Differences in Perceptions of COVID-19 Risks in a Fishing Community in Alaska, 2020-2021.

Bristol Bay in Alaska is home to the world's largest commercial salmon fishery. During an average fishing season, the population of the Bristol Bay region more than doubles as thousands of workers from out of state converge on the fishery. In the months leading up to the 2020 commercial fishery opening, as the COVID-19 pandemic exploded worldwide, great uncertainty existed about the health risks of opening the fishery. Bristol Bay residents had not yet experienced any cases of COVID-19, yet the livelihoods of most were closely tied to the commercial fishery opening. To better understand how COVID-19 risk perceptions affected decisions to participate in the fishery, we administered an online survey to community members and fishery participants. We collected standard socioeconomic data and posed questions to gauge risk perceptions related to COVID-19. We find that COVID-19 risk perceptions vary across race/ethnic groups by residency and income. People with below median income who are members of minority groups-notably, non-resident Hispanic workers and resident Alaska Native respondents-reported the highest risk perceptions related to COVID-19. This study highlights the important linkages among risk perceptions, socioeconomic characteristics, and employment decisions during an infectious disease outbreak.

Offspring-sex modifies the association between early-pregnancy adiposity and 2-year-old total physical activity - The Glowing Study.

Background: Rodent models suggest that in utero exposure to under and overnutrition programs offspring physical activity (PA) behaviors. Such nexus has not been established in humans. This study evaluated the association of early pregnancy maternal adiposity with offspring PA at age 2 years (2-yo-PA) taking into consideration prenatal and postnatal factors. Methods: Women (n=153) were enrolled early in pregnancy (<10 weeks). At enrollment, maternal adiposity [air displacement plethysmography, fat mass index (FMI, kg/m2)] and PA (accelerometers, activity counts) were measured, and age, race, and education self-reported. Gestational weight gain was measured at the research facility. Offspring birthweight and sex were self-reported. At age 2 years, parental feeding practices (child feeding questionnaire) were assessed, whereas anthropometrics (length and weight) and physical activity (accelerometers) were objectively measured. Offspring body mass index z-scores were calculated. Generalized linear regression analysis modeled the association of maternal FMI and 2-yo-PA [average activity counts (AC)4/day]. Results: There was an interaction between maternal FMI and offspring sex in association with 2-yo-PA (ß= -1.03, p= 0.030). Specifically, 2-yo-PA was lower in girls compared to boys when maternal FMI was ≥7 kg/m2. Maternal PA early in pregnancy positively associated with 2-yo-PA (ß= 0.21, p= 0.005). In addition, children born to women with college education tended to be more active compared to children born to women without college education (ß= 3.46, p= 0.059). Conclusions: Sexual dimorphism was observed in the associations of maternal adiposity with 2-yo-PA, with girls being less active compared to boys only when maternal FMI was ≥7 kg/m2.

Prioritizing conservation actions in urbanizing landscapes.

Urbanization-driven landscape changes are harmful to many species. Negative effects can be mitigated through habitat preservation and restoration, but it is often difficult to prioritize these conservation actions. This is due, in part, to the scarcity of species response data, which limit the predictive accuracy of modeling to estimate critical thresholds for biological decline and recovery. To address these challenges, we quantify effort required for restoration, in combination with a clear conservation objective and associated metric (e.g., habitat for focal organisms). We develop and apply this framework to coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), a highly migratory and culturally iconic species in western North America that is particularly sensitive to urbanization. We examine how uncertainty in biological parameters may alter locations prioritized for conservation action and compare this to the effect of shifting to a different conservation metric (e.g., a different focal salmon species). Our approach prioritized suburban areas (those with intermediate urbanization effects) for preservation and restoration action to benefit coho. We found that prioritization was most sensitive to the selected metric, rather than the level of uncertainty or critical threshold values. Our analyses highlight the importance of identifying metrics that are well-aligned with intended outcomes.

Pesticide removal through wastewater and advanced treatment: full-scale sampling and bench-scale testing.

Dieldrin and DDx removal through wastewater treatment, ozonation, and microfiltration was assessed for a water reuse project for groundwater replenishment in Monterey, California, USA. Full-scale sampling was conducted at the wastewater treatment plant, and physical wastewater treatment processes, ozonation, and microfiltration were tested at the bench scale. Removals observed through wastewater treatment, ozonation, and microfiltration were 84%, 44% to 63%, and 97% to 98%, respectively, for dieldrin, and 93%, 36% to 48%, and 92% to 94% for DDx. These were sufficient to meet California Ocean Plan water quality objectives after wastewater treatment alone. Levels in the secondary effluent, ahead of ozonation, microfiltration, reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation in the advanced water purification facility, met drinking water standards. Removal of dieldrin and DDx through wastewater treatment occurred by physical treatment processes; removal through the full-scale wastewater treatment plant, which included biological and physical treatment processes, matched removal through the physical bench-scale wastewater treatment processes. Dieldrin and DDx removal correlated with removal of volatile suspended solids, suggesting that volatile suspended solids could be used as an indicator for pesticide removal through wastewater treatment. Dieldrin and DDx concentrations were highest in the solids contact process, where biomass is accumulated for carbon removal.

