Criminal Justice Referrals to Cannabis Use Disorder Treatment among Adolescents and Young Adults following Recreational Cannabis Legalization in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates whether the proportion of referrals to cannabis use disorder (CUD) treatment from the criminal justice system declined among adolescents (aged 12-17 years) and young adults (aged 18-24 years) following state recreational (adult use) cannabis legalization in the United States between 2008 and 2019. METHODS: Cannabis use disorder treatment referral data were extracted from the Treatment Episode Dataset-Admissions and used to calculate trends in the number and proportion of criminal justice referrals. Difference-in-differences analysis was used to estimate the effect of recreational legalization on the state-level proportion of criminal justice referrals as a share of all admissions. RESULTS: Nationwide, the number and proportion of adolescent and young adult criminal justice referrals to CUD treatment declined over the study period. The proportion of young adult criminal justice referrals declined significantly more rapidly after recreational legalization as compared with before ( ß = -0.045; 95% confidence interval, -0.079 to -0.010; P = 0.01). Among adolescents, the trajectory of decline in the proportion of criminal justice referrals did not change significantly following recreational legalization ( ß = -0.033; 95% confidence interval, -0.073 to 0.008; P = 0.11). CONCLUSIONS: The decline in the proportion of young adult criminal justice referrals to CUD treatment following recreational legalization is likely due to falling cannabis-related arrests. Although cannabis criminalization may result in court-mandated CUD treatment for some young adults without CUD, the decline in CUD treatment admissions during a period of increasing CUD risk factors associated with recreational legalization represents a key health concern. Promoting screening and other CUD treatment referral sources, such as through primary care, may be warranted.

Association of multi-criteria derived air toxics hazard score with lung cancer incidence in a major metropolitan area.

Background: Lung cancer remains a major health problem world-wide. Environmental exposure to lung cancer carcinogens can affect lung cancer incidence. We investigated the association between lung cancer incidence and an air toxics hazard score of environmental carcinogen exposures derived previously under the exposome concept. Methods: Lung cancer cases diagnosed in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties between 2008 and 2017 were identified from the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry. Age-adjusted incidence rates at the ZIP code level were calculated based on the residential address at diagnosis. The air toxics hazard score, an aggregate measure for lung cancer carcinogen exposures, was derived using the criteria of toxicity, persistence, and occurrence. Areas with high incidence or hazard score were identified. Spatial autoregressive models were fitted to evaluate the association, with and without adjusting for confounders. Stratified analysis by smoking prevalence was performed to examine potential interactions. Results: We observed significantly higher age-adjusted incidence rates in ZIP codes that had higher air toxics hazard score values after controlling for demographic variables, smoking prevalence, and proximity to major highways. Analyzes stratified by smoking prevalence suggested that exposure to environmental lung carcinogens had a larger effect on cancer incidence in locations with higher smoking prevalence. Conclusion: The positive association between the multi-criteria derived air toxics hazard score and lung cancer incidence provides the initial evidence to validate the hazard score as an aggregate measure of carcinogenic exposures in the environment. The hazard score can be used to supplement the existing risk factors in identifying high risk individuals. Communities with higher incidence/hazard score may benefit from greater awareness of lung cancer risk factors and targeted screening programs.

Recreational cannabis legalization alters associations among cannabis use, perception of risk, and cannabis use disorder treatment for adolescents and young adults.

OBJECTIVE: Understanding how recreational cannabis legalization may impact cannabis use disorder (CUD) among adolescents and young adults is key to developing an appropriate public health response. This research investigates whether associations among adolescent and young adult perception of risk of harm from cannabis use, prevalence of past-month cannabis use, and rate of CUD treatment admissions changed following recreational cannabis legalization in the US, 2008-2019. METHODS: Data from the NSDUH and TEDS-A datasets are employed in difference-in-differences models of the effect of recreational legalization on perception of risk, cannabis use prevalence, and CUD treatment admissions. Moderated models test whether associations among variables changed following recreational legalization. RESULTS: Following recreational legalization: 1) adolescent and young adult past-month cannabis use prevalence increased; 2) among both adolescents and young adults, the association of lower perception of risk of harm with higher cannabis use prevalence was strengthened; 3) among adolescents, the association of higher cannabis use prevalence with higher CUD treatment admissions was suppressed; and 4) among young adults, an association of higher cannabis use prevalence with lower CUD treatment admissions emerged. CONCLUSIONS: Recreational legalization is likely to increase cannabis use among adolescents and young adults who perceive cannabis as less harmful, while at the same time reduce rates of CUD treatment utilization. These trends portend an increase in unmet need for CUD treatment for age groups particularly vulnerable to the development and negative consequences of CUD.

