Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Ultrasound devise shows promise for treating chronic pain

University of Utah engineers developed Diadem, which noninvasively stimulates deep brain regions, potentially disrupting the faulty signals that lead to chronic pain

University of Utah

Pain is a necessary biological signal, but a variety of conditions can cause those signals to go awry. For people with chronic pain, the root is often faulty signals emerging deep within the brain, giving false alarms about a wound that has since healed, a limb that has since been amputated, or other intricate, hard-to-explain scenarios.

Patients with this kind of life-altering pain are constantly looking for new treatment options; now a new device from the University of Utah may represent a practical long-sought solution.

Researchers at the university’s John and Marcia Price College of Engineering and Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine have published promising findings about an experimental therapy that has given many participants relief after a single treatment session. They are now recruiting participants for a final round of trials.

At the core of this research is Diadem, a new biomedical device that uses ultrasound to noninvasively stimulate deep brain regions, potentially disrupting the faulty signals that lead to chronic pain.

The findings from a recent clinical trial are published in the journal Pain. This study constitutes a translation of two previous studies, published in Nature Communications Engineering and IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, which describe the unique features and characteristics of the device and demonstrate its efficacy.

The study was conducted by Jan Kubanek, a professor in Price’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Thomas Riis, a postdoctoral researcher in his lab. They collaborated with Akiko Okifuji, professor of Anesthesiology in the School of Medicine, as well as Daniel Feldman, graduate student in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Psychiatry, and laboratory technician Adam Losser.

The randomized sham-controlled study recruited 20 participants with chronic pain, who each experienced two 40-minute sessions with Diadem, receiving either real or sham ultrasound stimulation. Patients described their pain a day and a week after their sessions, with 60% of the experimental group receiving real treatment reporting a clinical meaningful reduction in symptoms at both points.

“We were not expecting such strong and immediate effects from only one treatment,” Riis said.

“The rapid onset of the pain symptom improvements as well as their sustained nature are intriguing, and open doors for applying these noninvasive treatments to the many patients who are resistant to current treatments,” Kubanek added.

Diadem’s approach is based on neuromodulation, a therapeutic technique that seeks to directly regulate the activity of certain brain circuits. Other neuromodulation approaches are based on electric currents and magnetic fields, but those methods cannot selectively reach the brain structure investigated in the researchers’ recent trial: the anterior cingulate cortex.

After an initial functional MRI scan to map the target region, the researchers adjusted Diadem’s ultrasound emitters to correct for the way the waves deflect off the skull and other brain structures. This procedure was published in Nature Communications Engineering.

The team is now preparing for a Phase 3 clinical trial, the final step before approval from the Food and Drug Administration to use Diadem as a treatment for the general public.

“If you or your relatives suffer from chronic pain that does not respond to treatments, please reach out to us; we need to recruit many participants so that these treatments can be approved for the general public,” Kubanek said. “With your help, we think chronic pain can be effectively silenced. And with new pain treatment options, we can tackle the opioid crisis, too.”

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The study titled “Noninvasive targeted modulation of pain circuits with focused ultrasonic waves” was published July 30 in the journal Pain. Funding came from the National Institutes of Health and the University of Utah.

Journal

Pain

DOI

10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003322

Method of Research

Randomized controlled/clinical trial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Noninvasive targeted modulation of pain circuits with focused ultrasonic waves

Article Publication Date

30-Jul-2024

COI Statement

J. Kubanek is an inventor on a patent related to the device function. The other authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Geographic differences in US homicide rates have decreased since the 1970s

Findings counter expectation that homicide rates would mirror growing economic, social inequalities

PLOS

Are the geographic disparities in U.S. violent crime rising? — image:
Spatial inequality measure for commuting zones (1960–2019). Inequality in homicides (NCHS), policing, and homicide clearance rates.
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Credit: Richard T. Boylan, 2024, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

A new study finds that, counter to expectations, geographic disparities in rates of homicides in the US have decreased in recent decades. Richard Boylan of Rice University in Houston, Texas, US, presents these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on August 28, 2024.

