Clinical features and outcomes of mpox in people with and without HIV: a national comparative study.

BACKGROUND: People who live with HIV (PWLH) have been one of the most affected groups during the current mpox outbreak. They are hypothesized to have a more severe clinical course than people without HIV but comparative data is scarce. We aimed to compare clinical features and outcomes of mpox in people with and without HIV in Mexico. SETTING: Country-wide study in Mexico. METHODS: We performed an observational study using nation-wide epidemiological data. We included all people with confirmed mpox diagnosed between May and November 2022 in Mexico. Clinical and sociodemographic characteristics were compared between people with and without HIV. Multivariable logistic regression models were preformed to determine the association between HIV, clinical features, and outcomes and reported with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). ORs for rare outcomes were interpreted as risk ratios. RESULTS: Among 3291 people with mpox, 59% were PWLH. PWLH had an increased risk of severe mpox (OR 2.6, 2.4-2.9) and death (OR 10.8, 9.7-11.9). They also had a higher risk of otalgia, proctitis, and urethritis. Eleven individuals died, of whom ten were PWLH. All deaths were directly attributed to mpox. CONCLUSION: People with HIV have a higher risk of severe mpox and death due to mpox.

CAR-T cell therapy targeting surface expression of TYRP1 to treat cutaneous and rare melanoma subtypes.

A major limitation to developing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies for solid tumors is identifying surface proteins highly expressed in tumors but not in normal tissues. Here, we identify Tyrosinase Related Protein 1 (TYRP1) as a CAR-T cell therapy target to treat patients with cutaneous and rare melanoma subtypes unresponsive to immune checkpoint blockade. TYRP1 is primarily located intracellularly in the melanosomes, with a small fraction being trafficked to the cell surface via vesicular transport. We develop a highly sensitive CAR-T cell therapy that detects surface TYRP1 in tumor cells with high TYRP1 overexpression and presents antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo in murine and patient-derived cutaneous, acral and uveal melanoma models. Furthermore, no systemic or off-tumor severe toxicities are observed in an immunocompetent murine model. The efficacy and safety profile of the TYRP1 CAR-T cell therapy supports the ongoing preparation of a phase I clinical trial.

Maternal vaccination against COVID-19 and neonatal outcomes during Omicron: INTERCOVID-2022 study.

BACKGROUND: In early 2023, when Omicron was the variant of concern, we showed that vaccinating pregnant women decreased the risk for severe COVID-19-related complications and maternal morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the impact of COVID-19 during pregnancy on newborns and the effects of maternal COVID-19 vaccination on neonatal outcomes when Omicron was the variant of concern. STUDY DESIGN: INTERCOVID-2022 was a large, prospective, observational study, conducted in 40 hospitals across 18 countries, from November 27, 2021 (the day after the World Health Organization declared Omicron the variant of concern) to June 30, 2022, to assess the effect of COVID-19 in pregnancy on maternal and neonatal outcomes and to assess vaccine effectiveness. Women diagnosed with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 during pregnancy were compared with 2 nondiagnosed, unmatched women recruited concomitantly and consecutively during pregnancy or at delivery. Mother-newborn dyads were followed until hospital discharge. The primary outcomes were a neonatal positive test for COVID-19, severe neonatal morbidity index, severe perinatal morbidity and mortality index, preterm birth, neonatal death, referral to neonatal intensive care unit, and diseases during the neonatal period. Vaccine effectiveness was estimated with adjustment for maternal risk profile. RESULTS: We enrolled 4707 neonates born to 1577 (33.5%) mothers diagnosed with COVID-19 and 3130 (66.5%) nondiagnosed mothers. Among the diagnosed mothers, 642 (40.7%) were not vaccinated, 147 (9.3%) were partially vaccinated, 551 (34.9%) were completely vaccinated, and 237 (15.0%) also had a booster vaccine. Neonates of booster-vaccinated mothers had less than half (relative risk, 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.23-0.91) the risk of being diagnosed with COVID-19 when compared with those of unvaccinated mothers; they also had the lowest rates of preterm birth, medically indicated preterm birth, respiratory distress syndrome, and number of days in the neonatal intensive care unit. Newborns of unvaccinated mothers had double the risk for neonatal death (relative risk, 2.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-4.00) when compared with those of nondiagnosed mothers. Vaccination was not associated with any congenital malformations. Although all vaccines provided protection against neonatal test positivity, newborns of booster-vaccinated mothers had the highest vaccine effectiveness (64%; 95% confidence interval, 10%-86%). Vaccine effectiveness was not as high for messenger RNA vaccines only. Vaccine effectiveness against moderate or severe neonatal outcomes was much lower, namely 13% in the booster-vaccinated group (all vaccines) and 25% and 28% in the completely and booster-vaccinated groups, respectively (messenger RNA vaccines only). Vaccines were fairly effective in protecting neonates when given to pregnant women ≤100 days (14 weeks) before birth; thereafter, the risk increased and was much higher after 200 days (29 weeks). Finally, none of the neonatal practices studied, including skin-to-skin contact and direct breastfeeding, increased the risk for infecting newborns. CONCLUSION: When Omicron was the variant of concern, newborns of unvaccinated mothers had an increased risk for neonatal death. Neonates of vaccinated mothers had a decreased risk for preterm birth and adverse neonatal outcomes. Because the protective effect of COVID-19 vaccination decreases with time, to ensure that newborns are maximally protected against COVID-19, mothers should receive a vaccine or booster dose no more than 14 weeks before the expected date of delivery.

