Frequency and Timing of Sent and Received Alcohol-Related Text Messages: Associations with Alcohol Use and Related Consequences among Adolescents and Young Adults.

Background: Research supports the notion that adolescents and young adults communicate about alcohol via text messages and that this form of communication is associated with alcohol use. However, little is known about how this compares to social media content sharing or about the timing of sending and receiving alcohol-related text messages and associations with alcohol-related outcomes. The present study aimed to 1) document whether adolescents and young adults are willing to share alcohol content via text messages they are not willing to share via social media, and 2) determine associations between frequency and timing of alcohol-related text messages (both sent and received) with self-reported alcohol use and consequences. Methods: A total of 409 participants (63.30% female; age 15-25, M = 21.10, SD = 2.69) completed a baseline survey as part of a larger study. Results: While 84.50% of participants reported that they were willing to send text messages referencing alcohol that they would not share on social media, 90.00% reported that their friends would be willing to do so. Results of negative binomial regressions indicated that sending and receiving more alcohol-related text messages per week and sending and receiving text messages before and during drinking, but not after drinking, were positively associated with typical drinks per week. Neither frequency of sending and receiving text messages or timing (before, during, after) were associated with negative consequences. Conclusions: Results suggest that frequency and timing of alcohol-related text messaging may provide insights into alcohol consumption patterns among adolescents and young adults and warrants future research.

Occasion-level investigation of playing drinking games: Associations with cognitions, situational factors, alcohol use, and negative consequences among adolescents and young adults.

The present study examined occasion-level associations between cognitions (willingness to drink, descriptive norms, and injunctive norms) and situational factors (familiarity with people and locations) with playing drinking games (DGs) among adolescents and young adults. Further, this study tested the associations between playing DGs, the number of drinks consumed, and the negative consequences experienced at the occasion level. Participants were 15-25-year-olds (N = 688; 43% male, 47% White, Non-Hispanic, Mean age = 21.18) who were part of a longitudinal ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study on cognitions and alcohol use. The study design consisted of a 3-week EMA burst design (8 surveys per week) that was repeated quarterly over the 12-month study (up to 2x/day) per participant. Multilevel models showed that occasion-level risks (higher willingness, higher descriptive norms, and less familiarity with people) were associated with playing DGs. When examining the within-person associations between DGs and number of drinks, results showed that playing DGs was associated with consuming more drinks. For consequences, DGs were not uniquely predictive of experiencing more consequences and riding in a vehicle with a driver who had been drinking. This study contributes to the literature by examining associations between cognitions and situational factors with DGs and the role DGs play in experiencing negative consequences among a diverse sample of adolescents and young adults.

Frugal Imaging Technique of Capillary Flow through Three-Dimensional Polymeric Printing Powders.

The development of novel imaging techniques of molecular and colloidal transport, including nanoparticles, is an area of active investigation in microfluidic and millifluidic studies. With the advent of three-dimensional (3D) printing, a new domain of materials has emerged, thereby increasing the demand for novel polymers. Specifically, polymeric powders, with average particle sizes on the order of a micron, are experiencing a growing interest from academic and industrial communities. Controlling material tunability at the mesoscopic to microscopic length scales creates opportunities to develop innovative materials, such as gradient materials. Recently, a need for micron-sized polymeric powders has been growing, as clear applications for the material are developing. Three-dimensional printing provides a high-throughput process with a direct link to new applications, driving investigations into the physio-chemical and transport interactions on a mesoscale. The protocol that is discussed in this article provides a non-invasive technique to image fluid flow in packed powder beds, providing high temporal and spatial resolution while leveraging mobile technology that is readily available from mobile devices, such as smartphones. By utilizing a common mobile device, the imaging costs that would normally be associated with an optical microscope are eliminated, resulting in a frugal-science approach. The proposed protocol has successfully characterized a variety of combinations of fluids and powders, creating a diagnostic platform for quickly imaging and identifying an optimal combination of fluid and powder.

Experimental investigation of the performance of anaerobic membrane bioreactor with electrolytic regeneration (AMBER) for challenges and options in wastewater treatment.

