocampal transcriptome analysis.

Lavender, an aromatic plant with a history dating back to ancient Egypt and Greece, is consumed because of its diverse pharmacological properties, including sedation, sleep aid, and antidepressant effects. However, the mechanisms underlying these antidepressant properties remain unclear. In this study, we explored the impact of lavender essential oil (LEO) inhalation on the diversity of gut microbiota, metabolites, and differential gene expression in the hippocampus of alcohol-withdrawn depressive rats. Additionally, we examined alterations in the hippocampal transient receptor potential (TRP) channel-mediated inflammatory regulation within the brain-gut axis of depressive rats. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in sucrose preference, diminished activity in the central zone of the open field test, and prolonged immobility time in the forced swim test in alcohol-withdrawn depressive rats, indicating the amelioration of depressive states following lavender essential oil inhalation. 16 S rDNA sequencing analysis revealed a significant reduction in Bacteroidota and Muribaculaceae in the gut of alcohol-withdrawn depressive rats, whereas lavender essential oil significantly increased the relative abundance of Muribaculaceae and other bacterial species. Metabolomic analysis identified 646 distinct metabolites as highly correlated biomarkers between the model and lavender essential oil groups. Furthermore, lavender essential oil inhalation significantly attenuated hippocampal inflammatory factors IL-2, IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α. This study identified elevated expression of Trpv4 and Calml4 in the hippocampal region of alcohol-withdrawn depressed rats and showed that lavender essential oil inhalation regulated aberrantly expressed genes. Our research suggests that lavender essential oil downregulates Trpv4, modulates inflammatory factors, and alleviates depressive-like behavior in alcohol withdrawal rats.

Hierarchically porous MOF@COF structures with ultrafast gas diffusion rate for C2H6/C2H4 separation.

For ethylene purification, C2H6-selective metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) show great potential to directly produce polymer-grade C2H4 from C2H6/C2H4 mixtures. Most C2H6-traping MOFs are ultra-microporous structures so as to strengthen multiple supramolecular interactions with C2H6. However, the narrowed pore channels of C2H6-traping MOFs cause large guest diffusion barriers, greatly hampering their practical applications. Herein, we present a feasible strategy by precisely constructing hierarchically porous MOF@COF core-shell structures to address this issue. Additional mesoporous diffusion channels were incorporated between MOF crystals through the construction of the COF shell, thereby enhancing the gas adsorption kinetics. Notably, designing a core-shell MOF@COF structure with an optimal coating amount of mesoporous COF shell will further improve the gas diffusion rate. Breakthrough experiments reveal that the tailored MOF@COF composites can effectively achieve C2H6/C2H4 separation and maintain its separation performance over five continuous measurement cycles. This investigation opens up a new avenue to solve the diffusion/transfer issues and provides more opportunities and potentials for MOF@COF composites in practical separation applications.

Seaweed-inspired underwater anti-oil-fouling and anti-fogging coating with mechanical durability.

Ecofriendly fabrication of anti-oil-fouling materials is of interest. Surfaces with underwater superoleophobicity have been fabricated which exhibit limited mechanical durability and water resistance. In this study, we report on a bioinspired bilayer design of a transparent anti-oil-fouling coating. Seaweed surfaces show anti-oil-fouling in the sea due to its high surface hydration ability. Mussels can adhere tightly onto a surface with good stability in the sea by virtue of its levodopa-containing secretions. The surface layer was fabricated using a crosslinked combination of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and sodium alginate (AlgS) inspired by seaweed, with the addition of calcium ions. Polydopamine (PDA), a derivative of levodopa, was used as the underlayer to enhance bonding strength and water resistance. Oil that adhered to the coated surface was spontaneously detached upon immersion in water. The mechanism underlying this anti-oil-fouling effect was elucidated using Gibbs free energy theory. The coating exhibited mechanical durability and water resistance. The coating is transparent and preserves the original color of the substrate. The coated glass showed stable anti-fogging and anti-frost performance. These coatings hold promise for a wide range of anti-oil-fouling applications.

