Applying trace element geochemistry of archaeological bone to study the coevolution of environmental change and human health in the Roman Empire.

Technological change has affected human health dating back to at least the Neolithic agricultural revolution. Growing evidence indicates widespread environmental pollution began with metallurgical practices and continues today. Environmental exposures to trace elements released from these practices have the potential to alter human body composition, such as bone mineral chemistry, especially for elements that are not homeostatically regulated.

Surgical Management of Complicated Thoracic Fungal Infections: A Case Series from a Tertiary Referral Center.

Although rare in the general population, pulmonary fungal infections usually occur in immunocompromised patients. The mainstay of pulmonary fungal infection treatment is prolonged intravenous antifungal therapy. However, surgical management may be required in cases of complex disease, resistance to medical therapy or percutaneous procedures, or associated complications such as fungal empyema and massive hemoptysis.

Conceptual design of a Doppler spectrometer for 102 m/s cross-field flows in tokamak divertors.

The cross-field transport in the scrape-off-layers (SOLs) and divertors in tokamaks is of a similar size to the poloidal component of the parallel flow, thereby significantly impacting the plasma transport there. However, its direct observation has been challenging because the drift velocity (102-103 m/s) is significantly below the detection limit of conventional diagnostics. To realize cross-field ion flow measurement, a variety of systematic uncertainties in the system must be narrowed down.

Impact of statutory revisions to family-petitioned civil commitment in South Korea.

Introduction: This study examined the impact of statutory revisions in 2016 which aimed to enhance procedural justice within the process of civil commitment for persons diagnosed with mental illnesses (PDMI) in South Korea. These changes included requiring that PDMI pose a threat of danger to self or others and the need for treatment simultaneously as criteria for petitioning civil commitment. Additionally, the revision established a public entity to oversee the legitimacy of petitions to involuntarily commit PDMI to inpatient treatment.

Tracing the origin of SARS-CoV-2 omicron-like spike sequences detected in an urban sewershed: a targeted, longitudinal surveillance study of a cryptic wastewater lineage.

Background: The origin of novel SARS-CoV-2 spike sequences found in wastewater, without corresponding detection in clinical specimens, remains unclear. We sought to determine the origin of one such cryptic wastewater lineage by tracking and characterising its persistence and genomic evolution over time.

Methods: We first detected a cryptic lineage, WI-CL-001, in municipal wastewater in Wisconsin, USA, in January, 2022.

Wastewater Surveillance Data as a Complement to Emergency Department Visit Data for Tracking Incidence of Influenza A and Respiratory Syncytial Virus - Wisconsin, August 2022-March 2023.

Wastewater surveillance has been used to assist public health authorities in tracking local transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The usefulness of wastewater surveillance to track community spread of other respiratory pathogens, including influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), is less clear. During the 2022-23 respiratory diseases season, concentrations of influenza A virus and RSV in wastewater samples in three major Wisconsin cities were compared with emergency department (ED) visits associated with these pathogens.

Patterns and Predictors of Sustained Training and Technical Assistance Engagement Among Addiction Treatment and Affiliated Providers.

The current study draws upon data collected over a 4-year period by a regional addiction technology transfer center (ATTC) to better understand the learning patterns and methods of learning engagement among behavioral health professionals. Training participants were found to be predominately female and ethnically diverse, evenly split on attaining a graduate degree, with a third of the participants possessing less than a 4-year college degree. More than one-half reported working in non-health/non-behavioral healthcare settings.

Exportin 1 inhibition prevents neuroendocrine transformation through SOX2 down-regulation in lung and prostate cancers.

In lung and prostate adenocarcinomas, neuroendocrine (NE) transformation to an aggressive derivative resembling small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is associated with poor prognosis. We previously described dependency of SCLC on the nuclear transporter exportin 1. Here, we explored the role of exportin 1 in NE transformation.

Expanded olfactory system in ray-finned fishes capable of terrestrial exploration.

Background: Smell abilities differ greatly among vertebrate species due to distinct sensory needs, with exceptional variability reported in the number of olfactory genes and the size of the odour-processing regions of the brain. However, key environmental factors shaping genomic and phenotypic changes linked to the olfactory system remain difficult to identify at macroevolutionary scales. Here, we investigate the association between diverse ecological traits and the number of olfactory chemoreceptors in approximately two hundred ray-finned fishes.

Esophageal cancer T-staging on MRI: A preliminary study using cine and static MR sequences.

Objectives: To evaluate the added value of cine MR in addition to static MRI for T-Staging assessment of esophageal cancer (EC).

Materials And Methods: This prospective monocentric study included 54 patients (mean age 66.3 ± 9.

Geographic differences in exposures to metals and essential elements in pregnant women living in Suriname.

