Characterizing microbial dynamics associated with Crassostrea virginica mortality

Harvesting overstocked private timberlands for wildfire risk reduction and supplying feedstock to produce sustainable aviation fuel in the southeastern United States

The life-prolonging benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART) are undermined by poor retention in care and suboptimal ART adherence. Although behavioral interventions have demonstrated efficacy in clinical trials and are widely disseminated, scaling up evidence-based interventions is hampered by not knowing answers to basic implementation questions, such as the minimally effective dose/minimum effective dose (MED) of counseling and how the MED varies across patients. This trial aimed to answer these questions. People living with HIV in the southeastern United States (N = 295) who were either not engaged in care, nonadherent (<85%) to ART or HIV unsuppressed participated in a dose determination trial designed to (1) find the MED of counseling sessions for missed care appointments, ART adherence, and HIV suppression and (2) the moderators of dose for 12 months of observation. We found that 31% of participants did not complete >2 sessions (ie, early dropout) of counseling. The MED for behavioral counseling on HIV care, adherence, and viral load was 5 sessions, with an MED range of 4-6 depending on counseling facilitators (eg, social support) and barriers (eg, medication concerns). Behavioral counseling in previous trials may have been underdosed when delivered in <5 sessions and overdosed when delivered in >6 sessions, depending on patient characteristics that moderate dose-response relationships.

Strongyloides stercoralis is a parasitic nematode endemic in tropical and subtropical regions, including parts of the southeastern United States, that can be transmitted via organ donation. As of October 2025, the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network implemented new policy for screening in deceased US organ donors to reduce the risk for donor-derived Strongyloides infection. To assess the potential effect of policy changes, we reviewed investigations of suspected transplant-related strongyloidiasis in the United States conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and partners for solid organ transplants occurring during 2012-2024. During that period, 21 proven donor-derived strongyloidiasis cases originated from 15 unscreened donors. Of donors who were screened, 31 seropositive donors resulted in ivermectin prophylaxis for 77 recipients, none of whom had disease develop. Our findings support the effectiveness of universal organ donor screening and prophylactic ivermectin treatment of recipients to prevent donor-derived Strongyloides infection.

ABSTRACT Background: Teachers’ reflective practices can support professional growth and are pivotal to the successful adoption of innovative curricula in physical education (PE). Collaborative reflection, or co-reflection, warrants exploration as it may be a more powerful method than individual reflection to foster critical engagement and deeper insight into the teaching act. The purpose of this study was to examine two PE teachers’ co-reflections on the Successful Kinesthetic Instruction for Preschoolers (SKIP) curriculum. Specifically, this study drew upon the Reflective Framework for Teaching in Physical Education (RFTPE) to explore the focus and depth of the teachers’ reflections while implementing SKIP and consider how reflective practices contribute to teacher learning and adaptation to new instructional approaches. Method: A convergent mixed-methods design was employed. The two participants were doctoral students who had previously taught PE full time and had never used SKIP. Over a seven-week period, the teachers co-taught SKIP at a public preschool in the southeastern United States, conducting 40-minute lessons twice per week. Primary data sources included post-lesson audiorecorded individual and co-reflection sessions and post-lesson individual written reflections. Supplementary data included the teachers’ lesson plans and videos of the teachers’ lessons. Quantitative analysis involved coding the reflections using the RFTPE to determine the frequency and distribution of reflection types. Qualitative analysis was conducted to identify themes in the data. Results: Quantitative analysis indicated individual reflections were predominantly situational (50%) and technical (31%), while co-reflections exhibited higher situational focus (66%) and critical depth. These patterns were explained by three qualitative themes: (1) Individual Reflection as Structured Accounts, where teachers documented logistics and management; (2) Co-reflection as Dialogic Sense-Making, where collaborative dialogue facilitated detailed inquiry and critical insights; and (3) Sensitizing Reflection as Contextual Awareness, which captured reactive attention to social dynamics and inclusion. Conclusion: Findings indicate that individual reflection supports logistical planning and management, while co-reflection is essential for dialogic sense-making and addressing social inclusion. Thus, teacher education programs should prioritize structured collaborative models to support the complex pedagogical demands of implementing prescriptive motor-skill curricula. Impact statement: The present study centers on SKIP curricula implementation in order to best explore the variances of reflection modality. Results from this study indicate that collaborative reflection supports more profound and critical engagement than individual reflection for PE teachers learning to teach new curricula for preschool students. We stress the importance of consistently implementing a structured reflective approach to generate meaningful insights and inform future practice.