Hydrogen bond unlocking-driven pore structure control for shifting multi-component gas separation function.

Purification of ethylene (C2H4) as the most extensive and output chemical, from complex multi-components is of great significance but highly challenging. Herein we demonstrate that precise pore structure tuning by controlling the network hydrogen bonds in two highly-related porous coordination networks can shift the efficient C2H4 separation function from C2H2/C2H4/C2H6 ternary mixture to CO2/C2H2/C2H4/C2H6 quaternary mixture system. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that the different amino groups on the triazolate ligands resulted in the change of the hydrogen bonding in the host network, which led to changes in the pore shape and pore chemistry. Gas adsorption isotherms, adsorption kinetics and gas-loaded crystal structure analysis indicated that the coordination network Zn-fa-atz (2) weakened the affinity for three C2 hydrocarbons synchronously including C2H4 but enhanced the CO2 adsorption due to the optimized CO2-host interaction and the faster CO2 diffusion, leading to effective C2H4 production from the CO2/C2H2/C2H4/C2H6 mixture in one step based on the experimental and simulated breakthrough data. Moreover, it can be shaped into spherical pellets with maintained porosity and separation performance.

Proteomics and Metabolomics Analysis Reveal the Regulation Mechanism of Linoleate Isomerase Activity and Function in Propionibacterium acnes.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) holds significant application prospects due to its anticancer, anti-atherosclerosis, lipid-lowering, weight-loss, and growth-promoting functions. The key to its efficient production lies in optimizing the biocatalytic performance of linoleic acid isomerase (LAI). Here, we constructed a Propionibacterium acnes mutant library and screened positive mutants with high linoleate isomerase activity. The proteomics and metabolomics were used to explore the mechanism in the regulation of linoleic acid isomerase activity. High-throughput proteomics revealed 104 differentially expressed proteins unique to positive mutant strains of linoleic acid isomerase of which 57 were upregulated and 47 were downregulated. These differentially expressed proteins were primarily involved in galactose metabolism, the phosphotransferase system, starch metabolism, and sucrose metabolism. Differential metabolic pathways were mainly enriched in amino acid biosynthesis, including glutamate metabolism, the Aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis pathway, and the ABC transporter pathway. The upregulated metabolites include dl-valine and Acetyl coA, while the downregulated metabolites include Glutamic acid and Phosphoenolpyruvate. Overall, the activity of linoleic acid isomerase in the mutant strain was increased by the regulation of key proteins involved in galactose metabolism, sucrose metabolism, and the phosphotransferase system. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development of high-yield CLA food.

Pore chemistry and geometry control in a metal azolate framework for one-step ethylene purification from quinary gas mixture.

In the petrochemical industry, obtaining polymer-grade ethylene from complex light-hydrocarbon mixtures by one-step separation is important and challenging. Here, we successfully prepared the Metal-Azolate Framework 7 (MAF-7) with pore chemistry and geometry control to realize the one-step separation of ethylene from cracking gas with up to quinary gas mixtures (propane/propylene/ethane/ethylene/acetylene). Based on the tailor-made pore environment, MAF-7 exhibited better selective adsorption of propane, propylene, ethane and acetylene than ethylene, and the adsorption ratios of ethane/ethylene and propylene/ethylene are as high as 1.49 and 2.81, respectively. The pore geometry design of MAF-7 leads to the unique weak binding affinity and adsorption site for ethylene molecules, which is clearly proved by Grand Canonical Monte Carlo theoretical calculations. The breakthrough experiments show that ethylene can be directly obtained from binary, ternary, and quinary gas mixtures. These comprehensive properties show that MAF-7 is expected to achieve one-step purification of ethylene in complex light hydrocarbon mixtures.

Balancing the Crystallinity and Film Formation of Metal-Organic Framework Membranes through In Situ Modulation for Efficient Gas Separation.

