The Social Determinants of Suicide among Female Service Members and Veterans : Running Title: Social Determinants of Suicide.

AIMS: Evaluate the social determinants of health (SDOH) associated with suicidality among female Service Members and Veterans (SMV) in Arizona. METHODS: Used data from a statewide Arizona Veteran Survey (n = 1,134) to analyze SDOH associated with suicidality (any self-report of suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, or calling a crisis line). Response data were cross-tabulated and analyzed for statistical significance using a chi-square test with a p-value of p < 0.05. RESULTS: Depression, disability, barriers to treatment, housing instability, feelings of loneliness, and more were associated with increased suicidality among respondents. Substance use within the last 30 days, social support, and Veteran social support were not found to be significantly associated with suicidality. CONCLUSIONS: Female SMV populations experiencing social, economic, and health disparities appear to be at higher risk for suicide. These findings suggest that future suicide prevention efforts may be more effective if tailored towards populations in need of additional support and social services.

Identifying sensory attributes of Korean rice wine (makgeolli) using sensory evaluation and chemical analysis.

Makgeolli is a traditional alcoholic beverage in Korea; however, research on makgeolli is limited in foreign markets such as New Zealand. This study seeks to identify sensory descriptors that best describe makgeolli among New Zealand consumers. Four methods of making makgeolli have been identified based on different processing times and the number of fermentation stages. Chemical analysis and sensory evaluation were carried out to establish the different sensory and flavor properties of the four different makgeolli samples. Chemical analysis using SPME-GC-MS was employed to understand the volatile compounds present in the four makgeolli samples, while two sensory tests were carried out simultaneously using Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) and Just-About-Right (JAR). A total of 45 volatile compounds were identified using SPME-GC-MS, and examples of major volatiles include 2-methyl-1-propanol (alcoholic flavor), limonene (citrus-like flavor), and hexanal (green/grass-like flavor). One hundred and twenty-nine subjects (n = 68 females) completed the sensory evaluation and were analyzed for this study. Female subjects tend to rate overall acceptance of makgeolli higher than male subjects; both subjects preferred 1SF-YN with the highest mean hedonic score, and the least preferred makgeolli was 1SF-N. From CATA, attributes such as apple, apricot, peach, sweet taste, and bubbly texture were statistically significant when describing makgeolli. For JAR, a high proportion of subjects indicated that sourness was too much in three of the four makgeolli samples. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Research on rice wine in Western markets such as New Zealand is limited, and this study gives insight into how New Zealand consumers perceive Korean rice wine (makgeolli). Sensory participants in this study indicated that makgeolli is too sour and lacks sufficient sweetness in the majority of the samples examined. When launching makgeolli to the New Zealand market, practitioners need to optimize sweetness and reduce sourness to increase overall liking. Sensory terms used by subjects describing makgeolli include cider, apple, and sour.

HIV gp120 impairs nucleus accumbens neuroimmune function and dopamine D3 receptor-mediated inhibition of cocaine seeking in male rats.

Cocaine Use Disorders (CUDs) are associated with an increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Cocaine and the HIV envelope protein gp120 each induce distinct deficits to mesocorticolimbic circuit function and motivated behavior; however, little is known regarding how they interact to dysregulate these functions or how such interactions impact pharmacotherapeutic efficacy. We have previously shown that the selective, weak partial agonist of the dopamine D3 receptor (D3R), MC-25-41, attenuates cocaine-seeking behavior in male rats. Here, we sought to characterize changes in striatal neuroimmune function in gp120-exposed rats across abstinence from operant access to cocaine (0.75 mg/kg, i.v.) or sucrose (45 mg/pellet), and to examine the impact of gp120 exposure on MC-25-41-reduced cocaine seeking. After establishing a history of cocaine or sucrose self-administration, rats received intracerebroventricular gp120 infusions daily the first 5 days of abstinence and were sacrificed either on day 6 or after 21 days of forced abstinence and a cue-induced cocaine seeking test. We demonstrated that MC-25-41 treatment attenuated cue-induced cocaine seeking among control rats but not gp120-exposed rats. Moreover, postmortem analysis of nucleus accumbens (NAc) core neuroimmune function indicated cocaine abstinence- and gp120-induced impairments, and the expression of several immune factors within the NAc core significantly correlated with cocaine-seeking behavior. We conclude that cocaine abstinence dysregulates striatal neuroimmune function and interacts with gp120 to inhibit the effectiveness of a D3R partial agonist in reducing cocaine seeking. These findings highlight the need to consider comorbidities, such as immune status, when evaluating the efficacy of novel pharmacotherapeutics.

