Use of tobacco during COVID-19: A qualitative study among medically underserved individuals.

The COVID-19 pandemic produced stress for people around the world. The perception that tobacco can be a coping tool for stress relief suggests that the conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic can provide insight into the relationship between stress and tobacco use patterns, particularly among those most at risk for severe COVID-19 disease. The goal was to identify the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on tobacco use and preparedness for smoking cessation among individuals who smoke and are older and medically underserved.

Building and Maintaining a Whole Community Initiative: Health Communication in Practice with Be Well Communities™.

The most effective health communication builds from evidence-based best practices and theory. In practice, health campaigns rely on considerations often under-discussed in health communication, such as consistent agency-style client service, image management, and community coalition-building. Health outcome progress often requires change at multiple levels, from individual cognition and behavior to policy creation.

Implementation and Evaluation of a Multi-level, Place-Based Tobacco Prevention and Control Program at a Minority-Serving Institution in Texas.

Multi-level, place-based interventions have proven effective at promoting a range of health behaviors, including tobacco control and discouraging the uptake of tobacco products. This paper describes the implementation and impact of a 3-year, multi-level tobacco prevention and control program at a community-college minority-serving institution (MSI) on the Texas Gulf Coast within the context of a broader multi-sector, cross-functional health coalition. The intervention studied included a tobacco-free policy, a large-scale communication campaign highlighting parts of the intervention and prevention and cessation resources.

Understanding the impact of community-based sun safety interventions on a college campus in Texas.

: Examine the impact of a community-based, multi-component sun intervention on the campus of Lee College in Baytown, Texas. : 735 respondents completed the survey as part of a range of campus topics. : Survey data on the program were gathered through an emailed campus-wide survey to better understand the community's perceptions and awareness as well as campaign effectiveness over time.

Application of Funnel Metadynamics to the Platelet Integrin αIIbβ3 in Complex with an RGD Peptide.

Integrin αβ mediates platelet aggregation by binding the Arginyl-Glycyl-Aspartic acid (RGD) sequence of fibrinogen. RGD binding occurs at a site topographically proximal to the α and β subunits, promoting the conformational activation of the receptor from bent to extended states. While several experimental approaches have characterized RGD binding to αβ integrin, applying computational methods has been significantly more challenging due to limited sampling and the need for a priori information regarding the interactions between the RGD peptide and integrin.

Drunken lipid membranes, not drunken SNARE proteins, promote fusion in a model of neurotransmitter release.

Alcohol affects many neuronal proteins that are upstream or down-stream of synaptic vesicle fusion and neurotransmitter release. Less well studied is alcohol's effect on the fusion machinery including SNARE proteins and lipid membranes. Using a SNARE-driven fusion assay we show that fusion probability is significantly increased at 0.

The mediating role of social support between HIV stigma and sexual orientation-based medical mistrust among newly HIV-diagnosed gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men.

HIV-related stigma and medical mistrust are significant challenges to addressing HIV inequities among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM). HIV-related stigma is associated with high levels of medical mistrust, but there is limited knowledge regarding the mechanisms that link these variables. We examined the potential mediating roles of social support and coping in the relationship between perceived HIV stigma and sexual orientation based-medical mistrust among newly HIV-diagnosed MSM.

Drivers of fungal diversity and community biogeography differ between green roofs and adjacent ground-level green space.

Green roof soils are usually engineered for purposes other than urban biodiversity, which may impact their fungal communities, and in turn impact the health of plants in the urban ecosystem. We examined the drivers of fungal diversity and community composition in soil of green roofs and adjacent ground-level green spaces in three Midwestern USA cities-Chicago, Cleveland, and Minneapolis. Overall, fungal communities on green roofs were more diverse than ground-level green spaces and were correlated with plant cover (positively) and roof age (negatively) rather than abiotic soil properties.

A CpG 1018 adjuvanted neuraminidase vaccine provides robust protection from influenza virus challenge in mice.