Since the 1970s, gaps in economic and social wellbeing between Americans living in different regions have grown. Some researchers hypothesize that areas with reduced economic and social well-being would see higher rates of violent crime. For instance, impoverished areas with lower tax bases might receive less police protection, or a lack of job opportunities may lead to greater involvement in criminal enterprises, in which violence can be an effective tool.

However, few studies have systematically examined potential links between geographic economic disparities and geographic disparities in violent crime rates. To address this gap, Boylan analyzed data from the National Center for Health Statistics, comparing homicide rates between the US’s 741 commuting zones across both urban and rural areas —distinct geographic areas within which most residents live and work, with few commuting into another zone.

Boylan found that, since the 1970s, disparities in US homicide rates between US commuting zones have steadily decreased, even while economic and social inequalities increased.

One potential explanation for these findings, as Boylan notes, is that since the 1970s, geographic disparities in policing, incarceration, and the share of the population that is African American has also decreased across the US. He suggests that future research could examine whether any of these factors could have contributed to the decreased disparities in homicide rates.

Alternatively, Boylan suggests, the expected violence-boosting effects of worsening social and economic conditions in some areas might have been mitigated by state, county, and federal law enforcement bodies stepping in to ensure continued prosecution of violent crime, such as in instances when local police departments were disbanded in economically challenged cities.

In contrast to the homicide findings, the researcher notes, geographic disparities in US life expectancies have increased since the 1960s, likely due to state policies that include tobacco taxes and Medicaid expansions.

Dr. Boylan adds: “There is a perception that job losses in the rust belt have led to an increase in inequality in crime. However, I provide empirical evidence that inequalities across different parts of the country in crime have steadily decreased since the 1960s and that this decrease coincides with decreases in disparities in policing, incarceration, and the share of the population that is African American.”

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In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0308799

Citation: Boylan RT (2024) Are the geographic disparities in U.S. violent crime rising? PLoS ONE 19(8): e0308799. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308799

Author Countries: USA

Funding: The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.

Journal

PLoS ONE

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0308799

Article Title

Are the geographic disparities in U.S. violent crime rising?

Article Publication Date

28-Aug-2024

Red flag laws may reduce the growing burden of firearm homicides

Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health

August 28, 2028-- A recent study from researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found that Florida’s red flag gun law, which was enacted in response to the 2018 Parkland mass shooting, was associated with an 11 percent reduction in firearm homicide rates from 2019 to 2021. Firearm homicides are a leading cause of death among those under 44 in the U.S. and Florida’s red flag law allows law enforcement officers to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others. This is among the first research to link firearm legislation in the U.S. with a significant decrease in gun-related homicides. The findings are published in JAMA.

The researchers used mortality data from CDC WONDER on firearm and non-firearm homicide and suicide mortality and employed augmented synthetic control methods. These methods constructed a proxy state for Florida from 19 politically conservative states without similar gun laws during the study period, allowing for a counterfactual comparison in mortality rates in the post-law enactment period from 2019 to 2021. Models also controlled for state-level sociodemographic and economic covariates.

The researchers found that Florida’s firearm homicide rate increased from 4.51 deaths per 100,000 population in 2017 to 5.28 in 2021, compared to 4.50 to 6.85 for its proxy state. Models estimated that by 2021, Florida’s firearm homicide rates were significantly lower than expected, which translated to a reduction of 0.73 fewer deaths per 100,000 individuals per year on average in the post-law enactment period. Findings were not significant, however, for other mortality outcomes across the post-law enactment period.

“Our study underscores the complexities of reducing firearm mortality through legislative measures in the U.S. While the observed reduction in firearm homicide rates following the enactment of Florida’s red flag law is promising, further research is needed to understand the broader effectiveness of such policies,” said Catherine Gimbrone, MPH, in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School, and first author. “In particular, we did not observe a significant average reduction in firearm suicides, another critical public health issue in the U.S. This finding further emphasizes the need for continued research to fully assess the impact of firearm legislation.”

