Protective roles of meditation practice and self-esteem on cognitive functions over time: findings from the Midlife in the United States study.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive function is an important component of healthy ageing. However, it is unclear whether relaxation/meditation practices provide cognitive benefits, particularly in midlife and early late life. Meditative practices are associated with higher self-esteem, and self-esteem serves as a general protective factor for many health outcomes. The current study examines associations between meditation practice, self-esteem, and change over 10 years in midlife cognitive performance. METHODS: Data were from waves 2 (2003-2004) and 3 (2013-2014) of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. We used structural equation modelling to examine whether persistent meditation practice at both waves or episodic practice at one wave is associated with better cognitive function over 10 years, compared to no meditation practice, while controlling for prior cognitive function and covariates (baseline socio-demographics, health, and functional status). Additionally, we assessed if self-esteem mediates the above associations. RESULTS: We included 2168 individuals (Mage = 65 ± 11). After controlling for covariates, the findings revealed that persistent meditation practice in both waves was associated with significantly less decline in episodic memory; however, no such effects were found for executive function. Further, although participants' higher self-esteem was significantly associated with less decline in executive function and episodic memory, it did not mediate the associations between meditation practice and cognitive functions. CONCLUSIONS: While both persistent meditation practice and self-esteem have associations with cognitive outcomes for middle-aged and older adults in MIDUS, self-esteem as a mediator was not supported. Thus, future investigations should examine mechanisms that underlie these protective factors on cognitive performances across adulthood.

Passive Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Adult Blacklegged Ticks (Ixodes scapularis) from Northeast Pennsylvania.

Monitoring the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in wildlife is vital to public health. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the United States have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and their interactions with blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) raise the question of whether or not these ticks also carry SARS-CoV-2. In this study, 449 blacklegged ticks from Northeast Pennsylvania were collected in the fall of 2022 and tested via RT-qPCR for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. Fourteen ticks were amplified with late quantification cycles (Cq) using primers from two nucleocapsid genes (N1 and N2) via TaqMan assays. Three of these samples were amplified on a SYBR green assay during secondary testing. However, melt curve and gel electrophoresis analysis verified negative results for these three samples. Genetic sequencing was performed on one of the three samples to look for potential cross-reactions causing the amplification observed. However, no significant match was found in the NCBI database. Although all 449 blacklegged ticks were negative for SARS-CoV-2, I. scapularis should continue to be tested for COVID-19. If blacklegged ticks test positive for COVID-19 in the future, research should focus on determining the stability of SARS-CoV-2 with the tick vector and the potential for transmission through tick bites.

Synergistic interactions between anammox and dissimilatory nitrate reducing bacteria sustains reactor performance across variable nitrogen loading ratios.

Anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) bacteria are utilized for high efficiency nitrogen removal from nitrogen-laden sidestreams in wastewater treatment plants. The anammox bacteria form a variety of competitive and mutualistic interactions with heterotrophic bacteria that often employ denitrification or dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) for energy generation. These interactions can be heavily influenced by the influent ratio of ammonium to nitrite, NH4+:NO2-, where deviations from the widely acknowledged stoichiometric ratio (1:1.32) have been demonstrated to have deleterious effects on anammox efficiency. Thus, it is important to understand how variable NH4+:NO2- ratios impact the microbial ecology of anammox reactors. We observed the response of the microbial community in a lab scale anammox membrane bioreactor (MBR) to changes in the influent NH4+:NO2- ratio using both 16S rRNA gene and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Ammonium removal efficiency decreased from 99.77 ± 0.04% when the ratio was 1:1.32 (prior to day 89) to 90.85 ± 0.29% when the ratio was decreased to 1:1.1 (day 89-202) and 90.14 ± 0.09% when the ratio was changed to 1:1.13 (day 169-200). Over this same timespan, the overall nitrogen removal efficiency (NRE) remained relatively unchanged (85.26 ± 0.01% from day 0-89, compared to 85.49 ± 0.01% from day 89-169, and 83.04 ± 0.01% from day 169-200). When the ratio was slightly increased to 1:1.17-1:1.2 (day 202-253), the ammonium removal efficiency increased to 97.28 ± 0.45% and the NRE increased to 88.21 ± 0.01%. Analysis of 16 S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated increased relative abundance of taxa belonging to Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, and Ignavibacteriae over the course of the experiment. The relative abundance of Planctomycetes, the phylum to which anammox bacteria belong, decreased from 77.19% at the beginning of the experiment to 12.24% by the end of the experiment. Analysis of metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) indicated increased abundance of bacteria with nrfAH genes used for DNRA after the introduction of lower influent NH4+:NO2- ratios. The high relative abundance of DNRA bacteria coinciding with sustained bioreactor performance indicates a mutualistic relationship between the anammox and DNRA bacteria. Understanding these interactions could support more robust bioreactor operation at variable nitrogen loading ratios.

