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We performed chlorine inactivation experiments for Elizabethkingia anophelis and E. meningoseptica bacterial strains from clinical and environmental sources. Free chlorine concentration × contact time values <0.04 mg·min/L achieved 99.9% inactivation of Elizabethkingia species, indicating chlorine susceptibility. Measures to control biofilm producing pathogens in plumbing are needed to prevent Elizabethkingia bacterial infections.

This cross-sectional study examined whether, and to what extent, attachment to pets was associated with changes in latent patterns of adults’ perceived mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 1942). We used latent transition analysis to determine the stability of subgroup membership pre- and post-COVID and the effect of attachment to pets on transition probabilities. Mental health before COVID-19 was measured retrospectively. Five subgroups were identified: low symptoms, mild symptoms, moderate symptoms, high symptoms, and severe symptoms. Among individuals in the moderate and high symptoms subgroups, those who reported high attachment to pets generally had greater odds of transitioning to a less severe symptom profile (OR = 2.12) over time than those with low attachment to pets (OR = 1.39). However, those who had a severe symptom profile and high attachment to pets had lower odds of transitioning to a less severe symptom profile (OR = 0.30) and higher odds of maintaining a severe symptom profile (OR = 3.33) than those with low attachment to pets. These findings suggest that the protective and risk effects of attachment to pets differ based on individuals’ psychological symptom patterns across multiple indicators. We discuss the implications of these findings for research, policy, and practice.

Nonpharmacological interventions for veterans are needed to help them manage chronic pain and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Complementary and integrative health (CIH) interventions such as Mission Reconnect (MR) seek to provide veterans with the option of a partnered, self-directed intervention that teaches CIH skills remotely to support symptom management. The purpose of this study was to describe the physical, psychological, and social outcomes of a self-directed mobile- and web-based CIH intervention for veterans with comorbid chronic pain and PTSD and their partners and qualitatively examine their MR user experience. A sample of veteran-partner dyads (n=364) were recruited to participate in a mixed methods multisite waitlist control randomized controlled trial to measure physical, psychological, and social outcomes, with pain as the primary outcome and PTSD, depression, stress, sleep, quality of life, and relationships as secondary outcomes. Linear mixed models were constructed for primary and secondary patient-reported outcomes. The quantitative analysis was triangulated using qualitative interviews from a subsample of dyads (n=35) to examine participants' perceptions of their program experience. Dyads were randomized to 2 groups: intervention (MR; 140/364, 38.5%) and waitlist control (136/364, 37.4%). No significant change was observed in overall pain, sleep, PTSD, quality of life, relationship satisfaction, overall self-compassion, or compassion for others. A significant reduction in pain interference in mood (P=.008) and sleep (P=.008) was observed among the veteran MR group that was not observed in the waitlist control group. We also observed a positive effect of the MR intervention on a reduction in negative affect associated with pain (P=.049), but this effect did not exceed the adjusted significance threshold (P=.01). Significant improvements were also observed for partners in the affection (P=.007) and conflict (P=.001) subdomains of the consensus and satisfaction domains. In contrast to quantitative results, qualitative data indicated that intervention impacts included improved sleep and reduced pain, anxiety, and stress and, in contrast to the survey data, overall improvement in PTSD symptoms and social relationships. Participants' overall impressions of MR highlight usability and navigation, perceptions on packaging and content, and barriers to and facilitators of MR use. Adjunctive CIH-based modalities can be delivered using web and mobile apps but should be developed and tailored using established best practices. MR may be beneficial for veterans with pain and PTSD and their partners. Further pragmatic trials and implementation efforts are warranted. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03593772; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03593772. RR2-10.2196/13666.

Oligodendrocyte generation in the adult CNS provides a means to adapt the properties of circuits to changes in life experience. However, little is known about the dynamics of oligodendrocytes and the extent of myelin remodeling in the mature brain. Using longitudinal in vivo two-photon imaging of oligodendrocytes and their progenitors in the mouse cerebral cortex, we show that myelination is an inefficient and extended process, with half of the final complement of oligodendrocytes generated after 4 months of age. Oligodendrocytes that successfully integrated formed new sheaths on unmyelinated and sparsely myelinated axons, and they were extremely stable, gradually changing the pattern of myelination. Sensory enrichment robustly increased oligodendrocyte integration, but did not change the length of existing sheaths. This experience-dependent enhancement of myelination in the mature cortex may accelerate information transfer in these circuits and strengthen the ability of axons to sustain activity by providing additional metabolic support.

There is some evidence that family violence (intimate partner violence, child maltreatment, elder abuse) co-occurs with animal cruelty (i.e., threats to and/or actual harm of an animal), which is often referred to as “the link.” The aim of this scoping review was to comprehensively search the literature to determine the extent of empirical evidence that supports the co-occurrence of family violence and animal cruelty and that provides prevalence rates of the co-occurrence. We searched eight electronic databases (e.g., Academic Search Complete, PsycArticles, PubMed) for peer-reviewed articles published until September 2021. Articles were eligible for inclusion if they were written in English and included the empirical study of at least one form of family violence and animal cruelty. We identified 61 articles for inclusion. The majority of articles (n = 48) focused on co-occurring IPV and animal cruelty, and 20 articles examined child maltreatment and animal cruelty. No articles examining elder abuse and animal cruelty were found. Prevalence rates of “the link” ranged from <1% to >80%. Findings regarding the association between family violence and animal cruelty varied. Some studies found that family violence was significantly associated with animal cruelty (or vice versa), but there was also evidence that the association was not statistically significant. Associations between family violence and animal cruelty were not significant in most studies that adjusted for sociodemographic factors. This suggests that sociodemographic factors (e.g., exposure to multiple forms of violence, and income) may explain the co-occurrence of family violence and animal cruelty. Based on the results of our scoping review, we recommend that caution should be taken regarding assertions of “the link” without further research to better understand the co-occurrence of family violence and animal cruelty and the factors and mechanisms that influence their co-occurrence.

LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual/gender minority identities) individuals frequently report exposure to microaggressions, which are associated with deleterious mental health outcomes. Social support from humans has been found to be an important protective factor for LGBTQ+ emerging adults. However, an underexplored area of research is the protective role of interactions with companion animals for this population. We conducted simple and multiple moderation analyses to explore whether and to what extent emotional comfort from companion animals and human social support moderated the relationship between LGBTQ-related microaggressions and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Our sample included 134 LGBTQ+ emerging adults (mean age of 19.31). We found that social support moderated the relationship between microaggressions and depressive symptoms. The relationship between microaggressions and depressive symptoms was not significant at high levels of social support, indicating the protective nature of human social support. Comfort from companion animals also moderated the relationship between interpersonal microaggressions and depressive symptoms. For participants with high or medium levels of emotional comfort from companion animals, interpersonal microaggressions were positively associated with depressive symptoms. Our results highlight the need to further investigate the complex role of relationships with companion animals on mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ emerging adults.

Wastewater and environmental surveillance is a valuable tool for early warning, detection, and response to emerging public health threats, with the added ability to inform data gaps across several Sustainable Development Goals. Drawing from our experiences in Bangladesh, Ghana, Malawi, and South Africa, we call to action this often unmentioned link through critical applied research questions and engagement in peer-to-peer learning and global Communities of Practice.

Veterans are more likely to experience chronic pain than civilians, with significant negative impacts on long-term health outcomes. Evidence for the effectiveness of prescription opioids for chronic pain management is limited, and chronic use of opioids is associated with an increased risk of sleep-disordered breathing, cardiovascular complications, and bowel dysfunction, as well as opioid misuse and overdose. Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense guidelines are prioritizing low-risk, evidence-based interdisciplinary pain management strategies while optimizing pain-related outcomes (PRO) for veterans. Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)-Accredited VA Interdisciplinary Pain Rehabilitation Programs (IPRPs) have shared characteristics, while maintaining their unique characteristics as individual pain management programs. Though little is known about the characteristics of VA's IPRPs (eg, staffing, services, and patients served), implementation, and sustainability of these mandated programs. The goals of our operational partner-driven evaluation are to (1) characterize IPRPs across multiple program factors, including but not limited to, service delivery methods, team composition, program characteristics, services and modalities offered, and patients served; (2) triangulate data to inform data visualization that characterizes and illustrates the IPRPs individually and collectively as a system of care; and (3) identify patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and metrics to measure program effectiveness and determine overlap across IPRPs. This partnered-driven program evaluation will use a sequential mixed methods prospective design, including interviews and surveys. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework, and Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) strategies will be used to contextualize qualitative data. Rapid content analysis will be used to iteratively analyze qualitative data, while descriptive statistics will be used to analyze quantitative data. Datasets will be triangulated to support data visualization for partners to inform clinical and operational decision support. As of April 2025, All IPRP sites are engaged, and survey and interview data have been collected and prepared for analysis. The results and deliverables will inform VA CARF-accredited IPRP characterization, evaluation, and implementation as a learning health system. The results of this evaluation will characterize CARF-accredited IPRPs and identify determinants affecting the implementation of this complex intervention, made up of multiple evidence-based practices. Partner-driven data will inform the state of implementation at each site, and quantitative measures will provide options for collecting standardized outcome measures for continued program evaluation. This operational partner-driven evaluation will inform future efforts for quality improvement to improve veterans' pain management outcomes. This protocol informs the use of a mixed methods approach to evaluate a multimodal intervention (ie, IPRP), made up of multiple evidence-based practices to treat a complex comorbid condition. Future work may include data management infrastructure development and cost evaluations to inform clinical and operational decision-making. DERR1-10.2196/72091.

Emerging evidence suggests that the consequences of childhood adversity impact later psychopathology by increasing individuals’ risk of experiencing difficulties in adjusting to stressful situations later in life. The goals of this study were to: (a) identify sociodemographic factors associated with subgroups of psychological adjustment prior to and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and (b) examine whether and to what extent types of childhood adversity predict transition probabilities. Participants were recruited via multiple social media platforms and listservs. Data were collected via an internet-based survey. Our analyses reflect 1942 adults (M = 39.68 years); 39.8% reported experiencing at least one form of childhood adversity. Latent profile analyses (LPAs) and latent transition analyses (LTAs) were conducted to determine patterns of psychological adjustment and the effects of childhood adversity on transition probabilities over time. We identified five subgroups of psychological adjustment characterized by symptom severity level. Participants who were younger in age and those who endorsed marginalized identities exhibited poorer psychological adjustment during the pandemic. Childhood exposure to family and community violence and having basic needs met as a child (e.g., food, shelter) significantly moderated the relation between latent profile membership over time. Clinical and research implications are discussed.