The researchers also point out that Florida’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic might have differed from control states in ways that affected firearm homicides. Nonetheless, they adjusted for covariates in their analysis that they believe may have resulted in spurious associations. Additionally, Gimbrone, who is also a doctoral student in the Psychiatric Epidemiology Training Program, cannot definitively attribute the reduction in expected firearm homicide rates to the red flag law compared to other societal changes after Parkland. However, findings suggest that red flag laws may reduce the growing burden of firearm homicides.

A co-author is Kara E. Rudolph, Columbia Mailman School.

The study was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health pre-doctoral training grant 32MH013043-52.

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Founded in 1922, the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health pursues an agenda of research, education, and service to address the critical and complex public health issues affecting New Yorkers, the nation and the world. The Columbia Mailman School is the fourth largest recipient of NIH grants among schools of public health. Its nearly 300 multi-disciplinary faculty members work in more than 100 countries around the world, addressing such issues as preventing infectious and chronic diseases, environmental health, maternal and child health, health policy, climate change and health, and public health preparedness. It is a leader in public health education with more than 1,300 graduate students from 55 nations pursuing a variety of master’s and doctoral degree programs. The Columbia Mailman School is also home to numerous world-renowned research centers, including ICAP and the Center for Infection and Immunity. For more information, please visit www.mailman.columbia.edu.

Journal

JAMA

DOI

10.1001/jama.2024.14465

Article Title

Florida’s Red Flag Gun Law and Firearm and Nonfirearm Homicide and Suicide Rates

Researchers urge closing outdated water rule to aid Colorado River crisis

University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science

Researchers investigating the historic stresses of the American West’s water supply have identified a simple solution that could put parts of the Colorado River Basin on a more sustainable path.

In a new paper published Monday, a consortium of scientists and water experts including Julianne Quinn, an assistant professor in the University of Virginia Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and UVA Darden School of Business professor Peter Debaere conclude that closing Colorado’s “free river conditions” loophole should be a key first step to reducing water stress in the region.

In Colorado, when the river carries enough water to meet everyone’s needs, the “free river condition” allows anyone — regardless of whether they own water rights — to take as much as they want from the river. The provision is a relic of water-sharing agreements among the seven states, 25 Native American tribes and parts of Mexico — some 40 million people — for whom the Colorado is a lifeline.

“Closing this loophole in Colorado’s water rights system could save millions of cubic meters of water and be the state’s modest contribution to solving water stress in the Colorado River Basin,” said Debaere, an expert in water economics and markets.

A Region Thirsting for Solutions

Quinn leads the National Science Foundation project under which the analysis was conducted. She specializes in optimizing water resources management through mathematical modeling to help water managers balance competing objectives.

“Our project goal is to integrate supply-side water management through reservoir operations with demand-side management through fallowing programs in which farmers are paid for not irrigating their land,” Quinn said.

The paper, “Closing Loopholes in Water Rights Systems to Save Water: The Colorado River Basin,” appeared in the journal Water Resources Research, published by AGU, the American Geophysical Union.

The 1,450-mile Colorado irrigates some of the country’s most productive farmland and generates hydropower used across the Upper and Lower Basin states, comprised of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico and Arizona, Nevada and California respectively.

But the river’s water volume is shrinking as rising temperatures increase evaporation and reduce the snowpack that feeds the river. At the same time, demand from farms and cities has been rising.

In mid-2022, water levels in the river’s two major reservoirs, lakes Powell and Mead, dropped so low the intake of water for hydropower was threatened, prompting a federal “shortage” declaration and the Biden administration’s call for reduced usage. After the West experienced historic “atmospheric river” storms in 2023 and early 2024, the lakes have recovered to 37% of capacity. In 2000, they were nearly full.

The Costs of ‘Free River Conditions’

While trying to determine appropriate payments for a fallowing program, the team discovered the free river loophole, Quinn explained.

“It threatens the success of any payment program,” she said. “If the water ‘saved’ by paying farmers not to irrigate results in more frequent free river conditions, someone else can then legally divert that saved water in excess of their right, defeating the purpose.”