Air pollution and lung cancer survival in Pennsylvania.

OBJECTIVE: Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Exposure to outdoor air pollution (OAP) is associated with increased lung cancer incidence, however little is known about the association of OAP and survival after diagnosis. METHODS: We investigated the effects of OAP and lung cancer survival in Pennsylvania using data from Pennsylvania Cancer Registry. The study population consisted of 252,123 patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2017. The Environmental Protection Agency's ambient air monitoring network provided information on OAP exposure of NO2, O3, PM2.5, and PM10. Mean OAP exposures were calculated by interpolating exposure concentrations from the five nearest monitors within a 50-kilometer radius of each patient's residential address from date of diagnosis to date of death or last contact. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) for OAP exposures for overall and lung cancer-specific survival. Statistical analyses were stratified by SEER cancer stage groupings (localized, regional, and distant) and adjusted for individual-level and area-level covariates. RESULTS: Median survival time was 0.76 [CIs: 0.75, 0.77] years for the study population and for localized, regional, and distant site diagnosis were 2.2 [CIs: 2.17, 2.23], 1.13 [CIs: 1.12, 1.15], and 0.42 [CIs: 0.41, 0.43] years, respectively. NO2 indicated the greatest HR which increased with increasing magnitude of exposure across all cancer staging groups for deaths before 2-years post-diagnosis. HRs varied by stage and magnitude of OAP exposure with greatest overall effects shown in NO2 followed by PM2.5, O3, and PM10. A subgroup analysis of patients with treatment status information (2010-2017) showed similar associations of increasing HRs with increasing exposure. CONCLUSION: These findings supported the hypotheses that OAP can influence the carcinogenic process, impairing chemotherapy treatment, and provide important public health implications since environmental factors are not often considered in prognosis of survival after diagnosis.

Identification of spatio-temporal clusters of lung cancer cases in Pennsylvania, USA: 2010-2017.

BACKGROUND: It is known that geographic location plays a role in developing lung cancer. The objectives of this study were to examine spatio-temporal patterns of lung cancer incidence in Pennsylvania, to identify geographic clusters of high incidence, and to compare demographic characteristics and general physical and mental health characteristics in those areas. METHOD: We geocoded the residential addresses at the time of diagnosis for lung cancer cases in the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry diagnosed between 2010 and 2017. Relative risks over the expected case counts at the census tract level were estimated using a log-linear Poisson model that allowed for spatial and temporal effects. Spatio-temporal clusters with high incidence were identified using scan statistics. Demographics obtained from the 2011-2015 American Community Survey and health variables obtained from 2020 CDC PLACES database were compared between census tracts that were part of clusters versus those that were not. RESULTS: Overall, the age-adjusted incidence rates and the relative risk of lung cancer decreased from 2010 to 2017 with no statistically significant space and time interaction. The analyses detected 5 statistically significant clusters over the 8-year study period. Cluster 1, the most likely cluster, was in southeastern PA including Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties from 2010 to 2013 (log likelihood ratio = 136.6); Cluster 2, the cluster with the largest area was in southwestern PA in the same period including Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties (log likelihood ratio = 78.6). Cluster 3 was in Mifflin County from 2014 to 2016 (log likelihood ratio = 25.3), Cluster 4 was in Luzerne County from 2013 to 2016 (log likelihood ratio = 18.1), and Cluster 5 was in Dauphin, Cumberland, and York Counties limited to 2010 to 2012 (log likelihood ratio = 17.9). Census tracts that were part of the high incidence clusters tended to be densely populated, had higher percentages of African American and residents that live below poverty line, and had poorer mental health and physical health when compared to the non-clusters (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These high incidence areas for lung cancer warrant further monitoring for other individual and environmental risk factors and screening efforts so lung cancer cases can be identified early and more efficiently.