Significant changes in wastewater services are necessary for achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs), by utilizing resource recovery, recycle, and reuse in urban wastewater-treatment plants. Based on recent experiences, to improve the filtration behavior of a membrane bioreactor, a hybrid system including an upgraded anaerobic baffled reactor coupled with an electrolysis process and a nanocomposite-membrane was developed. The system, called an anaerobic membrane bioreactor with electrolytic regeneration (AMBER), is a bio-electrochemical process that is expected to be simultaneously efficient in both biogas augmentation and fouling mitigation. The goals were to enhance the stability and efficiency of the anaerobic membrane bioreactor. The integration of the electrolytic process with the ABR (EABR) using a pair of iron electrodes enhanced the removal of contaminants in the ABR while successfully maintained pH in the optimum range for anaerobic digestion (6.8 to 7.2). Then, the performance of AMBER in pollutant removal, including organic load, suspended solids, and microbial load, were investigated over 240 days. The results showed that configuration considerably enhanced permeate flux, as it reduced the deposition of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on the surface of the nanocomposite membrane, leading to a reduction in membrane fouling. EPS was extracted and quantified to compare the effect of biogas backwash on the function of the membrane reactor. After 7 d of operation with a daily biogas backwash, the flux reduction was approximately 13 % for the conventional combination of the anaerobic baffled reactor and the membrane bioreactor (AMBR), while it was limited to 4 % in AMBER. After cleaning by the biogas, EPS formation decreased 63 % in AMBER when compared to the AMBR. The results revealed that AMBER can be considered an environmentally competitive bioenergy technology for wastewater treatment with the purpose of water recovery and reuse, employing optimized operational conditions, application of antifouling membranes, and electrically-based strategies.

Investigating Why and How Young Adults Use Protective Behavioral Strategies for Alcohol and Marijuana Use: Protocol for Developing a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Young adulthood is associated with increased alcohol and marijuana use compared with other developmental periods. Alcohol and marijuana use place individuals at high risk for acute and long-term negative consequences. Despite the relatively large cross-sectional and longitudinal literature on protective behavioral strategies (PBS; behaviors that individuals can use to limit consequences and reduce substance use), little is known about why young adults choose to use PBS on specific occasions or why they might use PBS differently across occasions (ie, quality and consistency). There is significant room for improvement in the conceptualization, application, and understanding of PBS. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to develop a novel, brief web-based and SMS text messaging intervention, with input from young adults who use alcohol and marijuana, which addresses the extent to which motivations for PBS use and nonuse (marijuana or alcohol) and the quality of PBS use (the degree of effectiveness or degree of implementation) differ when using alcohol alone versus concurrently or simultaneously with marijuana. METHODS: This research will be conducted in 2 phases. Phase 1 will involve web-based focus groups (N=100) and cognitive interviews (N=10) to determine why young adults (aged 18-24 years) use or do not use specific PBS related to alcohol and marijuana use and elicit feedback on how motivations and the quality of PBS could be incorporated into a web-based and SMS text messaging PBS intervention as well as elicit feedback on developed intervention material. In phase 2, young adults (N=200; aged 18-24 years), who typically use alcohol and marijuana for at least 2 days per week, will be randomized to either the intervention or waitlist control group. The intervention will be brief, web-based, focusing on self-selected alcohol and marijuana PBS messages and motives for using alcohol- and marijuana-related PBS, and including intervention content delivered via SMS text messages 3 days a week (random day, Friday, and Saturday) over 8 consecutive weeks. All participants will report on PBS use, motivations for PBS use (and nonuse), quality of PBS use, and alcohol and marijuana use in morning surveys timed to occur the day after the intervention SMS text messages for those in the intervention group. RESULTS: Recruitment and enrollment for phase 1 began in January 2022. Recruitment for phase 2 is anticipated to begin in January 2023. Upon completion of the phase 2 pilot, we will examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effect sizes of the newly developed brief web-based and SMS text messaging intervention. CONCLUSIONS: This study will provide an in-depth understanding of young adults' PBS use and has the potential to develop a more efficacious intervention for co-occurring or simultaneous alcohol and marijuana behaviors. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04978129; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04978129. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/37106.

Gastric Outlet Obstruction Due to Malposition of Replacement Gastrostomy Tube.

A 78-year old male presented to the emergency department after accidental dislodgement of his chronic gastrostomy tube. A replacement gastrostomy tube was passed easily through the existing stoma and flushed without difficulty. Confirmatory abdominal radiography demonstrated contrast in the proximal small bowel, but the patient subsequently developed epigastric pain and refractory vomiting. Computed tomography revealed the tip of the gastrostomy tube terminating in the pylorus or proximal duodenum. This case highlights gastric outlet obstruction complicating the replacement of a gastrostomy tube and the associated radiographic findings.