For example, during free river conditions in 2017 — despite a decade and a half of drought — Quinn’s team’s analysis estimated 108 million cubic meters of water were diverted that could have been reserved in Lake Powell.

Moreover, Lower Basin states have the right to issue a “compact call” should the Upper Basin states exceed their sharing obligations under the century-old Colorado River Compact. That could trigger sudden usage cuts, putting these states, which include Colorado, in a bind they could have avoided.

With some existing sharing agreements expiring at the end of 2025, the seven states are again negotiating their rights to the Colorado River.

Debaere said closing the loophole is a small step, but one that opens doors to future reforms.

“This is not a technological solution,” Quinn added, “but a pragmatic end to a legal loophole in the management of water in the system.”

Publication

The paper's co-authors include T. Li (International Business School Suzhou, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China); S. Fox and K. Bennett (B3 Insight, Denver); P. Block and K. Hietpas (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison); M. Mekonnen and S. Sharma (Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, L); B. Richter (Sustainable Waters, Crozet, VA; and S. Singh (Department of Systems and Information Engineering, UVA).

This article has been edited from the original version published by the UVA Darden School of Business.

Journal

Water Resources Research

DOI

10.1029/2023WR036667

Article Title

Closing Loopholes in Water Rights Systems to Save Water: The Colorado River Basin

Article Publication Date

26-Aug-2024

More in U.S. accept Covid-19 vaccine misinformation, and willingness to vaccinate has declined

Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania

Increasing acceptance of Covid-19 vaccine misinformation — image:
From 2021-2024, increases have been seen in acceptance of Covid-19 vaccine misinformation, and declines in science-consistent beliefs. Source: Annenberg Science and Public Health (ASAPH) knowledge surveys from 2021-2024.
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Credit: Annenberg Public Policy Center

PHILADELPHIA – With the nation in the midst of a summer surge of Covid-19 infections and increased hospitalizations due to the disease, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week approved updated Covid vaccines to protect Americans six months and older against the deadly virus. But Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) health survey data finds that the number of Americans believing Covid-19 vaccination misinformation has risen and their willingness to take or recommend vaccination against Covid-19 is lower than in the past.

The 2024 waves of the Annenberg Science and Public Health (ASAPH) knowledge survey, a nationally representative panel survey of nearly 1,500 U.S. adults, suggest that many may be reluctant to get the updated vaccine. [Download the summer 2024 ASAPH report.]

Greater acceptance of Covid vaccine misinformation. As of July 2024:

Over a quarter of Americans (28%) incorrectly believe that the Covid-19 vaccines have been responsible for thousands of deaths, up from 22% in June 2021. The percentage who know this is false declined to 55% from 66%
Over one in five Americans (22%) believe the false idea that it is safer to get a Covid-19 infection than to get the vaccine, up from 10% in April 2021, months after the life-saving vaccines were introduced.
The percentage of Americans who incorrectly believe that the Covid-19 vaccine changes people’s DNA nearly doubled to 15% from 8% in April 2021.

“Belief in these three misconceptions is associated with increased reluctance to vaccinate,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center and director of the survey.

The policy center’s ASAPH surveys also find:

Relatively few are worried: Only 1 in 5 people (20%, July 2024) are somewhat or very worried they or someone in their family will contract Covid, down from 25% in February 2024 and 35% in October 2023.

Decreased interest: Under half of those surveyed (44%) said in February 2024 they are “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to get a yearly Covid-19 vaccine if it is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), down from 52% in June 2023.

Benefits vs. risks: Two-thirds of Americans (66% in July 2024) say the benefits of taking Covid-19 vaccines outweigh the risks – but that is lower than the percentage who say the benefits outweigh the risks for the mpox vaccine (70% in July 2024), RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccine for adults 60 and older (74% in October 2023), and MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine (89% in August 2023).
Covid-19 vaccines seen as less safe and effective than others: As of our October 2023 survey, fewer people regard Covid-19 vaccines as safe (66%) and effective (65%) than a variety of other vaccines: MMR (81% safe, 83% effective); flu (81% safe, 75% effective); shingles (78% safe, 73% effective) or pneumonia (74% safe, 69% effective).