Characterisation of Korean rice wine (makgeolli) prepared by different processing methods.

Four methods of preparing makgeolli, a traditional Korean turbid rice wine, were reported in this study. The four processing routes include single-stage simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of glutinous rice with nuruk - a Korean starter culture (1SF-N), single-stage fermentation with nuruk and yeast (1SF-YN), two-stage fermentation (2SF) and three-stage fermentation (3SF). Chemical analysis was used to determine how the different processing routes could affect the rice wine's properties in terms of alcohol content, pH, colour, mineral content, proximate composition, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, sugar, free amino acid, and organic acid profile. Sensory analysis using polarised projective mapping (PPM) and 62 participants found that sweetness is the most desirable attribute for makgeolli among New Zealand consumers with sourness and bitterness as less desirable. The 2SF makgeolli sample had the highest concentration of glucose (8.2 mg/mL) and maltose (107 mg/mL) and in the PPM experiment was the most preferred out of the four processing methods. The 1SF-N makgeolli sample had the highest alcohol (13% ABV), crude protein (4.9%), antioxidant activity, total phenolic (621 mg GAE/L) and free amino acids content, however, it was the least overall liked makgeolli sample. Overall, the novelty of this research includes formulating a traditional Korean turbid rice wine in a Western country environment and evaluating consumer perception of makgeolli beyond the normal clientele in South Korea. From these results it is suggested that the properties of makgeolli can be manipulated via processing to suit the brewer's sensory needs that best fits the consumer market.

Newborn screening research sponsored by the NIH: From diagnostic paradigms to precision therapeutics.

Newborn screening (NBS) is a successful public health initiative that effectively identifies pre-symptomatic neonates so that treatment can be initiated before the onset of irreversible morbidity and mortality. Legislation passed in 2008 has supported a system of state screening programs, educational resources, and an evidence-based review process to add conditions to a recommended universal newborn screening panel (RUSP). The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, has promoted NBS research to advance legislative goals by supporting research that will uncover fundamental mechanisms of disease, develop treatments for NBS disorders, and promote pilot studies to test implementation of new conditions. NICHD's partnerships with other federal agencies have contributed to activities that support nominations of new conditions to the RUSP. The NIH's Newborn Sequencing In Genomic Medicine and Public Health (NSIGHT) initiative funded research projects that considered how genomic sequencing could be integrated into NBS and its ethical ramifications. Recently, the workshop, "Gene Targeted Therapies: Early Diagnosis and Equitable Delivery," has explored the possibility of expanding NBS to include genetic diagnosis and precision, gene-based therapies. Although hurdles remain to realize such a vision, broad engagement of multiple stakeholders is essential to advance genomic medicine within NBS.

An orthologous gene coevolution network provides insight into eukaryotic cellular and genomic structure and function.

The evolutionary rates of functionally related genes often covary. We present a gene coevolution network inferred from examining nearly 3 million orthologous gene pairs from 332 budding yeast species spanning ~400 million years of evolution. Network modules provide insight into cellular and genomic structure and function. Examination of the phenotypic impact of network perturbation using deletion mutant data from the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which were obtained from previously published studies, suggests that fitness in diverse environments is affected by orthologous gene neighborhood and connectivity. Mapping the network onto the chromosomes of S. cerevisiae and Candida albicans revealed that coevolving orthologous genes are not physically clustered in either species; rather, they are often located on different chromosomes or far apart on the same chromosome. The coevolution network captures the hierarchy of cellular structure and function, provides a roadmap for genotype-to-phenotype discovery, and portrays the genome as a linked ensemble of genes.