Narrative approach in understanding the drivers for resilience of military combat medics.

INTRODUCTION: Qualitative insights may demonstrate how combat medics (CM) deal with stressors and identify how resilience can potentially develop. Yet, qualitative research is scant in comparison to the many quantitative studies of health outcomes associated with military service. METHOD: Semistructured qualitative interviews were used to collect personal narratives of US Army CMs who had previously served in Iraq or Afghanistan. RESULTS: Thematic analysis revealed three key driving forces for how resilience develops in the context of combat and war. The first was patriotism, which captures loyalty and full commitment to the military and its missions. The second was commitment to their family, reflecting the balance of responsibility to family of origin with the obligation one feels towards their military family. The last driving force was faith, or the drive to reach towards the transcendent to provide a moral compass and develop empathy in the face of difficult situations. CONCLUSIONS: An individual's commitment to country, military family and faith strengthens their resilience, and this can be used to inform future research efforts as well as current clinical practice.

Indirect Reciprocity, Resource Sharing, and Environmental Risk: Evidence from Field Experiments in Siberia.

Integrating information from existing research, qualitative ethnographic interviews, and participant observation, we designed a field experiment that introduces idiosyncratic environmental risk and a voluntary sharing decision into a standard public goods game. Conducted with subsistence resource users in rural villages on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Northeast Siberia, we find evidence consistent with a model of indirect reciprocity and local social norms of helping the needy. When participants are allowed to develop reputations in the experiments, as is the case in most small-scale societies, we find that sharing is increasingly directed toward individuals experiencing hardship, good reputations increase aid, and the pooling of resources through voluntary sharing becomes more effective. We also find high levels of voluntary sharing without a strong commitment device; however, this form of cooperation does not increase contributions to the public good. Our results are consistent with previous experiments and theoretical models, suggesting strategic risks tied to rewards, punishments, and reputations are important. However, unlike studies that focus solely on strategic risks, we find the effects of rewards, punishments, and reputations are altered by the presence of environmental factors. Unexpected changes in resource abundance increase interdependence and may alter the costs and benefits of cooperation, relative to defection. We suggest environmental factors that increase interdependence are critically important to consider when developing and testing theories of cooperation.

BioAssay Research Database (BARD): chemical biology and probe-development enabled by structured metadata and result types.

BARD, the BioAssay Research Database (https://bard.nih.gov/) is a public database and suite of tools developed to provide access to bioassay data produced by the NIH Molecular Libraries Program (MLP). Data from 631 MLP projects were migrated to a new structured vocabulary designed to capture bioassay data in a formalized manner, with particular emphasis placed on the description of assay protocols. New data can be submitted to BARD with a user-friendly set of tools that assist in the creation of appropriately formatted datasets and assay definitions. Data published through the BARD application program interface (API) can be accessed by researchers using web-based query tools or a desktop client. Third-party developers wishing to create new tools can use the API to produce stand-alone tools or new plug-ins that can be integrated into BARD. The entire BARD suite of tools therefore supports three classes of researcher: those who wish to publish data, those who wish to mine data for testable hypotheses, and those in the developer community who wish to build tools that leverage this carefully curated chemical biology resource.

Failing Siracusa: governments' obligations to find the least restrictive options for tuberculosis control.

One of the world's leading causes of death, tuberculosis (TB) remains a stigmatized and feared disease. Prevention, diagnosis, and adherence to TB treatment remain a challenge for many people, including migrants, those with alcohol and drug dependency, sex workers, people living with the human immunodeficiency virus, and individuals with disabilities. Low levels of TB treatment literacy and ignorance of transmission risks are common, and-along with inadequate funding for treatment support-contribute to patients' non-adherence to treatment. Recent cases involving the detention of individuals with TB in Kenyan and Canadian correctional facilities illustrate the circumstances under which individuals interrupt treatment and how health authorities seek restrictive measures to oversee and compel treatment. The legitimacy of restrictive measures is often defended by international public health authorities in relation to the non-binding Siracusa Principles. Yet in practice, as illustrated by examples from Kenya and Canada, government authorities and local laws sometimes do not fully meet, or entirely disregard, the requirements in the Siracusa Principles that restrictions on rights in the name of public health be strictly necessary and the least intrusive available to reach their objective. In addition, more specific standards are required at the international level to guide states' development and use of rights-restricting measures to address TB.

