The Effect of Remuneration Schedule on Data Completion and Retention in the Pregnancy Eating Attributes Study (PEAS)

Maximizing data completion and study retention is essential in population research. This study examined the effect of remuneration schedule and data collection modality on data completion and retention in the Pregnancy Eating Attributes Study cohort. Participants (n = 458) completed online surveys and attended six in-person study visits. Initially, remuneration was a prespecified amount per visit, then was changed mid-study to be prorated based on the number of forms completed. Additionally, survey data collection modality was changed to in-person at the sixth study visit. In this secondary data analysis, there was no effect of remuneration schedule on withdrawal rates or time-to-withdrawal. Survey completion was significantly lower under prorated remuneration at the first visit but did not significantly differ at subsequent visits. The lump sum group had significantly greater odds of completely the first and second trimester dietary record (OR = 4.1, OR = 2.6, respectively) then the prorated group but were almost half as likely to complete the dietary record at the 6-month postpartum visit (OR = 0.5). Survey completion at sixth visit was significantly higher for in-person versus online completion (68.6% vs. 93.1%). Findings suggest that remuneration schedule and data collection modality can impact completion of self- reported assessments

Doing gender locally: The importance of ‘place’ in understanding marginalised masculinities and young men’s transitions to ‘safe’ and successful futures

Observable anxieties have been developing about the position of boys and young men in contemporary society in recent years. This is expressed as a crisis of masculinity, in which place is often implicitly implicated, but is rarely considered for its role in the shaping of young men’s practices, trajectories and aspirations. Drawing on research conducted with young people who accessed a range of social care support services, this article argues that transition means different things for young men in different locales and that local definitions of masculinity are required to better understand young men’s lives and the opportunities available to them. The authors argue that home life, street life, individual neighbourhoods, regions and nations all shaped the young men’s identities and the practices they (and the staff working with them) drew on in order to create successful futures and ‘safe’ forms of masculinity. It is suggested that this place-based approach has the potential to re-shape the ‘crisis’ discourse surrounding masculinity and the anxieties associated with young men

Controls of Initial Wood Decomposition on and in Forest Soils Using Standard Material

Forest ecosystems sequester approximately half of the world’s organic carbon (C), most of it in the soil. The amount of soil C stored depends on the input and decomposition rate of soil organic matter (OM), which is controlled by the abundance and composition of the microbial and invertebrate communities, soil physico-chemical properties, and (micro)-climatic conditions. Although many studies have assessed how these site-specific climatic and soil properties affect the decomposition of fresh OM, differences in the type and quality of the OM substrate used, make it difficult to compare and extrapolate results across larger scales. Here, we used standard wood stakes made from aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) to explore how climate and abiotic soil properties affect wood decomposition across 44 unharvested forest stands located across the northern hemisphere. Stakes were placed in three locations: (i) on top of the surface organic horizons (surface), (ii) at the interface between the surface organic horizons and mineral soil (interface), and (iii) into the mineral soil (mineral). Decomposition rates of both wood species was greatest for mineral stakes and lowest for stakes placed on the surface organic horizons, but aspen stakes decomposed faster than pine stakes. Our models explained 44 and 36% of the total variation in decomposition for aspen surface and interface stakes, but only 0.1% (surface), 12% (interface), 7% (mineral) for pine, and 7% for mineral aspen stakes. Generally, air temperature was positively, precipitation negatively related to wood stake decomposition. Climatic variables were stronger predictors of decomposition than soil properties (surface C:nitrogen ratio, mineral C concentration, and pH), regardless of stake location or wood species. However, climate-only models failed in explaining wood decomposition, pointing toward the importance of including local-site properties when predicting wood decomposition. The difficulties we had in explaining the variability in wood decomposition, especially for pine and mineral soil stakes, highlight the need to continue assessing drivers of decomposition across large global scales to better understand and estimate surface and belowground C cycling, and understand the drivers and mechanisms that affect C pools, CO2 emissions, and nutrient cycles

Outcomes in patients with gunshot wounds to the brain.