A hypothetical trivalent vaccine: In July 2024, less than half of those surveyed (49%) would be likely to take a combined single-shot mRNA vaccine to protect against flu, RSV, and Covid-19 if one existed and the CDC recommended it. At the same time, 27% say they would be “not at all likely” to take such a single-shot mRNA vaccine.

“With the CDC reporting that Covid-19 infection remains an ongoing threat and an updated vaccine available, now is the time to ramp up awareness both of the value of vaccinating against COVID-19 and of the risks of contracting the disease,” Jamieson added.

Decreasing likelihood of Covid-19 vaccination. Based on Annenberg Science and Public Health (ASAPH) knowledge surveys from June 2023-February 2024.

Credit

Annenberg Public Policy Center

The ASAPH report

The findings on Covid-19 misinformation and vaccination, measles, mpox, climate health and confidence in public health institutions are reported in the summer 2024 Annenberg Science and Public Health Knowledge Monitor, available as a free download from the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

The science and health monitor comprises survey reports that track national levels of health knowledge and misinformation over time. Building on the Annenberg Science Knowledge (ASK) surveys, which since 2016 have been focused on health knowledge and misinformation about topics such as the Zika virus, measles, Covid-19 and vaccination, the Annenberg Science and Public Health Knowledge Monitor (ASAPH) generates indices of knowledge about such vital health topics as maternal and reproductive health, vaccination, Covid-19, monkeypox, and heat-related illness. It also provides an ongoing measure of public confidence in the CDC, FDA, and National Institutes of Health (NIH).

[Download the latest report and the topline.]

This third ASAPH report is based on 20 survey waves with a nationally representative sample first empaneled in April 2021, conducted for APPC by SSRS, an independent market research company. The 20th wave, with 1,496 U.S. adults, was conducted July 11-18, 2024, and has a margin of sampling error (MOE) of ± 3.6 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Some findings were previously released.

Additional findings

The latest ASAPH report also includes findings on:

Declining flu vaccination: Fewer people say they have had a seasonal flu shot. In mid-February 2024 at the end of flu season, 45% reported having had a seasonal flu shot, compared with 50% in January 2023. These figures are generally consistent with CDC data, which shows a decline in flu vaccination coverage to 47% in January 2024 from 50% in December 2022.

Decline in RSV vaccine acceptance for older adults: Just over half of those surveyed (55%) would be likely to recommend that a friend or family member age 60 or older talk with their health care provider about whether to get the RSV vaccine, down from 61% in August 2023.

Many unsure of vaccines’ effectiveness: Sizable numbers of respondents in 2022 and 2023 are unsure of the effectiveness of various vaccines directed at specific populations (32% are not sure about the vaccine for HPV, or human papillomavirus, aimed at young people; 23% for pneumonia and 19% for shingles, both for diseases affecting older people) and of the efficacy of getting vaccinated against RSV during pregnancy (47%) or when one is over 60 years old (37%).

Knowledge about vaccination recommended for those who are pregnant: From June 2023 to April 2024, respondents increased their understanding of which vaccinations the CDC recommends during pregnancy. In April 2024, many knew that the CDC recommends getting vaccinated while pregnant against the seasonal flu (50%), Covid-19 (43%), and whooping cough (35%). Respondents were comparably aware of which vaccines the CDC does not recommend getting while pregnant: measles (MMR, 39%) and chickenpox (43%).

Data analysis for the Annenberg Science and Public Health Knowledge monitor is conducted by APPC data analysts Laura Gibson, Ph.D., and Shawn Patterson Jr., Ph.D. Survey administration is overseen by managing director of survey research Ken Winneg, Ph.D. Patrick E. Jamieson, Ph.D., director of APPC’s Annenberg Health and Risk Communication Institute, develops the questionnaires. The ASAPH Knowledge Monitor is a project of APPC’s Annenberg Health and Risk Communication Institute, which is funded by an endowment established for it by the Annenberg Foundation.