Influenza virus infections pose a significant threat to global health. Vaccination is the main countermeasure against influenza virus spread, however, the effectiveness of vaccines is variable. Current seasonal influenza virus vaccines mostly rely on the immunodominant hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein on the viral surface, which usually leads to a narrow and strain-specific immune response.

Adjuvanting a subunit SARS-CoV-2 vaccine with clinically relevant adjuvants induces durable protection in mice.

Adjuvants enhance the magnitude and the durability of the immune response to vaccines. However, there is a paucity of comparative studies on the nature of the immune responses stimulated by leading adjuvant candidates. In this study, we compared five clinically relevant adjuvants in mice-alum, AS03 (a squalene-based adjuvant supplemented with α-tocopherol), AS37 (a TLR7 ligand emulsified in alum), CpG1018 (a TLR9 ligand emulsified in alum), O/W 1849101 (a squalene-based adjuvant)-for their capacity to stimulate immune responses when combined with a subunit vaccine under clinical development.

Increase Intensive Care Staff Comfort and Proficiency With Emergent Re-sternotomy in the Post-Open-Heart Patient by Using SynDaver® Simulation.

Simulation training has been used in many avenues such as aeronautics, law enforcement, and healthcare to assist in training personnel to learn a new task and perform highly technical procedures. Simulation training has demonstrated beneficial for providing low-use, high-risk jobs such as landing a plane with a complete engine failure, performing reconstructive surgery, and even emergent lifesaving procedures. Our simulation training group chose to develop our custom hands-on training to perform emergent re-sternotomy on the post-open-heart patient based upon this belief.

The evaluation of mandatory alerts on long-acting opioid prescriptions and the use of a community pharmacy naloxone protocol.

Background: Opioid overdose deaths accounted for approximately 69.5% of the total drug overdoses in the United States in 2018. In the same year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that around 9 million opportunities to dispense naloxone to high-risk patients were missed.

A review of TNP-ATP in protein binding studies: benefits and pitfalls.

We review 50 years of use of 2',3'-O-trinitrophenyl (TNP)-ATP, a fluorescently tagged ATP analog. It has been extensively used to detect binding interactions of ATP to proteins and to measure parameters of those interactions such as the dissociation constant, K, or inhibitor dissociation constant, K. TNP-ATP has also found use in other applications, for example, as a fluorescence marker in microscopy, as a FRET pair, or as an antagonist (e.

A Phase Ib Open-Label, Multicenter Study of Inhaled DV281, a TLR9 Agonist, in Combination with Nivolumab in Patients with Advanced or Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: Although PD-(L)1 inhibitors have shown efficacy in advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), many patients do not respond to this treatment and more effective combinations with acceptable toxicities are needed. To assess the potential benefit of combining localized innate immune stimulation with checkpoint blockade, the TLR9 agonist DV281 was combined with nivolumab in a phase Ib study.

Patients And Methods: Patients after one or two prior lines of systemic therapy were enrolled in a dose-escalation study with a 3+3 design.

Adjuvanting a subunit COVID-19 vaccine to induce protective immunity.

The development of a portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines to vaccinate the global population remains an urgent public health imperative. Here we demonstrate the capacity of a subunit vaccine, comprising the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain displayed on an I53-50 protein nanoparticle scaffold (hereafter designated RBD-NP), to stimulate robust and durable neutralizing-antibody responses and protection against SARS-CoV-2 in rhesus macaques. We evaluated five adjuvants including Essai O/W 1849101, a squalene-in-water emulsion; AS03, an α-tocopherol-containing oil-in-water emulsion; AS37, a Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist adsorbed to alum; CpG1018-alum, a TLR9 agonist formulated in alum; and alum.

Adjuvanting a subunit SARS-CoV-2 nanoparticle vaccine to induce protective immunity in non-human primates.