Icephobic Gradient Polymer Coatings Deposited via iCVD: A Novel Approach for Icing Control and Mitigation.

Materials against ice formation and accretion are highly desirable for different industrial applications and daily activities affected by icing. Although several concepts have been proposed, no material has so far shown wide-ranging icephobic features, enabling durability and manufacturing on large scales. Herein, we present gradient polymers made of 1,3,5,7-tetravinyl-1,3,5,7-tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane (V4D4) and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyl acrylate (PFDA) deposited in one step via initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) as an effective coating to mitigate ice accretion and reduce ice adhesion. The gradient structures easily overcome adhesion, stability, and durability issues of traditional fluorinated coatings. The coatings show promising icephobic performance by reducing ice adhesion, depressing the freezing point, delaying drop freezing, and inhibiting ice nucleation and frost propagation. Icephobicity correlates with surface energy discontinuities at the surface plane resulting from the random orientation of the fluorinated groups of PFDA, as confirmed by grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction measurements. The icephobicity could be further improved by tuning the surface crystallinity rather than surface wetting, as samples with random crystal orientation show the lowest ice adhesion despite high contact angle hysteresis. The iCVD-manufactured coatings show promising results, indicating the potential for ice control on larger scales and various applications.

Convergent, discriminant, and known groups validity of the Behavioral Assessment Screening Tool (BAST) in chronic traumatic brain injury.

The Behavioral Assessment Screening Tool (BAST) measures self-reported neurobehavioral symptoms commonly experienced by adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI). To assess the convergent, discriminant, and known-groups validity of the BAST among community-dwelling adults with chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI), we conducted correlation analyses and tests of group differences with previously validated symptom measures in two samples (n = 111, n = 134). Measures used for comparison were: Patient Health Questionnaire (depression), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (anxiety), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (Executive Dysfunction, Apathy, Disinhibition), Modified Fatigue Impact Scale, PROMIS Fatigue, Aggression Questionnaire (anger, hostility, physical and verbal aggression), and Alcohol Use Disorders Test (alcohol misuse). BAST subscales had stronger correlations with measures of similar (|r|=.602-.828, p < .001) and related (|r|>.30, p < .001) constructs and weaker correlations (|r|<.300) with measures of dissimilar/unrelated constructs, supporting hypotheses of convergent and discriminant validity, respectively. Statistically significant group differences (p's < .001) in BAST subscales were found, with large effect sizes (Cohen's d = 1.2-1.9), for known-groups with moderate-severe depression, moderate-severe anxiety, clinically significant fatigue, problematic disinhibited and frontal-executive behaviors, and alcohol use. Conclusions: Results support the convergent and discriminant validity of the BAST subscales. The BAST was specifically developed as a self-reported measure for remote symptom reporting, supporting its incorporation into mobile health platforms to improve chronic symptom monitoring in community-dwelling adults with TBI. With further validation research, the BAST could be used for early identification of persons with TBI who could benefit from intervention.