Vineland-3 Measurement Non-Invariance in Children With and Without Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Measurement of adaptive skills is important in the diagnosis, intervention planning, and progress monitoring of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Thus, ensuring accurate measurement, including measurement invariance, across children with and without IDD is critical. In this study, we evaluate the measurement invariance using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) of the Vineland-3 Comprehensive Interview (CIF) across children ages 6-21 years with and without IDD (N = 1,192) using archival data. Results showed that the Vineland-3 CIF exhibits configural invariance but may show some metric non-invariance in children with and without IDD. Suggestions for using the Vineland-3 CIF in this population are provided and future research and measure development needs are discussed.

Natural mentoring among college students of color: Considerations for their ethnic-racial identity and psychological well-being.

This study examined: (a) the roles of ethnic-racial similarity between mentors and mentees and mentors' support for ethnic-racial identity (ERI) in mentees' ERI private regard, (b) the roles of ethnic-racial similarity and ERI support in mentees' psychological well-being, and (c) the indirect effects of ethnic-racial similarity and ERI support on psychological well-being via private regard. Participants were 231 college students of color who completed a survey and reported having a natural mentor. Path analyses were conducted to test the hypothesized model. More support for ERI was significantly associated with higher private regard and higher self-esteem. Higher ethnic-racial similarity was significantly related to higher psychological distress and higher self-esteem. An indirect effect was found between ERI support and ethnic-racial similarity and psychological well-being via private regard. The findings fill a gap in the literature on ethnic-racial processes in mentoring critical to the development of college students of color.

Pediatric joint hypermobility: a diagnostic framework and narrative review.

BACKGROUND: Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) are debilitating conditions. Diagnosis is currently clinical in the absence of biomarkers, and criteria developed for adults are difficult to use in children and biologically immature adolescents. Generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) is a prerequisite for hEDS and generalized HSD. Current literature identifies a large proportion of children as hypermobile using a Beighton score ≥ 4 or 5/9, the cut off for GJH in adults. Other phenotypic features from the 2017 hEDS criteria can arise over time. Finally, many comorbidities described in hEDS/HSD are also seen in the general pediatric and adolescent population. Therefore, pediatric specific criteria are needed. The Paediatric Working Group of the International Consortium on EDS and HSD has developed a pediatric diagnostic framework presented here. The work was informed by a review of the published evidence. OBSERVATIONS: The framework has 4 components, GJH, skin and tissue abnormalities, musculoskeletal complications, and core comorbidities. A Beighton score of ≥ 6/9 best identifies children with GJH at 2 standard deviations above average, based on published general population data. Skin and soft tissue changes include soft skin, stretchy skin, atrophic scars, stretch marks, piezogenic papules, and recurrent hernias. Two symptomatic groups were agreed: musculoskeletal and systemic. Emerging comorbid relationships are discussed. The framework generates 8 subgroups, 4 pediatric GJH, and 4 pediatric generalized hypermobility spectrum disorders. hEDS is reserved for biologically mature adolescents who meet the 2017 criteria, which also covers even rarer types of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome at any age. CONCLUSIONS: This framework allows hypermobile children to be categorized into a group describing their phenotypic and symptomatic presentation. It clarifies the recommendation that comorbidities should be defined using their current internationally accepted frameworks. This provides a foundation for improving clinical care and research quality in this population.

A Proterozoic microbial origin of extant cyanide-hydrolyzing enzyme diversity.

In addition to its role as a toxic environmental contaminant, cyanide has been hypothesized to play a key role in prebiotic chemistry and early biogeochemical evolution. While cyanide-hydrolyzing enzymes have been studied and engineered for bioremediation, the extant diversity of these enzymes remains underexplored. Additionally, the age and evolution of microbial cyanide metabolisms is poorly constrained. Here we provide comprehensive phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses of the distribution and evolution of the Class I nitrilases, thiocyanate hydrolases, and nitrile hydratases. Molecular clock analyses indicate that bacterial cyanide-reducing nitrilases were present by the Paleo- to Mesoproterozoic, and were subsequently horizontally transferred into eukaryotes. These results present a broad diversity of microbial enzymes that could be optimized for cyanide bioremediation.

Caregiver Perceptions of Social Communication and Interaction: Development and Validation of the SCIPS.