Publicly available data reveals association between asthma hospitalizations and unconventional natural gas development in Pennsylvania.

Since the early 2000s, unconventional natural gas development (UNGD) has rapidly grown throughout Pennsylvania. UNGD extracts natural gas using a relatively new method known as hydraulic fracturing (HF). Here we addressed the association of HF with asthma Hospitalization Admission Rates (HAR) using publicly available data. Using public county-level data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA-DOH) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for the years 2001-2014, we constructed regression models to study the previously observed association between asthma exacerbation and HF. After considering multicollinearity, county-level demographics and area-level covariables were included to account for known asthma risk factors. We found a significant positive association between the asthma HAR and annual well density for all the counties in the state (3% increase in HAR attributable to HF, p<0.001). For a sensitivity analysis, we excluded urban counties (urban counties have higher asthma exacerbations) and focused on rural counties for the years 2005-2014 and found a significant association (3.31% increase in HAR attributable to HF in rural counties, p<0.001). An even stronger association was found between asthma hospitalization admission rates (HAR) and PM2.5 levels (7.52% increase in HAR attributable to PM2.5, p<0.001). As expected, asthma HAR was significantly higher in urban compared to rural counties and showed a significant racial disparity. We conclude that publicly available data at the county-level supports an association between an increase in asthma HAR and UNGD in rural counties in Pennsylvania.

Neighborhood disadvantage moderates the effect of a mobile health intervention on adolescent depression.

This study leverages data from a pilot randomized controlled trial to investigate whether the effectiveness of a text-delivered mHealth intervention targeting adolescent depression and anxiety differs according to residential- and activity space-based measures of exposure to community-level socioeconomic disadvantage. For depression, we find that intervention efficacy is significantly stronger for youth residing in more disadvantaged neighborhoods, even after controlling for individual level socioeconomic status, as well as marginal moderating effects of activity space-based neighborhood disadvantage on treatment efficacy. We do not find evidence of treatment efficacy moderation by neighborhood disadvantage regarding anxiety. While the generalizability of our findings is restricted to this sample and for this intervention, this research serves as a motivating example and initial evidence for how mHealth intervention efficacy can vary by characteristics of the environment, in particular community-level disadvantage. Future clinical research should investigate whether the effectiveness of mHealth interventions may be enhanced by personalization based on an individual's contextual environmental exposures.

Lead Pollution, Demographics, and Environmental Health Risks: The Case of Philadelphia, USA.

Lead (Pb) soil contamination in urban environments represents a considerable health risk for exposed populations, which often include environmental justice communities. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PA), Pb pollution is a major concern primarily due to extensive historical Pb-smelting/processing activity and legacy use of Pb-based paints and leaded gasoline. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) organized and/or compiled community-driven soil sampling campaigns to investigate Pb content in surface soils across Philadelphia. Using these data (n = 1277), combined with our own dataset (n = 1388), we explored the spatial distribution of Pb content in soils across the city using ArcGIS. While assessing Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP)-code level data, we found strong correlations between factors, such as the percentage of children with elevated blood lead levels (% EBLL) and % minority population as well as between % EBLL and % children in poverty. We developed a "Lead Index" that took demographics, median measured Pb-in-soil content, and % EBLLs into account to identify ZIP codes in need of further assessment. Our results will be used to help lower the Pb-exposure risk for vulnerable children living in disproportionately burdened communities.

Young adult cannabis use disorder treatment admissions declined as past month cannabis use increased in the U.S.: An analysis of states by year, 2008-2017.

OBJECTIVE: This short communication reports on the association of annual measures of young adult (age 18-24) past month cannabis use with cannabis use disorder (CUD) treatment admissions by state in the U.S. from 2008 to 2017. METHODS: Annual data on percentage of past month cannabis use and the total number of CUD treatment admissions among young adults were acquired for each state from SAMHSA NSDUH and TEDS-A data sets. For each state, the correlation over time between cannabis use and treatment admissions rate was calculated and visualized in a choropleth map. Fixed-effects regression, where effects are fixed by state, was used to investigate the association of cannabis use with treatment admissions rate. RESULTS: In 38 out of 50 states, including seven out of the eight states legalizing recreational cannabis during the study period, as young adult cannabis use increased, treatment admissions declined. Cannabis use is significantly and negatively associated with treatment admissions (ß = -7.21, 95% CI = -11.88, -2.54), even after controlling for health insurance coverage, criminal justice referral, treatment center availability, and cannabis legalization status. CONCLUSIONS: While it is possible that across the U.S. more young adults are using cannabis without developing CUD, we speculate that increasing social acceptance of cannabis use, and declining perception of harm, may influence treatment seeking behavior, potentially resulting in growing unmet need for CUD treatment among young adults. Monitoring state-level trends in cannabis use, CUD prevalence, and treatment admissions is key to developing CUD prevention and treatment policies targeted to timely, state-specific conditions.