Nuclear factor kappa B signaling within the rat nucleus accumbens core sex-dependently regulates cue-induced cocaine seeking and matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression.

Chronic drug self-administration and withdrawal are associated with distinct neuroimmune adaptations that may increase drug craving and relapse vulnerability in humans. The nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway is a critical regulator of many immune- and addiction-related genes such as the extracellular matrix enzyme matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), which is a known modulator of learning, memory, and synaptic plasticity. While some studies suggest striatal NF-κB signaling may regulate drug-conditioned behavior, no studies to date have examined whether NF-κB signaling within the nucleus accumbens core (NAc core) alters downstream neuroimmune function and cue-motivated cocaine seeking following a period of forced abstinence, whether any effects are specific to cocaine over other reinforcers, or whether sex differences exist. Here, we examined whether viral-mediated knockdown of the p65 subunit of NF-κB within the NAc core would alter MMP-9 expression and cue-induced cocaine- and sucrose-seeking behavior following a period of forced abstinence in male and female rats. We demonstrate that NAc core p65 knockdown results in a significant decrease in cue-induced cocaine seeking in males but not females. This effect was specific to cocaine, as p65 knockdown did not significantly affect cue-induced sucrose seeking in either males or females. Moreover, we demonstrate that males express higher levels of MMP-9 within the NAc core and nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) compared to females, and that p65 knockdown significantly decreases MMP-9 in the NAc core of males but not females among cocaine cue-exposed animals. Altogether, these results suggest that NAc core NF-κB signaling exerts modulatory control over cue-motivated drug-seeking behavior and downstream neuroimmune function in a sex-specific manner. These findings highlight the need to consider sex as an important biological variable when examining immunomodulatory mechanisms of cocaine seeking.

High Olfactory Receptor-Rich 11q11 Copy Number in Girls and African American Children.

Copy number variants (CNVs) provide numerous genetic differences between individuals, and they have been linked with multiple human diseases. Obesity is one of the highly heritable complex disorders, which is associated with copy number variance (CNV). A recent report shows that the 11q11 gene, a novel olfactory receptor, and its copy number variants are involved in the early onset of obesity. In the current study, we analyzed the 11q11 gene copy number variance (CNV) based on gender in White/European American (EA) and African American (AA) normal weight and overweight/obese children. Sixty-nine boys and fifty-eight girls between the ages of 6 and 10 years belonging to either EA or AA ethnicity were involved in this study. As per World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, each participant's body weight and height were recorded. DNA was extracted from saliva, and the copy number variants for the 11q11 gene were measured using digital PCR. The descriptive analysis of the 11q11 copy number showed significantly more copies in girls compared to boys; similarly, AA participants had significantly increased CNV compared to EA. The normal weight (NW) and overweight/obese (OW/OB) girls were significantly less likely to belong to the low copy number variant (LCNV) group of 11q11 compared to boys; similarly, NW and OW/OB AA children were significantly less likely to belong to the LCNV group. The AA girls in LCNV had significantly higher BMI z-scores. Our findings suggest that the 11q11 copy number in children is race and gender-specific.

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Requirement for Macrophage Regeneration Is Tissue Specific.