La tuberculose (TB), une des principales causes de décès dans le monde, reste une maladie stigmatisée et redoutée. La prévention, le diagnostic et l'adhésion au traitement de la TB restent un défi pour de nombreuses personnes, notamment les migrants, les sujets dépendants à l'alcool et aux drogues, les travailleurs du sexe, les sujets atteints par le virus de l'immunodéficience humaine et les individus atteints d'invalidité. Le faible taux de connaissance du traitement de la TB et l'ignorance des risques de transmission sont courants et contribuent, en plus d'un financement inadéquat pour le soutien au traitement, à la non-adhésion des patients au traitement. Des cas récents impliquant la détention d'individus atteints de TB dans les services correctionnels du Kenya et du Canada illustrent les circonstances dans lesquelles les individus interrompent le traitement et celles où les autorités de santé recourent à des mesures restrictives pour surveiller et imposer le traitement. La légitimité des mesures restrictives est souvent défendue par les autorités internationales de santé publique en lien avec les Principes non-contraignants de Syracuse. En pratique, comme l'illustrent les exemples du Kenya et du Canada, parfois les autorités gouvernementales et les lois locales ne répondent pas complètement, voire méconnaissent totalement les exigences des Principes de Syracuse selon lesquels les restrictions appliquées aux droits au nom de la santé publique doivent être strictement nécessaires et le moins intrusives possible pour atteindre leur objectif. En outre, des standards plus spécifiques s'imposent au niveau international pour orienter au niveau des Etats l'élaboration et l'utilisation de mesures restreignant les droits pour faire face à la TB.

La tuberculosis (TB), una de las principales causas de muerte en el mundo, representa aun una enfermedad estigmatizada y temida. La prevención y el diagnóstico de la TB y el cumplimiento con el tratamiento antituberculoso representan todavía un reto en muchas poblaciones, sobre todo en los inmigrantes, las personas con dependencia al alcohol o las drogas, los trabajadores del sexo, las personas aquejadas de infección por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana y las personas discapacitadas. Es frecuente la carencia de conocimientos en materia de tratamiento y se suelen ignorar los riesgos de transmisión, lo cual, aunado a la escasez de financiamiento destinado al apoyo del tratamiento, favorece el incumplimiento terapéutico de los pacientes. Los casos recientes de detención de personas con TB en centros correccionales en Kenia y Canadá constituyen un ejemplo de circunstancias en las cuales los pacientes interrumpen el tratamiento y las autoridades sanitarias ejercen medidas restrictivas con el fin de supervisar el tratamiento y forzar su continuación. Con frecuencia, las autoridades internacionales de salud pública defienden la legitimidad de las medidas restrictivas, en nombre de los Principios de Siracusa, los cuales no presentan un carácter vinculante. Sin embargo en la práctica, como lo pone de manifiesto el ejemplo de Kenia y Canadá, las autoridades gubernamentales y las legislaciones locales en ocasiones no cumplen a cabalidad las exigencias de los Principios de Siracusa o los desacatan totalmente; según estos principios, solo se pueden restringir los derechos en nombre de la salud pública cuando es estrictamente necesario y las restricciones aplicadas deben ser las menos intrusivas existentes que permitan lograr los objetivos. Además, se precisan normas más específicas a escala internacional, que orienten a los estados en la formulación y la ejecución de las medidas de restricción de los derechos encaminadas a luchar contra la TB.

Progestin suppression of miR-29 potentiates dedifferentiation of breast cancer cells via KLF4.

The female hormone progesterone (P4) promotes the expansion of stem-like cancer cells in estrogen receptor (ER)- and progesterone receptor (PR)-positive breast tumors. The expanded tumor cells lose expression of ER and PR, express the tumor-initiating marker CD44, the progenitor marker cytokeratin 5 (CK5) and are more resistant to standard endocrine and chemotherapies. The mechanisms underlying this hormone-stimulated reprogramming have remained largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the role of microRNAs in progestin-mediated expansion of this dedifferentiated tumor cell population. We demonstrate that P4 rapidly downregulates miR-29 family members, particularly in the CD44(+) cell population. Downregulation of miR-29 members potentiates the expansion of CK5(+) and CD44(+) cells in response to progestins, and results in increased stem-like properties in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate that miR-29 directly targets Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), a transcription factor required for the reprogramming of differentiated cells to pluripotent stem cells, and for the maintenance of breast cancer stem cells. These results reveal a novel mechanism, whereby progestins increase the stem cell-like population in hormone-responsive breast cancers, by decreasing miR-29 to augment PR-mediated upregulation of KLF4. Elucidating the mechanisms whereby hormones mediate the expansion of stem-like cells furthers our understanding of the progression of hormone-responsive breast cancers.