Associations of public water system trihalomethane exposure during pregnancy with spontaneous preterm birth and the cervicovaginal microbial-immune state.

BACKGROUND: Water total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) are disinfectant byproducts found in municipal water supplies. TTHM exposure has been linked to cancer and may be associated with adverse reproductive outcomes. A non-optimal cervicovaginal microbiota and low cervicovaginal beta-defensin-2 levels are associated with increased risk of spontaneous preterm birth. Whether TTHM exposure increases the risk of spontaneous preterm birth or alters the cervicovaginal microbial or immune state is unknown. OBJECTIVE: Investigate associations of water TTHM levels with spontaneous preterm birth, a non-optimal cervicovaginal microbiota, and beta-defensin-2 levels in a completed, diverse, urban pregnancy cohort. We hypothesized that higher TTHM levels would be associated with spontaneous preterm birth, a non-optimal cervicovaginal microbiota, and lower beta-defensin-2 levels. DESIGN: Methods: This was a secondary analysis of participants (n = 474) in the Motherhood & Microbiome (M&M) study (n = 2000), who lived in Philadelphia and had cervicovaginal samples analyzed for cervicovaginal microbiota composition and beta-defensin-2 levels. The microbiota was classified into community state types (CSTs). CST IV (non-optimal microbiota) is characterized by a paucity of Lactobacillus species and wide array of anaerobes. Municipal water TTHM levels were obtained from 16 sites monthly across the city of Philadelphia to establish mean residential water supply levels for each participant for the first four months of pregnancy (prior to vaginal swab collection at 16-20 weeks' gestation). Associations of water TTHM levels with spontaneous preterm birth and a non-optimal cervicovaginal microbiota birth were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Multivariable linear regression was used to model associations of water TTHM levels with log-transformed cervicovaginal beta-defensin-2 levels. Since water TTHM levels vary by season and beta-defensin-2 levels have been shown to differ by race, stratified models by warm (April-September) and cold (October-March) seasons as well as by self-identified race were utilized. RESULTS: Participants' water supply TTHM levels (mean µg/L [SD]) were higher in the warm (53.5 [9.4]) than cold (33.4 [7.5]) season (p < 0.0001). TTHM levels were non-significantly higher among Black participants than non-Black participants (44.8 [13.5] vs. 41.8 [11.8], p = 0.07). No associations were detected between TTHM with spontaneous preterm birth (per SD increment of TTHM, aOR 0.94, 95%CI: 0.66, 1.34) or with CST IV (aOR 0.94, 95%CI: 0.86, 1.16). Counter to our hypothesis, we observed positive associations of water TTHM with log-transformed cervicovaginal beta-defensin-2 levels in unadjusted models (ß 0.20 [95%CI: 0.02, 0.39]) per SD increment of TTHM), but the association was null after adjustment for season. However, in models adjusted for covariates including season and stratified by race, TTHM was significantly associated with lower beta-defensin-2 levels among non-Black participants (ß -0.75 [95%CI: -1.43, -0.08]) but not among Black participants (ß 0.17 [95%CI: -0.15, 0.49]), interaction p = 0.013). CONCLUSION: We did not detect associations of water TTHM levels with spontaneous preterm birth or the structure of the cervicovaginal microbiota. However, the finding of a significant interaction between TTHM and race on beta-defensin-2 levels suggest that environmental exposures may contribute to differences in reproductive tract innate immune function by race. Future studies to delineate environmental contributions to the cervicovaginal microbial-immune state, a potentially important biologic underpinning for preterm birth, are warranted.