Tissue-resident macrophages (TRMΦ) are important immune sentinels responsible for maintaining tissue and immune homeostasis within their specific niche. Recently, the origins of TRMΦ have undergone intense scrutiny, in which now most TRMΦ are thought to originate early during embryonic development independent of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). We previously characterized two distinct subsets of mouse peritoneal cavity macrophages (MΦ) (large and small peritoneal MΦ) whose origins and relationship to both fetal and adult long-term (LT) HSCs have not been fully investigated. In this study, we employ highly purified LT-HSC transplantation and in vivo lineage tracing to show a dual ontogeny for large and small peritoneal MΦ, in which the initial wave of peritoneal MΦ is seeded from yolk sac-derived precursors, which later require LT-HSCs for regeneration. In contrast, transplanted fetal and adult LT-HSCs are not able to regenerate brain-resident microglia. Thus, we demonstrate that LT-HSCs retain the potential to develop into TRMΦ, but their requirement is tissue specific in the peritoneum and brain.

Examination of Gene Loss in the DNA Mismatch Repair Pathway and Its Mutational Consequences in a Fungal Phylum.

The DNA mismatch repair (MMR) pathway corrects mismatched bases produced during DNA replication and is highly conserved across the tree of life, reflecting its fundamental importance for genome integrity. Loss of function in one or a few MMR genes can lead to increased mutation rates and microsatellite instability, as seen in some human cancers. Although loss of MMR genes has been documented in the context of human disease and in hypermutant strains of pathogens, examples of entire species and species lineages that have experienced substantial MMR gene loss are lacking. We examined the genomes of 1,107 species in the fungal phylum Ascomycota for the presence of 52 genes known to be involved in the MMR pathway of fungi. We found that the median ascomycete genome contained 49/52 MMR genes. In contrast, four closely related species of obligate plant parasites from the powdery mildew genera Erysiphe and Blumeria, have lost between five and 21 MMR genes, including MLH3, EXO1, and DPB11. The lost genes span MMR functions, include genes that are conserved in all other ascomycetes, and loss of function of any of these genes alone has been previously linked to increased mutation rate. Consistent with the hypothesis that loss of these genes impairs MMR pathway function, we found that powdery mildew genomes with higher levels of MMR gene loss exhibit increased numbers of mononucleotide runs, longer microsatellites, accelerated sequence evolution, elevated mutational bias in the A|T direction, and decreased GC content. These results identify a striking example of macroevolutionary loss of multiple MMR pathway genes in a eukaryotic lineage, even though the mutational outcomes of these losses appear to resemble those associated with detrimental MMR dysfunction in other organisms.

A Clinical PET Imaging Tracer ([18F]DASA-23) to Monitor Pyruvate Kinase M2-Induced Glycolytic Reprogramming in Glioblastoma.

PURPOSE: Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) catalyzes the final step in glycolysis, a key process of cancer metabolism. PKM2 is preferentially expressed by glioblastoma (GBM) cells with minimal expression in healthy brain. We describe the development, validation, and translation of a novel PET tracer to study PKM2 in GBM. We evaluated 1-((2-fluoro-6-[18F]fluorophenyl)sulfonyl)-4-((4-methoxyphenyl)sulfonyl)piperazine ([18F]DASA-23) in cell culture, mouse models of GBM, healthy human volunteers, and patients with GBM. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: [18F]DASA-23 was synthesized with a molar activity of 100.47 ± 29.58 GBq/µmol and radiochemical purity >95%. We performed initial testing of [18F]DASA-23 in GBM cell culture and human GBM xenografts implanted orthotopically into mice. Next, we produced [18F]DASA-23 under FDA oversight, and evaluated it in healthy volunteers and a pilot cohort of patients with glioma. RESULTS: In mouse imaging studies, [18F]DASA-23 clearly delineated the U87 GBM from surrounding healthy brain tissue and had a tumor-to-brain ratio of 3.6 ± 0.5. In human volunteers, [18F]DASA-23 crossed the intact blood-brain barrier and was rapidly cleared. In patients with GBM, [18F]DASA-23 successfully outlined tumors visible on contrast-enhanced MRI. The uptake of [18F]DASA-23 was markedly elevated in GBMs compared with normal brain, and it identified a metabolic nonresponder within 1 week of treatment initiation. CONCLUSIONS: We developed and translated [18F]DASA-23 as a new tracer that demonstrated the visualization of aberrantly expressed PKM2 for the first time in human subjects. These results warrant further clinical evaluation of [18F]DASA-23 to assess its utility for imaging therapy-induced normalization of aberrant cancer metabolism.

