Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Expression Of Toll-Like Receptor (Tlr)-2 And Tlr4 In Monocytes Following Stimulations By Genital Secretions Of Hiv Infected And Uninfected Women With Symptomatic Vulvo-Vaginal Candidiasis, Teke Apalata, Benjamin Longo-Mbenza, A. Willem Sturm, William H. Carr, Prashini Moodley

Publications and Research

Vulvo-vaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common condition in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)- infected women. Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR4 are key pattern-recognition receptors of the innate immune system in sensing Candida albicans. The aim of this study was to assess the expression of TLR2 and TLR4 signaling pathways in HIV-infected and uninfected women with VVC. Cervico-vaginal fluids (CVF) were obtained from 7 HIV infected and 11 HIV uninfected clinic attendees in KwaZulu-Natal between June, 2011 and December, 2011. VVC was diagnosed clinically and confirmed by Gram stain and culture of genital samples. Monocytes were isolated from a healthy adult …

Prepregnancy Low-Carbohydrate Dietary Pattern And Risk Of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Prospective Cohort Study, Wei Bao, Katherine Bowers, Deirdre K. Tobias, Sjurdur F. Olsen, Jorge Chavarro, Allan Vaag, Michele Kiely, Cuilin Zhang

Publications and Research

Background: Low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) have been vastly popular for weight loss. The association between a low-carbohydrate dietary pattern and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains unknown.

Objective: We aimed to prospectively examine the association of 3 prepregnancy low-carbohydrate dietary patterns with risk of GDM.

Design: We included 21,411 singleton pregnancies in the Nurses’ Health Study II. Prepregnancy LCD scores were calculated from validated food-frequency questionnaires, including an overall LCD score on the basis of intakes of carbohydrate, total protein, and total fat; an animal LCD score on the basis of intakes of carbohydrate, animal protein, and animal …

Sample Limited Characterization Of A Novel Disulfide- Rich Venom Peptide Toxin From Terebrid Marine Snail Terebra Variegata, Prachi Anand, Alexandre Grigoryan, Mohammed H. Bhuiyan, Beatrix Ueberheide, Victoria Russell, Jose Quiñonez, Patrick Moy, Brian T. Chait, Sébastien F. Poget, Mandë Holford

Publications and Research

Disulfide-rich peptide toxins found in the secretions of venomous organisms such as snakes, spiders, scorpions, leeches, and marine snails are highly efficient and effective tools for novel therapeutic drug development. Venom peptide toxins have been used extensively to characterize ion channels in the nervous system and platelet aggregation in haemostatic systems. A significant hurdle in characterizing disulfide-rich peptide toxins from venomous animals is obtaining significant quantities needed for sequence and structural analyses. Presented here is a strategy for the structural characterization of venom peptide toxins from sample limited (4 ng) specimens via direct mass spectrometry sequencing, chemical synthesis and NMR …

Skin Cancer Prevention Coverage In Popular Us Women’S Health And Fitness Magazines: An Analysis Of Advertisements And Articles, Corey Hannah Basch, Danna Ethan, Grace Clarke Hillyer, Alyssa Berdnik

Publications and Research

The desire to be tan is a phenomenon that public health researchers have investigated, as exposure to UV radiation increases the chances of developing skin cancer. Media messages in women’s magazines have been shown to contribute to this problem. Much less is known about the prevalence of skin cancer prevention messages in these magazines. This study's aim was to identify the number and type of articles and advertised products devoted to skin health (sun protection and skin cancer prevention in particular) within five popular U.S. greater than women’s health and fitness magazines. We analyzed articles and advertisements over seven months …

Hepatitis C Virus Infection Among Hiv-Positive Men Who Have Sex With Men: Protocol For A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Holly Hagan, Joshua Neurer, Ashly E. Jordan, Don C. Des Jarlais, Jennifer Wu, Kirk Dombrowski, Bilal Khan, Ronald Scott Braithwaite, Jason Kessler

Publications and Research

Background: Outbreaks of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have been reported in HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) in North America, Europe and Asia. Transmission is believed to be the result of exposure to blood during sexual contact. In those infected with HIV, acute HCV infection is more likely to become chronic, treatment for both HIV and HCV is more complicated and HCV disease progression may be accelerated. There is a need for systematic reviews and meta-analyses to synthesize the epidemiology, prevention and methods to control HCV infection in this population.