Environmental exposomics and lung cancer risk assessment in the Philadelphia metropolitan area using ZIP code-level hazard indices.

To illustrate methods for assessing environmental exposures associated with lung cancer risk, we investigated anthropogenic based air pollutant data in a major metropolitan area using United States-Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) (1987-2017), and PM2.5 (1998-2016) and NO2 (1996-2012) concentrations from NASA satellite data. We studied chemicals reported according to the following five exposome features: (1) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) cancer grouping; (2) priority EPA polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); (3) component of diesel exhaust; (4) status as a volatile organic compound (VOC); and (5) evidence of lung carcinogenesis. Published articles from PubChem were tallied for occurrences of 10 key characteristics of cancer-causing agents on those chemicals. Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) codes with higher exposures were identified in two ways: (1) combined mean exposure from all features, and (2) hazard index derived through a multi-step multi-criteria decision analysis (MMCDA) process. VOCs, IARC Group 1 carcinogens consisted 82.3% and 11.5% of the reported TRI emissions, respectively. ZIP codes along major highways tended to have greater exposure. The MMCDA approach yielded hazard indices based on imputed toxicity, occurrence, and persistence for risk assessment. Despite many studies describing environmental exposures and lung cancer risk, this study develops a method to integrate these exposures into population-based exposure estimates that could be incorporated into future lung cancer screening trials and benefit public health surveillance of lung cancer incidence. Our methodology may be applied to probe other hazardous exposures for other cancers.

Residential Greenspace and Urban Adolescent Substance Use: Exploring Interactive Effects with Peer Network Health, Sex, and Executive Function.

While urban greenspace is increasingly recognized as important to mental health, its role in substance use is understudied. This exploratory study investigates the interaction of greenspace with peer network health, sex, and executive function (EF) in models of substance use among a sample of disadvantaged, urban youth. Adolescents and their parents were recruited from a hospital in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Residential greenspace at the streetscape level was derived from analysis of Google Street View imagery. Logistic regression models were used to test the moderating effect of greenspace on the association between peer network health and substance use, as well as additional moderating effects of sex and EF. The significant negative association of peer network health with substance use occurred only among youth residing in high greenspace environments, a moderating effect which was stronger among youth with high EF deficit. The moderating effect of greenspace did not differ between girls and boys. Greenspace may play an important role in moderating peer influences on substance use among disadvantaged, urban adolescents, and such moderation may differ according to an individual's level of EF. This research provides evidence of differences in environmental susceptibility regarding contextual mechanisms of substance use among youth, and it informs the development of targeted substance use interventions that leverage social and environmental influences on adolescent substance use.

Alteration of yellow traffic paint in simulated environmental and biological fluids.

Pollution from heavy metals in urban environments is a topic of growing concern because many metals, including Pb and Cr, are a human health hazard. Exposure to Pb and Cr has been linked to the inhibition of neurological development as well as toxic effects on many organs. Yellow traffic paint (YTP) is a mixture that contains organic polymers, binders, and pigments, which in some cases consist of crocoite (PbCrO4) that may be coated by silica. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the behavior of the crocoite pigment grains within YTP and their silica coatings in simulated environmental and human body conditions. To do this, both YTP and asphalt were collected in Philadelphia, PA, USA. These samples as well as a standard PbCrO4 were investigated with powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Using this multi-analytical approach, mineral phases were determined in the YTP, their shape, dimensional distributions, crystallinity, and chemical composition, as well as elemental distributions before and after experimental interactions. Three batch dissolution experiments with YTP, asphalt, and standard PbCrO4 were performed to simulate ingestion, inhalation, and environmental interaction with rainwater. Elemental releases were determined with inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry, and results indicated that little (ingestion) to no (environmental and inhalation) Pb and Cr were leached from the YTP during the three experimental procedures. This is likely due to the silica coating that encapsulates the crocoite particles, which persisted during all interactions. The ESEM results for YTP showed dimensional reductions after interactions with all three fluids. The silica coating must be further explored to determine how it breaks down in real environmental conditions.

Geographic Differences in Lung Cancer Incidence: A Study of a Major Metropolitan Area within Southeastern Pennsylvania.

