Transformation of social relationships in COVID-19 America: Remote communication may amplify political echo chambers.

The COVID-19 pandemic, with millions of Americans compelled to stay home and work remotely, presented an opportunity to explore the dynamics of social relationships in a predominantly remote world. Using the 1972-2022 General Social Surveys, we found that the pandemic significantly disrupted the patterns of social gatherings with family, friends, and neighbors but only momentarily. Drawing from the nationwide ego-network surveys of 41,033 Americans from 2020 to 2022, we found that the size and composition of core networks remained stable, although political homophily increased among nonkin relationships compared to previous surveys between 1985 and 2016. Critically, heightened remote communication during the initial phase of the pandemic was associated with increased interaction with the same partisans, although political homophily decreased during the later phase of the pandemic when in-person contacts increased. These results underscore the crucial role of social institutions and social gatherings in promoting spontaneous encounters with diverse political backgrounds.

Staphylococcus aureus Enterotoxin Production in Raw and Pasteurized Milk: The Effect of Selected Different Storage Durations and Temperatures.

Introduction:S. aureus is one of the most prevalent potential pathogenic bacteria found in DHM. Some strains produce heat stable enterotoxins that are able to survive pasteurization. These enterotoxins have been associated with gastritis and potentially necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of different storage temperatures on Staphylococcus aureus growth and enterotoxin A and B production in raw and Holder pasteurized donor human milk (DHM). Materials and Methods: Raw and pasteurized DHM were inoculated with enterotoxin A and B producing S. aureus. Samples were incubated at 4°C (10 days), 21°C, and 37°C (18 hours). Bacterial growth and enterotoxin A and B were quantified. Results:S. aureus count increased in pasteurized DHM. Bacterial count decreased in the raw milk when incubated at 21°C and 4°C and slightly increased when incubated at 37°C. Enterotoxins A and B were only detected in pasteurized DHM at 37°C from 9 hours onward. Conclusion: This study showed that raw milk is capable of suppressing S. aureus growth compared to pasteurized DHM. It also provides a measure of assurance of the safety of raw and pasteurized DHM when refrigerated or left at room temperature for a few hours.

Staphylococcus aureus Enterotoxin Production in Raw, Holder-Pasteurized, and Ultraviolet-C-Treated Donated Human Milk.

Background: Some strains of Staphylococcus aureus can produce heat-stable enterotoxins that have been associated with gastritis and potentially necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants. Objectives/Hypothesis: To assess the impact of different storage temperatures on S. aureus growth and enterotoxin production in raw, Holder-pasteurized (HP) and ultraviolet-C (UV-C)-treated donated human milk (DHM). Materials and Methods: The milk samples from individual donors were pooled and divided into four equal portions. One portion was HP, the second was UV-C treated, the third was not treated, and the fourth was UV-C treated after being spiked with S. aureus. All samples were incubated at 37°C (18 hours) and 4°C (14 days). Bacterial colony count, enterotoxin A and B, and immune proteins were quantified. Results: At 37°C, the colony count increased in HP DHM and decreased in raw and UV-C-treated DHM. At 4°C, colony counts in HP DHM reduced and were not detected in raw and UV-C-treated DHM from day 8 of incubation. No bacteria were detected in samples that were inoculated before UV-C treatment. Enterotoxin A was only detected in HP-DHM at 37°C from the 9th hour onward. Enterotoxin B was detected in one sample at the 15th hour. Immune protein concentrations were similar in raw and UV-C DHM, and were reduced in the HP DHM. Conclusion: UV-C-treated milk reduces S. aureus growth with similar kinetics to raw milk making it a promising emerging technique to eliminate bacteria while retaining essential immune proteins in DHM.

Effects of lactoferrin on neonatal pathogens and Bifidobacterium breve in human breast milk.

Supplementation with probiotics in preterm infants reduces necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis. Bovine lactoferrin is a promising supplement that may further reduce disease burden, but its effects on probiotic bacteria in human breast milk has not been evaluated. We aimed to characterise the antimicrobial activity of bovine and human lactoferrin in human breast milk against probiotics and typical neonatal sepsis pathogens. Lactoferrin levels were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in fresh and pasteurised human breast milk. The neonatal pathogens Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli, and the probiotic Bifidobacterium breve strain M-16V were cultured in human breast milk or infant formula in the presence or absence of clinically relevant doses of bovine or human lactoferrin. Standard microbiological methods were used to determine the effects of lactoferrin on bacterial growth. Unpasteurised human breast milk contained significantly higher lactoferrin levels and resulted in superior inhibition of pathogenic bacterial growth compared to infant formula and pasteurised human breast milk. Human lactoferrin was significantly more effective at inhibiting bacterial growth, when compared to bovine lactoferrin. Supplementation with human lactoferrin or high dose bovine lactoferrin inhibited growth of the probiotic strain B. breve M-16V in pasteurised human breast milk. Although unpasteurised human breast milk and human lactoferrin had the greatest antimicrobial activity against all bacterial species tested, higher doses of bovine lactoferrin also showed activity against B. breve and. S. epidermidis. This study suggests that simultaneous administration of lactoferrins and probiotics may affect colonisation with probiotic bacteria, warranting further investigations.