Polycrystalline metal-organic framework (MOF) layers hold great promise as molecular sieve membranes for efficient gas separation. Nevertheless, the high crystallinity tends to cause inter-crystalline defects/cracks in the nearby crystals, which makes crystalline porous materials face a great challenge in the fabrication of defect-free membranes. Herein, for the first time, we demonstrate the balance between crystallinity and film formation of MOF membrane through a facile in situ modulation strategy. Monocarboxylic acid was introduced as a modulator to regulate the crystallinity via competitive complexation and thus concomitantly control the film-forming state during membrane growth. Through adjusting the ratio of modulator acid/linker acid, an appropriate balance between this structural "trade-off" was achieved. The resulting MOF membrane with moderate crystallinity and coherent morphology exhibits molecular sieving for H2 /CO2 separation with selectivity up to 82.5.

The Relationship Between Drinking Patterns and Chronic Health Conditions: New Evidence From Two U.S. National Alcohol Surveys.

OBJECTIVE: The association of many chronic disease conditions with alcohol consumption is well established, and research on drinking patterns following diagnosis suggests that those with a chronic condition drink less than their healthy counterparts. However, these studies have not controlled for confounding influences on this relationship. This article reports current drinking patterns of those with one of four chronic disease conditions (hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, cancer) compared to those without, controlling for covariates. METHOD: Data were analyzed from a merged sample of the two National Alcohol Surveys of the U.S. adult population (2014-2015 and 2019-2020; n = 9,597). Those reporting any one of the four disease conditions were matched to healthy control respondents on demographic characteristics and history of drinking using propensity score weighting (PSW). RESULTS: Those with hypertension and heart disease appeared to drink less than controls during the last year, but after models were adjusted for covariates or PSW, no significant differences were found. For diabetes, only the PSW models showed no significant difference in drinking from controls, whereas both unadjusted and adjusted models for cancer showed no differences from controls. CONCLUSIONS: Controlling for covariates and PSW appeared to make cases and their healthy controls more similar in past-year drinking patterns. Observed similarity in drinking patterns of those with and without a chronic disease may serve as an impetus for a greater focus on screening and identification of those with chronic conditions who would benefit from focused harm-reduction messages and implementation of effective alcohol interventions.

At-Risk Drinking in US Adults with Health Conditions: Differences by Gender, Race, and Ethnicity in the National Survey of Drug Use and Health, 2015-2019.

Few studies in the US address alcohol consumption patterns in adults with chronic health conditions, and little is known about race and ethnicity differences. This study examined at-risk drinking prevalence rates among US adults with hypertension, diabetes, heart condition or cancer and assessed differences by gender and, among adults aged 50 and older, by race and ethnicity. We used data from the 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 209,183) to estimate (1) prevalence rates and (2) multivariable logistic regression models predicting odds of at-risk drinking among adults with hypertension, diabetes, heart condition, or cancer, compared to adults with none of these conditions. To examine subgroup differences, analyses were stratified by gender (ages 18-49 and ages 50 +) and by gender and race and ethnicity for adults ages 50 + . Results showed that all adults with diabetes and women ages 50 + with heart conditions in the full sample had lower odds of at-risk drinking relative to their counterparts without any of the four conditions. Men ages 50 + with hypertension had greater odds. In race and ethnicity assessments among adults ages 50 + , only non-Hispanic White (NHW) men and women with diabetes and heart conditions had lower odds, and NHW men and women and Hispanic men with hypertension had greater odds of at-risk drinking. There were differential associations of at-risk drinking with demographic and lifestyle indicators across race and ethnicity groups. These findings underscore tailored efforts in community and clinical settings to reduce at-risk drinking in subgroups with health condition diagnoses.

Risky drinking and other drug use in adults with chronic conditions in the United States: differential associations by race/ethnicity.