Mental Health Conditions Among Community College Students: A National Study of Prevalence and Use of Treatment Services.

OBJECTIVE: This study estimated the prevalence of self-reported symptoms of mental health problems and treatment utilization in a U.S. national sample of community college students and made comparisons with data from a sample of students at 4-year educational institutions. METHODS: The study used data for 2016-2019 from the Healthy Minds Study, an annual cross-sectional survey. The sample included 10,089 students from 23 community colleges and 95,711 students from 133 4-year institutions. Outcomes were mental health symptom prevalence based on validated screening tools and rates of service utilization, such as use of therapy and psychotropic medication. Analyses were weighted by using survey nonresponse weights. RESULTS: Prevalence rates were comparably high in the sample of community college and 4-year students, with just more than 50% of each group meeting criteria for one or more mental health problems. Analyses by age group revealed significantly higher prevalence for community college students ages 18-22 years, relative to their same-age peers at 4-year institutions. Community college students, particularly those from traditionally marginalized backgrounds, were significantly less likely to have used services, compared with students on 4-year campuses. Financial stress was a strong predictor of mental health outcomes, and cost was the most salient treatment barrier in the community college sample. CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest known study to report on the mental health needs of community college students in the United States. Findings have important implications for campus policies and programs and for future research to advance equity in mental health and other key outcomes, such as college persistence and retention.

Telomere Length as a Biomarker for Race-Related Health Disparities.

Disparities between the races have been well documented in health and disease in the USA. Recent studies show that telomere length, a marker of aging, is associated with obesity and obesity-related diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. The current study aimed to evaluate the connection between telomere length ratio, blood pressure, and childhood obesity. The telomere length ratio was measured in 127 children from both European American (EA) and African American (AA) children, aged 6-10 years old. AA children had a significantly high relative telomere to the single copy gene (T/S) ratio compared to EA children. There was no significant difference in the T/S ratio between normal weight (NW) and overweight/obese (OW/OB) groups of either race. Blood pressure was significantly elevated in AA children with respect to EA children. Hierarchical regression analysis adjusted for race, gender, and age expressed a significant relationship between the T/S ratio and diastolic pressure. Low T/S ratio participants showed a significant increase in systolic pressure, while a high T/S ratio group showed an increase in diastolic pressure and heart rate of AA children. In conclusion, our findings show that AA children have high T/S ratio compared to EA children. The high T/S ratio is negatively associated with diastolic pressure.

The immediate and prolonged effects of military body armor on the relative timing of thorax and pelvis rotations during toe-touch and two-legged squat tasks.

Although military body armor is an effective life saver, it considerably loads more weight on the warfighters, increasing the risk of musculoskeletal injury. This study investigated the immediate and prolonged effects of wearing body armor on timing aspect of lumbo-pelvic coordination during the toe-touch (TT) and two-legged-squat (TLS) tests. A cross-over study design was used wherein twelve asymptomatic and gender-balanced individuals completed two experimental sessions with and without body armor. A session included two similar sets of tests, before and after exposure to a treadmill walk, containing a TT and a TLS test with ten cycles of fast bending and return. Reflective markers were attached on the participants to capture the kinematics of body segments in conjunction with a motion capture system. The mean absolute relative phase (MARP) and deviation phase (DP) between the thorax and pelvis were calculated for each test. The pre-walk MARP in the return was significantly larger with versus without body armor (p = 0.022), while there were no significant effects of body armor on the other outcome measures. In addition, the pre-walk MARP and DP in the bending and return, as well as the walk-induced changes in the MARP in the bending phase were significantly larger in TLS versus TT (p < 0.026). Therefore, using a body armor immediately made the lumbo-pelvic coordination less in-phase during return, but no prolonged effects were found. Further investigation is necessary to specify chances wearing a body armor increases the risk of musculoskeletal injuries in the lower back and lower extremities joints.