Wildlife rabies is enzootic in the USA apart from Hawaii. This viral zoonosis perpetuates using mammalian reservoirs within the Chiroptera and Carnivora. In the southeastern USA, the predominant rabies virus variants are associated with raccoons (Procyon lotor) and bats. Besides being enzootic for bat rabies, Alabama is the westernmost USA state for raccoon rabies perpetuation. To assess the recent viral dynamics of wildlife rabies in Alabama, 65 samples of rabid animals were acquired from public health submissions during 2020-25. Rabies virus nucleoprotein gene sequences were generated for phylogenetic analysis. Two major viral lineages were identified: one lineage was aligned with raccoons and the other with bats. Host spillover infections of raccoon rabies virus were detected in domestic animals and other mesocarnivores. No bat rabies viruses were found in non-bat hosts, but several examples of interspecific transmission among bats were apparent. Such data are useful for tracking epidemiologic trends locally, to determine suspected host shifts, and for regional introspection related to management and potential translocation events.

Pinckneya bracteata (Georgia bark) was historically used in the southeastern United States to treat intermittent fevers and has long been believed to contain quinine. In 1885, a bitter crystalline substance termed pinckneyin was isolated, but its structure remained unknown. Reproduction of the original extraction procedure combined with modern spectroscopic and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis definitively identifies pinckneyin as 7-hydroxycoumarin (umbelliferone). This work resolves a long-standing ambiguity in the phytochemical literature and clarifies the chemical basis for reassessing the historical medicinal use of P. bracteata.

Investigate the association between vitamin D status (as measured by 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration [25(OH)D]) and gestational age at delivery. This was a retrospective chart review of electronic medical records (n = 15,506) from women delivering at the Medical University of South Carolina, with first maternal 25(OH)D concentrations measured from January 2016 to March 2024. Women delivering <37 weeks (n = 1652; 31.3 ± 17.8 ng/mL) had lower 25(OH)D concentrations compared to those delivering at 37 weeks or later (n = 13,451; 34.8 ± 17.3 ng/mL), with a mean difference of -3.46 ng/mL (95% Confidence Interval (CI): -4.54 to -2.38, p < 0.0001). This difference was even more pronounced among women delivering before 32 weeks (n = 385; 26.2 ± 14.9 ng/mL), who had substantially lower 25(OH)D concentrations than term deliveries, with a mean difference of -8.56 ng/mL (95% CI: -10.70 to -6.42, p < 0.0001). Maternal vitamin D status was associated with gestational age at delivery. Lower maternal 25(OH)D concentrations were observed among women who delivered preterm compared with those delivering at term. These findings suggest a potential relationship between vitamin D status and preterm birth and support further research into whether optimizing vitamin D status during pregnancy may improve perinatal outcomes.

Companionship as a mediator of the relationship between marital status and psychosocial outcomes: Findings in individuals with spinal cord injury.

Prenatal exposure to prescribed smoke PM2.5 and low birth weight in Georgia, USA.

ABSTRACT Hurricanes are increasingly frequent and intense disturbances that cause substantial economic and ecological damage to forested landscapes worldwide. Following such events, multiple stakeholders – including timberland owners, forest management organizations, logging and transportation providers, and wood-processing mills – face urgent salvage decisions under uncertain and spatially heterogeneous timber supply conditions. This study presents a scenario-based stochastic optimization framework for post-hurricane salvage logging that explicitly accounts for uncertainty in timber volume loss and quality degradation. Using Hurricane Michael (2018) as a case study in the southeastern United States, forest inventory data, remotely sensed damage indices, species-specific yield curves, and market information are integrated into a spatial optimization model that jointly determines salvage harvest locations and wood transportation decisions. Uncertainty in salvageable supply is represented through multiple simulated damage scenarios with varying levels of sawtimber downgrade to pulpwood. The framework compares risk-neutral and risk-averse strategies, including a mean – risk formulation based on Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR), and evaluates sensitivity to key economic and logistical parameters. Results indicate that risk-averse and performance-stable salvage strategies reduce transportation costs and mitigate losses in timber value relative to deterministic approaches, particularly under high uncertainty in damage severity and downgrade rates. Overall, the findings demonstrate that representing post-hurricane timber supply uncertainty through scenario-based simulations and evaluating alternative downgrade and risk preferences materially influence salvage location choices, transportation costs, and economic outcomes. The proposed framework provides a decision-support tool for assessing trade-offs between expected returns and downside risk across a wide range of plausible post-disturbance conditions.