Co-use of multiple drugs may prolong or increase heavy drinking, even for individuals with health conditions adversely affected by it. Patterns of alcohol and drug use may vary across racial/ethnic groups, with differential implications for health. This study examines racial/ethnic differences in the associations between risky drinking and other drug use in adults with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, or cancer. Multiple logistic regression modeling, stratified by condition, was performed using a nationally representative sample of adults drawn from the 2015 to 2019 National Survey on Drug and Health. The outcome was risky drinking (consuming more than 7/14 drinks weekly). Other drugs considered were tobacco, marijuana, illicit drugs, and non-medical prescription drugs. Covariates included age, sex, education, income, marital/cohabitation status, health insurance coverage, and self-rated health status. Each drug category was positively associated with risky drinking across all four conditions. Racial/ethnic minority adults were less likely than White adults to engage in risky drinking, with this pattern most consistent for those with hypertension. Other drug use in minority adults (i.e. tobacco and illicit drug use in Black and Hispanic adults, and marijuana and prescription drug use in Asian adults) was associated with disproportionately greater odds of risky drinking compared with White adults. This pattern was more prominent for those with a heart condition, and not found for those with cancer. Future interventions might address co-use of alcohol and other drugs in adults with chronic conditions, with special attention to racial/ethnic minority adults.

Association of polymorphisms of calcium reabsorption genes SLC12A1, KCNJ1 and SLC8A1 with colorectal adenoma.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, morbidity and mortality from colorectal cancer have increased. Colorectal adenoma is the main precancerous lesion. Understanding the pathogenesis of colorectal adenoma will help to improve the early diagnosis rate of colorectal cancer. METHODS: In this case-control study, we focused on three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes SLC8A1 (rs4952490), KCNJ1 (rs2855798), and SLC12A1 (rs1531916). We analyzed 207 colorectal adenoma patients (112 high-risk cases and 95 low-risk cases) and 212 control subjects by Sanger sequencing. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to survey demographic characteristics and dietary nutrition. RESULTS: In the overall analysis, the results suggested that the AA+AG and AG genotype carriers of rs4952490 had a 73.1% and 78% lower risk of colorectal adenoma compared to GG genotype carriers, respectively. However rs2855798 and rs1531916 were not associated with the incidence of colorectal adenoma. Additionally, stratified analysis showed that rs4952490 AA+AG and AG genotypes had a protective effect against low-risk colorectal adenoma in patients aged ≤ 60 years old who were non-smokers. We also observed that when calcium intake was higher than 616 mg/d and patients carried at least one gene with variant alleles there was a protective effect against low-risk colorectal adenoma. CONCLUSIONS: Interactions between dietary calcium intake and calcium reabsorption genes may affect the occurrence and development of colorectal adenoma.

Efficacy of Flumatinib in CML Patients with F359V/C Mutation.

The BCR-ABL mutation is the main cause of tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKI) resistance. The second-generation TKI can overcome most of the mutations. However, both dasatinib and nilotinib have a unique set of mutants with reduced sensitivity. All TKIs are associated with adverse events, which lead to treatment discontinuation and affect the quality of life of patients. Flumatinib showed higher activity against BCR-ABL mutants in vitro. Drug-related adverse events of flumatinib were mainly grade 1 or grade 2 events. There is no study that reported the efficacy of flumatinib against F359V/C mutation.We report two cases of chronic myelocytic leukemia(CML) patients with F359V/C mutation resistance to Imatinib therapy. One patient with F359V mutation was shifted to Dasatinib. Repeated massive pleural effusion and anemia occurred after Dasatinib treatment, forcing drug dosage reduction or withdrawal, affecting drug efficacy and quality of life of patient. Two patients were shifted to Flumatinib. MR4 was achieved and F359V/C mutation was not detected after treatment with Flumatinib. There was no significant side effect. The patients had a high quality of life. Flumatinib is effective against F359V/C mutation, has less drugrelated adverse reactions. Flumatinib may be a better choice for patients with F359V/C mutation. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12288-022-01585-3.

Correlation between Metabolite of Prostaglandin E2 and the incidence of colorectal adenomas.