Differential Roles for the Coagulation Factors XI and XII in Regulating the Physical Biology of Fibrin.

In the contact activation pathway of the coagulation, zymogen factor XII (FXII) is converted to FXIIa, which triggers activation of FXI leading to the activation of FIX and subsequent thrombin generation and fibrin formation. Feedback activation of FXI by thrombin has been shown to promote thrombin generation in a FXII-independent manner and FXIIa can bypass FXI to directly activate FX and prothrombin in the presence of highly negatively charged molecules, such as long-chain polyphosphates (LC polyP). We sought to determine whether activation of FXII or FXI differentially regulate the physical biology of fibrin formation. Fibrin formation was initiated with tissue factor, ellagic acid (EA), or LC polyP in the presence of inhibitors of FXI and FXII. Our data demonstrated that inhibition of FXI decreased the rate of fibrin formation and fiber network density, and increased the fibrin network strength and rate of fibrinolysis when gelation was initiated via the contact activation pathway with EA. FXII inhibition decreased the fibrin formation and fibrin density, and increased the fibrinolysis rate only when fibrin formation was initiated via the contact activation pathway with LC polyP. Overall, we demonstrate that inhibition of FXI and FXII distinctly alter the biophysical properties of fibrin.

Nanoscale Patterning of Extracellular Matrix Alters Endothelial Function under Shear Stress.

The role of nanotopographical extracellular matrix (ECM) cues in vascular endothelial cell (EC) organization and function is not well-understood, despite the composition of nano- to microscale fibrillar ECMs within blood vessels. Instead, the predominant modulator of EC organization and function is traditionally thought to be hemodynamic shear stress, in which uniform shear stress induces parallel-alignment of ECs with anti-inflammatory function, whereas disturbed flow induces a disorganized configuration with pro-inflammatory function. Since shear stress acts on ECs by applying a mechanical force concomitant with inducing spatial patterning of the cells, we sought to decouple the effects of shear stress using parallel-aligned nanofibrillar collagen films that induce parallel EC alignment prior to stimulation with disturbed flow resulting from spatial wall shear stress gradients. Using real time live-cell imaging, we tracked the alignment, migration trajectories, proliferation, and anti-inflammatory behavior of ECs when they were cultured on parallel-aligned or randomly oriented nanofibrillar films. Intriguingly, ECs cultured on aligned nanofibrillar films remained well-aligned and migrated predominantly along the direction of aligned nanofibrils, despite exposure to shear stress orthogonal to the direction of the aligned nanofibrils. Furthermore, in stark contrast to ECs cultured on randomly oriented films, ECs on aligned nanofibrillar films exposed to disturbed flow had significantly reduced inflammation and proliferation, while maintaining intact intercellular junctions. This work reveals fundamental insights into the importance of nanoscale ECM interactions in the maintenance of endothelial function. Importantly, it provides new insight into how ECs respond to opposing cues derived from nanotopography and mechanical shear force and has strong implications in the design of polymeric conduits and bioengineered tissues.

Microvascular endothelial cells migrate upstream and align against the shear stress field created by impinging flow.

At present, little is known about how endothelial cells respond to spatial variations in fluid shear stress such as those that occur locally during embryonic development, at heart valve leaflets, and at sites of aneurysm formation. We built an impinging flow device that exposes endothelial cells to gradients of shear stress. Using this device, we investigated the response of microvascular endothelial cells to shear-stress gradients that ranged from 0 to a peak shear stress of 9-210 dyn/cm(2). We observe that at high confluency, these cells migrate against the direction of fluid flow and concentrate in the region of maximum wall shear stress, whereas low-density microvascular endothelial cells that lack cell-cell contacts migrate in the flow direction. In addition, the cells align parallel to the flow at low wall shear stresses but orient perpendicularly to the flow direction above a critical threshold in local wall shear stress. Our observations suggest that endothelial cells are exquisitely sensitive to both magnitude and spatial gradients in wall shear stress. The impinging flow device provides a, to our knowledge, novel means to study endothelial cell migration and polarization in response to gradients in physical forces such as wall shear stress.

Insertion mechanism of a poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(butylene oxide) block copolymer into a DPPC monolayer.