This study investigated the geographic variation and the clustering of lung cancer incidence rates in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas using addresses at the time of diagnosis. Using 60,844 cases from Pennsylvania Cancer Registry, we calculated and mapped the age-adjusted incidence rates for five Pennsylvania (PA) counties near Philadelphia between 1998-2007 and 2008-2017. We identified ZIP codes with significantly higher incidence rates than the state rates and examined their demographic and exposure characteristics. Further, we tested for spatial autocorrelation and identified spatial clusters using Moran's I statistic. Our results showed that approximately one in four ZIP codes had an incidence rate that was significantly higher than the PA state rate in each period studied. Clusters of higher incidences were detected in the southeastern part of PA bordering New Jersey. These areas tended to be more populated, of lower socioeconomic status, and closer to manufacturing facilities and major highways. Possibly driven by the community and environmental factors, the observed differences in disease incidence suggest the importance of including residential location in risk assessment tools for lung cancer.

Phenotypic Examination of Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz Accessions from the USDA-ARS National Genetics Resource Program.

Camelina sativa (L.) Crntz. is a hardy self-pollinated oilseed plant that belongs to the Brassicaceae family; widely grown throughout the northern hemisphere until the 1940s for production of vegetable oil but was later displaced by higher-yielding rapeseed and sunflower crops. However, interest in camelina as an alternative oil source has been renewed due to its high oil content that is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants as well as its ability to grow on marginal lands with minimal requirements. For this reason, our group decided to screen the existing (2011) National Genetic Resources Program (NGRP) center collection of camelina for its genetic diversity and provide a phenotypic evaluation of the cultivars available. Properties evaluated include seed and oil traits, developmental and mature morphologies, as well as chromosome content. Selectable marker genes were also evaluated for potential use in biotech manipulation. Data is provided in a raw uncompiled format to allow other researchers to analyze the unbiased information for their own studies. Our evaluation has determined that the NGRP collection has a wide range of genetic potential for both breeding and biotechnological manipulation purposes. Accessions were identified within the NGRP collection that appear to have desirable seed harvest weight (5.06 g/plant) and oil content (44.1%). Other cultivars were identified as having fatty acid characteristics that may be suitable for meal and/or food use, such as low (<2%) erucic acid content, which is often considered for healthy consumption and ranged from a high of 4.79% to a low of 1.83%. Descriptive statistics are provided for a breadth of traits from 41 accessions, as well as raw data, and key seed traits are further explored. Data presented is available for public use.

Castor patatin-like phospholipase A IIIß facilitates removal of hydroxy fatty acids from phosphatidylcholine in transgenic Arabidopsis seeds.

KEY MESSAGE: Castor patatin-like phospholipase A IIIß facilitates the exclusion of hydroxy fatty acids from phosphatidylcholine in developing transgenic Arabidopsis seeds. Hydroxy fatty acids (HFAs) are industrial useful, but their major natural source castor contains toxic components. Although expressing a castor OLEATE 12-HYDROXYLASE in Arabidopsis thaliana leads to the synthesis of HFAs in seeds, a high proportion of the HFAs are retained in phosphatidylcholine (PC). Thus, the liberation of HFA from PC seems to be critical for obtaining HFA-enriched seed oils. Plant phospholipase A (PLA) catalyzes the hydrolysis of PC to release fatty acyl chains that can be subsequently channeled into triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis or other metabolic pathways. To further our knowledge regarding the function of PLAs from HFA-producing plant species, two class III patatin-like PLA cDNAs (pPLAIIIß or pPLAIIIδ) from castor or Physaria fendleri were overexpressed in a transgenic line of A. thaliana producing C18-HFA, respectively. Only the overexpression of RcpPLAIIIß resulted in a significant reduction in seed HFA content with concomitant changes in fatty acid composition. Reductions in HFA content occurred in both PC and TAG indicating that HFAs released from PC were not incorporated into TAG. These results suggest that RcpPLAIIIß may catalyze the removal of HFAs from PC in the developing seeds synthesizing these unusual fatty acids.

Urban Green Space and Its Impact on Human Health.