Methods/design: Eligible studies will include quantitative empirical …

Evolutionary Cognitive Therapy Versus Standard Cognitive Therapy For Depression: A Protocol For A Blinded, Randomized, Superiority Clinical Trial, Cezar Giosan, Oana Cobeanu, Cristina Mogoase, Vlad Muresan, Loretta S. Malta, Katarzyna Wyka, Aurora Szentagotai

Publications and Research

Background: Depression is estimated to become the leading cause of disease burden globally by 2030. Despite existing efficacious treatments (both medical and psychotherapeutic), a large proportion of patients do not respond to therapy. Recent insights from evolutionary psychology suggest that, in addition to targeting the proximal causes of depression (for example, targeting dysfunctional beliefs by cognitive behavioral therapy), the distal or evolutionary causes (for example, inclusive fitness) should also be addressed. A randomized superiority trial is conducted to develop and test an evolutionary-driven cognitive therapy protocol for depression, and to compare its efficacy against standard cognitive therapy for depression.

Methods/design: …

Epidemiology Of Undiagnosed Trichomoniasis In A Probability Sample Of Urban Young Adults, Susan M. Rogers, Charles F. Turner, Marcia Hobbs, William C. Miller, Sylvia Tan, Anthony M. Roman, Elizabeth Eggleston, Maria A. Villarroel, Laxminarayana Ganapathi, James R. Chromy, Emily Erbelding

Publications and Research

T. vaginalis infection (trichomoniasis) is the most common curable sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the U.S. It is associated with increased HIV risk and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Trichomoniasis surveillance data do not exist for either national or local populations. The Monitoring STIs Survey Program (MSSP) collected survey data and specimens which were tested using nucleic acid amplification tests to monitor trichomoniasis and other STIs in 2006–09 among a probability sample of young adults (N = 2,936) in Baltimore, Maryland — an urban area with high rates of reported STIs. The estimated prevalence of trichomoniasis was 7.5% (95% CI 6.3, 9.1) …

Altering Murine Leukemia Virus Integration Through Disruption Of The Integrase And Bet Protein Family Interaction, Sriram Aiyer, G.V.T. Swapna, Nirav Malani, James M. Aramini, William M. Schneider, Matthew R. Plumb, Mustafa Ghanem, Ross C. Larue, Amit Sharma, Barbara Studamire, Mamuka Kvaratskhelia, Frederic D. Bushman, Gaetano T. Montelione, Monica J. Roth

Publications and Research

We report alterations to the murine leukemia virus (MLV) integrase (IN) protein that successfully result in decreasing its integration frequency at transcription start sites and CpG islands, thereby reducing the potential for insertional activation. The host bromo and extraterminal (BET) proteins Brd2, 3 and 4 interact with the MLV IN protein primarily through the BET protein ET domain. Using solution NMR, protein interaction studies, and next generation sequencing, we showthat the C-terminal tail peptide region ofMLV IN is important for the interaction with BET proteins and that disruption of this interaction through truncation mutations affects the global targeting profile of …

Chagas Disease In The 21st Century: A Public Health Success Or An Emerging Threat?, Kevin M. Bonney

Publications and Research

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a major public health burden in Latin America and a potentially serious emerging threat to a number of countries throughout the world. Although public health programs have significantly reduced the prevalence of Chagas disease in Latin America in recent decades, the number of infections in the United States and non-endemic countries in Europe and the Western Pacific Region continues to rise. Moreover, there is still no vaccine or highly effective cure available for the approximately 10 million people currently infected with T. cruzi, a third of which will develop potentially …

Capping Amyloid Β‑Sheets Of The Tau-Amyloid Structure Vqivyk With Hexapeptides Designed To Arrest Growth. An Oniom And Density Functional Theory Study, Joshua A. Plumley, Jorge Ali-Torres, Gabor Pohl, J. J. Dannenberg

Publications and Research

We present ONIOM calculations using density functional theory (DFT) as the high and AM1 as the medium level that explore the abilities of different hexapeptide sequences to terminate the growth of a model for the tau-amyloid implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. We delineate and explore several design principles (H-bonding in the side chains, using antiparallel interactions on the growing edge of a parallel sheet, using all-D residues to form rippled interactions at the edge of the sheet, and replacing the H-bond donor N−H’s that inhibit further growth) that can be used individually and in combination to design such peptides that will …

Genome-Wide Methylation Analyses In Glioblastoma Multiforme, Rose K. Lai, Yanwen Chen, Xiaowei Guan, Darryl Nousome, Charu Sharma, Peter Canoll, Jeffrey Bruce, Andrew E. Sloan, Etty Cortes, Jean-Paul Vonsattel, Tao Su, Lissette Delgado-Cruzata, Irina Gurvich, Regina M. Santella, Quinn Ostrom, Annette Lee, Peter Gregersen, Jill Barnholtz-Sloan