Interactions between amphiphilic block copolymers and lipids are of medical interest for applications such as drug delivery and the restoration of damaged cell membranes. A series of monodisperse poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(butylene oxide) (EOBO) block copolymers were obtained with two ratios of hydrophilic/hydrophobic block lengths. We have explored the surface activity of EOBO at a clean interface and under 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) monolayers as a simple cell membrane model. At the same subphase concentration, EOBO achieved higher equilibrium surface pressures under DPPC compared to a bare interface, and the surface activity was improved with longer poly(butylene oxide) blocks. Further investigation of the DPPC/EOBO monolayers showed that combined films exhibited similar surface rheology compared to pure DPPC at the same surface pressures. DPPC/EOBO phase separation was observed in fluorescently doped monolayers, and within the liquid-expanded liquid-condensed coexistence region for DPPC, EOBO did not drastically alter the liquid-condensed domain shapes. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) and X-ray reflectivity (XRR) quantitatively confirmed that the lattice spacings and tilt of DPPC in lipid-rich regions of the monolayer were nearly equivalent to those of a pure DPPC monolayer at the same surface pressures.

Bleeding at circumcision: patient or operator issue?

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to define precisely bleeding after circumcision and to determine whether patient-related variables or experience of the operator is associated with subsequent bleeding. METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study of 537 consecutive Gomco circumcisions. The authors defined bleeding and operator experience, both current and long term, and sought to correlate them. They selected patient variables (age, weight, gestational age, APGAR scores, and demographic data) to determine if there were associations with subsequent bleeding. RESULTS: There were 24 bleeds out of 537 Gomco procedures (4.47%). In comparing bleeders with nonbleeders, there was no significant association between long-term operator experience and subsequent bleeding (P = .609). However, bleeding was significantly associated with less current operator experience (P = .014). The authors were unable to detect any patient-related variables or demographics associated with subsequent bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Regarding postcircumcision bleeding, current operator experience appears to be a more important factor than long-term experience or patient-related variables.

Neutrophil antimicrobial proteins enhance Shigella flexneri adhesion and invasion.

Shigella flexneri is an enteric pathogen that causes massive inflammation and destruction of the human intestinal epithelium. Neutrophils are the first cells of the innate immune system recruited to the site of infection. These cells can attack microbes by phagocytosis, Neutrophil Extracellular Trap (NET) formation and degranulation. Here, we investigated how neutrophil degranulation affects virulence and show that exposure of Shigella to granular proteins enhances infection of epithelial cells. During this process, cationic granular proteins bind to the Shigella surface causing increased adhesion which ultimately leads to hyperinvasion. This effect is mediated by changes in the surface charge, since a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mutant with a negative surface shows enhanced hyperinvasion compared with wild-type Shigella. We propose that Shigella evolved to use host defence molecules to enhance its virulence and subvert the innate immune system.

Enhanced Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm development mediated by human neutrophils.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease features persistent neutrophil accumulation to the airways from the time of infancy. CF children are frequently exposed to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and by adulthood, 80% of CF patients are chronically infected. The formation of biofilms is a particularly important phenotypic characteristic of P. aeruginosa that allows for bacterial survival despite aggressive antibiotic therapy and an exuberant immune response. Here, we show that the presence of neutrophils enhances initial P. aeruginosa biofilm development over a period of 72 h through the formation of polymers comprised of actin and DNA. F-actin was found to be a site of attachment for P. aeruginosa. These actin and DNA polymers are present in CF sputum, and disruption of the polymers dispersed the associated P. aeruginosa cells and reduced biofilm development. These findings demonstrate a potential maladaptation of the primary innate response. When the host fails to eradicate the infection, cellular components from necrotic neutrophils can serve as a biological matrix to facilitate P. aeruginosa biofilm formation.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa-plant root interactions. Pathogenicity, biofilm formation, and root exudation.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen capable of forming a biofilm under physiological conditions that contributes to its persistence despite long-term treatment with antibiotics. Here, we report that pathogenic P. aeruginosa strains PAO1 and PA14 are capable of infecting the roots of Arabidopsis and sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), in vitro and in the soil, and are capable of causing plant mortality 7 d postinoculation. Before plant mortality, PAO1 and PA14 colonize the roots of Arabidopsis and sweet basil and form a biofilm as observed by scanning electron microscopy, phase contrast microscopy, and confocal scanning laser microscopy. Upon P. aeruginosa infection, sweet basil roots secrete rosmarinic acid (RA), a multifunctional caffeic acid ester that exhibits in vitro antibacterial activity against planktonic cells of both P. aeruginosa strains with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 3 microg mL(-1). However, in our studies RA did not attain minimum inhibitory concentration levels in sweet basil's root exudates before P. aeruginosa formed a biofilm that resisted the microbicidal effects of RA and ultimately caused plant mortality. We further demonstrated that P. aeruginosa biofilms were resistant to RA treatment under in vivo and in vitro conditions. In contrast, induction of RA secretion by sweet basil roots and exogenous supplementation of Arabidopsis root exudates with RA before infection conferred resistance to P. aeruginosa. Under the latter conditions, confocal scanning laser microscopy revealed large clusters of dead P. aeruginosa on the root surface of Arabidopsis and sweet basil, and biofilm formation was not observed. Studies with quorum-sensing mutants PAO210 (DeltarhlI), PAO214 (DeltalasI), and PAO216 (DeltalasI DeltarhlI) demonstrated that all of the strains were pathogenic to Arabidopsis, which does not naturally secrete RA as a root exudate. However, PAO214 was the only pathogenic strain toward sweet basil, and PAO214 biofilm appeared comparable with biofilms formed by wild-type strains of P. aeruginosa. Our results collectively suggest that upon root colonization, P. aeruginosa forms a biofilm that confers resistance against root-secreted antibiotics.