Although the link between adolescent susceptibility to peer influence and delinquent behavior is often assumed, virtually all research using self-report measures of susceptibility has confounded susceptibility with propensity to engage in risky behavior. Thus, we introduce a value-neutral (i.e., free from references to risky behavior) measure of susceptibility to peer influence: the Susceptibility to Peer Influence Scale (SPIS). The SPIS was preliminarily validated via confirmatory factor analysis and convergently validated via bivariate correlations with perceived pressure toward both risky and prosocial behavior, peer reports of the SPIS, desires for increased popularity, and self-worth. As an initial test of the SPIS, this study utilized two waves of longitudinal data to assess the link between susceptibility to peer influence and actual conformity toward close friends' delinquent behavior. A sample of racially and ethnically diverse adolescents in the Southeastern United States (N = 156; 82 female; 63% White, 24% Black, 13% other) from 15 to 16 years of age participated. A hierarchical regression supported the primary moderation hypothesis: that more susceptible adolescents demonstrated greater alignment with their friends' reported delinquency-whether that led to increases or decreases-than youth who were not susceptible. No main effect of susceptibility on delinquency was revealed, however, indicating that, when assessed using a value-neutral measure, high susceptibility may only be maladaptive following exposure to risk behavior. Results are interpreted as supporting a reconceptualization of susceptibility to peer influence from a value-neutral perspective. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Buprenorphine is an effective treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), but many patients discontinue this medication within six-months of initiation and racial disparities in access and retention in buprenorphine treatment exist. Telemedicine is a potentially promising strategy to improve buprenorphine treatment retention. To determine if, compared to pre-pandemic in-person services, telemedicine visits were associated with increased retention in MOUD treatment at six-months and if there were differences by race. This is a retrospective cohort study that evaluated medical records of individuals treated for OUD in-person (n = 247) and via telemedicine (n = 204) at a large academic medical center in the Southeastern United States from 2018 to 2021. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients retained in treatment at six-months, defined as having an outpatient visit associated with a buprenorphine prescription. Chi-squared tests were used to evaluate the percentage of patients retained in treatment at six-months, multivariable logistic regression identified correlates of retention, and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses evaluated time in treatment. 35.3% of the cohort (n = 411; Mage=38; 64% female; 89% White; 39% Medicaid insured) were retained in treatment within six-months of their index visit. Individuals with telemedicine-based treatment were 1.8 times more likely to be retained in treatment at six-months compared to those with in-person visits (AOR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.17-3.00). Non-White individuals were 2.05 times more likely to remain in treatment at six-months, compared to White individuals (AOR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.02-4.14). This study suggests that retention in treatment may be higher with telemedicine-based buprenorphine treatment compared to in-person care. Non-White patients appeared to experience an even greater benefit, though further research is needed to confirm this finding. As policymakers are determining telehealth prescribing laws, these findings further support the use of telemedicine to improve retention in effective treatment.

Mastication characterization of horses fed bermudagrass hay in a two-part field study.

Transitions from inpatient rehabilitation to home critically affect patient recovery and caregiver well-being. Social determinants of health (SDoH) shape these outcomes yet remain underexamined in rehabilitation settings. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of SDoH on patient and caregiver experiences during the first 30 days following discharge from a multi-site inpatient rehabilitation facility in the southeastern United States and explore patterns of patient satisfaction and caregiver burden that can influence care transitions. A prospective cross-sectional descriptive study surveyed 61 patients and 50 caregivers using validated instruments assessing SDoH, communication, discharge preparedness, and caregiver burden. Social isolation, affecting 18% of patients and 10% of caregivers, was the most prevalent challenge. Additional challenges include health literacy and transportation barriers. Caregivers experienced substantial burden: 60% decline in social activities, 50% decreased energy, and 40.9% negative physical health effects. However, 58.1% reported strengthened patient relationships. This study identifies the importance of care continuity and SDoHs after inpatient rehabilitation. Interdisciplinary interventions focused on these key challenges are essential for improving outcomes.

