http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification 720 https://escholarship.org/uc/uci_pph_eoh_oapdeposits/rss Recent eScholarship items from Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Open Access Policy Deposits Mon, 3 Aug 2026 18:19:33 +0000 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/23f964sw Cannabis use typically starts in early to mid-adolescence. Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component of cannabis, targets cannabinoid receptors (CBRs) to exert its pharmacological effects. Expression of CBRs has been observed in human and rodent testes, but their potential role in the control of reproductive function remains unclear. We aimed to elucidate how THC exposure during adolescence or young adulthood affects the reproductive health of males. C57BL/6N male mice were given THC (5 mg/kg) or vehicle, once daily by intraperitoneal injection from postnatal day (PND) 30 to PND 43 (adolescent exposure) or PND 70 to PND 83 (adult exposure), and testes were harvested at PND 70 and PND 110, respectively. Results showed that CBRs (CB1R and CB2R) and enzymes that biosynthesize or inactivate the endocannabinoids anandamide-N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase D or fatty acid amide hydrolase, respectively-are expressed in the mouse testis. THC exposure... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/23f964sw Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Lim, Jinhwan Quach, Caitlin Nguyen, Julie Rizk, Andrew Getze, Samantha Jung, Kwang-Mook Mahler, Stephen V https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8698-0905 Piomelli, Daniele Luderer, Ulrike https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8639-1326 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9zn197jt Air pollution, including particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5) and airborne metals (Cd, Hg, As, Pb) are a systemic health hazard, but osteotoxic effects remain underrecognized. We systematically synthesized human, animal, and in vitro evidence on airborne contaminants and outcomes to skeletal health. Following Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) guidance, we searched PubMed and Google Scholar (2014-2024; final search November 24, 2024) for English-language studies relating PM or airborne metals to skeletal outcomes, excluding studies limited to adult occupational exposures, age-related bone disease, or non-peer-reviewed reports. Studies were screened and data extracted in Covidence. Risk of bias was assessed using tools from the Quality Assessment and Risk of Bias Tool Repository, and certainty of evidence was graded with GRADE. We used a random-effects meta-analyses model to estimate relative risks (RRs) interpreted as directional consistency hazards for bone loss,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9zn197jt Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Vera-Colon, Madeline KM Meletz, Ruth M Phillipson, Celina N Sparks, Nicole RL https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8w45z70h Single-Cell Transcriptomic Dissection of Bisphenol-Induced Disruption in Human Osteogenic Differentiation: Implications for Environment-Associated Skeletal Birth Defects https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8w45z70h Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Iwobi, Nneamaka Sparks, Nicole RL https://escholarship.org/uc/item/46v184mx Fine Particulate Matter Disrupts Human Stem Cell Osteogenesis and Reprograms Metabolism to Promote a Developmental Skeletal Risk https://escholarship.org/uc/item/46v184mx Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Vera-Colon, Madeline Williams, Desiree Herman, David Sparks, Nicole RL https://escholarship.org/uc/item/42m344wc Investigating the Developmental Toxicity of Bisphenols: Effects on Human Embryonic Stem Cell Osteoblast Differentiation https://escholarship.org/uc/item/42m344wc Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Iwobi, Nneamaka Sparks, Nicole RL https://escholarship.org/uc/item/30w4w3p0 Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Mechanisms of Particulate Matter-Induced Disruption of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Osteogenesis https://escholarship.org/uc/item/30w4w3p0 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Vera-Colon, Madeline KM Sparks, Nicole RL https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2q2354ds INTRODUCTION: Tobacco smoking has been implicated in an array of adverse health outcomes, including those that affect adult bone. However, little is known about the impact of tobacco products on developing bone tissue as it develops in the embryo. AIMS AND METHODS: Here, human embryonic stem cells were differentiated into osteoblasts in vitro and concomitantly exposed to various concentrations of smoke solutions from two conventional, one additive-free and two harm-reduction brands of cigarettes. Differentiation inhibition was determined by calcium assays that quantified matrix mineralization and compared to the cytotoxicity of the tobacco product. RESULTS: Exposure to mainstream smoke from conventional and additive-free cigarettes caused no inhibition of cell viability or mineralization, while sidestream smoke (SS) concentration-dependently produced cell death. In contrast, mineralization was inhibited only by the highest mainstream concentration of harm-reduction smoke solution.... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2q2354ds Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Martinez, Ivann KC Sparks, Nicole RL https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6176-7895 Madrid, JV Talbot, Prue https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8833-0845 Nieden, Nicole I zur https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1st99590 Characterizing Developmental Bone Toxicity in Human Embryonic Stem Cells https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1st99590 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Sparks, Nicole RL https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1df8n2vx Developmental exposure to environmental toxicants is a cause of skeletal abnormalities. Yet the molecular mechanisms linking early exposure to impaired bone formation remain undefined. Skeletal tissues arise from both neural crest- and mesoderm-derived lineages that rely on shared osteogenic differentiation programs, suggesting that disruption of common regulatory processes may contribute to diverse skeletal outcomes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key post-transcriptional regulators of gene networks and have appeared as indicators of toxicant-induced perturbation. In this study, we examined whether developmentally relevant toxicants are associated with miRNA regulatory networks during osteogenic differentiation. Using a human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-based osteogenic differentiation model, we assessed the effects of nine toxicants spanning distinct primary mechanisms. Toxicant exposure impaired osteogenic differentiation at their IC50, as reflected by altered expression of osteogenic... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1df8n2vx Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Schwartz, Ashley V Williams, Desiree Zepeda, Michael H Bertotto, Luisa B George, Uduak Z Zur Nieden, Nicole I https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4063-5070 Sparks, Nicole RL https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0d97m315 As pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries develop more potentially toxic compounds, traditional methods of toxicity screening cannot keep up. A conventional approach of screening compounds for their toxic and teratogenic potential heavily relies on multitudes of animal models, which have proven to be timely and expensive and bring forth ethical challenges. These limitations of animal testing have created an eagerness among researchers to develop more predictive in vitro alternative screening assays. The most promising in vitro approach at modernizing toxicity tests is the embryonic stem cell test (EST). The EST assesses toxicity on the naive embryonic cell and also the effect of the putative toxicant on the genesis of a specific tissue endpoint. Importantly, unlike other in vitro models, the EST obviates the need to sacrifice pregnant animals. Although determined suitable for regulatory standards, the classic EST, which is based on mouse cells, is limited in its endpoint... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0d97m315 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Sparks, Nicole RL Nieden, Nicole I zur https://escholarship.org/uc/item/46x7m0v7 Bicycle infrastructure preferences vary by rider experience and comfort, yet both bicyclists and motorists perceive separated bicycle lanes as safer than shared lane markings (sharrows). Despite widespread adoption, evidence on the real-world behavioral impacts of sharrows remains limited. This study evaluates a natural experiment in Santa Ana, California, where sharrows were installed in a downtown commercial corridor when separated bicycle lanes were not feasible. Researchers collected baseline data in September 2015 and follow-up data in February 2016 and early 2017, totaling 54 hours of direct bicycle observation across two target areas. Results revealed a mixed and cautionary pattern of change. West-to-East mean bicycle counts increased significantly from 0.986 (2015) to 1.734 (2016; p = 0.045) but declined to 1.500 by 2017. East-to-West counts showed modest, non-significant year-over-year growth. Critically, sidewalk riding increased significantly from 2015 to 2016 (p =... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/46x7m0v7 Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Sami, Mojgan Macridis, Soultana Sharma, Deepak Ogunseitan, Oladele https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8h7074r7 Bicycle infrastructure preferences vary by user experience and comfort, but evidence suggests both cyclists and drivers perceive separated bike lanes as safer than shared lane markings (sharrows). Little is known about sharrows impact in real-world settings, as no observational studies have evaluated their before and after installation impact. Santa Ana, California, incorporated sharrows into its active transportation plan to increase and encourage safe riding in a downtown commercial corridor where separated bike lanes were not feasible. Researchers conducted a natural experiment using a pre-post study design, collecting baseline data in 2015 before installation, and follow-up data in 2016 and 2017. A total of 54 hours of direct bicycle observation was conducted across two target areas over three years (2015 – 2017). A modest increase in bicycling was observed from 2015 to 2016, but was not sustained into 2017. Sidewalk and wrong-way riding increased slightly over time, while... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8h7074r7 Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Sami, Mojgan Macridis, Soultana Sharma, Deepak Ogunseitan, Oladele https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1317-6219 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/67r059n6 Social Network Typology and Cognitive Status Among African Americans: Findings From the Health and Retirement Study https://escholarship.org/uc/item/67r059n6 Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Lincoln, Karen https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1891-2035 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1kp2g3c5 Rising rates of obesity among older adults in the United States are a serious public health concern. While the physical health consequences of obesity are well documented, the mental health consequences are less understood. This is especially the case among older adults in general and among racial and ethnic minority older adults in particular. Available studies document a link between obesity and a variety of mental health disorders. However, findings from this body of evidence are inconsistent, especially when race and ethnicity are considered. This article examines research on obesity and mental health among older adults and identifies risk factors, causal mechanisms, and methodological approaches that help clarify the equivocal nature of the literature. Promising research and future directions include studies that consider a wide array of contextual factors and population heterogeneity. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1kp2g3c5 Thu, 9 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Lincoln, Karen https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9q17k5fx Increasing adoption of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) has raised concerns about potential disparities, including increased gentrification in low-income communities. As a first step in unraveling this rarely studied relationship, we examined the association between ZEV adoption and measures of gentrification. We addressed two questions: (1) How do ZEV adoption trends vary by neighborhood-level gentrification and disadvantage in California metropolitan areas? and (2) Among neighborhoods that are not already gentrified, is prior ZEV adoption associated with subsequent changes in housing prices? We obtained census tract-level data on longitudinal counts of battery electric vehicle (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) registrations, median home value and monthly rent, disadvantaged communities (DACs) designations, and gentrification status ('none/early,' 'advanced/stable,' or 'exclusive'). Linear mixed models estimated BEV (or PHEV) adoption trajectories (2015-2023) across... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9q17k5fx Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Chen, Futu Eckel, Sandrah P Palinkas, Lawrence A Johnston, Jill https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4530-0555 Comando, Andre Campos, Alberto Franco, Wilma Garcia, Erika https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5bq780sb Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that poses a serious health risk as the primary cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Despite the well-known adverse association with health outcomes, current radon exposure assessments are limited to county-level or average-level estimates, which fail to capture regional variability. This study uses Machine Learning models, including Random Forest (RF) and Quantile Regression Forest (QRF), to estimate the indoor radon concentrations at the ZCTA (Zip code tabulation area)-level and characterize uncertainties in model estimates. Incorporating geological, meteorological, and building-specific data, the models aim to improve radon risk assessment by capturing mean exposure, variability, and extreme concentration levels. Processed radon test data (n = 718,111) were analyzed using average, variability, and quantile prediction methods. Models that estimate the average radon exposure at the ZCTA-level can yield promising model-fit results,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5bq780sb Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Lee, Heechan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9297-1688 Maguire, Dakotah Logan, Jeremy Agasthya, Greeshma Dewji, Shaheen Hanson, Heidi A https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4vk8z126 Characterizing the interplay between exposures shaping the human exposome is vital for uncovering the etiology of complex diseases. For example, cancer risk is modified by a range of multifactorial external environmental exposures. Environmental, socioeconomic, and lifestyle factors all shape lung cancer risk. However, epidemiological studies&nbsp;of radon aimed at&nbsp;identifying populations at high risk for lung cancer often fail to consider multiple exposures simultaneously. For example, moderating factors, such as PM2.5, may affect the transport of radon progeny to lung tissue. This ecological analysis leveraged a population-level dataset from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results data (2013–17) to simultaneously investigate the effect of multiple sources of low-dose radiation (gross γ$$\gamma$$ activity and indoor radon) and PM2.5 on lung cancer incidence&nbsp;rates in the USA. County-level factors (environmental, sociodemographic, lifestyle)... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4vk8z126 Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Lee, Heechan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9297-1688 Hanson, Heidi A Logan, Jeremy Maguire, Dakotah Kapadia, Anuj Dewji, Shaheen Agasthya, Greeshma https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5cg2s3qs Over 25% of active NASA astronauts are women who will be exposed to low daily doses and dose rates of galactic cosmic rays (GCR) in space. We hypothesized that exposing mice to a preliminary simulated GCR mixed heavy ion beam composed of iron, silicon, and titanium ions induces follicle depletion and dose-dependent ovarian tumors. Female mice were exposed to 10, or 20&nbsp;cGy each of Fe, Si, and Ti ions or sham-irradiation in quick succession within 15&nbsp;min for total doses of 0, 30, or 60&nbsp;cGy of the three beams. 16&nbsp;months later, their ovaries were removed. Hyperplasia of the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) was noted in 13%, 59%, and 22% of the 0, 30, and 60&nbsp;cGy irradiated mice, respectively. The prevalence of mixed ovarian tumors was 0, 6, and 89%, respectively, in the 0, 30, and 60&nbsp;cGy groups. Low numbers of Ki67 positive OSE and tumor cells supported a benign tumor phenotype. In a separate study, Si ion irradiation alone at 32&nbsp;cGy did not induce... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5cg2s3qs Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Parada, Kathleen N Leon Lawson, Gregory Chang, Polly Blakely, Eleanor A Bajwa, Lovleen Gramajo-Aponte, Kevin Getze, Samantha Luderer, Ulrike https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8639-1326 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3812n8pt Methyl bromide (MeBr) has been widely used as a fumigant to control for pests, fungi and weeds as well as for disinfection of warehouses, shipping containers, and other commodities. MeBr is a known developmental, neurologic and respiratory toxin. Due to its ozone-depleting properties, MeBr was listed under the Montreal Protocol in 1992. While MeBr use was set to phase out by 2005, the Montreal Protocol and the US Clean Air Act allows critical use exemptions, such as fumigation of freight containers for quarantine and preshipment purposes. To evaluate state-wide spatial and temporal patterns, we examine publicly available pesticide data on the use of MeBr in California from 2016–2022. We found that MeBr applications continue in 36 out of 58 CA counties. For non-agricultural fumigation applications (e.g., commodity fumigation) of MeBr from 2016–2022, a total of 582,050 kilograms (1,283,201 pounds) were applied across 25 counties in CA, home to 24 million people. Los Angeles ranks... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3812n8pt Wed, 28 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Van Horne, Yoshira Ornelas Johnston, Jill E https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4530-0555 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1pj92630 OBJECTIVE: To describe the relationship between the length of short-term disability (STD) and health care spending. METHODS: Medical claims for insured US employees on STD were evaluated to describe the distribution of disability durations and health expenditures across major diagnostic categories and common medical conditions. Correlations between health expenditures and disability durations were examined. RESULTS: The most expensive 10% of cases accounted for more than half of total health spending. The longest 10% of cases accounted for more than one-third of total disability time. Only one-third of the most expensive cases were also among the longest in duration. Disability durations were moderately correlated with medical spending and this relationship was modified by comorbid conditions and age. CONCLUSION: Psychosocial barriers, in addition to biomedical factors, should be considered to achieve optimal functional outcomes and well-being of patients. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1pj92630 Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Zaidel, Catherine S Ethiraj, Rajesh K Berenji, Manijeh https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7255-8837 Gaspar, Fraser W https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5b53h92s BACKGROUND: No safe level of lead in blood has been identified. Blood lead testing is required for children on Medicaid, but it is at the discretion of providers and parents for others. Elevated blood lead levels (EBLLs) cannot be identified in children who are not tested. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this research were to identify determinants of lead testing and EBLLs among North Carolina children and estimate the number of additional children with EBLLs among those not tested. METHODS: We linked geocoded North Carolina birth certificates from 2011-2016 to 2010 U.S. Census data and North Carolina blood lead test results from 2011-2018. We estimated the probability of being screened for lead and created inverse probability (IP) of testing weights. We evaluated the risk of an EBLL of at of age, conditional on characteristics at birth, using generalized linear models and then applied IP weights to account for missing blood lead results among unscreened children. We estimated the number... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5b53h92s Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Kamai, Elizabeth M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3543-1623 Daniels, Julie L Delamater, Paul L Lanphear, Bruce P Gibson, Jacqueline MacDonald Richardson, David B https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3gd3s20g Mounting evidence across multiple disciplines supports the health benefits of connection to nature. Although this trend suggests that the human-nature relationship is integral to health, its importance is often overlooked in clinical practice due, in part, to lack of consensus on its scope, limits, and terminology. To fill a needed gap, we developed a consensus statement on an inter-connectivity based view of health termed Ecological Medicine. The study recruited an expert working group and used modified Delphi technique and focus groups. The Ecological Medicine Working Group was directed toward Ecological Medicine consensus goals that included: (1) a consensus definition and framework, (2) priorities for practice, research, education, and policy, and (3) Ecological Medicine’s implications. A consensus definition and framework for Ecological Medicine was reached, focusing on the importance of human inter-connections (to self, others, non-human species, and natural environment)... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3gd3s20g Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Makhinson, Michael https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6493-9699 Pollack, Landon Hallowell, Ronan Murray, Conor H https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9954-7601 Maddock, Jay E Stewart, Stephanie Michael Basu, Avik King, David Hansen, Helena https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6dz7t6d8 AimTest feasibility of measuring physical activity levels and actual use of outdoor exercise equipment by park users through a human-centered virtual audit in an observational study in southern California.MethodsApproximately 3,000&nbsp;h of continuous video footage were collected using a stationary, customized, wireless data-transmission-enabled outdoor camera in Eastgate Park, Garden Grove, California. The camera captured images of the outdoor exercise equipment every 30&nbsp;s for 14&nbsp;h a day over seven months. A virtual audit was conducted on 300&nbsp;h of footage by a team of researchers who tracked weather conditions, equipment usage, duration of use, and observed the age, gender, and activity levels (sedentary, moderate, or vigorous) of park users. Equipment use was categorized as intended (correct use) or unintended (e.g., resting on equipment).ResultsPooling observations from all eight exercise machines, adults used the equipment as intended an estimated 77% of the... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6dz7t6d8 Thu, 6 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Sami, Mojgan Macridis, Soultana Ogunseitan, Oladele A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1317-6219 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8n07n608 BACKGROUND: Investigating human exposure to toxic contaminants through dietary consumption is critical to identify disease risk factors and health guidelines. METHODS: In this study, we developed a cross-sectional online survey to collect information about dietary patterns and related food consumption habits among adults (age ≥ 18) and adolescents (ages 13-17) in Southern California, focusing on popular staple foods and/or those targeted most commonly under California's Proposition 65 law for lead and acrylamide exposure. RESULTS: Results identified root vegetables, rice, leafy greens, pasta/noodles, tea, juice, and seafood to be among the most heavily consumed foods by mass, while the daily intake of many foods such as stuffed grape leaves, tamarind/chili candy and herbs/spices varied by age and race/ethnicity, suggesting that many of Proposition 65's pollution allowances may be exacerbating issues of health inequity and environmental injustice. Moreover, findings from this study... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8n07n608 Wed, 5 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Masri, Shahir Nasla, Sara Payán, Denise Diaz Wu, Jun https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2693-7112 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3sk225cm The increasingly prevalent use of metallic alloys in consumer products, medical devices, and sophisticated industrial applications warrants consideration of their potential adverse impacts on both human health and ecosystems, early in product and process development. We review recent advances in understanding metallic toxicity and the criteria used by national and international databases to categorize metals in terms of potential hazards and precautional regulatory responses. We note that the existing databases are populated with scientific information on individual metallic elements, and these databases contain gaps and occasional incompatible data, all of which may not apply neatly to the attributes of metallic elements in alloys. We present three case studies, two on conventional metallic alloys (Al 3003 vs Al 7075, Monel vs Inconel 718), and one on high entropy alloys (Cantor vs a recent refractory composition) to explore the potential contributions of individual elements... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3sk225cm Thu, 9 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Schoenung, Julie M Ogunseitan, Oladele A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1317-6219 He, Haoyang https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1178r9m1 Performance criteria and economic considerations remain potent but increasingly insufficient drivers of innovation in the discovery and selection of materials. Global-scale challenges associated with resource depletion, climate change, intractable waste, and toxicity have highlighted the urgent need for a new paradigm, named here as sustainability-informed materials selection, design, discovery, and development (SIMS-D3). The SIMS-D3 approach demands intentional application and transparent coordination of methods for identifying and ranking a broad set of criteria that contribute to the situation of specific materials and their prospective uses on a sustainability continuum. This article covers strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in existing methods, tools, resources, and databases necessary for advancing SIMS-D3, with emphasis on safer chemicals, energy, and implementation of circularity in materials utilization. Case studies on leaded materials, flame retardants, and compositionally... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1178r9m1 Thu, 9 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Schoenung, Julie M Ogunseitan, Oladele A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1317-6219 Heine, Lauren G https://escholarship.org/uc/item/90j804fh The impact of long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and genetic susceptibility on Parkinson’s disease https://escholarship.org/uc/item/90j804fh Wed, 24 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Kwon, Dayoon Kusters, Cynthia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8099-9026 Paul, Kimberly Wu, Jun Bronstein, Jeff https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2961-8918 Lill, Christina Ritz, Beate https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4bj378jw Community Health Workers, promotores, and navigators (henceforth, CHWs) emerged as critical members of the public health workforce addressing social, economic, and health inequities worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. While there is increasing appreciation for and utilization of CHW models, and recognition of the importance of tailoring and innovating these models during the pandemic, few studies have examined the processes of change by which CHW models operated during the COVID-19 pandemic, and factors that facilitated or constrained CHW health equity efforts. This protocol paper describes and reflects on the research methodology used in our qualitative study focused on CHWs. The CATALYST study aims to examine the roles that CHWs served during the COVID-19 pandemic and facilitators and barriers related to CHW health equity strategies. This qualitative study incorporates the lived experiences of CHWs, low-income communities of color whom CHWs engaged, and institutional representatives... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4bj378jw Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 LeBrón, Alana MW https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0964-4673 Michelen, Melina https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3659-7788 Morey, Brittany https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2637-1227 Hernandez, Gloria I Montiel Cantero, Patricia Zárate, Salvador Foo, Mary Anne Peralta, Samantha Chow, Jacqueline J Mangione, Julia Tanjasiri, Sora Billimek, John https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6532-3263 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/49h6z70r Public health relied on community health workers (CHWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic to connect with the most vulnerable communities, which saved lives and addressed inequities. Understanding the structural factors that supported and hindered the success of CHWs is essential for building a stronger public health infrastructure in the future. We analyzed semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 15 institutional representatives and policymakers who engaged in COVID-19 response involving CHWs in Orange County, California. Findings indicated that while participants realized during the COVID-19 pandemic how essential CHWs were in addressing health and social inequities, CHWs were often undervalued by systems that were not established to support them. Participants highlighted needs for government and healthcare systems to equally partner with CHWs, reimburse CHWs for their work, decrease administrative barriers, and fund CHW-hiring organizations sustainably. We discuss recommendations... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/49h6z70r Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Morey, Brittany N https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2637-1227 Michelen, Melina https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3659-7788 Phan, Madeleine Cardenas, Sarah Foo, Mary Anne Cantero, Patricia Peralta, Samantha Chirinos, Noraima Salazar, Rocio Montiel, Gloria Itzel Tanjasiri, Sora Park Billimek, John https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6532-3263 LeBrón, Alana MW https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0964-4673 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5v2640kx The technical potential and effectiveness of different water supply options for securing water availability in a large-scale, interconnected water supply system under historical and climate-change augmented inflow and demand conditions were compared. Part 1 of the study focused on determining the scale of the options required to secure water availability and compared the effectiveness of different options. A spatially and temporally resolved model of California'smajor surface reservoirs was developed, and its sensitivity to urban water conservation, desalination, and water reuse was examined. Potential capacities of the different options were determined. Under historical (baseline) hydrology conditions, many individual options were found to be capable of securing water availability alone. Under climate change augment conditions, a portfolio approach was necessary. The water savings from many individual options other than desalination were insufficient in the latter, however, relying... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5v2640kx Wed, 30 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Tarroja, B AghaKouchak, A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4689-8357 Sobhani, R Feldman, D https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2288-5017 Jiang, S https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4993-8038 Samuelsen, S https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0420-3951 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/20q7d4g3 A study was conducted to compare the technical potential and effectiveness of differentwater supply options for securing water availability in a large-scale, interconnected water supply system under historical and climatechange augmented inflow and demand conditions. Part 2 of the study focused on determining the greenhouse gas and renewable energy utilization impacts of different pathways to stabilize major surface reservoir levels. Using a detailed electric grid model and taking into account impacts on the operation of the water supply infrastructure, the greenhouse gas emissions and effect on overall grid renewable penetration level was calculated for each water supply option portfolio that successfully secured water availability from Part 1. The effects on the energy signature ofwater supply infrastructurewere found to be just as important as that of the fundamental processes for each option. Under historical (baseline) conditions, many option portfolios were capable of securing... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/20q7d4g3 Wed, 30 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Tarroja, B AghaKouchak, A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4689-8357 Sobhani, R Feldman, D https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2288-5017 Jiang, S https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4993-8038 Samuelsen, S https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0420-3951 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3jp8g57h For decades, the dominant approach to lead poisoning has been to focus on homes affected by lead paint and to treat children who are already suffering from lead poisoning. This individualizing approach developed in the context of the defunding and deregulation of government agencies in the 1980s. In recent years, however, community-academic partnerships have reframed lead as an environmental issue produced by the development of the lead industry in the twentieth century and connected to overlapping histories of exploitation, discrimination, and inaction. These community-based projects have contributed to shifting research agendas (by emphasizing historical analysis and the study of the soil and dust), achieved policy changes (with a focus on community-level solutions), and built networks and solidarity with groups advocating for climate justice, tenant organizing, and food security. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3jp8g57h Thu, 17 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Rubio, Juan Manuel Kaylan, Bavisha Diaz, Anthony Flores, Patricia Cheav, Maya Bañuelas, David C Green, Ashley Hjelmstad, Annika Jong-Levinger, Ariane Schütz, Tim Carrasquillo, Maya LeBrón, Alana MW Wu, Jun https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2693-7112 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9nb2f8g1 To co-create a community-informed model of EV adoption, we conducted one English-speaking and two Spanish-speaking focus groups with 29 residents from six disadvantaged urban communities in Southeast Los Angeles. Participants were asked whether they owned an EV or hybrid vehicle, benefits and obstacles to EV ownership, and recommendations for making EV adoption feasible and acceptable. A Community Advisory Council participated in preparation of an interview guide and a review of findings. Social, environmental and personal benefits were cited as reasons for EV ownership but were considered secondary to cost, limited infrastructure (e.g., chargers), and lack of information. This information was used to generate a logic model listing adoption determinants, strategies, causal mechanisms and outcomes. A community informed model serves as a potential tool for promoting the adoption of EVs in disadvantaged communities and creating the conditions necessary for such adoption to be perceived... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9nb2f8g1 Thu, 3 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Palinkas, Lawrence A Liff, Michaela Campos, Alberto Martinez, Anthony A Eckel, Sandrah P Chen, Futu Johnston, Jill https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4530-0555 Franco, Wilma Garcia, Erika https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8b81r54h BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery is an intervention for severe obesity, leading to significant weight loss and metabolic improvements. However, the release of lipophilic chemicals accumulated in adipose tissue during weight loss presents a unique clinical challenge and research opportunity. Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) is a persistent organic pollutant increasingly recognized as obesogen, while the biological mechanisms through which DDE influences body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference remain underexplored. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify metabolic signatures mediating the association between DDE exposure and weight loss by plasma and adipose tissue metabolomics. METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal study involving 60 adolescents with severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery. We quantified <i>p,p'</i>-DDE concentrations in visceral adipose tissue collected during surgery and analyzed metabolic profiles from both adipose tissues collected at surgery and plasma... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8b81r54h Wed, 2 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Li, Zhenjiang Pan, Shudi Baumert, Brittney O Chen, Jiawen Carmen Goodrich, Jesse A Wang, Hongxu Rock, Sarah Ryder, Justin Valvi, Damaskini Jenkins, Todd Sisley, Stephanie Lin, Xiangping Bartell, Scott M https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7797-2906 Inge, Thomas H Xanthakos, Stavra McNeil, Brooklynn Robuck, Anna R Mullins, Catherine E Eckel, Sandrah P McConnell, Rob S La Merrill, Michele A Walker, Douglas I Conti, David V Chatzi, Lida https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6db72546 Abstract: In 2010, USAID catalyzed the formation of One Health University Networks as part of a holistic response designed to promote the One Health approach for addressing complex health challenges. This globally connected One Health University network now includes the African One Health University Network (AFROHUN) and the Southeast Asia University Network (SEAOHUN) and has representation from over 120 universities in 17 countries across Africa and Southeast Asia. Over more than 15 years of USAID investment, these networks have trained more than 85,000 students, in-service professionals and faculty around the world in One Health principles and collaborative problem solving, grounded in One Health core competencies. These One Health practitioners have gone on to contribute to improved global health security in their communities and countries. The evolution and maturation of these networks is a testament to a strong vision and dedication to the task by leadership and donors.... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6db72546 Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Lane, Jennifer K Wolking, David J Kearney-Dreshaj, Mary Meehan, Cheryl Ogunseitan, Oladele A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1317-6219 Preston, Eunah Cho Saylors, Karen E Smith, Woutrina A https://escholarship.org/uc/item/03z603qn The Distributed Charge Compton Source (DCCS) developed by Lumitron Technologies, Inc. has produced a 25-MeV electron beam with 1.7-nC macrobunches at a 100-Hz repetition rate from a compact, high-gradient X-band (11.424 GHz) accelerator. The DCCS is currently being commissioned to produce 100-MeV-class electrons, well within the very high energy electron (VHEE) energy regime, with macrobunch charges of up to 25 nC at repetition rates up to 400 Hz. The DCCS is also designed to produce imaging X rays through Laser Compton scattering. This work aims to describe the preparations for the first dosimetry experimental campaign using this accelerator system at energies ranging from 25 MeV to 90 MeV through hardware development and Monte Carlo (TOPAS) simulation studies. A significant goal of these preparations is to configure the machine so that it can be used to both image with X rays and subsequently treat with VHEEs without movement of the animal model under study. At ultra-high dose... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/03z603qn Wed, 18 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Effarah, Haytham H Reutershan, Trevor Seggebruch, Michael WL Algots, Martin Amador, Alexander Baulch, Janet https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1078-6946 Drayson, Olivia GG Hartemann, Frederic V Hwang, Yoonwoo Lagzda, Agnese Raksi, Ferenc Limoli, Charles L Barty, Christopher PJ https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6kj385zr BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the health and social wellbeing of the United States population, disproportionately affecting low-income, immigrant communities of color. In Orange County, California, community health workers (CHWs) were essential to addressing multilevel community needs among impacted communities. However, little is known about how communities and CHWs responded to meet their needs amid pressing challenges.MethodsCHWs completed a popular education qualitative methods program under a Community Science Worker (CSW) model to design and facilitate four semi-structured focus groups and three interviews with 32 residents in Orange County, California, to understand their pandemic experiences and interactions with CHWs. Sessions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using an adapted flexible coding approach to derive data-driven themes.ResultsResidents described how they supported one another, advocated for their communities, and fostered livelihood... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6kj385zr Wed, 4 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Michelen, Melina https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3659-7788 Lopez Galeana, Beatriz Zárate, Salvador Tanjasiri, Sora Park Donaldson, Lindsay Cantero, Patricia J Chirinos, Noraima Salazar, Rocio Foo, Mary Anne Peralta, Samantha Lara de Cortez, Pilar Capistran, Guadalupe Billimek, John https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6532-3263 LeBrón, Alana MW https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0964-4673 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3r5832ws This study examines how racialization processes (conceptualized as multilevel and dynamic processes) shape prenatal mental health by testing the association of discrimination and the John Henryism hypothesis on depressive symptoms for pregnant Mexican-origin immigrant women. We analyzed baseline data (n = 218) from a healthy lifestyle intervention for pregnant Latinas in Detroit, Michigan. Using separate multiple linear regression models, we examined the independent and joint associations of discrimination and John Henryism with depressive symptoms and effect modification by socioeconomic position. Discrimination was positively associated with depressive symptoms (β = 2.84; p &lt; .001) when adjusting for covariates. This association did not vary by socioeconomic position. Women primarily attributed discrimination to language use, racial background, and nativity. We did not find support for the John Henryism hypothesis, meaning that the hypothesized association between John Henryism... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3r5832ws Wed, 4 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000 LeBrón, Alana MW https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0964-4673 Rodriguez, Victoria E https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5645-1378 Sinco, Brandy R Caldwell, Cleopatra H Kieffer, Edith C https://escholarship.org/uc/item/74z472bf Is Transnational Aid Necessary for Global Environmental Sustainability and Health Security? https://escholarship.org/uc/item/74z472bf Thu, 8 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Ogunseitan, Oladele A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1317-6219 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6wr2d83g Announced as “the greatest and most consequential day of deregulation in U.S. history,” 12 March 2025 marks the retreat of the United States Environmental Protection Agency from remedial and preventive policies that were informed by decades of consequential research in environmental science and public health. The USEPA administrator boasted further: “We are driving a dagger straight into the heart of the climate change religion to drive down cost of living for American families, unleash American energy, bring auto jobs back to the U.S. and more.” The retreat threatens science-based regulations that have commanded the attention of researchers, policymakers, healthcare providers, non-governmental stewards of environments and ecosystems, and the general public. An example of such regulations targets mercury pollution, perhaps the only toxic chemical for which a specific UN action, the Minamata Convention, is dedicated. The linkage of mercury emissions to coal combustion as a source... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6wr2d83g Thu, 8 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Ogunseitan, Oladele A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1317-6219 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8t3908vt OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the critical shortage of physicians trained in occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) in California, analyzes the adverse impacts of that shortage, and proposes a specific target for increasing OEM residency slots. METHODS: Literature review. RESULTS: The US ratio of OEM physicians to workers is 2 per 100,000 workers, compared with a ratio of 4 to 40 per 100,000 workers in most industrialized nations. California's shortage OEM physicians costs the state's employers over $1 billion annually in needless workers' compensation losses and other health impacts. Graduating 40 additional OEM residents in the state annually would cost an extra $27 to 32 million per year. CONCLUSIONS: The return-on-investment from increasing the number of OEM residencies and residency slots in California would be substantial, approaching at least 10-to-1, benefitting the state's workers and employers, and its environmental quality. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8t3908vt Wed, 7 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Sharip, Akbar Papanek, Paul J Conlon, Craig Gean, Constantine J Khan, Alya https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8201-1188 Harrison, Robert Berenji, Manijeh https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7255-8837 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8hw254sn Environmental exposures, including widespread industrial pollution, impact human health and are amplified in more highly exposed communities. Policy and regulatory frameworks for making decisions and recommendations on interventions to mitigate or prevent exposures tend to narrowly focus on exposure and some health-related data related to risks. Typically, such frameworks do not consider other factors, including essentiality, health equity, and distribution of benefits and costs. Further, decisions and recommendations lack transparency regarding how they were developed. We developed the Navigation Guide Evidence-to-Decision Framework for Environmental Health (E2DFEH) to provide a structured and transparent framework incorporating a range of scientific information and factors for decision-making. We reviewed current evidence-to-decision frameworks and engaged in an iterative consensus-based process involving 30 experts from 25 organizations in the academic, government, and nonprofit... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8hw254sn Sat, 12 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Chartres, Nicholas Aung, Max T Norris, Susan L Cooper, Courtney Bero, Lisa A Chou, Roger Payne-Sturges, Devon C Wagner, Wendy E Reyes, Jessica W Askie, Lisa M Axelrad, Daniel A Vigo, Deysi Flores Johnston, Jill E https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4530-0555 Lam, Juleen Nachman, Keeve E Rehfuess, Eva Rothschild, Rachel Sutton, Patrice Zeise, Lauren Woodruff, Tracey J https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3622-1297 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/18s8r6p4 BACKGROUND: Electronic cigarettes have gained popularity as a nicotine delivery system, which has been recommended by some as an aid to help people quit traditional smoking. The potential long-term effects of vaping on the cardiovascular system, as well as how their effects compare with those from standard cigarettes, are not well understood. The intrinsic frequency (IF) method is a systems approach for analysis of left ventricle and arterial function. Recent clinical studies have demonstrated the diagnostic and prognostic value of IF. Here, we aim to determine whether the novel IF metrics derived from carotid pressure waveforms can detect effects of nicotine (delivered by chronic exposure to electronic cigarette vapor or traditional cigarette smoke) on the cardiovascular system. METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred seventeen healthy adult male and female rats were exposed to purified air (control), electronic cigarette vapor without nicotine, electronic cigarette vapor with nicotine,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/18s8r6p4 Mon, 7 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Alavi, Rashid Dai, Wangde Mazandarani, Sohrab P Arechavala, Rebecca J Herman, David A Kleinman, Michael T https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2724-0066 Kloner, Robert A Pahlevan, Niema M https://escholarship.org/uc/item/66t4g7dd Introduction: Substance use disorders impact a significant portion of the US population. Exposure to neighborhood environment early in life may contribute to disparities in policing, health outcomes and access to treatment for substance use disorders. Although many studies have examined the relationship between neighborhood context and substance use, few studies have accounted for the spatial distribution of substance use and social environment. The current study examined the association between birth address and substance addiction service utilization of individuals born in communities around the New Bedford Harbor Superfund site in southeast Massachusetts that face potential racial, socioeconomic, and environmental stressors. Methods: The analysis utilized birth record data between January 1992 and December 1998 (N = 12,151) from the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics with follow-up for substance addiction service utilization through June 2022 by the Bureau of Substances... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/66t4g7dd Fri, 4 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Xia, Yingjing Villanueva, Carolina Vieira, Verónica M https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7153-4606 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0mm92855 Prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposure affects child brain development. Less is known about how neighborhood environment (built, institutional, and social) may be associated with structural brain development and whether prenatal exposure to alcohol or tobacco may modify this relationship. The current study aimed to examine whether neighborhood environment is associated with brain volume at age 9-11, and whether prenatal exposure to alcohol or tobacco modifies this relationship. Baseline data from Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study was analyzed (<i>N</i> = 7,887). Neighborhood environment was characterized by 10 variables from the linked external dataset. Prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposures were dichotomized based on the developmental history questionnaire. Bilateral volumes of three regions of interests (hippocampal, parahippocampal, and entorhinal) were examined as outcomes. High residential area deprivation was associated with smaller right hippocampal... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0mm92855 Thu, 3 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Xia, Yingjing Vieira, Verónica M https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7153-4606 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2mz2x4nq Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are lipophilic environmental contaminants accumulated in the adipose tissue. Weight loss interventions, such as bariatric surgery, can mobilize POPs from adipose tissue into the bloodstream. We hypothesized that this mobilization could contribute to increases in blood pressure among 57 adolescents with severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery. POPs and metabolic features were measured from visceral adipose tissue collected during surgery using gas and liquid chromatography, coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry. Blood pressure was assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 5 years post-surgery. We used quantile g-computation to estimate associations of POP mixtures with blood pressure changes. With one quartile increase in POP mixtures, systolic blood pressure (SBP) increased by 6.4% five years after bariatric surgery compared to baseline SBP [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.4%, 12.4%]. The meet-in-the-middle approach identified overlapping... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2mz2x4nq Wed, 2 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Pan, Shudi Li, Zhenjiang Walker, Douglas I Baumert, Brittney O Wang, Hongxu Goodrich, Jesse A Rock, Sarah Inge, Thomas H Jenkins, Todd M Sisley, Stephanie Bartell, Scott M https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7797-2906 Xanthakos, Stavra Lin, Xiangping McNeil, Brooklynn Robuck, Anna R Mullins, Catherine E La Merill, Michele A Garcia, Erika Aung, Max T Eckel, Sandrah P McConnell, Rob Conti, David V Ryder, Justin R Chatzi, Lida https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2bf6f2nv Evidence shows that ultra-high dose-rate FLASH-radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) provides relative protection against normal tissue complications and functional decrements in the irradiated brain. Past work has shown that radiation-induced cognitive impairment, neuroinflammation and reduced structural complexity ofgranule cell neurons were not observed to the same extent after FLASH-RT (&gt; MGy/s) compared to conventional dose-rate (CONV, 0.1&nbsp;Gy/s) delivery. In this study, we explored the sensitivity of hippocampal CA1 and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) pyramidal neurons to cranial irradiation and dose-rate modulation using electron and confocal microscopy. Neuron ultrastructural analyses by electron microscopy after 10&nbsp;Gy FLASH- or CONV-RT exposures indicated that irradiation had little impact on dendritic complexity and synapse density in the CA1, but did increase the length and head diameter of smaller non-perforated synapses. Similarly, irradiation caused no change in mPFC... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2bf6f2nv Wed, 2 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Dickstein, Dara L Zhang, Richard Ru, Ning Vozenin, Marie-Catherine Perry, Bayley C Wang, Juan Baulch, Janet E https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1078-6946 Acharya, Munjal M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7767-5642 Limoli, Charles L https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5871d9ps OBJECTIVE: Although biomedical informatics has multiple roles to play in addressing the climate crisis, collaborative action and research agendas have yet to be developed. As a first step, AMIA's new Climate, Health, and Informatics Working Group held a mini-summit entitled Climate and health: How can informatics help? during the AMIA 2023 Fall Symposium to define an initial set of areas of interest and begin mobilizing informaticians to confront the urgent challenges of climate change. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The AMIA Climate, Health, and Informatics Working Group (at the time, an AMIA Discussion Forum), the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA), the International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics (IAHSI), and the Regenstrief Institute hosted a mini-summit entitled Climate and health: How can informatics help? on November 11, 2023, during the AMIA 2023 Annual Symposium (New Orleans, LA, USA). Using an affinity diagramming approach, the mini-summit organizers... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5871d9ps Wed, 26 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Schleyer, Titus Berenji, Manijeh https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7255-8837 Deck, Monica Chung, Hana Choi, Joshua Cullen, Theresa A Burdick, Timothy Zaleski, Amanda Craig, Kelly Jean Thomas Fayanju, Oluseyi Islam, Muhammad Muinul https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3wh9g0kr OBJECTIVES: The aims of the study were to identify relevant gaps and suggest modifications to occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) graduate medical education to increase knowledge about potential climate change impacts, teach practical skills, and promote relevant actions to protect workers. METHODS: The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine competencies were aligned to the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education physician competencies. Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) OEM milestones were re-examined using a milestone curricular guide based on the peer-reviewed Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education competencies. RESULTS: Climate change-related OEM knowledge and skills are proposed for each OEM core competency domain. Nine residency milestones mapped to the ten American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine core competencies are highlighted by incorporating a climate-related activity along... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3wh9g0kr Wed, 26 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Khan, Alya https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8201-1188 Berenji, Manijeh https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7255-8837 Cloeren, Marianne Goldman, Rose Wheat, Stefan Ogunseitan, Oladele https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1317-6219 Ayoub, Samantha Rabinowitz, Peter Chekuri, Bhargavi Solomon, Gina https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6004-0387 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2gt5g2ts The cognitive deterioration of politicians is a critical emerging issue. As professions including law and medicine develop and implement cognitive assessments, their insights may inform the proper strategy within politics. The aging, lifetime-appointed judiciary raises legal and administrative questions of such assessments, while testing of older physicians experiencing cognitive decline provides real-life examples of implementation. In politics, cognitive assessment must contend with the field's unique challenges, also taking context-dependent interpretations of cognitive-neuropsychological status into account. These perspectives, from legal and medical experts, political scientists, and officeholders, can contribute toward an equitable, functioning, and non-discriminatory system of assessing cognition that educates the public and enables politicians to maintain their public responsibilities. With proper implementation and sufficient public knowledge, we believe cognitive assessments... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2gt5g2ts Wed, 26 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Gong, Steven Hu, Zifeng P Ghaemi, S Nassir Min, Dave Mapstone, Mark https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0280-8057 Sanbar, SS Berenji, Manijeh https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7255-8837 Rosenberg, Shawn Phoenix, Davin Fisher, Mark https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9802-8826 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1nm4t5fm BACKGROUND: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals that persist in the environment and can accumulate in humans, leading to adverse health effects. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging biomarkers that can advance the understanding of the mechanisms of PFAS effects on human health. However, little is known about the associations between PFAS exposures and miRNA alterations in humans. OBJECTIVE: To investigate associations between PFAS concentrations and miRNA levels in children. METHODS: Data from two distinct cohorts were utilized: 176 participants (average age 17.1 years; 75.6% female) from the Teen-Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen-LABS) cohort in the United States, and 64 participants (average age 6.5 years, 39.1% female) from the Rhea study, a mother-child cohort in Greece. PFAS concentrations and miRNA levels were assessed in plasma samples from both studies. Associations between individual PFAS and plasma miRNA levels were examined... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1nm4t5fm Fri, 21 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Li, Yijie Baumert, Brittney O Stratakis, Nikos Goodrich, Jesse A Wu, Haotian Liu, Shelley H Wang, Hongxu Beglarian, Emily Bartell, Scott M https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7797-2906 Eckel, Sandrah Proctor Walker, Douglas Valvi, Damaskini La Merrill, Michele Andrea https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5720-5862 Inge, Thomas H Jenkins, Todd Ryder, Justin R Sisley, Stephanie Kohli, Rohit Xanthakos, Stavra A Vafeiadi, Marina Margetaki, Aikaterini Roumeliotaki, Theano Aung, Max McConnell, Rob Baccarelli, Andrea Conti, David Chatzi, Lida https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5nd209mw The rapid growth in freight transportation, particularly heavy-duty trucks, poses significant environmental and public health challenges for communities near major ports and freeways. In areas such as those near the Port of Los Angeles and the I-710 corridor, communities are exposed to elevated levels of air pollution, noise pollution, and associated health risks. Traditional traffic data collection methods primarily concentrate on gathering traffic volume data for freeway segments or smaller areas, often overlooking heavy-duty vehicles across roadway networks and in local communities. To better understand the environmental impact and spatial distribution of heavy-duty truck traffic, we employed a deep learning approach to analyze satellite imagery and publicly accessible spatial data. This approach allowed us to identify and categorize heavy-duty trucks and shipping containers along critical freight routes and analyze impacts on adjacentcommunities. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5nd209mw Fri, 14 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Wu, Jun, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2b95z3zj Clonal hematopoiesis of intermediate potential (CHIP), the outgrowth of mutant hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) clones without blood count abnormalities, increases the risk of hematological malignancies and cardiovascular disease. The most common CHIP driver mutations are in TET2, DNMT3A, TP53, ASXL1, and JAK2, which are also classically seen in myeloid malignancies. Asxl1 is the CHIP variant most strongly associated with smoking. In a UK Biobank study of &gt;30,000 participants, 69% of people with ASXL1 mutations were past or current smokers, while TET2 and DNMT3A mutations also had a significant but more modest association with smoking status. However, few studies have investigated the impact of the popular cigarette alternative, the electronic cigarette (e-cig). As the popular alternative to smoking, one of the biggest CHIP risk factors, it is crucial to characterize the impact of e-cigarettes on systemic inflammation and hematopoietic function. This study aims to elucidate the... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2b95z3zj Wed, 12 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Sullivan, Jeanette YC Chen, Jane H Huang, Xin Heidmann, Jianhong C Ramanathan, Gajalakshmi Iwobi, Nneamaka Sparks, Nicole Herman, David Kleinman, Michael Fleischman, Angela G https://escholarship.org/uc/item/42f2k0t2 Multiple myeloma (MM) arises following malignant proliferation of plasma cells in the bone marrow, that secrete high amounts of specific monoclonal immunoglobulins or light chains, resulting in the massive production of unfolded or misfolded proteins. Autophagy can have a dual role in tumorigenesis, by eliminating these abnormal proteins to avoid cancer development, but also ensuring MM cell survival and promoting resistance to treatments. To date no studies have determined the impact of genetic variation in autophagy-related genes on MM risk. We performed meta-analysis of germline genetic data on 234 autophagy-related genes from three independent study populations including 13,387 subjects of European ancestry (6863 MM patients and 6524 controls) and examined correlations of statistically significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; <i>p</i> &lt; 1 × 10^-9) with immune responses in whole blood, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and monocyte-derived macrophages... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/42f2k0t2 Mon, 3 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Clavero, Esther Sanchez-Maldonado, José Manuel Macauda, Angelica Horst, Rob Ter Sampaio-Marques, Belém Jurczyszyn, Artur Clay-Gilmour, Alyssa Stein, Angelika Hildebrandt, Michelle AT Weinhold, Niels Buda, Gabriele García-Sanz, Ramón Tomczak, Waldemar Vogel, Ulla Jerez, Andrés Zawirska, Daria Wątek, Marzena Hofmann, Jonathan N Landi, Stefano Spinelli, John J Butrym, Aleksandra Kumar, Abhishek Martínez-López, Joaquín Galimberti, Sara Sarasquete, María Eugenia Subocz, Edyta Iskierka-Jażdżewska, Elzbieta Giles, Graham G Rybicka-Ramos, Malwina Kruszewski, Marcin Abildgaard, Niels Verdejo, Francisco García Rovira, Pedro Sánchez da Silva Filho, Miguel Inacio Kadar, Katalin Razny, Małgorzata Cozen, Wendy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3415-8247 Pelosini, Matteo Jurado, Manuel Bhatti, Parveen Dudzinski, Marek Druzd-Sitek, Agnieszka Orciuolo, Enrico Li, Yang Norman, Aaron D Zaucha, Jan Maciej Reis, Rui Manuel Markiewicz, Miroslaw Sevilla, Juan José Rodríguez Andersen, Vibeke Jamroziak, Krzysztof Hemminki, Kari Berndt, Sonja I Rajkumar, Vicent Mazur, Grzegorz Kumar, Shaji K Ludovico, Paula Nagler, Arnon Chanock, Stephen J Dumontet, Charles Machiela, Mitchell J Varkonyi, Judit Camp, Nicola J Ziv, Elad Vangsted, Annette Juul Brown, Elizabeth E Campa, Daniele Vachon, Celine M Netea, Mihai G Canzian, Federico Försti, Asta Sainz, Juan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6hg1x2j2 Genetically determined telomere length in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, multiple myeloma risk and outcome https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6hg1x2j2 Sat, 1 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Giaccherini, Matteo Clay-Gilmour, Alyssa I Liotti, Romano Macauda, Angelica Gentiluomo, Manuel Brown, Elizabeth E Machiela, Mitchell J Chanock, Stephen J Hildebrandt, Michelle AT Norman, Aaron D Manasanch, Elisabet Rajkumar, S Vincent Hofmann, Jonathan N Berndt, Sonja I Bhatti, Parveen Giles, Graham G Ziv, Elad Kumar, Shaji K Camp, Nicola J Cozen, Wendy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3415-8247 Slager, Susan L Canzian, Federico Gemignani, Federica Vachon, Celine M Campa, Daniele https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1vq0g1rd Longitudinal studies of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine-induced immune responses in patients with cancer are needed to optimize clinical care. In a prospective cohort study of 366 (291 vaccinated) patients, we measured antibody levels [anti-spike (IgG-(S-RBD) and anti-nucleocapsid immunoglobulin] at three time points. Antibody level trajectories and frequency of breakthrough infections were evaluated by tumor type and timing of treatment relative to vaccination. IgG-(S-RBD) at peak response (median = 42 days after dose 2) was higher (<i>P</i> = 0.002) and remained higher after 4 to 6 months (<i>P</i> = 0.003) in patients receiving mRNA-1273 compared with BNT162b2. Patients with solid tumors attained higher peak levels (<i>P</i> = 0.001) and sustained levels after 4 to 6 months (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.001) compared with those with hematologic malignancies. B-cell targeted treatment reduced peak (<i>P</i> = 0.001) and sustained antibody responses (<i>P</i>... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1vq0g1rd Sat, 1 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Figueiredo, Jane C Merin, Noah M Hamid, Omid Choi, So Yung Lemos, Tucker Cozen, Wendy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3415-8247 Nguyen, Nathalie Finster, Laurel J Foley, Joslyn Darrah, Justin Gong, Jun Paquette, Ronald Mita, Alain C Vescio, Robert Mehmi, Inderjit Basho, Reva Tourtellotte, Warren G Huynh, Carissa A Melmed, Gil Y Braun, Jonathan McGovern, Dermot PB Mengesha, Emebet Botwin, Greg Prostko, John C Frias, Edwin C Stewart, James L Joung, Sandy Van Eyk, Jennifer Ebinger, Joseph E Cheng, Susan Sobhani, Kimia Reckamp, Karen L Merchant, Akil https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1q26c48w BackgroundDuctal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS) is a pre-invasive form of invasive breast cancer (IBC). Due to improved breast cancer screening, it now accounts for ~ 25% of all breast cancers. While the treatment success rates are over 90%, this comes at the cost of considerable morbidity, considering that the majority of DCIS never become invasive and our understanding of the molecular changes occurring in DCIS that predispose to invasive disease is limited. The aim of this study is to characterize molecular changes that occur in DCIS, with the goal of improving DCIS risk stratification.MethodsWe identified and obtained a total of 197 breast tissue samples from 5 institutions (93 DCIS progressors, 93 DCIS non-progressors, and 11 adjacent normal breast tissues) that had at least 10-year follow-up. We isolated DNA and RNA from archival tissue blocks and characterized genome-wide mRNA expression, DNA methylation, DNA copy number variation, and RNA splicing variation.ResultsWe obtained... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1q26c48w Sat, 1 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Debeljak, Marija Cho, Soonweng Downs, Bradley M Considine, Michael Avin-McKelvey, Brittany Wang, Yongchun Perez, Phillip N Grizzle, William E Hoadley, Katherine A Lynch, Charles F Hernandez, Brenda Y van Diest, Paul J Cozen, Wendy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3415-8247 Hamilton, Ann S Hawes, Debra Gabrielson, Edward Cimino-Mathews, Ashley Florea, Liliana D Cope, Leslie Umbricht, Christopher B https://escholarship.org/uc/item/17c5t7gn Identification of novel genetic loci for risk of multiple myeloma by functional annotation https://escholarship.org/uc/item/17c5t7gn Sat, 1 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Macauda, Angelica Briem, Klara Clay-Gilmour, Alyssa Cozen, Wendy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3415-8247 Försti, Asta Giaccherini, Matteo Corradi, Chiara Sainz, Juan Niazi, Yasmeen ter Horst, Rob Li, Yang Netea, Mihai G Vogel, Ulla Hemminki, Kari Slager, Susan L Varkonyi, Judit Andersen, Vibeke Iskierka-Jazdzewska, Elzbieta Mártinez-Lopez, Joaquin Zaucha, Jan Camp, Nicola J Rajkumar, S Vincent Druzd-Sitek, Agnieszka Bhatti, Parveen Chanock, Stephen J Kumar, Shaji K Subocz, Edyta Mazur, Grzegorz Landi, Stefano Machiela, Mitchell J Jerez, Andrés Norman, Aaron D Hildebrandt, Michelle AT Kadar, Katalin Berndt, Sonja I Ziv, Elad Buda, Gabriele Nagler, Arnon Dumontet, Charles Raźny, Malgorzata Watek, Marzena Butrym, Aleksandra Grzasko, Norbert Dudzinski, Marek Rybicka-Ramos, Malwina Matera, Eva-Laure García-Sanz, Ramón Goldschmidt, Hartmut Jamroziak, Krzysztof Jurczyszyn, Artur Clavero, Esther Giles, Graham G Pelosini, Matteo Zawirska, Daria Kruszewski, Marcin Marques, Herlander Haastrup, Eva Sánchez-Maldonado, José Manuel Bertsch, Uta Rymko, Marcin Raab, Marc-Steffen Brown, Elizabeth E Hofmann, Jonathan N Vachon, Celine Campa, Daniele Canzian, Federico https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0hw9x58m Survival in Agent Orange exposed and unexposed Vietnam-era veterans who were diagnosed with lymphoid malignancies https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0hw9x58m Sat, 1 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Ma, Helen Wan, Jia Y Cortessis, Victoria K Gupta, Pankaj Cozen, Wendy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3415-8247 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/38z2v4gw The fourth conference, “Inhaled Aerosol Dosimetry: Advances, Applications and Impacts on Risk Assessments and Therapeutics”, was also held at “The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering”, Irvine, California, October 16-18, 2024. It attracted 66 attendees including graduate students from seven nations (USA, Germany, France, India, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and S. Korea) and 52 papers and posters were presented. There were two highlighted sessions, number 5 and 6 in the program, on in vitro aerosol exposures and exposure systems. Keynote/Overview papers were delivered by Dr. Annie Jarabek (U.S. EPA), Dr. Gunter Oberdorster (U of Rochester), Dr. Jesssica Murray (U.S. EPA), Dr. Roger McClellan (Toxicology and Risk Analysis), Dr. Ross Walenga (U.S. FDA), and Dr. Ron Wolff (RK Wolff Safety Consulting, Inc.). See abstracts AB 52, 03, 04, 34 &amp; 39, 50, and 41 respectively for these presentations. There were three awards to students... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/38z2v4gw Tue, 25 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Phalen, Robert https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1979-2517 Asgharian, Bahman Oberdörster, Günter Murray, Jessica Ritter, Detlef Benoit, Delache Laube, Beth Guilherme, Guilherme Dzierlenga, Michael Golshahi, Laleh Debjit, Kundu Su, Wei-Chung Hoffman, Dominic Schroeter, Jeffry D Price, Owen Chesnutt, Jennifer Cassee, Flemming Sayes, Christie Kuczaj, Arkadiusz Oakes, Jessica McClellan, Roger O Yazbeck, Charbel Xi, Jinxiang Schmid, Otmar McClellan, Roger O Chalupa, David Wolff, Ron Stout, Matt Gupta, Amit Dey, Shamudra Woo, Chang Gyu Bartol, Ignacio Blayac, Marion Graffigna, Martin Yu, IL JE Walenga, Ross Mate-Kole, Emmanuel M Jarabek, Annie M https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4gz9t646 Limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy neuropathologic change (LATE-NC) is highly prevalent in late life and a common co-pathology with Alzheimer's disease neuropathologic change (ADNC). LATE-NC is a slowly progressive, amnestic clinical syndrome. Alternatively, when present with ADNC, LATE-NC is associated with a more rapid course. With the emergence of anti-amyloid therapeutics, discrimination of LATE-NC from ADNC is critical and will lead to greater clinical recognition of amnestic patients without ADNC. Furthermore, co-pathology with LATE-NC may influence outcomes of these therapeutics. Thus there is a need to identify patients during life with likely LATE-NC. We propose criteria for clinical diagnosis of LATE as an initial framework for further validation. In the context of progressive memory loss and substantial hippocampal atrophy, criteria are laid out for probable (amyloid negative) or possible LATE (amyloid biomarkers are unavailable or when amyloid is... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4gz9t646 Mon, 17 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Wolk, David A Nelson, Peter T Apostolova, Liana Arfanakis, Konstantinos Boyle, Patricia A Carlsson, Cynthia M Corriveau‐Lecavalier, Nick Dacks, Penny Dickerson, Bradford C Domoto‐Reilly, Kimiko Dugger, Brittany N https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2141-8855 Edelmayer, Rebecca Fardo, David W Grothe, Michel J Hohman, Timothy J Irwin, David J Jicha, Gregory A Jones, David T Kawas, Claudia H Lee, Edward B Lincoln, Karen Maestre, Gladys E Mormino, Elizabeth C Onyike, Chiadi U Petersen, Ronald C Rabinovici, Gil D Rademakers, Rosa Raman, Rema Rascovsky, Katya Rissman, Robert A Rogalski, Emily Scheltens, Philip Sperling, Reisa A Yang, Hyun‐Sik Yu, Lei Zetterberg, Henrik Schneider, Julie A https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5bn17364 Hypertension is the foremost risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the leading cause of death globally. In some countries, such as the US, the prevalence of hypertension and working-age CVD mortality are increasing. CVD is also the most common work-related disease worldwide. Long working hours and other psychosocial stressors at work are important modifiable risk factors for hypertension and CVD. However, there has been inadequate attention paid to the primary prevention of work-related hypertension and CVD. The state-of-the art method for blood pressure (BP) measurement is 24-hour ambulatory BP (ABP), necessary for accurate clinical decision making and to assess risk factors for BP elevation. Thus, ABP should be used in workplace screening and surveillance programs (along with surveys) to identify occupational risk factors, high-risk job titles, worksites and shifts, and evaluate programs designed to improve work organization. For example, after 30 months of... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5bn17364 Wed, 5 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Landsbergis, Paul Gilbert-Ouimet, Mahee Trudel, Xavier Sembajwe, Grace Schnall, Peter Dobson, Marnie Hawkins, Devan Fadel, Marc Descatha, Alexis Li, Jian https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3nz0h29q Abstract: Background: Stroop task is used to evaluate inhibition, a core executive function. Alpha Event‐Related Desynchronization (ERD) from analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) during Stroop task reflects brain interference processing. We previously reported different relationships between heart rate variability (HRV) and alpha ERD during Stroop task. However, HRV proxied autonomic function can be confounded by increasing erratic rhythm with age, quantified by heart rate fragmentation (HRF). The knowledge of HRF is limited in a Cognitively Healthy (CH) cohort. To fill this gap, we studied these measurements in CH participants who underwent a Stroop task. Method: We studied HRF in an established EEG dataset during Stroop task from CH participants when their CSF amyloid/tau ratio were normal (≥2.71, CH‐NATs) or pathological (&lt;2.71, CH‐PATs). Heart rate fragmentation (HRF) was analyzed from 5‐minute electrocardiogram (ECG) during resting or task. HRF was classified into... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3nz0h29q Sat, 1 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Choy, Elizabeth H Al‐Ezzi, Abdulhakim Buennagel, David P Nolty, Anne Fonteh, Alfred N Kloner, Robert A Kleinman, Michael T Arakaki, Xianghong https://escholarship.org/uc/item/96p0344x Background: Few studies have investigated associations between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and childhood cancers. Detectable levels of PFAS in California water districts were reported in the Third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule for 2013-2015. Methods: Geocoded residences at birth were linked to corresponding water district boundaries for 10,220 California-born children (aged 0-15 years) diagnosed with cancers (2000-2015) and 29,974 healthy controls. A pharmacokinetic model was used to predict average steady-state maternal serum concentrations of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from contaminated drinking water. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) per doubling of background exposure were calculated for cancers with at least 90 cases. Results: Predicted PFOS and PFOA maternal serum concentrations ranged from background (5 ng/ml PFOS and 2 ng/ml PFOA) to 22.89 ng/ml and 6.66 ng/ml, respectively.... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/96p0344x Thu, 30 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Binczewski, Natalie R Morimoto, Libby M Wiemels, Joseph L Ma, Xiaomei Metayer, Catherine Vieira, Verónica M https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7153-4606 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/96b701rs Background: Despite having higher exposure to stressors, many ethno-racial groups report similar or lower prevalence of clinical depression and anxiety compared to their White counterparts, despite experiencing greater psychosocial risk factors for poor mental health outcomes, thus presenting an epidemiological paradox. Ethno-racial differences in impairment, a diagnostic criterion, may in part explain this paradox. Methods: We analyzed data from the Healthy Minds Study (2020-2021) and using survey-weighted linear mixed effects models, we tested whether there were ethno-racial differences in impairment across multiple ethno-racial groups at various levels of severity for anxiety and depression. Results: Black students reported lower mean impairment scores relative to White students at moderate and severe anxiety. Hispanic/Latine students only reported lower impairment relative to White students at severe anxiety. Asian students reported relatively lower mean impairment than White... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/96b701rs Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Oh, Hans Pickering, Trevor A Martz, Connor Lincoln, Karen D Breslau, Joshua Chae, David https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7z2359dh Although there is a large literature on the influence of social support on mental health there is limited research on social support and OCD. This is especially the case for African Americans and Black Caribbeans. This study examines the relationship between family and friendship networks and the prevalence of OCD. The analysis is based on the National Survey of American Life a nationally representative sample of African Americans and Black Caribbeans. Variables included frequency of contact with family and friends, subjective closeness with family and friends, and negative interactions (conflict, criticisms) with family members. The results indicated that only negative interaction with family members was significantly associated with OCD prevalence. African Americans and Black Caribbeans with more frequent negative interactions with family members had a higher likelihood of having OCD. Subjective closeness and frequency of contact with family and friends was not protective of... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7z2359dh Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Himle, Joseph A Taylor, Robert Joseph Nguyen, Ann W Williams, Monnica T Lincoln, Karen D Taylor, Harry Owen Chatters, Linda M https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4b00m9dd <b>Objectives:</b> Sleep problems are associated with a host of psychiatric disorders and have been attributed to race disparities in health and wellness. Studies of sleep and mental health do not typically consider within-group differences among Blacks. Thus, our understanding of how the sleep-mental health relationship among Caribbean Blacks is limited. This study identified sleep profiles among Caribbean-born Blacks who reside in the United States.<b>Design:</b> Latent class analysis and data from the National Survey of American Life Re-interview study were used to identify and compare the associations between 'sleep quality classes,' sociodemographic factors, stress, and depression risk among Caribbean Blacks.<b>Results:</b> Two sleep quality classes were identified - 'good sleep quality' and 'poor sleep quality' - with each class demonstrating a complex pattern of sleep experiences, and illuminating the association between sleep and depression risk.<b>Conclusions:</b> Findings... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4b00m9dd Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Lincoln, Karen D Ailshire, Jennifer Nguyen, Ann Taylor, Robert Joseph Govia, Ishtar Ifatunji, Mosi Adesina https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1q85v4rt Objective: This study tested whether church-based social support buffers the negative effects of discrimination on serious psychological distress (SPD) among three age groups-early, middle, and late adulthood-of African American men. Methods: Negative binominal regression analyses for discrimination and SPD were performed using data from 1,271 African American men from the National Survey of American Life. Results: Discrimination was positively associated with SPD for all age groups. An interaction between church-based support and discrimination indicated that under conditions of high levels of support from congregants, discrimination, and SPD were positively correlated. However, discrimination and SPD were unrelated for low levels of church-based support. Further, the interaction was significant for men aged 18-34 and 55 or older but not significant for men aged 35-54. Discussion: This is the first study to document relationships among discrimination, SPD, and church-based support... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1q85v4rt Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Nguyen, Ann W Chatters, Linda M Taylor, Robert Joseph Aranda, María P Lincoln, Karen D https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1891-2035 Thomas, Courtney S https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8xj2w4pm Climate change is an urgent challenge amplified by socioeconomic factors that demands thoughtful public health responses from OEM professionals. This guidance statement from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine focuses on the different strategies that these health professionals can implement to protect workers from health impacts associated with climate change hazards, foster workplace resilience in the face of rapidly changing environments, and take the necessary steps to mitigate the effects of global climate change. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8xj2w4pm Wed, 15 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Nabeel, Ismail Caraballo-Arias, Yohama Perkison, William Brett McCarthy, Ronda B Saberi, Pouné Berenji, Manijeh https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7255-8837 Goldman, Rose H Laestadius, Jasminka Goldoni Sokas, Rosemary K Das, Rupali Senay, Emily Wilkenfeld, Marc Cook-Shimanek, Margaret https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4hz1x27h Climate Change and Health: Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the Frontlines. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4hz1x27h Wed, 15 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Khan, Alya Berenji, Manijeh https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7255-8837 Cloeren, Marianne Solomon, Gina https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6004-0387 Goldman, Rose https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0vw161vc The opioid epidemic has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality in the U.S. Health systems, policymakers, payers, and public health have enacted numerous strategies to reduce the harms of opioids, including opioid use disorder (OUD). Much of this implementation has occurred before the development of OUD‒related comparative effectiveness evidence, which would enable an understanding of the benefits and harms of different approaches. This article from the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) uses a prevention framework to identify the current approaches and make recommendations for addressing the opioid epidemic, encompassing strategies across a primordial, primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention approach. Key primordial prevention strategies include addressing social determinants of health and reducing adverse childhood events. Key primary prevention strategies include supporting the implementation of evidence-based prescribing guidelines, expanding school-based... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0vw161vc Wed, 15 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Livingston, Catherine J Berenji, Manijeh https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7255-8837 Titus, Tisha M Caplan, Lee S Freeman, Randall J Sherin, Kevin M Mohammad, Amir Salisbury-Afshar, Elizabeth M https://escholarship.org/uc/item/20v15386 Biodiversity is crucial for human health, but previous methods of measuring biodiversity require intensive resources and have other limitations. Crowdsourced datasets from citizen scientists offer a cost-effective solution for characterizing biodiversity on a large spatial scale. This study has two aims: 1) to generate fine-resolution plant species diversity maps in California urban areas using crowdsourced data and extrapolation methods; and 2) to examine their associations with sociodemographic factors and identify subpopulations with low biodiversity exposure. We used iNaturalist observations from 2019 to 2022 to calculate species diversity metrics by exploring the sampling completeness in a 5&nbsp;×&nbsp;5-km² grid and then computing species diversity metrics for grid cells with at least 80&nbsp;% sample completeness (841 out of 4755 grid cells). A generalized additive model with ordinary kriging (GAM OK) provided moderately reliable estimates, with correlations... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/20v15386 Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Li, Mengyi Masri, Shahir Chiu, Chun-Huo Sun, Yi Wu, Jun https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2693-7112 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9tr9b3pk BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression (PPD) has been associated with biological, emotional, social, and environmental factors. However, evidence regarding the effect of temperature on PPD is extremely limited. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine the associations between postpartum temperature exposure and PPD. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from Kaiser Permanente Southern California electronic health records from 1 January 2008 through 31 December 2018. PPD was first assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (score ) during the first year of the postpartum period and further identified by using both diagnostic codes and prescription medications. Historical daily ambient temperatures were obtained from the resolution gridMET dataset (https://www.climatologylab.org/gridmet.html) and linked to participants' residential addresses at delivery. Postpartum temperature exposures were measured by calculating various temperature metrics during the period... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9tr9b3pk Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Sun, Yi Headon, Kathryne S Umer, Wajeeha Jiao, Anqi Slezak, Jeff M Avila, Chantal C Chiu, Vicki Y Sacks, David A Sanders, Kelly T Molitor, John Benmarhnia, Tarik Chen, Jiu-Chiuan Getahun, Darios Wu, Jun https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2693-7112 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/03x9943w BackgroundWhile the acute exposure to electronic cigarette (E-cig) vapor has been associated with an increase in blood pressure, the chronic effect of E-cig vapor on blood pressure compared to standard cigarette smoke has not been extensively studied. We determined the effect of E-cig exposure on blood pressure and other measures of cardiac function in both young and old rats.MethodsYoung Sprague Dawley rats (6 weeks old, both sexes) were randomly exposed to air (n = 34), E-cig with nicotine (E-cig Nic+; n = 30), E-cig without nicotine (E-cig Nic-; n = 28) or standard cigarette smoke (n = 27). Old Fischer 344 rats (25 months old, both sexes) were randomized into 2 groups: (1) 26 rats in the purified air (negative control) group and (2) 17 rats in the electronic cigarette vapor plus nicotine group (E-cig Nic+). After 12 weeks of exposure, hemodynamics were determined by Millar catheter, echocardiography, and thermodilution catheter, a few days after their last exposure.ResultsIn... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/03x9943w Thu, 19 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Dai, Wangde Shi, Jianru Carreno, Juan Kleinman, Michael T https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2724-0066 Herman, David A Arechavala, Rebecca J Renusch, Samantha Hasen, Irene Ting, Amanda Kloner, Robert A https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8wg9z6bt BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Ultra-high dose-rate radiotherapy (FLASH) has been shown to mitigate normal tissue toxicities associated with conventional dose rate radiotherapy (CONV) without compromising tumor killing in preclinical models. A prominent challenge in preclinical radiation research, including FLASH, is validating both the physical dosimetry and the biological effects across multiple institutions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We previously demonstrated dosimetric reproducibility of two different electron FLASH devices at separate institutions using standardized phantoms and dosimeters. In this study, tumor-free adult female mice were given 10&nbsp;Gy whole brain FLASH and CONV irradiation at both institutions and evaluated for the reproducibility and temporal evolution of multiple neurobiological endpoints. RESULTS: FLASH sparing of behavioral performance on novel object recognition (4&nbsp;months post-irradiation) and of electrophysiologic long-term potentiation (LTP, 5&nbsp;months... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8wg9z6bt Mon, 2 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Drayson, Olivia GG Melemenidis, Stavros Katila, Nikita Viswanathan, Vignesh Kramár, Enikö A Zhang, Richard Kim, Rachel Ru, Ning Petit, Benoit Dutt, Suparna Manjappa, Rakesh Ashraf, M Ramish Lau, Brianna Soto, Luis Skinner, Lawrie Yu, Amu S Surucu, Murat Maxim, Peter G https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8244-2042 Zebadua-Ballasteros, Paola Wood, Marcelo A Montay-Gruel, Pierre Baulch, Janet E https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1078-6946 Vozenin, Marie-Catherine Loo, Billy W Limoli, Charles L https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1p13603j BACKGROUND: Ultrafine particles (UFP) are unregulated air pollutants abundant in aviation exhaust. Emerging evidence suggests that UFPs may impact lung health due to their high surface area-to-mass ratio and deep penetration into airways. This study aimed to assess long-term exposure to airport-related UFPs and lung cancer incidence in a multiethnic population in Los Angeles County. METHODS: Within the California Multiethnic Cohort, we examined the association between long-term exposure to airport-related UFPs and lung cancer incidence. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the effect of UFP exposure on lung cancer incidence. Subgroup analyses by demographics, histology and smoking status were conducted. RESULTS: Airport-related UFP exposure was not associated with lung cancer risk [per one IGR HR, 1.01; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.97-1.05] overall and across race/ethnicity. A suggestive positive association was observed between a one... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1p13603j Thu, 14 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Bookstein, Arthur Po, Justine Tseng, Chiuchen Larson, Timothy V Yang, Juan Park, Sung-shim L Wu, Jun https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2693-7112 Shariff-Marco, Salma Inamdar, Pushkar P https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2648-2477 Ihenacho, Ugonna Setiawan, Veronica W DeRouen, Mindy C Le Marchand, Loïc Stram, Daniel O Samet, Jonathan Ritz, Beate Fruin, Scott Wu, Anna H Cheng, Iona https://escholarship.org/uc/item/30p9189w The rapidly evolving field of radiomics has shown that radiomic features are able to capture characteristics of both tumor and normal tissue that can be used to make accurate and clinically relevant predictions. In the present study we sought to determine if radiomic features can characterize the adverse effects caused by normal tissue injury as well as identify if human embryonic stem cell (hESC) derived extracellular vesicle (EV) treatment can resolve certain adverse complications. A cohort of 72 mice (n = 12 per treatment group) were exposed to X-ray radiation to the whole lung (3 × 8&nbsp;Gy) or to the apex of the right lung (3 × 12&nbsp;Gy), immediately followed by retro-orbital injection of EVs. Cone-Beam Computed Tomography images were acquired before and 2 weeks after treatment. In total, 851 radiomic features were extracted from the whole lungs and &lt; 20 features were selected to train and validate a series of random forest classification models trained to predict radiation... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/30p9189w Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Drayson, Olivia GG Montay-Gruel, Pierre Limoli, Charles L https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2gb472vj BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The impact of radiotherapy (RT) at ultra high vs conventional dose rate (FLASH vs CONV) on the generation and repair of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) is an important question that remains to be investigated. Here, we tested the hypothesis as to whether FLASH-RT generates decreased chromosomal translocations compared to CONV-RT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used two FLASH validated electron beams and high-throughput rejoin and genome-wide translocation sequencing (HTGTS-JoinT-seq), employing S. aureus and S. pyogenes Cas9 "bait" DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) in HEK239T cells, to measure differences in bait-proximal repair and their genome-wide translocations to "prey" DSBs generated after various irradiation doses, dose rates and oxygen tensions (normoxic, 21% O₂; physiological, 4% O₂; hypoxic, 2% and 0.5% O₂). Electron irradiation was delivered using a FLASH capable Varian Trilogy and the eRT6/Oriatron at CONV (0.08-0.13&nbsp;Gy/s)... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2gb472vj Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Barghouth, Paul G Melemenidis, Stavros Montay-Gruel, Pierre Ollivier, Jonathan Viswanathan, Vignesh Jorge, Patrik G Soto, Luis A Lau, Brianna C Sadeghi, Cheyenne Edlabadkar, Anushka Zhang, Richard Ru, Ning Baulch, Janet E https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1078-6946 Manjappa, Rakesh Wang, Jinghui Le Bouteiller, Marie Surucu, Murat Yu, Amy Bush, Karl Skinner, Lawrie Maxim, Peter G https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8244-2042 Loo, Billy W Limoli, Charles L Vozenin, Marie-Catherine Frock, Richard L https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8c7887tg Ultrahigh-dose rate FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) is a potentially paradigm-shifting treatment modality that holds the promise of expanding the therapeutic index for nearly any cancer. At the heart of this exciting technology comes the capability to ameliorate major normal tissue complications without compromising the efficacy of tumor killing. This combination of benefits has now been termed the FLASH effect and relies on an in vivo validation to rigorously demonstrate the absence of normal tissue toxicity. The FLASH effect occurs when the overall irradiation time is extremely short (&lt;500 ms), and in this review we attempt to understand how FLASH-RT can kill tumors but spare normal tissues-likely the single most pressing question confronting the field today. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8c7887tg Mon, 11 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Limoli, Charles L Vozenin, Marie-Catherine https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3vn4t2t8 INTRODUCTION: We evaluated preliminary feasibility of a digital, culturally-informed approach to recruit and screen participants for the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI4). METHODS: Participants were recruited using digital advertising and completed digital surveys (e.g., demographics, medical exclusion criteria, 12-item Everyday Cognition Scale [ECog-12]), Novoic Storyteller speech-based cognitive test). Completion rates and assessment performance were compared between underrepresented populations (URPs: individuals from ethnoculturally minoritized or low education backgrounds) and non-URPs. RESULTS: Of 3099 participants who provided contact information, 654 enrolled in the cohort, and 595 completed at least one assessment. Two hundred forty-seven participants were from URPs. Of those enrolled, 465 met ADNI4 inclusion criteria and 237 evidenced possible cognitive impairment from ECog-12 or Storyteller performance. URPs had lower ECog and Storyteller completion... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3vn4t2t8 Mon, 11 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Miller, Melanie J Diaz, Adam Conti, Catherine Albala, Bruce Flenniken, Derek Fockler, Juliet Kwang, Winnie Sacrey, Diana Truran Ashford, Miriam T https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4045-6435 Skirrow, Caroline Weston, Jack Fristed, Emil Farias, Sarah Tomaszewski Korecka, Magda Wan, Yang Aisen, Paul S Beckett, Laurel Harvey, Danielle https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5367-0951 Lee, Edward B Petersen, Ronald C Shaw, Leslie M Okonkwo, Ozioma C Mindt, Monica Rivera Weiner, Michael W Nosheny, Rachel L Initiative, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging https://escholarship.org/uc/item/38c153p4 This article is a summary of the authors' response to the 2023 Circular Economy Request for Information: Challenges and Opportunities of Increasing Materials Circularity, a call for information issued by the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Materials &amp; Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) in March 2023. Information can be found at www.energy.gov/eere/ammto/2023-circular-economy-request-information-challenges-and-opportunities-increasing. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/38c153p4 Mon, 11 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Ibrahim, Maryam G He, Haoyang Schoenung, Julie M Ogunseitan, Oladele A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1317-6219 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1fz7362n Introduction: This study investigates the impact of pre- and post-treatment hematologic markers, specifically neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), on treatment outcomes in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT). Methods: Data from 64 patients who underwent RT for curative management of STS were reviewed. Pre-RT and post-RT hematologic measures were evaluated for associations with survival outcomes. A normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) curve for predicting ΔPLR ≥ 75 was modeled using a probit function. Results: Elevated baseline NLR was associated with worse overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), while elevated PLR was associated with worse DFS. Post-RT, elevated PLR was linked to worse OS and DFS. Increasing PLR change post-RT was associated with worse OS and DFS. Receiver operating characteristics analysis determined ΔPLR ≥ 75 to be a robust cutoff associated with worse DFS. Bone... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1fz7362n Tue, 5 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Ku, Eric Harada, Garrett Lee, Grace Munjal, Akul Peterson, Nicholas Park, Jino https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5228-3880 Chow, Warren https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0889-5841 Stitzlein, Russell Limoli, Charles Harris, Jeremy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1231-4798 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7tz9n3g4 Air pollution is a major public health threat that is associated with asthma, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and all-cause mortality. Among the most important acute air pollution events occurring each year are celebrations involving fireworks, such as the 4th of July holiday in the United States. In this community-engaged study, academic partners and residents collaborated to collect indoor and outdoor PM_2.5 concentration measurements in the disadvantaged city of Santa Ana, California, using low-cost AtmoTube sensor devices before, during and after the July 4th firework celebration, while also examining July 4th data extracted from the PurpleAir sensor network across over a hundred other cities in southern California. Average outdoor PM_2.5 concentrations on July 4th were found to be three-to-five times higher than baseline, with hourly concentrations exceeding 160 μg/m³. Outdoor averages were roughly 30% to 100% higher than indoor... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7tz9n3g4 Thu, 31 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Masri, Shahir Flores, Leonel Rea, Jose Wu, Jun https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2693-7112 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8f67j5qv To prevent congenital defects arising from maternal exposure, safety regulations require pre-market developmental toxicity screens for industrial chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Traditional embryotoxicity approaches depend heavily on the use of low-throughput animal models which may not adequately predict human risk. The validated embryonic stem cell test (EST) developed in murine embryonic stem cells addressed the former problem over 15 years ago. Here, we present a proof-of-concept study to address the latter challenge by updating all three endpoints of the classic mouse EST with endpoints derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and human fibroblasts. Exposure of hiPSCs to selected test chemicals inhibited differentiation at lower concentrations than observed in the mouse EST. The hiPSC-EST also discerned adverse developmental outcomes driven by novel environmental toxicants. Evaluation of the early cardiac gene <i>TBX5</i> yielded similar toxicity patterns... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8f67j5qv Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Walker, Lauren Michelle Sparks, Nicole RL Puig-Sanvicens, Veronica Rodrigues, Beatriz Zur Nieden, Nicole I https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4063-5070 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1s64c0tt Epidemiological studies suggest cigarette smoking as a probable environmental factor for a variety of congenital anomalies, including low bone mass, increased fracture risk and poor skeletal health. Human and animal in vitro models have confirmed hypomineralization of differentiating cell lines with sidestream smoke being more harmful to developing cells than mainstream smoke. Furthermore, first reports are emerging to suggest a differential impact of conventional versus harm-reduction tobacco products on bone tissue as it develops in the embryo or in vitro. To gather first insight into the molecular mechanism of such differences, we assessed the effect of sidestream smoke solutions from Camel (conventional) and Camel Blue (harm-reduction) cigarettes using a human embryonic stem cell osteogenic differentiation model. Sidestream smoke from the conventional Camel cigarettes concentration-dependently inhibited in vitro calcification triggered by high levels of mitochondrially generated... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1s64c0tt Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Sparks, Nicole RL Walker, Lauren M Sera, Steven R Madrid, Joseph V Hanna, Michael Dominguez, Edward C Nieden, Nicole I zur https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1pm4k6qv Alterations in functional connectivity (FC) have been observed in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with elevated amyloid (Aβ) and tau. However, it is not yet known whether directed FC is already influenced by Aβ and tau load in cognitively healthy (CH) individuals. A 21-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) was used from 46 CHs classified based on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ tau ratio: pathological (CH-PAT) or normal (CH-NAT). Directed FC was estimated with Partial Directed Coherence in frontal, temporal, parietal, central, and occipital regions. We also examined the correlations between directed FC and various functional metrics, including neuropsychology, cognitive reserve, MRI volumetrics, and heart rate variability between both groups. Compared to CH-NATs, the CH-PATs showed decreased FC from the temporal regions, indicating a loss of relative functional importance of the temporal regions. In addition, frontal regions showed enhanced FC in the CH-PATs compared to CH-NATs,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1pm4k6qv Thu, 19 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Al-Ezzi, Abdulhakim Arechavala, Rebecca J Butler, Ryan Nolty, Anne Kang, Jimmy J Shimojo, Shinsuke Wu, Daw-An Fonteh, Alfred N Kleinman, Michael T https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2724-0066 Kloner, Robert A Arakaki, Xianghong https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5sn193wp BACKGROUND: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of multiple myeloma in populations of European ancestry (EA) identified and confirmed 24 susceptibility loci. For other cancers (e.g., colorectum and melanoma), risk loci have also been associated with patient survival. METHODS: We explored the possible association of all the known risk variants and their polygenic risk score (PRS) with multiple myeloma overall survival (OS) in multiple populations of EA [the International Multiple Myeloma rESEarch (IMMEnSE) consortium, the International Lymphoma Epidemiology consortium, CoMMpass, and the German GWAS] for a total of 3,748 multiple myeloma cases. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the association between each risk SNP with OS under the allelic and codominant models of inheritance. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, country of origin (for IMMEnSE) or principal components (for the others) and disease stage (ISS). SNP associations were meta-analyzed. RESULTS:... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5sn193wp Mon, 16 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Macauda, Angelica Clay-Gilmour, Alyssa Hielscher, Thomas Hildebrandt, Michelle AT Kruszewski, Marcin Orlowski, Robert Z Kumar, Shaji K Ziv, Elad Orciuolo, Enrico Brown, Elizabeth E Försti, Asta Waller, Rosalie G Machiela, Mitchell J Chanock, Stephen J Camp, Nicola J Rymko, Marcin Raźny, Małgorzata Cozen, Wendy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3415-8247 Várkonyi, Judit Piredda, Chiara Pelosini, Matteo Belachew, Alem A Subocz, Edyta Hemminki, Kari Rybicka-Ramos, Malwina Giles, Graham G Milne, Roger L Hofmann, Jonathan N Zaucha, Jan Maciej Vangsted, Annette Juul Goldschmidt, Hartmut Rajkumar, S Vincent Tomczak, Waldemar Sainz, Juan Butrym, Aleksandra Watek, Marzena Iskierka-Jazdzewska, Elżbieta Buda, Gabriele Robinson, Dennis P Jurczyszyn, Artur Dudziński, Marek Martinez-Lopez, Joaquin Sinnwell, Jason P Slager, Susan L Jamroziak, Krzysztof Reis, Rui Manuel Vieira Weinhold, Niels Bhatti, Parveen Carvajal-Carmona, Luis G https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7129-2918 Zawirska, Daria Norman, Aaron D Mazur, Grzegorz Berndt, Sonja I Campa, Daniele Vachon, Celine M Canzian, Federico https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2v115436 Situating One Health at the Center of the Climate Agenda https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2v115436 Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Ogunseitan, Oladele A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1317-6219 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4hc308hz We assessed whether neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage, as measured by the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), was associated with an increased risk of postpartum readmission. This is a secondary analysis from nuMoM2b (Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-To-Be), a prospective cohort of nulliparous pregnant individuals from 2010 to 2013. The exposure was the ADI in quartiles, and the outcome was postpartum readmission; Poisson regression was used. Among 9,061 assessed individuals, 154 (1.7%) were readmitted postpartum within 2 weeks of delivery. Individuals living with the most neighborhood deprivation (ADI quartile 4) were at increased risk of postpartum readmission compared with those living with the lowest neighborhood deprivation (ADI quartile 1) (adjusted risk ratio 1.80, 95% CI 1.11-2.93). Measures of community-level adverse social determinants of health, such as the ADI, may inform postpartum care after delivery discharge. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4hc308hz Mon, 2 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Meiman, Jenna Grobman, William A Haas, David M Yee, Lynn M Wu, Jiqiang McNeil, Becky Wu, Jun https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2693-7112 Mercer, Brian Simhan, Hyagriv Reddy, Uma Silver, Robert Parry, Samuel Saade, George Lynch, Courtney D Venkatesh, Kartik K https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5xj95214 Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a major pregnancy complication affecting approximately 14.0% of pregnancies around the world. Air pollution exposure, particularly exposure to PM_2.5, has become a major environmental issue affecting health, especially for vulnerable pregnant women. Associations between PM_2.5 exposure and adverse birth outcomes are generally assumed to be the same throughout a large geographical area. However, the effects of air pollution on health can very spatially in subpopulations. Such spatially varying effects are likely due to a wide range of contextual neighborhood and individual factors that are spatially correlated, including SES, demographics, exposure to housing characteristics and due to different composition of particulate matter from different emission sources. This combination of elevated environmental hazards in conjunction with socioeconomic-based disparities forms what has been described as a "double jeopardy" for marginalized... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5xj95214 Tue, 27 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Molitor, John Sun, Yi Rubio, Virgilio Gómez Benmarhnia, Tarik Chen, Jiu-Chiuan Avila, Chantal Sacks, David A Chiu, Vicki Slezak, Jeff Getahun, Darios Wu, Jun https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2693-7112 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9dw8g4fp Pectoralis major (PM) rupture is a rare injury, commonly misdiagnosed, that affects mostly young male athletes aged 20-40 years. This type of injury is typically associated with weight lifting, especially bench pressing. In an occupational medicine setting, it is extremely rare and not much reported in the literature. We present the case of a 30-year-old trauma technician male who presented with right shoulder and chest pain following a popping sensation while pushing in full momentum a patient on a gurney accidentally set on break mode. PM rupture was suspected clinically. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the diagnosis and revealed a complete rupture of the sternal head of PM. Surgical reconstruction was performed to restore the anatomy and functionality of the shoulder girdle. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9dw8g4fp Thu, 1 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Saeed, Rasha Hardy, Scott Khan, Alya https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8xc1g0ww Osteogenesis is modulated by multiple regulatory networks. Recent studies showed that RNA modifications and their reader, writer, and eraser (RWE) proteins are involved in regulating various biological processes. Few studies, however, were conducted to investigate the functions of RNA modifications and their RWE proteins in osteogenesis. By using LC-MS/MS in parallel-reaction monitoring (PRM) mode, we performed a comprehensive quantitative assessment of 154 epitranscriptomic RWE proteins throughout the entire time course of osteogenic differentiation in H9 human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We found that approximately half of the 127 detected RWE proteins were down-regulated during osteogenic differentiation, and they included mainly proteins involved in RNA methylation and pseudouridylation. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis unveiled significant associations between the down-regulated epitranscriptomic RWE proteins and osteogenesis-related proteins. Gene set... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8xc1g0ww Sat, 20 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Yin, Jiekai Qi, Tianyu F Yang, Yen-Yu Vera-Colón, Madeline Nieden, Nicole I zur Wang, Yinsheng https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9w92d5d4 BACKGROUND: Prior studies suggested that air pollution exposure may increase the risk of Parkinson's Disease (PD). We investigated the long-term impacts of traffic-related and multiple sources of particulate air pollution on PD in central California. METHODS: Our case-control analysis included 761 PD patients and 910 population controls. We assessed exposure at residential and occupational locations from 1981 to 2016, estimating annual average carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations - a traffic pollution marker - based on the California Line Source Dispersion Model, version 4. Additionally, particulate matter (PM_2.5) concentrations were based on a nationwide geospatial chemical transport model. Exposures were assessed as 10-year averages with a 5-year lag time prior to a PD diagnosis for cases and an interview date for controls, subsequently categorized into tertiles. Logistic regression models were used, adjusting for various factors. RESULTS: Traffic-related CO was associated... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9w92d5d4 Tue, 16 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Kwon, Dayoon Paul, Kimberly C Yu, Yu https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8717-0245 Zhang, Keren Folle, Aline D Wu, Jun https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2693-7112 Bronstein, Jeff M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2961-8918 Ritz, Beate https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9pf8n9gh Electronic cigarette smoking (or vaping) is on the rise, presenting questions about the effects of secondhand exposure. The chemical composition of vape emissions was examined in the exhaled breath of eight human volunteers with the high chemical specificity of complementary online and offline techniques. Our study is the first to take multiple exhaled puff measurements from human participants and compare volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations between two commonly used methods, proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS) and gas chromatography (GC). Five flavor profile groups were selected for this study, but flavor compounds were not observed as the main contributors to the PTR-ToF-MS signal. Instead, the PTR-ToF-MS mass spectra were overwhelmed by e-liquid thermal decomposition and fragmentation products, which masked other observations regarding flavorings and other potentially toxic species associated with secondhand vape exposure. Compared... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9pf8n9gh Mon, 8 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Hopstock, Katherine S Perraud, Véronique Dalton, Avery B Barletta, Barbara Meinardi, Simone Weltman, Robert M Mirkhanian, Megan A Rakosi, Krisztina J Blake, Donald R https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8283-5014 Edwards, Rufus D https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6051-6936 Nizkorodov, Sergey A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0891-0052 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3t44w9v6 The pervasiveness of deep space radiation remains a confounding factor for the transit of humans through our solar system. Spacecraft shielding both protects astronauts but also contributes to absorbed dose through galactic cosmic ray interactions that produce secondary particles. The resultant biological effects drop to a minimum for aluminum shielding around 20 g/cm2 but increase with additional shielding. The present work evaluates for the first time, the impact of secondary pions on central nervous system functionality. The fractional pion dose emanating from thicker shielded spacecraft regions could contribute up to 10% of the total absorbed radiation dose. New results from the Paul Scherrer Institute have revealed that low dose exposures to 150 MeV positive and negative pions, akin to a Mars mission, result in significant, long-lasting cognitive impairments. These surprising findings emphasize the need to carefully evaluate shielding configurations to optimize safe exposure... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3t44w9v6 Thu, 20 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Vozenin, Marie-Catherine Alaghband, Yasaman Drayson, Olivia GG Piaget, Filippo Leavitt, Ron Allen, Barrett D Doan, Ngoc-Lien Rostomyan, Tigran Stabilini, Alberto Reggiani, Davide Hajdas, Wojciech Yukihara, Eduardo G Norbury, John W Bailat, Claude Desorgher, Laurent Baulch, Janet E https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1078-6946 Limoli, Charles L https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9pp1p624 High concentrations of air pollutants on roadways, relative to ambient concentrations, contribute significantly to total personal exposure. Estimation of these exposures requires measurements or prediction of roadway concentrations. Our study develops, compares, and evaluates linear regression and nonlinear generalized additive models (GAMs) to estimate on-road concentrations of four key air pollutants, particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PB-PAH), particle number count (PNC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter with diameter &lt;2.5 μm (PM2.5) using traffic, meteorology, and elevation variables. Critical predictors included wind speed and direction for all the pollutants, traffic-related variables for PB-PAH, PNC, and NOx, and air temperatures and relative humidity for PM2.5. GAMs explained 50%, 55%, 46%, and 71% of the variance for log or square-root transformed concentrations of PB-PAH, PNC, NOx, and PM2.5, respectively, an improvement of 5% to over 15%... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9pp1p624 Mon, 17 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Li, Lianfa Wu, Jun https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2693-7112 Hudda, Neelakshi Sioutas, Constantinos Fruin, Scott A Delfino, Ralph J https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9kq7b1xx The phenotypic and genetic diversity that define tumor subpopulations within high-grade glioma can lead to therapeutic resistance and tumor recurrence. Given that cranial irradiation is a frontline treatment for malignant glioma, understanding how irradiation selectively effects different cellular subpopulations within these heterogeneous cancers should help identify interventions targeted to better combat this deadly disease. To analyze the radiation response of distinct glioma subpopulations, 2 glioma cells lines (U251, A172) were cultured under conditions that promoted either adherence or non-adherent spheroids. Past work has demonstrated that subpopulations derived from defined culture conditions exhibit differences in karyotype, proliferation, gene expression and tumorigenicity. Spheroid cultures from each of the glioma cell lines were found to be more radiosensitive, which was consistent with higher levels of oxidative stress and lower levels of both oxidative phosphorylation... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9kq7b1xx Mon, 17 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Ke, Chao Tran, Katherine Chen, Yumay Di Donato, Anne T Yu, Liping Hu, Yuanjie Linskey, Mark E Wang, Ping H Limoli, Charles L Zhou, Yi-Hong https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8jr2n1vq PURPOSE: Radiotherapy remains a primary treatment modality for the majority of central nervous system tumors, but frequently leads to debilitating cognitive dysfunction. Given the absence of satisfactory solutions to this serious problem, we have used human stem cell therapies to ameliorate radiation-induced cognitive impairment. Here, past studies have been extended to determine whether engrafted cells provide even longer-term benefits to cognition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Athymic nude rats were cranially irradiated (10 Gy) and subjected to intrahippocampal transplantation surgery 2 days later. Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) or human neural stem cells (hNSC) were transplanted, and animals were subjected to cognitive testing on a novel place recognition task 8 months later. RESULTS: Grafting of hNSC was found to provide long lasting cognitive benefits over an 8-month post-irradiation interval. At this protracted time, hNSC grafting improved behavioral performance on a novel... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8jr2n1vq Mon, 17 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Acharya, Munjal M Martirosian, Vahan Christie, Lori-Ann Limoli, Charles L https://escholarship.org/uc/item/83j5d2cb AIMS: Redox homeostasis is critical in regulating the fate and function of multipotent cells in the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we investigated whether low dose charged particle irradiation could elicit oxidative stress in neural stem and precursor cells and whether radiation-induced changes in redox metabolism would coincide with cognitive impairment. RESULTS: Low doses (&lt;1 Gy) of charged particles caused an acute and persistent oxidative stress. Early after (&lt;1 week) irradiation, increased levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species were generally dose responsive, but were less dependent on dose weeks to months thereafter. Exposure to ion fluences resulting in less than one ion traversal per cell was sufficient to elicit radiation-induced oxidative stress. Whole body irradiation triggered a compensatory response in the rodent brain that led to a significant increase in antioxidant capacity 2 weeks following exposure, before returning to background levels at... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/83j5d2cb Mon, 17 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Tseng, Bertrand P Giedzinski, Erich Izadi, Atefeh Suarez, Tatiana Lan, Mary L Tran, Katherine K Acharya, Munjal M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7767-5642 Nelson, Gregory A Raber, Jacob Parihar, Vipan K Limoli, Charles L https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5td7g8fc The relationships between meteorology and pregnancy outcomes are not well known. This article reviews available evidence on the relationships between seasonality or meteorology and three major pregnancy outcomes: the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (including preeclampsia, eclampsia and gestational hypertension), gestational length and birth weight. In total 35, 28 and 27 studies were identified for each of these outcomes. The risks of preeclampsia appear higher for women with conception during the warmest months, and delivery in the coldest months of the year. Delivery in the coldest months is also associated with a higher eclampsia risk. Patterns of decreased gestational lengths have been observed for births in winter, as well as summer months. Most analytical studies also report decreases in gestational lengths associated with heat. Birth weights are lower for deliveries occurring in winter and in summer months. Only a limited number of studies have investigated the effects... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5td7g8fc Mon, 17 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Beltran, Alyssa Wu, Jun https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2693-7112 Laurent, Olivier