Outbreak of Fusarium solani Meningitis in Immunocompetent Persons Associated With Neuraxial Blockade in Durango, Mexico, 2022-2023.

Background: Fungal meningitis can be associated with epidural anesthesia procedures. Fusariosis is a rare infection typically affecting immunocompromised patients and rarely causes meningitis. During 2022-2023, public health officials responded to a large outbreak of Fusarium solani meningitis associated with epidural anesthesia in Durango, Mexico. Methods: The public health response and epidemiological and clinical features of patients affected by this outbreak were described. Coordinated actions were addressed to identify the etiological agent, determine its drug susceptibility, develop diagnostic tests, and implement clinical and epidemiological protocols. Retrospective analyses of clinical variables and outcomes were performed to determine association with better patient survival. Results: A total of 1801 persons exposed to epidural anesthesia were identified, of whom 80 developed meningitis. Fusarium solani was found in 3 brain biopsies and showed susceptibility to voriconazole and amphotericin B. After F solani polymerase chain reaction (PCR) implementation, 57 patients with meningitis were PCR-screened, and 31 (38.8%) had a positive result. Most patients were female (95%), and cesarean section was the most common surgical procedure (76.3%). The case fatality rate was 51.3% (41 patients) and the median hospitalization duration was 39.5 days (interquartile range, 18-86 days). Seventy-one patients (88.8%) received voriconazole/amphotericin B and 64 subjects (80%) additionally received steroids. Cox regression analysis showed an increased lethality risk in patients who received antifungal treatment after 5 days (hazard ratio, 2.1 [95% confidence interval, 1.01-4.48], P < .05). Conclusions: The F solani meningitis outbreak in Durango was an unprecedented medical challenge. Timely treatment and effective healthcare management were associated with better survival outcomes.

Microstructural Characterization and Corrosion Behavior of Similar and Dissimilar Welded Advanced High-Strength Steels (AHSS) by Rotary Friction Welding.

Advanced high-strength steels (AHSSs) are designed for meeting strict requirements, especially in the automotive industry, as a means to directly influence the reduction in the carbon footprint. As rotary friction welding (RFW) has many important advantages over other welding technologies, it plays an important role in the automotive sector. On the above basis, in this work, combinations of the first (complex phase (CP)), second (TWIP (TW)), and third (quenched and partitioned (Q&P)) generations of similar and dissimilar high-alloyed advanced steels have been joined by the RFW process. Having a specific microstructure, rods of CP/CP, Q&P/Q&P, CP/TW, and Q&P/TW steels were welded by employing a homemade adaptation machine under fixed parameters. Microstructural characterization has allowed us to corroborate the metallic bonding of all the tested advanced steels and to identify the different zones formed after welding. Results indicate that the welding zone widens in the center of the workpiece, and under the current friction action, the intermixing region shows the redistribution of solute elements, mostly in the dissimilarly welded steels. Furthermore, because of their complex chemistry and the different mechanical properties of the used steels, dissimilarly welded steels present the most noticeable differences in hardness. The TWIP steel has the lower hardness values, whilst the CP and Q&P steels have the higher ones. As a direct effect of the viscoplastic behavior of the steels established by the thermomechanical processing, interlayers and oxidation products were identified, as well as some typical RFW defects. The electrochemical response of the welded steels has shown that the compositional and microstructural condition mostly affect the corrosion trend. This means that the dissimilarly welded steels are more susceptible to corrosion, especially at the TWIP-steel interface, which is attributed to the energy that is stored in the distorted microstructure of each steel plate as a consequence of the thermomechanical processing during RFW.

Risk factors for severe disease and mortality in children with COVID-19.

