Objectives: People of color with minoritized sexual identities (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer) experience identity-based challenges from outside and within their communities. Through the ...integrative lens of minority stress theory and intersectionality, the present study examined identity conflict, also known as conflicts in allegiances—the perceived incongruence between one’s sexual and ethnic identities—as a statistical mediator of the association between intersectional discrimination (heterosexist discrimination experienced within the Latinx community and ethnic discrimination experienced within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer LGBTQ + community) and mental health outcomes (depression and anxiety). Method: A cross-sectional sample of 452 Latinx sexual minoritized adults living in the United States participated in the study. The PROCESS macro (Model 4; Hayes, 2018) was used to test the hypothesis that heterosexist discrimination experienced within the Latinx community and ethnic discrimination experienced within the LGBTQ + community are associated with depression and anxiety indirectly through identity conflict. In each mediation model, outness to family was included as a covariate, along with participant age, education, generation status, and language preference. Results: Approximately 37% of participants had clinically significant depression scores and 54% had clinically significant anxiety scores. As expected, experiences of intersectional discrimination (i.e., Latinx heterosexist discrimination and LGBTQ + ethnic discrimination) were indirectly associated with depression and anxiety through higher levels of identity conflict. Conclusions: Findings increase awareness of unique psychosocial factors that may underlie mental health inequities affecting Latinx adults with minoritized sexual identities. Such knowledge can facilitate the development of culturally responsive interventions that best support this diverse population by addressing intersectional minority stressors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)
Objective
Sexual minoritized persons evidence higher prevalence of eating disorders than heterosexual persons, yet it is unclear which specific symptoms drive these disparities. Empirical evidence ...also documents the importance of considering subclinical eating disorder presentations, as well as potential differentiation in expression of eating disorder symptoms based on gender. The current study complements that of Kamody et al. (2020), who examined sexual orientation‐based disparities in eating disorder diagnoses using a nationally representative sample of the US adult population.
Method
Using the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions‐III (NESARC‐III), we compared the prevalence of eating disorder symptoms across sexual minority status separately for men and women.
Results
Sexual minoritized men were more likely than heterosexual men to report body mass index (BMI) < 18.5 kg/m2 (odds ratio OR = 1.76), thus, being screened into questions about restrictive eating. Sexual minoritized women were more likely than heterosexual women to endorse ever engaging in a binge‐eating episode (OR = 2.25) and engaging in weekly binge eating for at least 3 months (OR = 1.58), thus, being screened into follow‐up questions about binge eating. Sexual minoritized men were more likely than heterosexual men to fear gaining weight even when at their lowest weight (OR = 4.35) and experience a loss of control when overeating (OR = 3.13).
Discussion
Sexual orientation‐based disparities in eating disorder symptom endorsement were nuanced when stratifying the entire sample by gender. Findings expand previous research on disparities in clinical/diagnosed eating disorders, highlighting the importance of assessing symptomology beyond diagnosis, as well as the intersectional influence of sexual orientation and gender, in both research and practice.
To provide context for the diversification of archosaurs--the group that includes crocodilians, dinosaurs, and birds--we generated draft genomes of three crocodilians: Alligator mississippiensis (the ...American alligator), Crocodylus porosus (the saltwater crocodile), and Gavialis gangeticus (the Indian gharial). We observed an exceptionally slow rate of genome evolution within crocodilians at all levels, including nucleotide substitutions, indels, transposable element content and movement, gene family evolution, and chromosomal synteny. When placed within the context of related taxa including birds and turtles, this suggests that the common ancestor of all of these taxa also exhibited slow genome evolution and that the comparatively rapid evolution is derived in birds. The data also provided the opportunity to analyze heterozygosity in crocodilians, which indicates a likely reduction in population size for all three taxa through the Pleistocene. Finally, these data combined with newly published bird genomes allowed us to reconstruct the partial genome of the common ancestor of archosaurs, thereby providing a tool to investigate the genetic starting material of crocodilians, birds, and dinosaurs.