Colorectal cancer is a common malignancy, and the incidence and mortality rates continue to rise. An important factor in the emergence of inflammation-induced colorectal carcinogenesis is elevated cyclooxygenase-2. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) over-production is frequently equated with cyclooxygenase-2 gene over-expression. PGE2 can be assessed by measuring the level of prostaglandin's main metabolite, PGE-M, in urine. Colorectal adenoma is a precancerous lesion that can lead to colorectal cancer. We conducted research to evaluate the association between urinary levels of the PGE-M and the risk of colorectal adenomas. In a western Chinese population, we identified 152 cases of adenoma and 152 controls patients without polyps. Adenoma cases were categorized into control, low-risk and high-risk groups. There was no significant change in PGE-M levels, between the control group and the low-risk adenoma group. In the high-risk group, the PGE-M levels were 23% higher than the control group. When compared to people with the lowest urine PGE-M levels (first quartile), people with greater urinary PGE-M levels had a higher chance of developing high-risk colorectal adenomas, with an adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) of 1.65 (0.76-3.57) in the fourth quartile group, (p= 0.013). We conclude urinary PGE-M is associated with the risk of developing high-risk adenomas. Urinary PGE-M level may be used as a non-invasive indicator for estimating cancer risk.

Analytical method for calculating internal stray radiation from an IR spectrometer based on the view factor.

Optomechanical components such as the lens barrels and frames of IR spectrometers produce strong internal stray radiation, which reduces the instrument's SNR and dynamic range. An IR internal stray radiation calculation method based on an analytical model of the view factor is proposed. The mathematical model of the view factor calculation method of typical optomechanical components is established. For any IR optical systems, the internal stray radiation can be quickly and accurately calculated by adjusting the coordinate systems in the calculation method. Based on the proposed method, the internal stray radiation of a double-pass long-wave IR spectrometer was calculated. The calculation results are consistent with the simulation results. The RMS value of the relative error between the calculated value and the simulated value is around 11%. To verify the proposed method, an experiment was conducted to test the internal stray radiation of the long-wave IR spectrometer. The internal stray radiation test results agree with the calculated and simulated results, and the relative error between the test results and the calculation results is within 9%.

Clinical considerations of CDK4/6 inhibitors in HER2 positive breast cancer.

Deregulation of cell cycles can result in a variety of cancers, including breast cancer (BC). In fact, abnormal regulation of cell cycle pathways is often observed in breast cancer, leading to malignant cell proliferation. CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) can block the G1 cell cycle through the cyclin D-cyclin dependent kinase 4/6-inhibitor of CDK4-retinoblastoma (cyclinD-CDK4/6-INK4-RB) pathway, thus blocking the proliferation of invasive cells, showing great therapeutic potential to inhibit the spread of BC. So far, three FDA-approved drugs have been shown to be effective in the management of advanced hormone receptor positive (HR+) BC: palbociclib, abemaciclib, and ribociclib. The combination strategy of CDK4/6i and endocrine therapy (ET) has become the standard therapeutic regimen and is increasingly applied to advanced BC patients. The present study aims to clarify whether CDK4/6i can also achieve a certain therapeutic effect on Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (HER2+) BC. Studies of CDK4/6i are not limited to patients with estrogen receptor positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (ER+/HER2-) advanced BC, but have also expanded to other types of BC. Several pre-clinical and clinical trials have demonstrated the potential of CDK4/6i in treating HER2+ BC. Therefore, this review summarizes the current knowledge and recent findings on the use of CDK4/6i in this type of BC, and provides ideas for the discovery of new treatment modalities.

CO2 Capture from High-Humidity Flue Gas Using a Stable Metal-Organic Framework.