Background: In Suriname, 20% of pregnancies end in adverse birth outcomes. While prenatal exposure to metals may lead to adverse health outcomes, exposure assessments in Suriname are scant. Environmental contamination from mercury (Hg) used in artisanal goldmining in the Amazonian Interior, and the uncontrolled use of pesticides in suburban regions are of particular concern.

First demonstration of a fiber optic bolometer on a tokamak plasma (invited).

A fiber optic bolometer (FOB) was demonstrated observing a fusion plasma for the first time at the DIII-D tokamak. A FOB uses a fiber optics-based interferometric technique that is designed to have a high sensitivity to temperature changes [75 mK/(W/m) responsivity in high vacuum with 0.38 mK noise level] with a negligible susceptibility to electromagnetic interference (EMI) that can be problematic for resistive bolometers in a tokamak environment.

The influence of individualistic worldviews on severe weather preparation.

How do people think they should prepare for tornadoes? To answer this question, we surveyed 340 people in six states in tornado alley and presented eight severe weather preparation choice sets that varied short and long-term benefits and costs with benefits or to the individual or to the community. Fifty-six percent of respondents preferred tornado preparations for the long-term that benefit individuals rather than the community. Correlations between personal characteristics, future expectations, and an individual's preferred preparation strategy show that being married, expecting stronger tornados, and having an individualistic worldview significantly increased the choice of individual preparation options.

Aerosol Oxidative Potential in the Greater Los Angeles Area: Source Apportionment and Associations with Socioeconomic Position.

Oxidative potential (OP) has been proposed as a possible integrated metric for particles smaller than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM) to evaluate adverse health outcomes associated with particulate air pollution exposure. Here, we investigate how OP depends on sources and chemical composition and how OP varies by land use type and neighborhood socioeconomic position in the Los Angeles area.

The Association between Mercury and Lead Exposure and Liver and Kidney Function in Pregnant Surinamese Women Enrolled in the Caribbean Consortium for Research in Environmental and Occupational Health (CCREOH) Environmental Epidemiologic Cohort Study.

Exposure to mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) may have an effect on pregnant women. We assessed the effect of exposure to mercury and lead on liver and kidney functions in a subcohort of pregnant women who participated in the Caribbean Consortium for Research in Environmental and Occupational Health (CCREOH)—Meki Tamara, study. From 400 women aged 16−46 living in rural, urban, and interior regions of Suriname, we measured blood mercury and blood lead levels.

Intestinal Calcium Absorption Decreases After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Despite Optimization of Vitamin D Status.

Context: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), now the most commonly performed bariatric operation, is a highly effective treatment for obesity. While Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is known to impair intestinal fractional calcium absorption (FCA) and negatively affect bone metabolism, LSG's effects on calcium homeostasis and bone health have not been well characterized.

Objective: We determined the effect of LSG on FCA, while maintaining robust 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels and recommended calcium intake.

Exposure models for particulate matter elemental concentrations in Southern California.

Due to a scarcity of routine monitoring of speciated particulate matter (PM), there has been limited capability to develop exposure models that robustly estimate component-specific concentrations. This paper presents the largest such study conducted in a single urban area. Using samples that were collected at 220 locations over two seasons, quasi-ultrafine (PM), accumulation mode fine (PM), and coarse (PM) particulate matter concentrations were used to develop spatiotemporal regression, machine learning models that enabled predictions of 24 elemental components in eight Southern California communities.

Design and Implementation of a COVID-19 Case Investigation Program: An Academic-Public Health Partnership, Arizona, 2020.

From May through July 2020, Arizona was a global hotspot for new COVID-19 cases. In response to the surge of cases, local public health departments looked for innovative ways to form external partnerships to address their staffing needs. In collaboration with the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, the Arizona State University Student Outbreak Response Team (SORT) created and implemented a virtual call center to conduct public health case investigations for COVID-19.

Prebiotic to Improve Calcium Absorption in Postmenopausal Women After Gastric Bypass: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Context: The adverse skeletal effects of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) are partly caused by intestinal calcium absorption decline. Prebiotics, such as soluble corn fiber (SCF), augment colonic calcium absorption in healthy individuals.

Objective: We tested the effects of SCF on fractional calcium absorption (FCA), biochemical parameters, and the fecal microbiome in a post-RYGB population.

Gene family evolution underlies cell-type diversification in the hypothalamus of teleosts.

Hundreds of cell types form the vertebrate brain but it is largely unknown how similar cellular repertoires are between or within species or how cell-type diversity evolves. To examine cell-type diversity across and within species, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing of ~130,000 hypothalamic cells from zebrafish (Danio rerio) and surface and cave morphs of Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexicanus). We found that over 75% of cell types were shared between zebrafish and Mexican tetra, which diverged from a common ancestor over 150 million years ago.