Background: Over half of the world's population now lives in urban areas, and this proportion is expected to increase. While there have been numerous reviews of empirical studies on the link between nature and human health, very few have focused on the urban context, and most have examined almost exclusively cross-sectional research. This review is a first step toward assessing the possibility of causal relationships between nature and health in urban settings. Methods: Through systematic review of published literature, we explored the association between urban green space and human health. Results: We found consistent negative association between urban green space exposure and mortality, heart rate, and violence, and positive association with attention, mood, and physical activity. Results were mixed, or no association was found, in studies of urban green space exposure and general health, weight status, depression, and stress (via cortisol concentration). The number of studies was too low to generalize about birth outcomes, blood pressure, heart rate variability, cancer, diabetes, or respiratory symptoms. Conclusions: More studies using rigorous study design are needed to make generalizations, and meta-analyses, of these and other health outcomes possible. These findings may assist urban managers, organizations, and communities in their efforts to increase new or preserve existing green space.

Detection of Abrin Holotoxin Using Novel Monoclonal Antibodies.

Abrin, a member of the ribosome-inactivating protein family, is produced by the Abrus precatorius plant. Having the potential to pose a severe threat to both human and animal health, abrin is classified as a Select Agent by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. However, an immunoassay that is specific for intact abrin holotoxin has not yet been reported. In this study, seven new monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), designated as Abrin-1 through Abrin-7 have been developed. Isotyping analyses indicate these mAbs have IgG1, IgG2a, or IgG2b heavy-chains and kappa light-chains. Western blot analyses identified two abrin A-chain specific mAbs, Abrin-1 and Abrin-2, and four B-chain specific mAbs (Abrin-3, -5, -6, and -7). A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), capable of detecting a mixture of abrin isoforms and agglutinins was developed using B-chain specific Abrin-3 for capture and A-chain specific Abrin-2 as detector. The ELISA is highly sensitive and detects 1 ng/mL of the abrin holotoxin in phosphate-buffered saline, nonfat milk, and whole milk, significantly below concentrations that would pose a health concern for consumers. This ELISA also detects native abrin in plant extracts with a very low background signal. The new abrin mAbs and ELISA should be useful for detecting this potent toxin in the milk supply chain and other complex matrices.

A Systematic Review: Costing and Financing of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools.

Despite the success of recent efforts to increase access to improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) globally, approximately one-third of schools around the world still lack adequate WASH services. A lack of WASH in schools can lead to the spread of preventable disease and increase school absences, especially among women. Inadequate financing and budgeting has been named as a key barrier for integrating successful and sustainable WASH programs into school settings. For this reason, the purpose of this review is to describe the current knowledge around the costs of WASH components as well as financing models that could be applied to WASH in schools. Results show a lack of information around WASH costing, particularly around software elements as well as a lack of data overall for WASH in school settings as compared to community WASH. This review also identifies several key considerations when designing WASH budgets or selecting financing mechanisms. Findings may be used to advise future WASH in school programs.

Development of a novel immuno-PCR assay for detection of ricin in ground beef, liquid chicken egg, and milk.

Reliable, sensitive, and high-throughput methods are essential for food defense, to detect foodborne contaminants and to facilitate remediation and recovery from potential toxin-related incidents. Ricin is a protein toxin that has been used for intentional contamination of foods in the past. In this study, we developed procedures for quantification of ricin in foods using immuno-PCR (IPCR). The direct adsorption of ricin onto the wells of a microtitration plate was compared with indirect immobilization via a capture antibody (sandwich IPCR). The latter procedure provided much greater sensitivity. We also compared a protocol with the immunoassay and PCR conducted in a single plate to a two-step procedure in which the PCR was conducted in a second plate, following release and transfer of the DNA marker. The two-step procedure proved 1,000-fold more sensitive for ricin detection, so this format was used to detect ricin in spiked samples of ground beef, chicken egg, and milk, and the results were compared with those obtained from enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The IPCR had a limit of detection of 10 pg/ml in chicken egg and milk samples and 100 pg/ml in ground beef extracts. Comparable ELISA results were in the 1 to 10 ng/ml range. Thus, IPCR affords sensitivity that is 10-fold greater in the ground beef matrix, 100-fold greater in the milk, and 1,000-fold greater in the egg matrix than the sensitivity obtained by ELISA. Further optimization of the sandwich IPCR was performed by comparing various antibody combinations. Among the four formats investigated, the pAb-pAb combination yielded the lowest limit of detection (10 fg/ml).