The flue gas from fossil fuel power plants is a long-term stable and concentrated emission source of CO2, and it is imperative to reduce its emission. Adsorbents have played a pivotal role in reducing CO2 emissions in recent years, but the presence of water vapor in flue gas poses a challenge to the stability of adsorbents. In this study, ZIF-94, one of the ZIF adsorbents, showed good CO2 uptake (53.30 cm3/g), and the calculated CO2/N2 (15:85, v/v) selectivity was 54.12 at 298 K. Because of its excellent structural and performance stability under humid conditions, the CO2/N2 mixture was still well-separated on ZIF-94 with a separation time of 30.4 min when the relative humidity was as high as 99.2%, which was similar to the separation time of the dry gas experiments (33.2 min). These results pointed to the enormous potential applications of ZIF-94 for CO2/N2 separation under high humidity conditions in industrial settings.

Comparison of 2021 CKD-EPI Equations for Estimating Racial Differences in Preemptive Waitlisting for Kidney Transplantation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Wait time for kidney transplantation can accrue when GFR is ≤20 ml/min. We examined whether using the race-free 2021 Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations to guide preemptive waitlisting could attenuate racial differences in accruable preemptive wait time. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: Our retrospective cohort study included Black or White Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) participants who were theoretically eligible for waitlist registration. We used Weibull accelerated failure time models to determine the association between race (Black or White) and time to kidney failure from the qualifying visit when the eGFR by creatinine or creatinine-cystatin C 2021 CKD-EPI equations fell to ≤20 ml/min per 1.73 m2. We then tested for differences in the time ratios from models using the 2021 creatinine- or creatinine-cystatin C-based CKD-EPI equation through a bootstrapping approach. RESULTS: By the creatinine equation, 472 CRIC participants were theoretically eligible for waitlist registration, and potential preemptive wait time was similar for Black versus White participants (time ratio, 1.05; 95% confidence interval, 0.81 to 1.35). The median wait time by the creatinine equation that could be accrued for Black participants was 23 versus 22 months in White participants. By the creatinine-cystatin C equation, 441 CRIC participants were eligible, and potential wait time was 20% shorter (95% confidence interval, 0.62 to 1.02) for Black than White participants. The median wait time that could be accrued for Black participants was 21 versus 26 months for White participants when using the creatinine-cystatin C equation. Using bootstrapping, the ratio of the time ratio of the models using the creatinine versus creatinine-cystatin C equation was statistically significantly different (ratio of the time ratios = 1.31 with 95% confidence interval, 1.06 to 1.62). CONCLUSIONS: Use of the 2021 creatinine-based CKD-EPI equation to determine preemptive waitlist eligibility reduced racial differences in preemptive wait time accrual more than use of the creatinine-cystatin C 2021 CKD-EPI equation within a theoretical context.

Comparing substance use outcomes by sexual identity among women: Differences using propensity score methods.

BACKGROUND: Differences in alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use by sexual identity vary across samples of women recruited using different sampling methods. We used propensity score (PS) weighting methods to address two methodological questions: (1) Do disparities between sexual minority women (SMW) and heterosexual women persist when differences in risk and protective factors are similarly distributed between groups, and (2) Does accounting for SMW-specific resiliency factors impact differences between non-probability samples of SMW? METHODS: Four samples included SMW from a longitudinal study with a nonprobability sample (n = 373), a national general population panel sample (n = 373), and a national LGBTQ-specific panel sample (n = 311), as well as a national probability sample of heterosexual women (n = 446). Between-groups analyses using double-robust PS weighted models estimated differences in ATOD use under hypothetical conditions in which samples have similar risk and protective factors. RESULTS: After PS weighting, imbalance in confounders between SMW and heterosexual samples was substantially reduced, but not eliminated. In double-robust PS weighted models, SMW samples consistently had significantly greater odds of drug use than heterosexuals, with odds from 8.8 to 5.6 times greater for frequent marijuana use and 4.8-3.2 greater for other drug use. Few differences between SMW samples in ATOD outcomes or other variables remained after PS weighting. CONCLUSION: Relative to heterosexual women, disparities in marijuana and other drug use among SMW are evident regardless of sampling strategy. The results provide some reassurance about the validity of large nonprobability samples, which remain an important recruitment strategy in research with SMW.