Introduction:Gunshot wounds to the brain (GSWB) confer high lethality and uncertain recovery. It is unclear which patients benefit from aggressive resuscitation, and furthermore whether patients with GSWB undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) have potential for survival or organ donation. Therefore, we sought to determine the rates of survival and organ donation, as well as identify factors associated with both outcomes in patients with GSWB undergoing CPR. Methods:We performed a retrospective, multicenter study at 25 US trauma centers including dates between June 1, 2011 and December 31, 2017. Patients were included if they suffered isolated GSWB and required CPR at a referring hospital, in the field, or in the trauma resuscitation room. Patients were excluded for significant torso or extremity injuries, or if pregnant. Binomial regression models were used to determine predictors of survival/organ donation. Results:825 patients met study criteria; the majority were male (87.6%) with a mean age of 36.5 years. Most (67%) underwent CPR in the field and 2.1% (n=17) survived to discharge. Of the non-survivors, 17.5% (n=141) were considered eligible donors, with a donation rate of 58.9% (n=83) in this group. Regression models found several predictors of survival. Hormone replacement was predictive of both survival and organ donation. Conclusion:We found that GSWB requiring CPR during trauma resuscitation was associated with a 2.1% survival rate and overall organ donation rate of 10.3%. Several factors appear to be favorably associated with survival, although predictions are uncertain due to the low number of survivors in this patient population. Hormone replacement was predictive of both survival and organ donation. These results are a starting point for determining appropriate treatment algorithms for this devastating clinical condition. Level of evidence:Level II

Pregnancy complications in women with rare tumor suppressor syndromes affecting central and peripheral nervous system

Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), tuberous sclerosis (TS), and von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) are tumor suppressor syndromes characterized by multiple benign tumors of the peripheral and central nervous system.1 These tumors may lead to an enhanced obstetric risk in female patients, but it is currently unknown whether women with NF2, TS, or VHL experience increased rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Current data consist primarily of case series, even the largest of which may lack power because of the small sample sizes

Associations of common breast cancer susceptibility alleles with risk of breast cancer subtypes in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Author Correction:SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination rates in pregnant women in Scotland

Population-level data on COVID-19 vaccine uptake in pregnancy and SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes are lacking. We describe COVID-19 vaccine uptake and SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women in Scotland, using whole-population data from a national, prospective cohort. Between the start of a COVID-19 vaccine program in Scotland, on 8 December 2020 and 31 October 2021, 25,917 COVID-19 vaccinations were given to 18,457 pregnant women. Vaccine coverage was substantially lower in pregnant women than in the general female population of 18−44 years; 32.3% of women giving birth in October 2021 had two doses of vaccine compared to 77.4% in all women. The extended perinatal mortality rate for women who gave birth within 28 d of a COVID-19 diagnosis was 22.6 per 1,000 births (95% CI 12.9−38.5; pandemic background rate 5.6 per 1,000 births; 452 out of 80,456; 95% CI 5.1−6.2). Overall, 77.4% (3,833 out of 4,950; 95% CI 76.2−78.6) of SARS-CoV-2 infections, 90.9% (748 out of 823; 95% CI 88.7−92.7) of SARS-CoV-2 associated with hospital admission and 98% (102 out of 104; 95% CI 92.5−99.7) of SARS-CoV-2 associated with critical care admission, as well as all baby deaths, occurred in pregnant women who were unvaccinated at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis. Addressing low vaccine uptake rates in pregnant women is imperative to protect the health of women and babies in the ongoing pandemic

SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination rates in pregnant women in Scotland

Population-level data on COVID-19 vaccine uptake in pregnancy and SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes are lacking. We describe COVID-19 vaccine uptake and SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women in Scotland, using whole-population data from a national, prospective cohort. Between the start of a COVID-19 vaccine program in Scotland, on 8 December 2020 and 31 October 2021, 25,917 COVID-19 vaccinations were given to 18,457 pregnant women. Vaccine coverage was substantially lower in pregnant women than in the general female population of 18-44 years; 32.3% of women giving birth in October 2021 had two doses of vaccine compared to 77.4% in all women. The extended perinatal mortality rate for women who gave birth within 28 d of a COVID-19 diagnosis was 22.6 per 1,000 births (95% CI 12.9-38.5; pandemic background rate 5.6 per 1,000 births; 452 out of 80,456; 95% CI 5.1-6.2). Overall, 77.4% (3,833 out of 4,950; 95% CI 76.2-78.6) of SARS-CoV-2 infections, 90.9% (748 out of 823; 95% CI 88.7-92.7) of SARS-CoV-2 associated with hospital admission and 98% (102 out of 104; 95% CI 92.5-99.7) of SARS-CoV-2 associated with critical care admission, as well as all baby deaths, occurred in pregnant women who were unvaccinated at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis. Addressing low vaccine uptake rates in pregnant women is imperative to protect the health of women and babies in the ongoing pandemic. [Abstract copyright: © 2022. The Author(s).

