OH yields from the CH3CO+O-2 reaction using an internal standard

Laser flash photolysis of CH3C(O)OH at 248 nm was used to create equal zero time yields of CH3CO and OH. The absolute OH yield from the CH3CO + O2 (+M) reaction was determined by following the OH temporal profile using the zero time OH concentration as an internal standard. The OH yield from CH3CO + O2 (+M) was observed to decrease with increasing pressure with an extrapolated zero pressure yield close to unity (1.1 ± 0.2, quoted uncertainties correspond to 95% confidence limits). The results are in quantitative agreement with those obtained from 248 nm acetone photolysis in the presence of O2

The University of Iowa Biomass Partnership Project

Biomass may be obtained from existing sources, such as industrial co-products (e.g., oat hulls and paper sludge), from the forest using managed timber stand improvement, and from growing perennial dedicated energy crops on marginal lands. Each of these sources may be developed in a manner that improves the sustainability of the University of Iowa energy supplies

Hepatitis C cross-genotype immunity and implications for vaccine development.

While about a quarter of individuals clear their primary hepatitis C (HCV) infections spontaneously, clearance (spontaneous or treatment-induced) does not confer sterilizing immunity against a future infection. Since successful treatment does not prevent future infections either, an effective vaccine is highly desirable in preventing HCV (re)infection. However, development of an effective vaccine has been complicated by the diversity of HCV genotypes, and complexities in HCV immunological responses. Smaller studies on humans and chimpanzees reported seemingly opposing results regarding cross-neutralizing antibodies. We report a lack of cross-genotype immunity in the largest cohort of people to date. In the adjusted Cox proportional hazards model, reinfection with a heterologous HCV genotype (adjusted Hazard Ratio [aHR]: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.25-0.84) was associated with a 55% lower likelihood of re-clearance. Among those who cleared their first infection spontaneously, the likelihood of re-clearance was 49% lower (aHR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.27-0.94) when reinfected with a heterologous HCV genotype. These findings indicate that immunity against a particular HCV genotype does not offer expanded immunity to protect against subsequent infections with a different HCV genotype. A prophylactic HCV vaccine boosted with multiple HCV genotype may offer a broader and more effective protection

Characteristics of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men with multiple diagnoses of infectious syphilis in British Columbia, Canada, 2005-2014

Background: Infectious syphilis has increased substantially over the past decade. Targeting limited public health resources toward subpopulations with multiple reinfections may have a large impact in reducing onward transmission within a community. Methods: A chart review was conducted for individuals with 4 or more infectious syphilis diagnoses between 2005 and 2014 (the top 1% of all syphilis diagnoses in British Columbia, Canada). We characterized the sociodemographics, partner notification outcomes and social network. Results: Between 2005 and 2014, there were 30 individuals with 4 or more syphilis diagnoses, accounting for 139 diagnoses. All were men who have sex with men and 29 (96%) were human immunodeficiency virus–positive. Of the 139 diagnoses, 65% occurred in the early latent stage of infection, 22% in the secondary stage, and 14% in the primary stage. The median number of sexual partners per diagnosis was 5 (range, 1–50). Among the 838 partners reported, 79% were notifiable, 53% were notified, and 23% were reported to be tested or treated. Sexual network mapping showed that almost half of the members of this group could be linked to one another either directly or indirectly via partners over 10 years. Social network mapping demonstrated high connectivity, with 4 venues associated with almost two thirds of the study population. Conclusions: The connectivity and recurrent diagnoses in this study population suggest potential benefits of targeted interventions to individuals with multiple diagnoses and their partners. Our study highlights the need for enhanced care, increased syphilis testing frequency, and exploring alternative preventative methods among individuals with syphilis rediagnoses to reduce syphilis incidence

Comorbid Depression Among Untreated Illicit Opiate Users : Results From a Multisite Canadian Study