DNA copy number and structural variation (CNV) contributions to adult and childhood obesity.

In recent years, obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally and has become a major public health concern. The development of obesity is likely caused by several behavioral, environmental, and genetic factors. Genomic variability among individuals is largely due to copy number variations (CNVs). Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have successfully identified many loci containing CNV related to obesity. These obesity-related CNVs are informative to the diagnosis and treatment of genomic diseases. A more comprehensive classification of CNVs may provide the basis for determining how genomic diversity impacts the mechanisms of expression for obesity in children and adults of a variety of genders and ethnicities. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the relationship between obesity and the CNV of several genomic regions, with an emphasis on genes at the following loci: 11q11, 1p21.1, 10q11.22, 10q26.3, 16q12.2, 16p12.3, and 4q25.

Integration of Health and Social Services at the Systems Level: A Framework for Addressing Funding and Jurisdictional Silos.

Objectives. To examine spending and resource allocation decision-making to address health and social service integration challenges within and between governments.Methods. We performed a mixed methods case study to examine the integration of health and social services in a large US metropolitan area, including a city and a county government. Analyses incorporated annual budget data from the city and the county from 2009 to 2018 and semistructured interviews with 41 key leaders, including directors, deputies, or finance officers from all health care-, health-, or social service-oriented city and county agencies; lead budget and finance managers; and city and county executive offices.Results. Participants viewed public health and social services as qualitatively important, although together these constituted only $157 or $1250 total per capita spending in 2018, and per capita public health spending has declined since 2009. Funding streams can be siloed and budget approaches can facilitate or impede service integration.Conclusions. Health and social services should be integrated through greater attention to the budgetary, jurisdictional, and programmatic realities of health and social service agencies and to the budget models used for driving the systems-level pursuit of population health.

Overexpression of Medicago MtCDFd1_1 Causes Delayed Flowering in Medicago via Repression of MtFTa1 but Not MtCO-Like Genes.

Optimizing flowering time is crucial for maximizing crop productivity, but gaps remain in the knowledge of the mechanisms underpinning temperate legume flowering. Medicago, like winter annual Arabidopsis, accelerates flowering after exposure to extended cold (vernalization, V) followed by long-day (LD) photoperiods. In Arabidopsis, photoperiodic flowering is triggered through CO, a photoperiodic switch that directly activates the FT gene encoding a mobile florigen and potent activator of flowering. In Arabidopsis, several CYCLING DOF FACTORs (CDFs), including AtCDF1, act redundantly to repress CO and thus FT expression, until their removal in LD by a blue-light-induced F-BOX1/GIGANTEA (FKF1/GI) complex. Medicago possesses a homolog of FT, MtFTa1, which acts as a strong activator of flowering. However, the regulation of MtFTa1 does not appear to involve a CO-like gene. Nevertheless, work in pea suggests that CDFs may still regulate flowering time in temperate legumes. Here, we analyze the function of Medicago MtCDF genes with a focus on MtCDFd1_1 in flowering time and development. MtCDFd1_1 causes strong delays to flowering when overexpressed in Arabidopsis and shows a cyclical diurnal expression in Medicago with peak expression at dawn, consistent with AtCDF genes like AtCDF1. However, MtCDFd1_1 lacks predicted GI or FKF1 binding domains, indicating possible differences in its regulation from AtCDF1. In Arabidopsis, CDFs act in a redundant manner, and the same is likely true of temperate legumes as no flowering time phenotypes were observed when MtCDFd1_1 or other MtCDFs were knocked out in Medicago Tnt1 lines. Nevertheless, overexpression of MtCDFd1_1 in Medicago plants resulted in late flowering relative to wild type in inductive vernalized long-day (VLD) conditions, but not in vernalized short days (VSDs), rendering them day neutral. Expression of MtCO-like genes was not affected in the transgenic lines, but LD-induced genes MtFTa1, MtFTb1, MtFTb2, and MtSOC1a showed reduced expression. Plants carrying both the Mtfta1 mutation and 35S:MtCDFd1_1 flowered no later than the Mtfta1 plants. This indicates that 35S:MtCDFd1_1 likely influences flowering in VLD via repressive effects on MtFTa1 expression. Overall, our study implicates MtCDF genes in photoperiodic regulation in Medicago by working redundantly to repress FT-like genes, particularly MtFTa1, but in a CO-independent manner, indicating differences from the Arabidopsis model.