Chemical Genetic Analysis and Functional Characterization of Staphylococcal Wall Teichoic Acid 2-Epimerases Reveals Unconventional Antibiotic Drug Targets

Here we describe a chemical biology strategy performed in Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis to identify MnaA, a 2-epimerase that we demonstrate interconverts UDP-GlcNAc and UDP-ManNAc to modulate substrate levels of TarO and TarA wall teichoic acid (WTA) biosynthesis enzymes. Genetic inactivation of mnaA results in complete loss of WTA and dramatic in vitro β-lactam hypersensitivity in methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and S. epidermidis (MRSE). Likewise, the β-lactam antibiotic imipenem exhibits restored bactericidal activity against mnaA mutants in vitro and concomitant efficacy against 2-epimerase defective strains in a mouse thigh model of MRSA and MRSE infection. Interestingly, whereas MnaA serves as the sole 2-epimerase required for WTA biosynthesis in S. epidermidis, MnaA and Cap5P provide compensatory WTA functional roles in S. aureus. We also demonstrate that MnaA and other enzymes of WTA biosynthesis are required for biofilm formation in MRSA and MRSE. We further determine the 1.9Å crystal structure of S. aureus MnaA and identify critical residues for enzymatic dimerization, stability, and substrate binding. Finally, the natural product antibiotic tunicamycin is shown to physically bind MnaA and Cap5P and inhibit 2-epimerase activity, demonstrating that it inhibits a previously unanticipated step in WTA biosynthesis. In summary, MnaA serves as a new Staphylococcal antibiotic target with cognate inhibitors predicted to possess dual therapeutic benefit: as combination agents to restore β-lactam efficacy against MRSA and MRSE and as non-bioactive prophylactic agents to prevent Staphylococcal biofilm formation.publishe

A framework for evaluating the influence of climate, dispersal limitation, and biotic interactions using fossil pollen associations across the late Quaternary

Environmental conditions, dispersal lags, and interactions among species are major factors structuring communities through time and across space. Ecologists have emphasized the importance of biotic interactions in determining local patterns of species association. In contrast, abiotic limits, dispersal limitation, and historical factors have commonly been invoked to explain community structure patterns at larger spatiotemporal scales, such as the appearance of late Pleistocene no-analog communities or latitudinal gradients of species richness in both modern and fossil assemblages. Quantifying the relative influence of these processes on species co-occurrence patterns is not straightforward. We provide a framework for assessing causes of species associations by combining a null-model analysis of co-occurrence with additional analyses of climatic differences and spatial pattern for pairs of pollen taxa that are significantly associated across geographic space. We tested this framework with data on associations among 106 fossil pollen taxa and paleoclimate simulations from eastern North America across the late Quaternary. The number and proportion of significantly associated taxon pairs increased over time, but only 449 of 56 194 taxon pairs were significantly different from random. Within this significant subset of pollen taxa, biotic interactions were rarely the exclusive cause of associations. Instead, climatic or spatial differences among sites were most frequently associated with significant patterns of taxon association. Most taxon pairs that exhibited co-occurrence patterns indicative of biotic interactions at one time did not exhibit significant associations at other times. Evidence for environmental filtering and dispersal limitation was weakest for aggregated pairs between 16 and 11 kyr BP, suggesting enhanced importance of positive species interactions during this interval. The framework can thus be used to identify species associations that may reflect biotic interactions because these associations are not tied to environmental or spatial differences. Furthermore, temporally repeated analyses of spatial associations can reveal whether such associations persist through time