The Annenberg Public Policy Center was established in 1993 to educate the public and policy makers about communication’s role in advancing public understanding of political, science, and health issues at the local, state, and federal levels. Find APPC on X, Facebook, and Threads.

Using high resolution mass spectrometry to study fuel chemistry

Naval Research Laboratory

image:
Mark Romanczyk, PhD, MA; Analytical Chemist Chemical Sensing and Fuel Technology
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Credit: U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

WASHINGTON – U.S. Naval Research Laboratory researcher Mark Romanczyk, Ph.D., developed new analytical methods to rapidly analyze fuels and complex petroleum products by using high-resolution mass spectrometry.

The approaches Romanczyk utilizes enable highly detailed qualitative analysis of complex mixtures in minutes. One recent method facilitated the investigation of chemical changes that occurred in weathered crude oil in terrestrial environments. Several of the methods were recently published in the science journal Fuel.

“Despite the accidental rise of oil spilled onto landmasses, less research has been dedicated to evaluating the compositional changes/fate of oil prior to its introduction into bodies of water” said Romanczyk. “The lack of information affords an opportunity to investigate and qualitatively characterize oil as a function of weathering time in the absence of an aqueous environment. These studies may provide highly useful information for oil spill cleanup and exposure concerns.”

Upon direct sun exposure, the lightest aromatic hydrocarbons (i.e., alkylbenzenes, alkyltetralins with total carbons of approximately twelve) in the crude oil evolved in the first 24 hours of weathering. After 24 hours, a thin film formed on the surface trapping the lightest aromatic hydrocarbons where the overall composition remained unchanged.

However, the heaviest aromatic hydrocarbons (i.e., naphthalenes, anthracenes) showed evidence of photooxidation, despite film formation. The results demonstrate that the compositional changes of oil in a terrestrial environment may differ from that of an aquatic environment as wave action will likely stir the oil, preventing film formation.

Additional methods have been used to detect and characterize heteroatom-containing compounds (HCCs) in fuels. HCCs are a concern for fuel stability as they initiate adverse chemical reactions. The novel methods discovered new classes of HCCs not previously documented and aids at linking the composition of fuel to performance and properties.

“The approaches Mark and his colleagues are developing enable highly detailed analysis of fuel composition in minutes,” said Kevin J. Johnson, Ph.D., head, Navy Technology Center for Safety and Survivability. “I think this is going to lead to significant advancements in the near future in how we formulate and handle fuels in the Navy and Department of Defense.”

Romanczyk was recently awarded by the International Association for Fuel Stability and Handling (IASH) the Chevron Research Award of Excellence in honor of John Bacha at the IASH 2024 International Symposium this September in Louisville, Kentucky.

Bacha was a consulting scientist with Chevron Products Company. He was a strong supporter of IASH and was internationally recognized for his studies on diesel fuel and residual fuel chemistry. He was dedicated to encouraging the younger generation to join and enrich the industry.

Romanczyk is a leading expert in complex mixture analysis, including petroleum-derived fuels, crude oils, and alternative fuels. Currently, he is developing novel links between fuel compositions and stability properties and analytical techniques that detect PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) at the parts per billion level. He also studies the weathering of crude oil. He has sixteen publications in top-tier journals and has hundreds of citations. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, IASH and American Society for Mass Spectrometry.

The Chemical Sensing and Fuel Technology Section conducts research aimed at increasing the Navy’s understanding of chemical processes which lead to the development of novel sensing and analytical data analysis methods. Projects include chemical and biological detection, hazardous chemical detection, intelligent data fusion, chemometrics applied to sensor systems and analytical methods.

This program consists of research projects involving novel state-of-the-art methods for the detection of hazardous chemicals, Navy mobility fuel properties, trace chemical analysis and damage control events such as fire and flooding. These R&D projects require expertise in organic chemistry, chemical analysis, instrument design, high resolution mass spectrometry research, analytical method development, computational modeling, chemometrics, and system verification.