Social communication and interaction (SC/I) skill quality may be influenced by cultural values, norms, and expectations. Because difficulties in SC/I is a core criterion for identifying autism and is a frequent construct of interest in autism research, a measure designed to capture cross-cultural differences in the perspectives of SC/I skills is warranted. To address this need we developed and validated the Social Communication and Interaction Perceptions Scale (SCIPS), a caregiver report measure for children ages 6-18 years, that measures both frequency and perceived importance of various SC/I skills. Results from 401 diverse caregiver participants showed that for both domains (i.e., Frequency and Importance) the SCIPS has good reliability (α = 0.88-0.95) and two factors that examine basic and advanced aspects of SC/I skills. Findings support the use of the SCIPS as a measure of caregiver perspectives of SC/I skills in clinical and research contexts.

Formal youth mentoring relationships in the context of risk: What is the role of caregiver-mentor collaboration?

Most research on youth mentoring relationships has focused on the mentor-mentee dyad, yet caregivers play an important role in supporting these relationships. Drawing on a large, multisite sample of youth in formal mentoring programs (N = 2165), this study investigated associations between caregiver-mentor collaboration and mentoring relationship outcomes in the context of environmental and individual youth risk factors. Analysis of novel quantitative measures assessing caregivers' experiences of the mentoring relationships revealed two factors reflecting caregivers' collaboration with mentors (caregiver involvement and mentor backing), and three factors reflecting caregivers' perceptions of mentor effectiveness (meeting youth needs, advocating for youth, and supporting youth behavior). Results indicated that greater caregiver involvement was associated with higher-quality and longer-lasting mentoring relationships. Few associations between risk and mentoring relationships were observed; however, indirect effects indicated that youth environmental risk was positively associated with caregiver involvement, which, in turn, was positively associated with mentoring relationship outcomes.

Early Nitrogenase Ancestors Encompassed Novel Active Site Diversity.

Ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) infers predicted ancestral states for sites within sequences and can constrain the functions and properties of ancestors of extant protein families. Here, we compare the likely sequences of inferred nitrogenase ancestors to extant nitrogenase sequence diversity. We show that the most-likely combinations of ancestral states for key substrate channel residues are not represented in extant sequence space, and rarely found within a more broadly defined physiochemical space-supporting that the earliest ancestors of extant nitrogenases likely had alternative substrate channel composition. These differences may indicate differing environmental selection pressures acting on nitrogenase substrate specificity in ancient environments. These results highlight ASR's potential as an in silico tool for developing hypotheses about ancestral enzyme functions, as well as improving hypothesis testing through more targeted in vitro and in vivo experiments.

Effectiveness of an Unsupervised Online Yoga Program on Pain and Function in People With Knee Osteoarthritis : A Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Yoga is a mind-body exercise typically done in groups in person, but this delivery method can be inconvenient, inaccessible, and costly. Effective online programs may increase access to exercise for knee osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of an unsupervised 12-week online yoga program. DESIGN: Two-group superiority randomized trial. (Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12620000012976). SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: 212 adults with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. INTERVENTION: Both groups received online osteoarthritis information (control). The yoga group also received access to an unsupervised online yoga program delivered via prerecorded videos over 12 weeks (1 video per week, with each session to be performed 3 times per week), with optional continuation thereafter. MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcomes were changes in knee pain during walking (0 to 10 on a numerical rating scale) and physical function (0 to 68 on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) at 12 weeks (primary time point) and 24 weeks, analyzed using mixed-effects linear regression models. Secondary outcomes were self-reported overall knee pain, stiffness, depression, anxiety, stress, global change, quality of life, self-efficacy, fear of movement, and balance confidence. Adverse events were also collected. RESULTS: A total of 195 (92%) and 189 (89%) participants provided 12- and 24-week primary outcomes, respectively. Compared with control at 12 weeks, yoga improved function (between-group mean difference in change, -4.0 [95% CI, -6.8 to -1.3]) but not knee pain during walking (between-group mean difference in change, -0.6 [CI, -1.2 to 0.1]), with more yoga participants than control participants achieving the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for both outcomes. At 12 weeks, knee stiffness, quality of life, and arthritis self-efficacy improved more with yoga than the control intervention. Benefits were not maintained at 24 weeks. Adverse events were minor. LIMITATION: Participants were unblinded. CONCLUSION: Compared with online education, an unsupervised online yoga program improved physical function but not knee pain at 12 weeks in people with knee osteoarthritis, although the improvement did not reach the MCID and was not sustained at 24 weeks. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: National Health and Medical Research Council and Centres of Research Excellence.