ABSTRACT Teacher professional learning (PL) is essential to ensure that teachers have the necessary expertise to address student learning needs and navigate the complexities of increasingly demanding educational landscapes. However, research on PL has a diminutive focus on factors that support PL and the process of how teachers learn and develop their skills related to teaching and implementation of their PL. Among early childhood teachers, implementation of scripted lessons stifles opportunities for STEM integration. To address these gaps, we developed InTERSECT which is a fully-online program with a PL design that integrates Desimone’s design characteristics, Sims and Fletcher-Wood’s IGTP Framework, and the Model of Domain Le\\\\arning to develop teacher expertise in early childhood STEM. PK-2 in-service teachers (n = 98) in the southeastern United States engaged in content, methods, and inquiry-driven learning experiences to support their expertise in STEM instruction. This quantitative, quasi-experimental designed study investigates in-service teachers’ perceptions of, and motivation to implement, their PL, as well as engagement predicting their self-efficacy for teaching. Findings from teacher surveys contribute to understanding PL design and its implications for teacher learning and development that is based on contextual relevance, intentionally embedding experiences, and expansion of resources.

Triatoma sanguisuga is the most widely distributed triatomine vector in North America, occurring in at least 23 U.S. states across and capable of transmitting Trypanosoma cruzi to humans. Historical morphological variability led to the description of several subspecies, but their taxonomic validity has remained unresolved. We integrated molecular (cytochrome b, n=58; ITS-2, n=23) and morphometric (18 characters, n=82 specimens) data to reassess species boundaries within T. sanguisuga sensu lato. Four species-delimitation methods (GMYC, ABGD, mPTP, hierBAPS) consistently identified four divergent mitochondrial lineages with K2P distances of 4.5–8.8%. Florida specimens formed a distinct, strongly supported clade (Group 1; K2P >7.5% from other groups) corresponding to T. sanguisuga var. ambigua (Neiva, 1911). Linear discriminant analysis achieved 100% classification accuracy between Florida and non-Florida morphotypes, with synthlipsis width providing the strongest diagnostic character (AUC >0.96). Based on concordant genetic and morphological evidence, we revalidate Triatoma ambigua (Neiva, 1911) stat. nov. as a distinct species within a newly defined T. sanguisuga complex and designate a lectotype from the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz collection. Sampling focused primarily on Florida; additional sampling in adjacent southeastern states is needed to characterize geographic boundaries. These findings have implications for Chagas disease vector surveillance in the southeastern United States.

Accelerated Pace of Biological Aging in People With HIV and Insomnia Living in Southeastern United States: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Random forest modeling to identify key farm-to-fork factors influencing Campylobacter ecology in pastured poultry systems.

Extreme heat exposure leads to excess cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among older adults, but misalignment in the geographic scales of health data and intraurban heat exposure make it challenging to inform local interventions. We introduce an adaptable framework for developing health burden estimates at finer geographic scales by connecting small area analysis (SAA) techniques with an epidemiologic model of heat related health risks in three steps: (a) estimating an exposure response function using individual level cardiovascular disease (CVD) hospitalizations for adults aged 65 and over; (b) downscaling daily CVD hospitalization incidence rates at the ZCTA‐level to census block groups (CBG) using SAA, adjusting for individual‐ and community‐level demographic factors, and (c) linking exposure‐response with daily incidence rates to estimate heat‐attributable burden at the CBG scale. Using the data for a metropolitan area in the southeastern United States for the summer of 2018, we estimated 1.8 to 22.0 excess hospitalizations per 10,000 people across CBG. We demonstrate the utility of this 3‐step approach to help inform localized intervention strategies by classifying neighborhoods as one of four risk groups: Low, Health‐driven, Heat‐driven, and Dual‐channel (driven by both heat and health). In comparison, using coarse‐resolution temperature resulted in a significantly smaller heat‐attributable health burden with different geographic distribution across the CBGs, highlighting the importance of using appropriately scaled exposure data. The findings from this study can support more effective heat interventions to address heat‐health related outcomes, rather than exposure alone.