The development of a portfolio of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to vaccinate the global population remains an urgent public health imperative. Here, we demonstrate the capacity of a subunit vaccine under clinical development, comprising the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein receptor-binding domain displayed on a two-component protein nanoparticle (RBD-NP), to stimulate robust and durable neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses and protection against SARS-CoV-2 in non-human primates. We evaluated five different adjuvants combined with RBD-NP including Essai O/W 1849101, a squalene-in-water emulsion; AS03, an alpha-tocopherol-containing squalene-based oil-in-water emulsion used in pandemic influenza vaccines; AS37, a TLR-7 agonist adsorbed to Alum; CpG 1018-Alum (CpG-Alum), a TLR-9 agonist formulated in Alum; or Alum, the most widely used adjuvant.

Use of Standardized History and Physical Examination for Neurosurgical Patients Improves Clinical Documentation and Reimbursement.

Background: Documentation is the cornerstone of good patient care and vital to proper coding and billing. Consistent and standardized documentation improves communication among physicians and can lead to better reimbursement. By understanding which elements in the neurosurgery history and physical examination are omitted the most often and the effects on the coding level, institutional-specific solutions can be implemented.

Development of CpG-adjuvanted stable prefusion SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen as a subunit vaccine against COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a worldwide health emergency which calls for an unprecedented race for vaccines and treatment. In developing a COVID-19 vaccine, we applied technology previously used for MERS-CoV to produce a prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, S-2P. To enhance immunogenicity and mitigate the potential vaccine-induced immunopathology, CpG 1018, a Th1-biasing synthetic toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist was selected as an adjuvant candidate.

A Phase 2a, Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled Randomized Trial of Inhaled TLR9 Agonist AZD1419 in Asthma.

To examine the potential of TLR9 (Toll-like receptor 9) activation to modulate the type 2 immune response in asthma. To evaluate efficacy and safety of AZD1419, an inhaled TLR9 agonist, in a phase 2a, randomized, double-blind trial. Adult patients with asthma with a history of elevated eosinophils (>250 cells/μl) were randomized 1:1 to receive 13 once-weekly doses of inhaled AZD1419 (1, 4, or 8 mg;  = 40) or placebo ( = 41).

Tobacco Retail Licensing and Density 3 Years After License Regulations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2012-2019).

To evaluate changes in licensed tobacco retailers and retailer density 5 years before and 3 years after novel tobacco retailer licensing regulations were implemented in a large, urban area. We used administrative tobacco license data (n = 23 806 licenses, 2012-2019) to calculate (1) annual retailer density by district (n = 18), (2) density by district and school income status, and (3) retailers within 500 feet of schools (n = 673) before and after regulations. Observed tobacco retailer density declined by 20.

Low-dose metronomic cyclophosphamide complements the actions of an intratumoral C-class CpG TLR9 agonist to potentiate innate immunity and drive potent T cell-mediated anti-tumor responses.

The synthetic oligonucleotide SD-101 is a potent and specific agonist for toll-like receptor 9. Intratumoral injection of SD-101 induces significant anti-tumor immunity in preclinical and clinical studies, especially when combined with PD-1 blockade. To build upon this strategy, we studied the enhancement of SD-101 activities by combination with low-dose cyclophosphamide, a well-characterized agent with potentially complementary activities.

Smoke-Free Outdoor Seating Policy: 1-Year Changes in Compliance of Bars and Restaurants in Philadelphia.

Purpose: To evaluate changes in compliance with a smoke-free outdoor seating policy before and after passage of a local regulation in 2015, which reinterpreted Philadelphia's Clean Indoor Air Worker Protection Law to include outdoor seating areas of food or beverage establishments.

Design: Natural experiment.

Setting: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Changes in voluntary admission and restraint use after a comprehensive tobacco-free policy in inpatient psychiatric health facilities.

Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, predominantly due to tobacco use, are the leading causes of death among individuals with serious and persistent mental illness. However, many psychiatric health facilities do not routinely treat tobacco use disorder. The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of implementing a tobacco-free policy in inpatient psychiatric health facilities in a large, urban setting on behavioral problems, treatment access, and tobacco treatment.