Tick-Borne Pathogens in Questing Blacklegged Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) From Pike County, Pennsylvania.

Active surveillance was conducted by collecting questing ticks from vegetation through a 2-yr survey in Pike County, Pennsylvania. Over a thousand blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis Say) and American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis Say) were collected. A single specimen of the following species was collected: lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum L.), rabbit tick (Haemaphysalis leporispalustris Packard), and an Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann). This study represents the largest county-wide study in Pennsylvania, surveying 988 questing I. scapularis adult and nymphs. Molecular detection of five distinct tick-borne pathogens was screened through real-time PCR at a single tick resolution. Respectively, the overall 2-yr adult and nymph prevalence were highest with Borrelia burgdorferi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetacceae) (45.99%, 18.94%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) (12.29%, 7.95%) where the variant-ha (8.29%, 3.03%) was overall more prevalent than the variant-v1 (2.49%, 4.17%), Babesia microti (Piroplasmida: Babesiidae) (4.97%, 5.30%), Borrelia miyamotoi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae) (1.38%, 1.89%), and Powassan virus lineage II [POWV]/deer tick virus (DTV) (2.07%, 0.76%). Adult and nymph coinfection prevalence of B. burgdorferi and B. microti (3.03%, 4.97%) and adult coinfection of B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum or A. phagocytophilum and B. microti were significantly higher than the independent infection rate expected naturally. This study highlights the urgency to conduct diverse surveillance studies with large sample sizes to better understand the human risk for tick-borne diseases within small geographical areas.

Automated Progress-Monitoring for Literate Language Use in Narrative Assessment (LLUNA).

Language sample analysis (LSA) is an important practice for providing a culturally sensitive and accurate assessment of a child's language abilities. A child's usage of literate language devices in narrative samples has been shown to be a critical target for evaluation. While automated scoring systems have begun to appear in the field, no such system exists for conducting progress-monitoring on literate language usage within narratives. The current study aimed to develop a hard-coded scoring system called the Literate Language Use in Narrative Assessment (LLUNA), to automatically evaluate six aspects of literate language in non-coded narrative transcripts. LLUNA was designed to individually score six literate language elements (e.g., coordinating and subordinating conjunctions, meta-linguistic and meta-cognitive verbs, adverbs, and elaborated noun phrases). The interrater reliability of LLUNA with an expert scorer, as well as its' reliability compared to certified undergraduate scorers was calculated using a quadratic weighted kappa (K qw ). Results indicated that LLUNA met strong levels of interrater reliability with an expert scorer on all six elements. LLUNA also surpassed the reliability levels of certified, but non-expert scorers on four of the six elements and came close to matching reliability levels on the remaining two. LLUNA shows promise as means for automating the scoring of literate language in LSA and narrative samples for the purpose of assessment and progress-monitoring.

Mentoring and depressive symptoms of youth: Examining prospective and interactive associations with mentoring relationship quality.

A significant body of research has demonstrated that mentoring relationships support positive youth development. The quality of the mentoring relationship has been identified as a predictor of positive youth outcomes. However, limited research has examined how engagement in a mentoring program may be related to youth depressive symptoms specifically. The current study utilized a sample of 2003 youth participating in mentoring programs across the country (Mage = 12.32, SD = 1.42, 55.1% female) from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds (39.1% Black, 23.6% White, 22.1% Hispanic, 3.3% Native American or Alaskan Native, .4% Asian or Pacific Islander, 1.8% other, and 9.7% Multi-Ethnic) to investigate associations between youth depressive symptoms and mentoring relationship quality. Results revealed that: (1) mean depressive symptoms decreased after participation in a mentoring program; (2) several, but not all, relationship quality indicators predicted change in depressive symptoms; (3) baseline levels of depressive symptoms negatively predicted indicators of relationship quality; and (4) associations between several relationship quality indicators and follow-up depressive symptoms differed by baseline levels of depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the potential benefits of mentoring programs to youth and the need to provide mentors with support around building relationships with youth, especially those experiencing depressive symptoms.

The antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of cannabinoids in chronic unpredictable stress: a preclinical systematic review and meta-analysis.