Background: Pediatric COVID-19 patients have lower rates of hospitalization and fatal outcomes compared to adults with COVID-19; however, children represent a challenge in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19. Our aim was to determine the risk factors for hospital admission, invasive mechanical ventilation, and mortality in pediatric COVID-19 patients in Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods: A retrospective cohort of pediatric patients with COVID-19 from February 2020 to April 2021 was reported on the National Epidemiological Surveillance System for Viral Respiratory Disease (SISVER) platform. Results: Among the 104,133 patients included in our study, 6214 were hospitalized, and 621 patients underwent invasive mechanical ventilation. A total of 0.65 % died during hospitalization. Children aged <12 months (odds ratio [OR]: 17.1; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 15.9-19.4, p < 0.001), 1-4 years (OR: 3.69; 95 % CI: 3.2-4.1, p < 0.001), 5-9 years (OR: 1.86; 95 % CI: 1.66-2.08, p < 0.001), and 10-14 years (OR: 1.23; 95 % CI: 1.11-1.37, p < 0.001), and those diagnosed with diabetes (OR: 2.32; 95 % CI 1.68-3.20, p < 0.001) and obesity (OR: 1.24; 95 % CI 1.04-1.48, p = 0.015) were associated with hospital admission. Renal disease (OR: 3.85; 95 % CI: 2.25-6.59, p < 0.001) was associated with invasive mechanical ventilation. Pneumonia (OR: 15.9; 95 % CI: 12.6-20.1, p < 0.001) and renal disease (OR: 3.85; 95 % CI: 2.25-6.59, p value < 0.001) were associated with death. Conclusion: Pneumonia increases the risk of death. The youngest age group has a higher risk of hospital admission. Comorbidities such as renal disease or immunosuppression increase the risk of death in all age groups.

Generalized anosognosia, anosodiaphoria, and visual hallucinations with bilateral enucleation after severe bifrontal brain injury: a case report describing similarities with and differences from Anton syndrome.

Visual anosognosia, associated with confabulations and cortical blindness in the context of occipital lobe injury, is known as Anton syndrome. Patients with this syndrome strongly deny their vision loss and confabulate to compensate for both visual loss and memory impairments. In this article, we present a case of a patient with some similarities to Anton syndrome, however, with several differences in clinical presentation. Bifrontal brain injury, bilateral enucleation, affective indifference (anosodiaphoria), generalized anosognosia, and the conviction that vision will resume mark clear clinical differences with Anton syndrome. Differentiating these findings from Anton syndrome will help occupational therapists, neuropsychologists, speech-language pathologists, physical therapists, and physicians when assessing frontal lobe brain injury with total and partial visual loss. This case demonstrates that visual anosognosia and confabulations can occur without occipital lobe dysfunction or cortical blindness.

Harnessing the electronic structure of active metals to lower the overpotential of the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction.

Despite substantial advancements in the field of the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the efficiency of earth-abundant electrocatalysts remains far from ideal. The difficulty stems from the complex nature of the catalytic system, which limits our fundamental understanding of the process and thus the possibility of a rational improvement of performance. Herein, we shed light on the role played by the tunable 3d configuration of the metal centers in determining the OER catalytic activity by combining electrochemical and spectroscopic measurements with an experimentally validated computational protocol. One-dimensional coordination polymers based on Fe, Co and Ni held together by an oxonato linker were selected as a case study because of their well-defined electronic and geometric structure in the active site, which can be straightforwardly correlated with their catalytic activity. Novel heterobimetallic coordination polymers were also considered, in order to shed light on the cooperativity effects of different metals. Our results demonstrate the fundamental importance of electronic structure effects such as metal spin and oxidation state evolutions along the reaction profile to modulate ligand binding energies and increase catalyst efficiency. We demonstrated that these effects could in principle be exploited to reduce the overpotential of the electrocatalytic OER below its theoretical limit, and we provide basic principles for the development of coordination polymers with a tailored electronic structure and activity.

Assessment of a medical student mentoring programme to improve attitudes related to grief and coping with death.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of a mentoring programme for medical students doing a palliative care rotation, aimed at improving coping with death and attitudes towards the suffering produced by illness. Methods: A quasi-experimental study without a control group was carried out on second-year medical students. Five 1-h group sessions were conducted. Attitudes towards grief and coping with death were assessed before the mentoring programme began and afterwards, using the Brief Humanizar Scale and the Bugen's Coping with Death Scale, respectively. Results: In terms of the sense of grieving as measured by the Brief Humanizar Scale, the mean score for the 'Burden' factor was 7 points and for the 'Change' factor it was 28.6, indicating that suffering makes more sense as a lever for positive change than as a burden. Regarding Bugen's Coping with Death Scale, the mean score was 127.8 points before the mentoring programme and 139.2 afterwards. Hence, the score after the mentoring programme increased by 11.4 points, improving strategies to cope with death. Conclusion: Medical professionals must cope with death and end-of-life patients. In addition to scientific knowledge, students need to acquire competencies for better coping with the death of patients, with mentoring programmes helping to enhance this process of learning.