Transposable elements (TEs) are repetitive sequences representing ~45% of the human and mouse genomes and are highly expressed by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). In this study, we ...investigated the role of TEs on T-cell development in the thymus. We performed multiomic analyses of TEs in human and mouse thymic cells to elucidate their role in T-cell development. We report that TE expression in the human thymus is high and shows extensive age- and cell lineage-related variations. TE expression correlates with multiple transcription factors in all cell types of the human thymus. Two cell types express particularly broad TE repertoires: mTECs and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). In mTECs, transcriptomic data suggest that TEs interact with transcription factors essential for mTEC development and function (e.g., PAX1 and REL), and immunopeptidomic data showed that TEs generate MHC-I-associated peptides implicated in thymocyte education. Notably, AIRE, FEZF2, and CHD4 regulate small yet non-redundant sets of TEs in murine mTECs. Human thymic pDCs homogenously express large numbers of TEs that likely form dsRNA, which can activate innate immune receptors, potentially explaining why thymic pDCs constitutively secrete IFN ɑ/β. This study highlights the diversity of interactions between TEs and the adaptive immune system. TEs are genetic parasites, and the two thymic cell types most affected by TEs (mTEcs and pDCs) are essential to establishing central T-cell tolerance. Therefore, we propose that orchestrating TE expression in thymic cells is critical to prevent autoimmunity in vertebrates.
As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic second wave is emerging, it is of the upmost importance to screen the population immunity in order to keep track of infected individuals. ...Consequently, immunoassays for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with high specificity and positive predictive values are needed to obtain an accurate epidemiological picture. As more data accumulate about the immune responses and the kinetics of neutralizing-antibody (nAb) production in SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals, new applications are forecast for serological assays such as nAb activity prediction in convalescent-phase plasma from recovered patients. This multicenter study, involving six hospital centers, determined the baseline clinical performances, reproducibility, and nAb level correlations of 10 commercially available immunoassays. In addition, three lateral-flow chromatography assays were evaluated, as these devices can be used in logistically challenged areas. All assays were evaluated using the same patient panels in duplicate, thus enabling accurate comparison of the tests. Seven immunoassays examined in this study were shown to have excellent specificity (98 to 100%) and good to excellent positive predictive values (82 to 100%) when used in a low (5%)-seroprevalence setting. We observed sensitivities as low as 74% and as high as 95% at ≥15 days after symptom onset. The determination of optimized cutoff values through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses had a significant impact on the diagnostic resolution of several enzyme immunoassays by increasing the sensitivity significantly without a large trade-off in specificity. We found that spike-based immunoassays seem to be better correlates of nAb activity. Finally, the results reported here will add to the general knowledge of the interlaboratory reproducibility of clinical performance parameters of immunoassays and provide new evidence about nAb activity prediction.
Sexual and gender minoritized (SGM) elders who have lost or expect to lose a partner or loved one are at elevated risk for experiencing hidden or disenfranchised grief due to historical and current ...stigmatising social structures that lead to identity concealment. Identity concealment is associated with a range of negative health (e.g. depression, anxiety) and psychosocial (e.g. social isolation, lower sense of belonging) outcomes that may adversely affect one's ability to cope with and recover from loss, yet little is known about the association between identity concealment and complicated grief. Guided by two empirically supported, complementary frameworks (i.e. minority stress theory and relational-cultural theory), this theoretical review increases understanding and awareness of identity concealment as a risk factor for complicated grief and other poor bereavement outcomes among SGM elders, with special consideration for intersections of gerodiversity. Such knowledge can help health professionals, policymakers, and other agents of change develop culturally responsive interventions that foster social, psychological, and physical well-being among bereaved SGM elders.
Gay men are more likely than heterosexual men to experience social pressure based on body weight, shape, and muscularity, which may drive disparities in body image concerns and eating disorders. ...Utilizing a sample of 1723 gay men living in the United States, the present study examined whether sociodemographic factors (used as proxies for status and sexual capital) and frequency of attending gay-specific establishments or gatherings (community involvement) were associated with gay men’s experiences of negative or discriminatory pressures based on body size and shape specifically from other gay men (intraminority body stigma). Experiences of intraminority body stigma were significantly more common among gay men who identified as higher-weight (r = 0.28), less masculine (r = −0.21), less wealthy (r = −0.21), younger (r = −0.21), or people of color (ds = 0.25–0.28). Furthermore, indicators of low status and sexual capital were indirectly associated with less frequent community involvement via more frequent experiences of intraminority body stigma. In addition to frequency, the valence of interactions between gay men should be considered when assessing body image and eating disorder risk in this population. Future research is encouraged to examine intraminority body stigma as an intersectional source of intraminority stress to inform prevention and treatment efforts for gay men.
•Intraminority body stigma is common among gay men across the weight spectrum.•Rates of intraminority body stigma were highest among higher-weight gay men.•Masculinity, wealth, White identity, older age, or being partnered may be protective.•The link between intraminority body stigma and community involvement is nuanced.•Status and sexual capital hierarchies appear to influence gay men’s targetability.