The research areas address environmental and workplace detection needs using chemical sensors, personal dosimetry, and area monitoring. Another major area of research is the application of artificial intelligence techniques to data interpretation problems associated with hazardous material detection and improved situational awareness of fuels, and the formulation of novel chemometric algorithms to enable the development of sensing technologies for automated fuel quality diagnostics and prognostics.

About the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

NRL is a scientific and engineering command dedicated to research that drives innovative advances for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps from the seafloor to space and in the information domain. NRL is located in Washington, D.C. with major field sites in Stennis Space Center, Mississippi; Key West, Florida; Monterey, California, and employs approximately 3,000 civilian scientists, engineers and support personnel.

For more information, contact NRL Corporate Communications at (202) 480-3746 or nrlpao@us.navy.mil.

Journal

Fuel

DOI

10.1016/j.fuel.2024.132379

Article Title

Compositional analysis and fate of aromatic hydrocarbons in weathered crude oil in a non-aqueous environment by using a high-resolution orbitrap mass spectrometer

Autistic traits, behavioral problems in 7-year-olds linked with gender nonconforming play

Study analyzed play behavior, behavioral outcomes, and autistic traits in more than 700 children in Sweden

PLOS

Gender-specific play behavior in relation to autistic traits and behavioral difficulties at the age of seven in the SELMA study — image:
Gender nonconformity in 7-year-olds may be associated with autistic traits and behavioral difficulties in girls, and with peer relationship problems in boys, according to a new study.
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Credit: cottonbro studio, Pexels, CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)

Gender nonconformity in 7-year-olds — as measured by levels of gender-conforming play — may be associated with autistic traits and behavioral difficulties in girls, and with peer relationship problems in boys, according to a new study published August 28, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Marlene Stratmann of Karlstad University, Sweden, and colleagues.

Gender nonconformity (GNC) refers to variations in gender expression from societal and cultural gender norms. In childhood, GNC can manifest itself in several ways, including play behavior, peer relationships, clothing, and body language. Childhood GNC does not directly indicate developing gender dysphoria (GD) later in life, although the phenomena are linked. Recently, studies have begun to establish a high co-occurrence of GNC, GD and autism spectrum disorder. However, most of this work has been carried out in clinical populations with existing diagnoses, which may lead to an overestimation of the associations between GNC and autistic traits and behavioral difficulties in a non-clinical population.

In the new study, researchers analyzed data on 718 children enrolled in the Swedish Environmental Longitudinal, Mother and Child, Asthma and Allergy (SELMA) study for which there were data on play behavior and behavioral outcomes. GNC play behavior was determined using the Preschool Activities Inventory, which includes 12 “feminine” and 12 “masculine” toys, play activities and child characteristics.

In both sexes, higher levels of gender nonconforming play was associated with increased behavioral difficulties. Higher masculine play behavior scores were associated with hyperactivity and inattention in both sexes. Higher feminine play scores in boys were associated with peer relationship problems, while higher masculine play scores in girls were associated with increased likelihood of autistic traits and behavioral difficulties.

The study involves a sample of children of only one age in a single country, and cannot be used to draw any conclusions as to causation. However, the authors conclude that gender nonconformity may be associated with behavioral challenges and difficulties in both sexes, even in children without any diagnoses.

The authors add: “The results showed that children who played more with toys traditionally considered for the opposite gender had more autistic traits and behavioral problems. At the same time it is very important to keep in mind that just because a girl decides to play rougher or a boy plays with dolls, it does not mean that there will be a link to behavioral difficulties or autistic traits in this child.”

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In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0308605

Citation: Özel F, Stratmann M, Papadopoulos FC, Rüegg J, Bornehag C-G (2024) Gender-specific play behavior in relation to autistic traits and behavioral difficulties at the age of seven in the SELMA study. PLoS ONE 19(8): e0308605. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308605

Author Countries: Sweden, USA

Funding: This work received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 634880, EDC-MixRisk and the funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Journal

PLoS ONE

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0308605

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Gender-specific play behavior in relation to autistic traits and behavioral difficulties at the age of seven in the SELMA study

Article Publication Date

28-Aug-2024