This study aimed to describe patterns of major depression (MDD) in a cohort of untreated illicit opiate users recruited from 5 Canadian urban centres, identify sociodemographic characteristics of opiate users that predict MDD, and determine whether opiate users suffering from depression exhibit different drug use patterns than do participants without depression. Baseline data were collected from 679 untreated opiate users in Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City. Using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form for Major Depression, we assessed sociodemographics, drug use, health status, health service use, and depression. We examined depression rates across study sites; logistic regression analyses predicted MDD from demographic information and city. Chi-square analyses were used to compare injection drug use and cocaine or crack use among participants with and without depression. Almost one-half (49.3%) of the sample met the cut-off score for MDD. Being female, white, and living outside Vancouver independently predicted MDD. Opiate users suffering from depression were more likely than users without depression to share injection equipment and paraphernalia and were also more likely to use cocaine (Ps < 0.05). Comorbid depression is common among untreated opiate users across Canada; targeted interventions are needed for this population

Techno-economic and life cycle analysis of renewable natural gas derived from anaerobic digestion of grassy biomass: A US Corn Belt watershed case study

Restoring native grassland vegetation can substantially improve ecosystem service outcomes from agricultural watersheds, but profitable pathways are needed to incentivize conversion from conventional crops. Given growing demand for renewable energy, using grassy biomass to produce biofuels provides a potential solution. We assessed the techno-economic feasibility and life cycle outcomes of a “grass-to-gas” pathway that includes harvesting grassy (lignocellulosic) biomass for renewable natural gas (RNG) production through anaerobic digestion (AD), expanding on previous research that quantified ecosystem service and landowner financial outcomes of simulated grassland restoration in the Grand River Basin of Iowa and Missouri, United States. We found that the amount of RNG produced through AD of grassy biomass ranged 0.12–45.04 million gigajoules (GJ), and the net present value (NPV) of the RNG ranged −$97 to$422 million, depending on the combination of land use, productivity, and environmental credit scenarios. Positive NPVs are achieved with environmental credits for replacement of synthetic agricultural inputs with digestate and clean fuel production (e.g., USEPA D3 Renewable Identification Number, California Low Carbon Fuel Standard). Producing RNG from grassy biomass emits 15.1 g CO2-eq/MJ, which compares favorably to the fossil natural gas value of 61.1 g CO2-eq/MJ and exceeds the US Environmental Protection Agency's requirement for cellulosic biofuel. Overall, this study demonstrates opportunities and limitations to using grassy biomass from restored grasslands for sustainable RNG production.This article is published as Olafasakin, O., Audia, E. M., Mba-Wright, M., Tyndall, J. C., & Schulte, L. A. (2024). Techno-economic and life cycle analysis of renewable natural gas derived from anaerobic digestion of grassy biomass: A US Corn Belt watershed case study. GCB Bioenergy, 16, e13164. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.13164. © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

A Targeted Conservation Approach for Improving Environmental Quality: Multiple Benefits and Expanded Opportunities

Find out how targeted conservation practices can have the most impact on environmental quality while causing only a small change in overall agricultural production. Environmental benefits are discussed related to clean air and water, productive soils, diverse wildlife and plant habitat, and biological controls for crop protection.https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/extension_ag_pubs/1084/thumbnail.jp