Metabolic profiling of root exudates of Arabidopsis thaliana.

In addition to accumulating biologically active chemicals, plant roots continuously produce and secrete compounds into their immediate rhizosphere. However, the mechanisms that drive and regulate root secretion of secondary metabolites are not fully understood. To enlighten two neglected areas of root biology, root secretion and secondary metabolism, an in vitro system implementing root-specific elicitation over a 48-day time course was developed. After roots of Arabidopsis thaliana had been elicited with salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, chitosan, and two fungal cell wall elicitors, the secondary metabolites subsequently secreted were profiled. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to metabolically profile compounds in the root exudates, and 289 possible secondary metabolites were quantified. The chemical structures of 10 compounds were further characterized by (1)H and (13)C NMR: butanoic acid, trans-cinnamic acid, o-coumaric acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, p-hydroxybenzamide, methyl p-hydroxybenzoate, 3-indolepropanoic acid, syringic acid, and vanillic acid. Several of these compounds exhibited a wide range of antimicrobial activity against both soil-borne bacteria and fungi at the concentration detected in the root exudates.

Structure-dependent phytotoxicity of catechins and other flavonoids: flavonoid conversions by cell-free protein extracts of Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed) roots.

Invasive plants are believed to succeed in part by secretion of allelochemicals, thus displacing competing plant species. Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed) provides a classic example of this process. We have previously reported that spotted knapweed roots secrete (+/-)-catechin and that (-)-catechin, but not (+)-catechin, is phytotoxic and hence may be a major contributor to C. maculosa's invasive behavior in the rhizosphere. In this communication, we explore both structure/activity relationships for flavonoid phytotoxicity and possible biosynthetic pathways for root production of (+/-)-catechin. Kaempferol and dihydroquercetin were shown to be phytotoxic, while quercetin was not. Kaempferol was converted to dihydroquercetin and (+/-)-catechin when treated with total root protein extracts from C. maculosa, but quercetin was not. This finding suggests an alteration in the standard flavonoid biosynthetic pathway in C. maculosa roots, whereby kaempferol is not a dead-end product but serves as a precursor to dihydroquercetin, which in turn leads to (+/-)-catechin production.

Jasmonic acid-induced hypericin production in cell suspension cultures of Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's wort).

Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's wort) is an herbal remedy widely used in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Hypericin, a photosensitive napthodianthrone, is believed to be the compound responsible for reversing the depression symptoms. In this study, novel in vitro cell culture systems of H. perforatum were used to monitor the effect of elicitation on cell growth and production of hypericin. A dramatic increase in cell growth and hypericin production was observed after exposure to jasmonic acid (JA). However, other elicitors such as salicylic acid (SA) and fungal cell wall elicitors failed to show any stimulatory effect on either cell growth or hypericin production. Cell cultures treated with JA and incubated in the dark showed increased growth and hypericin production as compared to the cultures grown under light conditions. Jasmonate induction in dark conditions played an important role in growth and hypericin production in cell suspension cultures, to our knowledge an undocumented observation.