27) and diabetes (RR 1.48, 95% CI 1.15-1.91) among Black participants. Among those with uncontrolled BP at baseline, white females vs males (RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.46-0.78) and Black participants with CKD vs without (RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.36-0.93) were less likely to have incident controlled BP. BP control decreased among white and Black older adults. Black individuals with diabetes or CKD were less likely to have controlled BP at follow up. Higher treatment goals may have contributed to these findings and unintended differences by race. BP control decreased among white and Black older adults. Black individuals with diabetes or CKD were less likely to have controlled BP at follow up. Higher treatment goals may have contributed to these findings and unintended differences by race. The prevalence of smoking among Somali Muslim male immigrants residing in Minnesota is estimated at 44%, however smoking reduction is common during the month of Ramadan. This study evaluated the feasibility and impact of a religiously-tailored text message intervention delivered during Ramadan to encourage smoking reduction among Somali Muslim men who smoke. 50 Somali men were recruited. Participants received two text messages per day starting one week prior to and throughout the month of Ramadan. Approximately half were religiously-tailored and half were about the risks of smoking and benefits of quitting. Smoking behavior was assessed at baseline, and at weeks 4 (end of Ramadan), 8, and 16. Outcomes included feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of the text message intervention on smoking reduction and bio-verified abstinence. The average age was 41 years. Average time to first cigarette was 1.8 hours at baseline, and 46% of participants smoked menthol cigarettes. Eighteen of 50 participa religious tailoring was well received. Such an approach may offer potential for addressing smoking disparities among Somali Muslim male smokers. Recruitment of Somali Muslim men who smoke is feasible and supports the idea that further studies targeting smoking during Ramadan are practical. Ramadan presents a window of opportunity upon which to build smoking cessation interventions for smokers who identify as Muslim. These preliminary findings suggest that text messaging is a feasible and acceptable intervention strategy, and that religious tailoring was well received. Such an approach may offer potential for addressing smoking disparities among Somali Muslim male smokers. Increased blood pressure variability (BPV) is associated with increased cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors decrease the incidence of cardiovascular events, renal events, and death in this population. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of dapagliflozin on short-term BPV in patients with T2DM. This is a secondary analysis of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 85 patients with T2DM. Subjects were randomized to dapagliflozin 10 mg/day or placebo for 12 weeks. All participants underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring with Mobil-O-Graph-NG device at baseline and study-end. SD, weighted SD (wSD), coefficient of variation, average real variability (ARV), and variation independent of mean were calculated for the 24-hour, daytime and nighttime periods. Dapagliflozin reduced 24-hour brachial BP compared with placebo. From baseline to study-end 24-hour brachial BPV indexes did not change with dapagliflozin (SBP-ARV 11.51 ± 3.45 vs. 11.05 ± 3.35; P = 0.326, SBP-wSD 13.59 ± 3.60 vs. 13.48 ± 3.33; P = 0.811) or placebo (SBP-ARV 11.47 ± 3.63 vs. 11.05 ± 3.00; P = 0.388, SBP-wSD 13.85 ± 4.38 vs. 13.97 ± 3.87; P = 0.308). Similarly, no significant changes in BPV indexes for daytime and nighttime were observed in any group. At study-end, no between-group differences were observed for any BPV index. Deltas (Δ) of all indexes during follow-up were minimal and not different between groups (SBP-wSD dapagliflozin -0.11 ± 3.05 vs. placebo 0.12 ± 4.20; P = 0.227). This study is the first to evaluate the effects of an SGLT-2 inhibitor on short-term BPV in T2DM, showing no effect of dapagliflozin on all BPV indexes studied. Trial Number NCT02887677. Trial Number NCT02887677. Advanced age is generally associated with improved emotional well-being, but the coronavirus 2019 pandemic unleashed a global stressor that gravely threatened the physical well-being and ostensibly challenged the emotional well-being of older adults disproportionately. The current study investigated differences in emotional experiences and coping strategies between younger and older adults during the pandemic, and whether these differences were accounted for by age differences in appraisal of the pandemic. We asked younger (n = 181) and older (n = 176) adult participants to report their stress, appraisals of the pandemic, emotions, and the ways in which they were coping with the pandemic. Results indicated that older adults experienced less stress and less negative affect and used greater problem-focused coping and less avoidant coping in response to the pandemic than younger adults. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/CUDC-101.html Furthermore, age differences in affect and coping were partially accounted for by age differences in appraisals of the pandemic. Despite their objectively higher risk of illness and death due to the pandemic, older adults experienced less negative affect and used more agentic coping strategies than younger adults. Despite their objectively higher risk of illness and death due to the pandemic, older adults experienced less negative affect and used more agentic coping strategies than younger adults.Studies of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected patients and experimentally infected animals indicate a critical role for augmented expression of proinflammatory chemokines and cytokines in severe disease. Here, we demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 infection of human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) and monocyte-derived dendritic cells was abortive, but induced the production of multiple antiviral and proinflammatory cytokines (interferon-α, interferon-β, tumor necrosis factor, and interleukins 1β, 6, and 10) and a chemokine (CXCL10). Despite the lack of efficient replication in MDMs, SARS-CoV-2 induced profound interferon-mediated cell death of host cells. Macrophage activation and death were not enhanced by exposure to low levels of convalescent plasma, suggesting that antibody-dependent enhancement of infection does not contribute to cell death. Together, these results indicate that infection of macrophages and dendritic cells potentially plays a major role in coronavirus disease 2019 pathogenesis, even in the absence of productive infection.