[Unusual case of pseudotumoral hip injury due to gout: case report]. / Caso inusual de lesión pseudotumoral en cadera por gota: reporte de caso.

Background: Gout is known as arthropathy due to the deposit of monosodium urate crystals; This pathology comprises a set of clinical and radiographic tests in the context of the intra-articular presence of said crystals. It is a chronic disease associated with other comorbidities such as arterial hypertension, osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus, etc. The case of a patient with gouty arthritis with consequent hip lesion with a pseudotumoral appearance difficult to diagnose is presented, in order to highlight the importance of this, as well as the appropriate follow-up and treatment for this chronic pathology. Clinical case: A 51-year-old male patient, with a history of hip osteoarthritis and gout. The symptoms and signs were pain in the right hip with an 8/10 on an analogue pain scale, associated with functional limitation characterized by reduced range of motion and impossibility of standing. Imaging studies are carried out which are suggestive of a tumor lesion at the proximal femur with malignant characteristics, for which a biopsy and subsequent histopathological diagnosis of gouty tophi is performed. Conclusions: Gout is a prevalent disease in the adult population, however, its infrequent joint location can result in a difficult diagnosis, so it is necessary not to rule out this entity and to carry out specific studies for its identification.

Introducción: se conoce como gota a la artropatía por depósito de cristales de urato monosódico. Esta patología comprende un conjunto de hallazgos clínicos y radiográficos en el contexto de presencia intraarticular de dichos cristales. Es una enfermedad crónica asociada a otras comorbilidades como: hipertensión arterial, osteoartrosis, diabetes mellitus, etc. Se presenta el caso de un paciente con artritis gotosa con consecuente lesión en cadera, con aspecto pseudotumoral de difícil diagnóstico, a fin de resaltar su importancia, así como el seguimiento y tratamiento oportunos para esta patología crónica. Caso clínico: paciente hombre de 51 años, con antecedentes de artritis gotosa; quien cursa con cuadro clínico de, aproximadamente, cuatro años de evolución, caracterizado por dolor en cadera derecha de intensidad 8/10 en escala análoga del dolor, sin irradiación, asociado a limitación funcional caracterizada por reducción de arcos de movilidad e imposibilidad para la bipedestación. Se realizan estudios imagenológicos los cuales son sugestivos de lesión tumoral a nivel de fémur proximal de características de malignidad, por lo cual se realiza biopsia y posterior diagnóstico histopatológico de tofos gotosos. Conclusiones: la gota es una enfermedad prevalente en la población adulta, sin embargo, la localización articular infrecuente puede resultar en un difícil diagnóstico, por lo que se requiere no descartar esta entidad y la realización de estudios específicos para su identificación.

Antitumor Immune Responses in B2M-Deficient Cancers.

ß2-microglobulin (B2M) is a critical component of the MHC class I molecule and is required to present tumor antigens to T cells. Its loss results in acquired resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies. However, there have been well-documented cases of B2M-inactivated tumors responding to ICB, justifying investigation of how an antitumor immune response can be generated to tumors without surface MHC class I. We knocked out B2M in three murine models with varying baseline MHC class I expression and sensitivity to anti-programmed death receptor (PD-1) therapy and analyzed the immune responses. MC38 and YUMMER2.1 without B2M responded to anti-PD-1 alone or with an IL2 agonist, and this was mediated by CD4+ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells. The more aggressive B16 without B2M expression only partially responded to the IL2 agonist, and this was dependent on NK cells. When analyzing nearly 300 pretreatment biopsies from patients with melanoma receiving PD-1 blockade-based therapies, we found infrequent B2M mutations or homozygous loss but more frequent LOH or copy-number gains. B2M LOH was enriched in biopsies from patients without response to therapy, and these biopsies were more frequently infiltrated by activated NK cells. We conclude that in the absence of B2M, activation of CD4+ T cells and NK cells can mediate responses to murine models of PD-1 blockade therapy. In addition, in human melanoma, the intratumoral presence of activated NK cells upon partial B2M loss likely selects against tumor escape through low surface MHC class I expression.