Hepatitis C virus reinfection after successful treatment with direct-acting antiviral therapy in a large population-based cohort.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Direct-acting antiviral therapies (DAA) are an important tool for hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination. However, reinfection among people who inject drugs (PWID) may hamper elimination targets. Therefore, we estimated HCV reinfection rates among DAA-treated individuals, including PWID. METHODS: We analyzed data from the British Columbia Hepatitis Testers Cohort which included ∼1.7 million individuals screened for HCV in British Columbia, Canada. We followed HCV-infected individuals treated with DAAs who achieved a sustained virologic response (SVR) and had ≥1 subsequent HCV RNA measurement to April 22nd, 2018. Reinfection was defined as a positive RNA measurement after SVR. PWID were identified using a validated algorithm and classified based on recent (<3 years) or former (≥3 years before SVR) use. Crude reinfection rates per 100 person-years (PYs) were calculated. Poisson regression was used to model adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% CIs. RESULTS: Of 4,114 individuals who met the inclusion criteria, most were male (n = 2,692, 65%), born before 1965 (n = 3,411, 83%) and were either recent (n = 875, 21%) or former PWID (n = 1,793, 44%). Opioid-agonist therapy (OAT) was received by 19% of PWID. We identified 40 reinfections during 2,767 PYs. Reinfection rates were higher among recent (3.1/100 PYs; IRR 6.7; 95% CI 1.9-23.5) and former PWID (1.4/100 PYs; IRR 3.7; 95% CI 1.1-12.9) than non-PWID (0.3/100 PYs). Among recent PWID, reinfection rates were higher among individuals born after 1975 (10.2/100 PYs) and those co-infected with HIV (5.7/100 PYs). Only one PWID receiving daily OAT developed reinfection. CONCLUSIONS: Population-level reinfection rates remain elevated after DAA therapy among PWID because of ongoing exposure risk. Engagement of PWID in harm-reduction and support services is needed to prevent reinfections. LAY SUMMARY: Direct-acting antivirals are an effective tool for the treatment of hepatitis C virus, enabling the elimination of the virus. However, some patients who have been successfully treated with direct-acting antivirals are at risk of reinfection. Our findings showed that the risk of reinfection was highest among people with recent injection drug use. Among people who inject drugs, daily use of opioid-agonist therapy was associated with a lower risk of reinfection

"It's Like the Pieces of a Puzzle That You Know": Research Interviews With People Who Inject Drugs Using the VidaviewTM Life Story Board

Bei dem Life Story Board (LSB) handelt es sich um ein visuelles Tool, das in therapeutischen Kontexten zum Einsatz kommt, um die Lebenswelt zu ko-konsturieren, die die persönlichen, relationalen und zeitlichen Aspekte individueller gelebter Erfahrung umfasst. In unserer Studie zu Drogennutzung und Schadensreduzierung interviewten wir Menschen, die Drogen injizieren unter Einsatz des LSB, um herauszufinden, ob sich hieraus Potenziale für eine verbesserte qualitative Forschung ergeben könnten. In unserem Forschungsteam arbeiteten neben Akademiker*innen auch frühere oder aktuelle Drogenkonsument*innen mit. Interviews wurden von jeweils zwei Personen geführt: eine agierte als Interviewer*in, die andere war für das LSB zuständig.Entlang der Ergebnisse war nachvollziehbar, dass Interviewende und Interviewte in unterschiedlicher Weise mit dem LSB interagierten: Während die Interviewer*innen es nutzten, um sich im Leitfaden zu orientieren, half es den Befragten, die eigene Lebensgeschichte mittels einer Vielzahl an emotionalen und kognitiven Äußerungen zu validieren oder zu unterstreichen. Das LSB erlaubte, sich an spezifische Situationen oder Vorfälle zu erinnern, Perspektiven hinzuzugewinnen und der eigenen Geschichte zusätzlichen Sinn zu verleihen. Insoweit arbeiteten Interviewte und Interviewende unter jeweils unterschiedlichen Vorzeichen mittels des LSB gemeinsam an einer (Re-)Präsentation der jeweiligen Lebensgeschichte.The Life Story Board (LSB) is a visual tool used in therapeutic circumstances to co-construct a lifescape that represents the personal, relational and temporal aspects of a person's lived experiences. We conducted a study of the drug use and harm reduction experiences of people who inject drugs through research interviews using the LSB to determine whether it has the potential to enhance qualitative research. Our team included community researchers who were current or former drug users and academic researchers. Interviews were conducted by two community researchers: an interviewer and a storyboarder who populated the LSB.Results showed that interviewers and participants interacted with the LSB in different ways. The board functioned to situate the interviewers in the interview schedule, whereas participants often used the board as a way to validate or reinforce their life story. Participants expressed a variety of emotional and cognitive responses to the board. Overall, the LSB helped participants focus on their life story to recall specific occasions or incidents and enabled them to gain perspective and make greater sense of their lives. Both participants and interviewers engaged with the LSB in nuanced ways that enabled them to work together to represent the participant's life story