Neuroscience research presents contradictory evidence in support of both the protective and destructive effects of cannabinoids in depression. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes the existing preclinical literature on the effects of cannabinoid administration in the chronic unpredictable stress model of depression in order to evaluate the effects of cannabinoids and identify gaps in the literature. After protocol registration (PROSPERO #CRD42020219986), we systematically searched Scopus, Embase, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, APA PsychINFO, PubMed, CINAHL Complete, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global from the earliest record of the databases, February 1964, to November 2020 for articles that met inclusion criteria (e.g., rodent subjects and administration of a cannabinoid. A total of 26 articles were included representing a sample size estimate of 1132 rodents with the majority of articles administering daily intraperitoneal injections during chronic unpredictable stress. These articles were evaluated using a modified SYRCLE's risk-of-bias tool. For each continuous behavioral measure, the standardized mean difference was calculated between cannabinoid and vehicle groups in rodents subjected to chronic unpredictable stress. The effects of cannabinoids on depressive-like behavior was evaluated using a multilevel mixed-effects model with effect size weights nested within control groups. Cannabinoid administration moderately improved the pooled negative effects of chronic unpredictable stress on anhedonia, learned helplessness, novelty suppressed feeding, time in the anxiogenic context, and entries into the anxiogenic context. Although the interpretations are limited, these findings suggest that with further investigation, cannabinoids may be a viable long-term treatment for stress-related psychopathologies such as depression.

Multiple giant retinal tears due to inflicted injury in a neonate.

Purpose: This case represents the longest follow-up period and youngest patient treated for multiple GRTs in the same eye associated with physical abuse. Observations: A 4-week-old otherwise healthy male presented with a constellation of unexplained injuries. Examination of the left eye revealed a mild lens opacity and a shallow retinal detachment with two giant retinal tears (GRTs) and no retinal hemorrhages. Examination of the right eye was unremarkable. Extensive investigations were negative for any underlying medical conditions. The constellation of injuries was felt to be due to physical abuse. The giant retinal tears were treated successfully with lens sparing pars plana vitrectomy. After long-term follow-up of 5 years, there was no cataract progression or development of glaucoma. Conclusions and importance: Clinicians should suspect child abuse in any pediatric patient with GRTs, with or without retinal hemorrhages, to ensure they are connected with the appropriate children's safeguarding society as soon as possible.

Climate change anxiety and mental health: Environmental activism as buffer.

A growing body of research has documented the phenomenon of climate change anxiety (CCA), defined broadly as negative cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses associated with concerns about climate change. A recently validated scale of CCA indicated two subscales: cognitive emotional impairment and functional impairment (Clayton & Karazsia, 2020). However, there are few empirical studies on CCA to date and little evidence regarding whether CCA is associated with psychiatric symptoms, including symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and whether engaging in individual and collective action to address climate change could buffer such relationships. This mixed methods study draws on data collected from a sample of emerging adult students (ages 18-35) in the United States (N = 284) to address these gaps. Results indicated that both CCA subscales were significantly associated with GAD symptoms, while only the Functional Impairment subscale was associated with higher MDD symptoms. Moreover, engaging in collective action, but not individual action, significantly attenuated the association between CCA cognitive emotional impairment and MDD symptoms. Responses to open-ended questions asking about participants' worries and actions related to climate change indicated the severity of their worries and, for some, a perception of the insignificance of their actions relative to the enormity of climate change. These results further the field's understanding of CCA, both in general and specifically among emerging adults, and suggest the importance of creating opportunities for collective action to build sense of agency in addressing climate change.

Adverse childhood experiences: Examining latent classes and associations with physical, psychological, and risk-related outcomes in adulthood.

BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a public health crisis, affecting nearly half of children in the United States. Long-term effects of ACEs on psychological well-being, engagement in risk behaviors, and physical health have been observed. Moreover, many individuals exposed to ACEs are also affected by an accumulation of stressors due to broader structural inequities. OBJECTIVE: The current study examined heterogeneity in patterns of ACEs, explored how these patterns varied based on race/ethnicity, biological sex, and socioeconomic status, and assessed how ACE patterns were associated with physical health, mental health, and risk-related outcomes in adulthood. PARTICIPANTS: Drawing on the Add Health dataset, survey data from Waves I, III, IV (n = 12,288) were analyzed. Mean age of participants was 28.3 (SD = 1.9), more than half were female (54.4%), and a little less than half identified as youth of color (46.7%). METHOD: Multigroup latent class analysis explored heterogeneity in ACE exposure and variations based on structural inequities. Latent class regression assessed associations between ACE classes and outcomes. RESULTS: A four-class solution was identified. Class sizes and latent structures differed by biological sex. Among males and females, the low adversity class had more positive physical health, mental health, and risk-related outcomes compared to all classes, while the childhood maltreatment and high adversity/community violence classes engaged in more risk-related behaviors. Very small to medium effects were observed. CONCLUSION: Findings highlight the importance of examining heterogeneity in ACE exposure, and how patterns of ACEs may differentially affect outcomes in adulthood.