Social marginalization increases the risk of suicidal ideation (SI) among individuals with diverse identities, yet research examining the effects of marginalization has focused on one identity. ...Emerging adulthood is a critical period of identity development and the age group with the highest rates of SI. Considering the challenges of living in potentially heterosexist, cissexist, racist, and sizeist environments, we tested whether possessing multiple marginalized identities was associated with severity of SI through factors proposed in the interpersonal-psychological theory (IPT) and the three-step theory (3ST) of suicide and if mediation paths were moderated by sex. A sample of 265 college students completed a cross-sectional online survey assessing SI and constructs related to IPT and 3ST. The number of marginalized identities was generated by adding minoritized sexual orientation, race/ethnicity other than non-Hispanic White, body mass index >25 kg/m2, sexual attraction to same sex but identified as heterosexual, and gender-fluid identity. In IPT multiple mediation analyses, possessing more marginalized identities was associated with SI severity through burdensomeness and hopelessness, but not belonging. Indirect paths through burdensomeness and belonging were moderated by sex. For 3ST, possessing more marginalized identities was associated with SI severity through hopelessness and psychological pain, but not social connection or meaning in life. Future research should consider intersecting social identities and test mechanisms by which multiply marginalized college students develop resilience to SI risk factors, such as support within their marginalized groups, to inform suicide assessment and intervention efforts on college campuses.
Public Policy Relevance Statement
College students with multiple marginalized identities report more severe suicidal thoughts, partially due to also experiencing more negative thinking patterns, including hopelessness, burdensomeness, and psychological pain. Public health initiatives should aim to address multiple types of marginalization experiences, including heterosexism, cissexism, racism, and sizeism, faced by students and the negative thinking patterns associated with these experiences.
Submicronic particles of LiFePO4 were synthesized by hydrothermal method at 185 °C assisted by carboxylic acid route. In this work, we used citric acid to control the pH of the final products and ...studied the influence of synthetic conditions on the physical and electrochemical properties of LiFePO4. Structural characterization includes XRD, SEM, TEM and FTIR experiments. The powder quality was investigated by magnetic measurements. Electrochemical features of C–LiFePO4 in Li cell using 1 mol L−1 LiPF6-EC-DEC electrolyte show an excellent capacity retention of 158 mAh g−1 for material prepared with R(citric acid/Fe) = 7 mol%.
► Nanosized LiFePO4 was prepared by the hydrothermal route assisted by the citric acid at 185 °C. ► Optimum Fe/acid = 7 wt% provides samples with good crystallinity and free Li–Fe antisite defect. ► The C–LiFePO4 product has a capacity retention of 160 mAh/g.
Associations between community-level risk factors and COVID-19 incidence have been used to identify vulnerable subpopulations and target interventions, but the variability of these associations over ...time remains largely unknown. We evaluated variability in the associations between community-level predictors and COVID-19 case incidence in 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts from March to October 2020.
Using publicly available sociodemographic, occupational, environmental, and mobility datasets, we developed mixed-effect, adjusted Poisson regression models to depict associations between these variables and town-level COVID-19 case incidence data across five distinct time periods from March to October 2020. We examined town-level demographic variables, including population proportions by race, ethnicity, and age, as well as factors related to occupation, housing density, economic vulnerability, air pollution (PM
), and institutional facilities. We calculated incidence rate ratios (IRR) associated with these predictors and compared these values across the multiple time periods to assess variability in the observed associations over time.
Associations between key predictor variables and town-level incidence varied across the five time periods. We observed reductions over time in the association with percentage of Black residents (IRR = 1.12 95%CI: 1.12-1.13) in early spring, IRR = 1.01 95%CI: 1.00-1.01 in early fall) and COVID-19 incidence. The association with number of long-term care facility beds per capita also decreased over time (IRR = 1.28 95%CI: 1.26-1.31 in spring, IRR = 1.07 95%CI: 1.05-1.09 in fall). Controlling for other factors, towns with higher percentages of essential workers experienced elevated incidences of COVID-19 throughout the pandemic (e.g., IRR = 1.30 95%CI: 1.27-1.33 in spring, IRR = 1.20 95%CI: 1.17-1.22 in fall). Towns with higher proportions of Latinx residents also had sustained elevated incidence over time (IRR = 1.19 95%CI: 1.18-1.21 in spring, IRR = 1.14 95%CI: 1.13-1.15 in fall).
Town-level COVID-19 risk factors varied with time in this study. In Massachusetts, racial (but not ethnic) disparities in COVID-19 incidence may have decreased across the first 8 months of the pandemic, perhaps indicating greater success in risk mitigation in selected communities. Our approach can be used to evaluate effectiveness of public health interventions and target specific mitigation efforts on the community level.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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