Silicone Wristbands as a Personal Passive Sampler to Evaluate Indoor Exposure to Volatile and Non-volatile PFASs.

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) primarily occurs via consumption of contaminated drinking water and food; however, individuals can also be exposed dermally and via inhalation indoors. This study developed an analytical method for measuring volatile PFASs in silicone wristbands and used them to assess personal exposure in a Midwestern community ( = 87). Paired samples of blood and wristbands were analyzed for PFASs using LC-MS/MS and GC-HRMS to monitor both non-volatile and volatile PFASs.

Self-Collection Blood Test for PFASs: Comparing Volumetric Microsamplers with a Traditional Serum Approach.

A remote sampling approach was developed at Eurofins for quantifying per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in whole blood samples collected using volumetric absorptive microsamplers (VAMSs), which allow for self-collection of blood using a finger prick. This study compares PFAS exposure measured by self-collection of blood using VAMSs to the standard venous serum approach. Blood samples were collected from participants ( = 53) in a community with prior PFAS drinking water contamination using a venous blood draw as well as participant self-collection using VAMSs.

Changes in Mental Health, Emotional Distress, and Substance Use Affecting Women Experiencing Violence and Their Service Providers during COVID-19 in a U.S. Southern State.

Research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed many unintended consequences of mandated safety precautions, including increased perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV), increases in substance use, and worsening mental health conditions. We conducted a repeated, cross-sectional survey of survivors of IPV, a longitudinal survey of service providers working in an IPV shelter, and interviews with both. We conducted surveys at the beginning of the pandemic and nearly half a year later to assess mental health and, for clients, substance use.

"A reinstilled hope that they can change": Facilitator perspectives on a self-care and health promotion peer group program for veterans.

Introduction: This study assessed the relevance, value, and effectiveness of "Taking Charge of My Life and Health" (TCMLH), a patient wellbeing peer group program for U.S. veterans focused on empowering them to identify what really matters in their lives and to work toward health goals that align with their mission, aspirations, or purpose in life.

Shock wave formation from head-on collision of two subsonic vortex rings.

Vortex ring collisions have attracted intense interest in both water and air studies (Baird in Proc R Soc Lond Ser Math Phys Sci 409:59-65, 1987, Poudel et al. in Phys Fluids 33:096105, 2021, Lim and Nickels in Nature 357:225, 1992, New et al. in Exp Fluids 57:109, 2016, Suzuki et al.

Achieving Whole Health: A Preliminary Study of TCMLH, a Group-Based Program Promoting Self-Care and Empowerment Among Veterans.

Objective: An emerging literature suggests patients with chronic illnesses can benefit from integrated, person-centric approaches to health care, including group-based programs. However, much of the research in this area is disease specific. The objective of this study was to collect preliminary evidence on the efficacy of Taking Charge of My Life and Health (TCMLH), a Whole Health group-based program that emphasizes self-care and empowerment on the overall health and well-being of veterans, a population burdened with high rates of multiple chronic conditions.

When Theater Comes to Engineering Design: Oh How Creative They Can Be.

The creative process is fun, complex, and sometimes frustrating, but it is critical to the future of our nation and progress in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), as well as other fields. Thus, we set out to see if implementing methods of active learning typical to the theater department could impact the creativity of senior capstone design students in the bioengineering (BE) department. Senior bioengineering capstone design students were allowed to self-select into groups.

Furosemide as a potential unintended urine drug screen confounder during methadone maintenance treatment.

Patients receiving chronic methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) for addiction are closely monitored for signs of relapse. Urine drug screen (UDS) comprises a major component of ongoing patient assessment. As patients continue with MMT, developing medical conditions may necessitate addition of medications that interfere with UDS.

High-yield expression in E. coli and refolding of the bZIP domain of activating transcription factor 5.

Activating transcription factor 5 (ATF5) recently has been demonstrated to play a critical role in promoting the survival of human glioblastoma cells. Interference with the function of ATF5 in an in vivo rat model caused glioma cell death in primary tumors but did not affect the status of normal cells surrounding the tumor, suggesting ATF5 may prove an ideal target for anti-cancer therapy. In order to examine ATF5 as a pharmaceutical target, the protein must be produced and purified to sufficient quantity to begin analyses.