A Quarter Century of Participation in School-Based Extracurricular Activities: Inequalities by Race, Class, Gender and Age?

Extracurricular activity participation is linked to positive development, but it is also a setting for inequality. Using a quarter century of data from Monitoring the Future (N = 593,979; 51% female; 65% non-Hispanic white; 13% non-Hispanic black; 12% Hispanic; 4% non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander; 7% other race), this article documents patterns and trends in school-based extracurricular participation by race, social class, gender, and age, and their links to academic and substance use outcomes. Findings reveal differences by race and confirm a division by social class that has worsened over time. Further, girls are gaining on boys and surpass them in some types of school-based activities. Participation is linked to better academic outcomes and less substance use, affirming the importance of redressing the inequalities revealed.

A retrospective audit of bacterial culture results of donated human milk in Perth, Western Australia.

INTRODUCTION: The bacterial content of donated human milk is either endogenous or introduced via contamination. Defining milk bank bacterial content will allow researchers to devise appropriate tests for significant and commonly encountered organisms. OBJECTIVE: A retrospective audit was conducted on data recorded from the Perron Rotary Express Milk Bank, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Subiaco, Western Australia. This aimed to describe the incidence of bacterial species detected in donated human milk and to identify potentially pathogenic bacteria. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data comprised of 2890 batches donated by 448 women between 2007 and 2011. RESULTS: Coagulase negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) represented the highest prevalence of bacteria in donated milk, isolated from 85.5% of batches (range: 20 to 650,000CFU/mL) followed by Acinetobacter species in 8.1% of batches (range: 100 to 180,000CFU/mL). Staphylococcus aureus was the most prevalent potentially pathogenic bacteria in 5% of batches (range: 40 to 100,000CFU/mL). CONCLUSION: Further investigation is warranted to better define the risks posed by the presence of toxin-producing S. aureus in raw and pasteurized human milk which may allow minimization of risk to the preterm infants.

Long-term objective esthetic outcome after breast-conserving therapy.

The prediction of unfavorable long-term esthetic outcome (AO) is important for patient consultation. We aimed to analyze variables characterizing the improvement and impairment of AO over time after breast-conserving surgery. A subgroup of a prospective, monocenter cohort study was analyzed to evaluate the results of the BCCT.core software (Breast Cancer Conservative Treatment.cosmetic results) which was used to objectively assess the AO before (n = 356), shortly after (n = 294) and in median 3 years after surgery (n = 356). We analyzed potential influencing factors (such as body mass index, (y)pT-stage, weight of resected specimen, etc.) on the AO using logistic regression analyses (n = 256). Finally, we tried to characterize groups of patients with improving or impaired AO over time (n = 294). Predictors for an unfavorable AO were an axillary lymphadenectomy (OR = 4.05), a tumor in the 12 o'clock position (OR = 2.22), a tumor stage larger or equal to (y)pT2 stage (OR = 2.11), and a surgical specimen weight >75 g (OR = 2.71). Patients with lower specimen weight were more likely to improve in the long-term follow-up (p = 0.018), whereas patients with a higher (y)pT-stage tended to become impaired with time. Although overall AO decreased over time, nearly half of the patients with an unfavorable AO shortly after surgery improved in the long-term follow-up. Predictors of unfavorable AO can be used in patient consultation preoperatively to prepare them for the postsurgical period and/or to recommend surgical alternatives (e.g., more complex oncoplastic techniques). Knowledge of improvement and impairment may help patients and physicians in the postsurgical consultation setting.

Nonlinear system identification by Gustafson-Kessel fuzzy clustering and supervised local model network learning for the drug absorption spectra process.

This paper deals with the problem of fuzzy nonlinear model identification in the framework of a local model network (LMN). A new iterative identification approach is proposed, where supervised and unsupervised learning are combined to optimize the structure of the LMN. For the purpose of fitting the cluster-centers to the process nonlinearity, the Gustafsson-Kessel (GK) fuzzy clustering, i.e., unsupervised learning, is applied. In combination with the LMN learning procedure, a new incremental method to define the number and the initial locations of the cluster centers for the GK clustering algorithm is proposed. Each data cluster corresponds to a local region of the process and is modeled with a local linear model. Since the validity functions are calculated from the fuzzy covariance matrices of the clusters, they are highly adaptable and thus the process can be described with a very sparse amount of local models, i.e., with a parsimonious LMN model. The proposed method for constructing the LMN is finally tested on a drug absorption spectral process and compared to two other methods, namely, Lolimot and Hilomot. The comparison between the experimental results when using each method shows the usefulness of the proposed identification algorithm.

[Ophthalmoplegia and blindness associated with necrotizing sarcoid granuloma].

A 65 year old male, presented with ophthalmoplegia and reduced vision in his left eye. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed three hyperintensity areas located in the left parasellar area, left lacrimal gland and right frontal bone. Chest CT revealed bilateral pulmonary masses. The pathological diagnosis was necrotizing granuloma and vasculitis. Nine months after the diagnosis, the right eye was involved. This case report presents a rare manifestation of blinding necrotizing sarcoid granulomatosis that had responded to steroid therapy, but had a relapsing clinical course.