Monitoring and tracking the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Asturias, Spain.

Mutational analysis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can quantify the relative importance of variants over time, enable dominant mutations to be identified, and facilitate near real-time detection, comparison and tracking of evolving variants. SARS-CoV-2 in Asturias, an autonomous community of Spain with a large ageing population, and high levels of migration and tourism, was monitored and tracked from the beginning of the pandemic in February 2020 until its decline and stabilization in August 2021, and samples were characterized using whole genomic sequencing and single nucleotide polymorphisms. Data held in the GISAID database were analysed to establish patterns in the appearance and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 strains. Only 138 non-synonymous mutations occurring in more than 1 % of the population with SARS-CoV-2 were found, identifying ten major variants worldwide (seven arose before January 2021), 19 regional and one local. In Asturias only 17 different variants were found. After vaccination, no further regional major variants were found. Only half of the defined variants circulated and no new variants were generated, indicating that infection control measures such as rapid diagnosis, isolation and vaccination were efficient.

Predictors of laboratory-confirmed mpox in people with mpox-like illness.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify predictors of confirmed monkeypox (mpox) among people with mpox-like illness and to develop a multivariable model for confirmed mpox. METHODS: We performed an observational study using national epidemiologic surveillance data in Mexico from May to November 2022. People with mpox-like illness were reported to the Mexican Ministry of Health and real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed in clinical samples to confirm mpox. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected with a case report form. We performed univariable logistic regressions to estimate the predictive capability of individual characteristics, reported with ORs and 95% CIs. Variables of interest were included in multivariable logistic regression models and Akaike information criterion was used to retain variables for the final model. Discrimination and calibration of the model were estimated in bootstrap resamples. RESULTS: A total of 5078 people were reported with mpox-like illness. Of 5078 people, 3291 (64.8%) had confirmed mpox. The strongest clinical predictors of confirmed mpox in univariable models were proctitis (OR 6.54, 5.93-7.21), inguinal adenopathy (OR 5.91, 5.36-6.52), and anogenital lesions (OR 5.45, 4.94-6.02). The final model included being a man who has sex with men (8.75, 7.37-10.38), HIV diagnosis (3.04, 2.51-3.69), inguinal adenopathy (2.24, 1.81-2.77), anogenital lesions (2.32, 1.97-2.74), and pustules (1.55, 1.32-1.81). Discrimination capability was excellent (c-statistic 0.88, 95% CI 0.87-0.89) and it was well calibrated (calibration slope 1, 95% CI 0.95-1.05). DISCUSSION: A third of people with mpox-like illness do not have mpox. Factors such as being a man who has sex with men, HIV diagnosis, inguinal adenopathy, pustules, and anogenital lesions are associated with confirmed mpox.

Baseline protective behavioral strategy use predicts more moderate transdermal alcohol concentration dynamics and fewer negative consequences of drinking in young adults' natural settings.

OBJECTIVE: Test whether frequent protective behavioral strategies (PBS) users report (a) fewer alcohol-related consequences and (b) less risky alcohol intoxication dynamics (measured via transdermal alcohol concentration [TAC] sensor "features") in daily life. METHOD: Two hundred twenty-two frequently heavy-drinking young adults (Mage = 22.3 years) wore TAC sensors for 6 consecutive days. TAC features peak (maximum TAC), rise rate (speed of TAC increase), and area under the curve (AUC) were derived for each day. Negative alcohol-related consequences were measured in the morning after each self-reported drinking day. Past-year PBS use was measured at baseline. RESULTS: Young adults reporting more frequent baseline PBS use showed (a) fewer alcohol-related consequences and (b) lower intoxication dynamics on average (less AUC, lower peaks, and slower rise rates). Limiting/stopping and manner of drinking PBS showed the same pattern of findings as the total score. Serious harm reduction PBS predicted fewer negative alcohol-related consequences, but not TAC features. Multilevel path models showed that TAC features peak and rise rate partially explained associations between PBS (total, limiting/stopping, and manner of drinking) and consequences. Independent contributions of PBS subscales were small and nonsignificant, suggesting that total PBS use was a more important predictor of risk/protection than the specific types of PBS used. CONCLUSIONS: Young adults using more total PBS may experience fewer alcohol-related consequences during real-world drinking episodes in part through less risky intoxication dynamics (TAC features). Future research measuring PBS at the daily level is needed to formally test TAC features as day-level mechanisms of protection from acute alcohol-related consequences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

"I'm Not Wanting to be a Martyr": Learning from Latina Educator Activists in Chicago Public Schools During COVID-19.

