There are ∼20 types of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in mice, each of which has distinct molecular, morphological, and physiological characteristics. Each RGC type sends axon projections to specific brain areas that execute light-dependent behaviors. Here, we show that the T-box transcription factor Tbr2 is required for the development of several RGC types that participate in non-image-forming circuits. These types are molecularly distinct, project to non-image-forming targets, and include intrinsically photosensitive RGCs. Tbr2 mutant mice have reduced retinal projections to non-image-forming nuclei and an attenuated pupillary light reflex. These data demonstrate that Tbr2 acts to execute RGC type choice and/or survival in a set of RGCs that mediates light-induced subconscious behaviors.

INTRODUCTION: People with opioid use disorder (OUD) have high rates of discharge against medical advice from the hospital. Interventions for addressing these patient-directed discharges (PDDs) are lacking. We sought to explore the impact of methadone treatment for OUD on PDD. METHODS: Using electronic record and billing data from an urban safety-net hospital, we retrospectively examined the first hospitalization on a general medicine service for adults with OUD from January 2016 through June 2018. Associations with PDD compared to planned discharge were examined using multivariable logistic regression. Administration patterns of maintenance therapy versus new in-hospital initiation of methadone were examined using bivariate tests. RESULTS: During the study time period, 1,195 patients with OUD were hospitalized. 60.6% of patients received medication for OUD, of which 92.8% was methadone. Patients who received no treatment for OUD had a 19.1% PDD rate while patients initiated on methadone in-hospital had a 20.5% PDD rate and patients on maintenance methadone during the hospitalization had a 8.6% PDD rate. In multivariable logistic regression, methadone maintenance was associated with lower odds of PDD compared to no treatment (aOR 0.53, 95% CI 0.34-0.81), while methadone initiation was not (aOR 0.89, 95% CI 0.56-1.39). About 60% of patients initiated on methadone received 30 mg or less per day. CONCLUSIONS: In this study sample, maintenance methadone was associated with nearly a 50% reduction in the odds of PDD. More research is needed to assess the impact of higher hospital methadone initiation dosing on PDD and if there is an optimal protective dose.

Background: Many clinical and population-based research studies pivoted from in-person assessments to phone-based surveys due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of these transitions on survey response remains understudied, especially for people living with HIV. Given that there are gender-specific trends in alcohol and substance use, it is particularly important to capture these data for women.Objective: Identify factors associated with responding to an alcohol and substance use phone survey administered during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Women's Interagency HIV Study, a multicenter US prospective cohort of women living with and without HIV.Methods: We used multivariable logistic regression to assess for associations of pre-pandemic (April-September 2019) sociodemographic factors, HIV status, housing status, depressive symptoms, alcohol use, and substance use with response to an early-pandemic (August-September 2020) phone survey.Results: Of 1,847 women who attended an in-person visit in 2019, 78% responded to a phone survey during the pandemic. The odds of responding were lower for women of Hispanic ethnicity (aOR 0.47 95% CI 0.33-0.66, ref=Black/African American) and those who reported substance use (aOR 0.63 95% CI 0.41-0.98). By contrast, the odds were higher for White women (aOR 1.64 95% CI 1.02-2.70, ref=Black/African American) and those with stable housing (aOR 1.74 95% CI 1.24-2.43).Conclusions: Pivoting from an in-person to phone-administered alcohol and substance use survey may lead to underrepresentation of key subpopulations of women who are often neglected in substance use and HIV research. As remote survey methods become more common, investigators need to ensure that the study population is representative of the target population.