Association of Salivary Amylase (AMY1) Gene Copy Number with Obesity in Alabama Elementary School Children.

Salivary amylase (AMY1) is the most abundant enzyme in human saliva, responsible for the hydrolysis of α-1,4 glycosidic linkages that aids in the digestion of starch. Recently studies have shown that the copy number of AMY1 is associated with obesity; however, the data varies with location. One-third of children are overweight/obese in Alabama. In this study, we aim to determine the relationship between the copy number of AMY1 gene and obesity measurements in children from Alabama. One hundred twenty-seven children aged between 6 to 10 years participated in this study. Anthropometric measurements were measured using WHO recommendations. Genomic DNA was extracted from saliva, and the copy number of the AMY1 gene was estimated by digital PCR. The association between AMY1 copy number and obesity measurements was analyzed by linear regression. The mean AMY1 copy number significantly decreased in overweight/obese (6.21 ± 1.48) compared to normal weight (7.97 ± 2.35) children. AMY1 copy number inversely associated with the obesity measurements. African Americans had a stronger association between low AMY1 copy number and obesity compared to white/European Americans. Our findings suggest that overweight/obese children have a low AMY1 copy number and the effect is more prominent in African Americans.

Pain Assessment Documentation After Opioid Administration at a Community Teaching Hospital.

PURPOSE: To compare pain assessment documentation postopioid administration in hospitalized patients before and after implementing nurse education. METHODS: Patients 18 years and older were randomly selected for inclusion if they received 1 opioid dose while admitted to the hospital. Through retrospective chart review, opioid data, including date and time, were collected for each opioid administered. Pain score data, including time and date of documentation, were recorded for analysis. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether a nursing education intervention would improve documentation of pain scores within an appropriate time frame postadministration of an opioid medication. The intervention was a training presentation uploaded to the institution's intranet with an assessment. The primary outcome was measured by comparing the frequency by which nurses documented pain scores following opioid administration before and after education. RESULTS: Three hundred twenty patients (160 patients per time period) were evaluated. The percentage of pain scores recorded within the appropriate assessment time following opioid administration increased from 32.9% to 37.8% ( P = .003). The proportion of appropriate pain score documentation increased 4.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.6%-8.2%). CONCLUSION: An increase in the documentation of efficacy assessments after opioid administration was demonstrated after nursing education. Further studies should be done to identify additional strategies to increase monitoring as well as to identify a benchmark for institutions with regard to pain management monitoring.

Comparative effectiveness of natural by-products and synthetic sorbents in oil spill booms.

Sorbent booms are considered a 'first line of defence' technology used for containing and minimizing the impacts of crude oil spills. Booms containing human hair waste as sorbent were compared to other natural sorbents, including cotton by-product, recycled cellulose, as well as booms containing synthetic polypropylene, in order to evaluate their effectiveness in adsorbing petroleum crude oil pollution, remaining buoyant, and adsorbing seawater. A series of oceanic mesocosm experiments were used to simulate oil spill pollution events and to test sorbent effectiveness. Hair by-product was found to be significantly better at adsorbing crude oil on average (i.e. 0.84 g of crude oil per 1 g of sorbent) than all other materials, although it had wider variation in adsorbency likely associated with the non-homogeneous nature of mixed human hair. Hair sorbent was also observed to be less naturally buoyant than other materials, potentially due to low surface tension or increased porosity.