I center the experiences of four Latina educators working in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to learn about their activism amidst the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a storying methodological approach (San Pedro, Res Teach Engl 50(2):132-153, 2015; San Pedro & Kinloch, Am Educ Res J 54(15):373S-394S, 2017), this project is guided by the following research question: How were Latina educator activists organizing around justice-based issues during the pandemic? The findings of this study highlight how the lack of support and respect from CPS's top-down management approach shaped the activism participants engaged in ? particularly in their use of mutual aid to advocate for the communities they serve. Moreover, as active members of the Chicago Teachers Union, participants sustained their activism through the support they received from their union and the solidarity and joy forged with their students and each other. This study builds upon existing knowledge of Latina teacher activists by highlighting the critical role their identities, experiences, and expertise play in understanding how policy impacts them and how they shape policy through their activism.

Acceptability and anklet user experience with the SCRAM-CAM transdermal alcohol concentration sensor in regularly drinking young adults' natural environments.

Recent developments in wearable technologies have allowed for device-based capture of alcohol concentration among participants in their natural environments. Currently, the Continuous Alcohol Monitor from SCRAM systems (SCRAM-CAM) is the most extensively studied and validated transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) sensor. However, there has been relatively little work focusing on its acceptability from the participants' perspective. In the current study, we assess the user experience of the SCRAM-CAM anklet in a sample of 222 regularly heavy drinking young adults (mean age = 22.3) who wore the anklet in their natural environments for five 24-h periods spanning 6 consecutive days. Differences in the anklet user experience were measured along a number of dimensions, and differences were tested by sex at birth, white/non-white racial/ethnic group membership, and alcohol use disorder (AUD) risk (measured through Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test [AUDIT] scores). Males and females differed significantly on six of the eight acceptability items, with males showing more positive responses toward the anklet than females. No differences were found by white/non-white racial/ethnic groups nor AUD risk. Results suggest positive levels of acceptability toward the device overall while in natural environments, further validating the usage of the device in studies that measure alcohol consumption among different groups, including those with high levels of alcohol consumption. Researchers should take into consideration the different levels of burden or discomfort in male versus female participants when using the device.

Protection of hybrid immunity against SARS-CoV-2 reinfection and severe COVID-19 during periods of Omicron variant predominance in Mexico.

Background: With the widespread transmission of the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant, reinfections have become increasingly common. Here, we explored the role of immunity, primary infection severity, and variant predominance in the risk of reinfection and severe COVID-19 during Omicron predominance in Mexico. Methods: We analyzed reinfections in Mexico in individuals with a primary infection separated by at least 90 days from reinfection using a national surveillance registry of SARS-CoV-2 cases from March 3rd, 2020, to August 13th, 2022. Immunity-generating events included primary infection, partial or complete vaccination, and booster vaccines. Reinfections were matched by age and sex with controls with primary SARS-CoV-2 infection and negative RT-PCR or antigen test at least 90 days after primary infection to explore reinfection and severe disease risk factors. We also compared the protective efficacy of heterologous and homologous vaccine boosters against reinfection. Results: We detected 231,202 SARS-CoV-2 reinfections in Mexico, most occurring in unvaccinated individuals (41.55%). Over 207,623 reinfections occurred during periods of Omicron (89.8%), BA.1 (36.74%), and BA.5 (33.67%) subvariant predominance and a case-fatality rate of 0.22%. Vaccination protected against reinfection, without significant influence of the order of immunity-generating events and provided >90% protection against severe reinfections. Heterologous booster schedules were associated with ~11% and ~ 54% lower risk for reinfection and reinfection-associated severe COVID-19, respectively, modified by time-elapsed since the last immunity-generating event, when compared against complete primary schedules. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 reinfections increased during Omicron predominance. Hybrid immunity provides protection against reinfection and associated severe COVID-19, with potential benefit from heterologous booster schedules.