Dental students' knowledge and perceptions of non-invasive dental caries management.

BACKGROUND: An evidence-based, risk-specific, and non-invasive modality for caries management was implemented in the University of Sydney dentistry curriculum. This study reviews its impact on student learning outcomes and their perceptions of the efficacy of a risk-based caries management. METHODS: One hundred and nine Year 3 and Year 4 students were invited to complete a questionnaire to assess their understanding of the protocols and their perceptions of both the education process and value of the non-invasive treatment modality. RESULTS: A response rate of 93% Year 3 and 46% Year 4 students was obtained. They correctly identified high and low risk cases but Year 3 students were inclined to misclassify medium risk cases. Most understood correctly that enamel lesions should be arrested and remineralized but were often more radical in dealing with dentine lesions. Students who believed the protocols were useful and who spent more time on preventive care were less likely to restore enamel and dentine lesions. CONCLUSIONS: A modest level of knowledge concerning application of the non-invasive caries management system to paper-based clinical case studies was demonstrated. Protocol misinterpretation may reflect inconsistent instruction by some clinical tutors. It is hoped that the promulgation of evidence-based dentistry will overcome these barriers in future.

The Caries Management System: an evidence-based preventive strategy for dental practitioners. Application for adults.

In the absence of effective caries preventive methods, operative care became established as the means for caries control in general practice. Water fluoridation resulted in a declining caries incidence which decreased further following the advent of fluoridated toothpaste. The challenge today is to develop a non-invasive model of practice that will sustain a low level of primary caries experience in the younger generation and reduce risk of caries experience in the older generations. The Caries Management System is a ten step non-invasive strategy to arrest and remineralize early lesions. The governing principle of this system is that caries management must include consideration of the patient at risk, the status of each lesion, patient management, clinical management and monitoring. Both dental caries risk and treatment are managed according to a set of protocols that are applied at various steps throughout patient consultation and treatment. The anticipated outcome of implementing the Caries Management System in general dental practice is reduction in caries incidence and increased patient satisfaction. Since the attainment and maintenance of oral health is determined mainly by controlling both caries and periodontal disease, the implementation of the Caries Management System in general practice will promote both outcomes.

Habitat inventory at a regional scale: a comparison of estimates of terrestrial Broad Habitat cover from stratified sample field survey and full census field survey for Wales, UK.

Estimates of terrestrial Broad Habitat cover for Wales from the Countryside Survey 2000 stratified sample field mapping programme in Britain are compared with the findings of a full census field mapping project, the Habitat Survey of Wales. The Countryside Survey sampling regime comprised a stratified random sample of 1 km squares [corrected] covering <0.5% of the land surface. Comparative assessment indicates that although few of the sample-derived estimates for individual Broad Habitats are within 30% of the full census survey results, relative extents accord with data from the complete census survey for all Broad Habitats apart from Arable & Horticultural. The accuracy of this estimate is improved when the national boundary of Wales is taken into account in the sample stratification scheme. It is suggested that cultural land-use differences between countries render cropland habitat extent less predictable from physical environmental parameters than semi-natural habitat extent. It is also shown that the precision of sample-derived cover estimates is influenced by habitat pattern: the error term associated with habitats of broadly equal extent is greater for those with the most clumped distributions.

Repeatability of Phase 1 habitat survey.

As the major part of a Habitat Survey of Wales, over 80% of the land surface was surveyed in the field between 1987 and 1997 using the Phase 1 method. A resurvey of 294 randomly selected points was carried out during the early stages to audit the quality of the data being collected, leading to the development of a set of recommendations for the surveyors to improve the consistency and accuracy of habitat mapping. Recent studies have indicated a high level of discrepancy between organisations in field habitat mapping using the Phase 1 method. The findings of the Phase 1 audit in Wales are presented here to show the level of repeatability that was achieved within an organisation. There was 76% correspondence in habitat mapping between 'surveyor' and 'assessor' at the level of individual Phase 1 habitat classes. The degree of repeatability varied according to habitat strata: it was highest for modified land cover types (88%), lowest for semi-improved types (56%) and intermediate for semi-natural types (75%). An overall estimate of the repeatability of Phase 1 survey in the study area of 83% was obtained by weighting the figures for the three strata by the proportion of land area occupied by each stratum. This figure increased to 85% when habitats were amalgamated into Broad Habitat groups. These results are considerably better than those reported by studies of consistency between organisations. Most of the discrepancies between surveyor and assessor were caused by differences in habitat identification. However, at almost two thirds of the points where such a difference occurred, the assessor noted that the vegetation was transitional or borderline with that mapped by the surveyor.