Publications and Research

Few studies had investigated genome-wide methylation in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Our goals were to study differential methylation across the genome in gene promoters using an array-based method, as well as repetitive elements using surrogate global methylation markers. The discovery sample set for this study consisted of 54 GBM from Columbia University and Case Western Reserve University, and 24 brain controls from the New York Brain Bank. We assembled a validation dataset using methylation data of 162 TCGA GBM and 140 brain controls from dbGAP. HumanMethylation27 Analysis Bead-Chips (Illumina) were used to interrogate 26,486 informative CpG sites in both the discovery …

Gender-Based Screening For Chlamydial Infection And Divergent Infection Trends In Men And Women, Susan M. Rogers, Charles F. Turner, William C. Miller, Emily Erbelding, Elizabeth Eggleston, Sylvia Tan, Anthony Roman, Marcia Hobbs, James Chromy, Ravikiran Muvva, Laxminarayana Ganapathi

Publications and Research

Objectives: To assess the potential impact of chlamydial screening policy that recommends routine screening of women but not men.

Methods: Population surveys of probability samples of Baltimore adults aged 18 to 35 years in 1997–1998 and 2006–2009 collected biospecimens to estimate trends in undiagnosed chlamydial infection. Survey estimates are compared to surveillance data on diagnosed chlamydial infections reported to the Health Department.

Results: Prevalence of undiagnosed chlamydial infection among men increased from 1.6% to 4.0%, but it declined from 4.3% to 3.1% among women (p = 0.028 for test of interaction). The annual (average) number of diagnosed infections was substantially …

Big Data Analytics In Healthcare: Promise And Potential, Wullianallur Raghupathi, Viju Raghupathi

Publications and Research

Objective To describe the promise and potential of big data analytics in healthcare.

Methods The paper describes the nascent field of big data analytics in healthcare, discusses the benefits, outlines an architectural framework and methodology, describes examples reported in the literature, briefly discusses the challenges, and offers conclusions.

Results The paper provides a broad overview of big data analytics for healthcare researchers and practitioners.

Conclusions Big data analytics in healthcare is evolving into a promising field for providing insight from very large data sets and improving outcomes while reducing costs. Its potential is great; however there remain challenges to overcome.

Lethal But Legal: Corporations, Consumption, And Protecting Public Health (Preface), Nicholas Freudenberg

Publications and Research

Decisions made by the food, tobacco, alcohol, pharmaceutical, gun, and automobile industries have a greater impact on today's health than the decisions of scientists and policymakers. As the collective influence of corporations has grown, governments around the world have stepped back from their responsibility to protect public health by privatizing key services, weakening regulations, and cutting funding for consumer and environmental protection. Today's corporations are increasingly free to make decisions that benefit their bottom line at the expense of public health.

Lethal but Legal examines how corporations have impacted -- and plagued -- public health over the last century, first …

Utilizing Fast Spin Echo Mri To Reduce Image Artifacts And Improve Implant/Tissue Interface Detection In Refractory Parkinson’S Patients With Deep Brain Stimulators, Subhendra N. Sarkar, Pooja R. Sarkar, Efstathios Papavassiliou, Rafael Rojas

Publications and Research

Introduction. In medically refractory Parkinson’s disease (PD) deep-brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective therapeutic tool. Postimplantation MRI is important in assessing tissue damage and DBS lead placement accuracy. We wanted to identify which MRI sequence can detectDBS leads with smallest artifactual signal void, allowing better tissue/electrode edge conspicuity.

Methods. Using an IRB approved protocol 8 advanced PDpatientswere imagedwithinMRconditional safety guidelines at lowRF power (SAR ≤ 0.1 W/kg) in coronal plane at 1.5T by various sequences.The image slices were subjectively evaluated for diagnostic quality and the lead contact diameters were compared to identify a sequence least affected by metallic leads.

Results …

Direct Control Of Visual Perception With Phase-Specific Modulation Of Posterior Parietal Cortex, Andrew Jaegle, Tony Ro

Publications and Research

We examined the causal relationship between the phase of alpha oscillations (9–12 Hz) and conscious visual perception using rhythmic TMS (rTMS) while simultaneously recording EEG activity. rTMS of posterior parietal cortex at an alpha frequency (10 Hz), but not occipital or sham rTMS, both entrained the phase of subsequent alpha oscillatory activity and produced a phase-dependent change on subsequent visual perception, with lower discrimination accuracy for targets presented at one phase of the alpha oscillatory waveform than for targets presented at the opposite phase. By extrinsically manipulating the phase of alpha before stimulus presentation, we provide direct evidence that the …

Milk Consumption And Cardiovascular Risk Factors In Older Chinese: The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study, Yangbo Sun, Chaoqiang Jiang, Kar Keung Cheng, Weisen Zhang, Gabriel M. Leung, Tai Hing Lam, Mary Schooling

Publications and Research

Background
Dairy products consumption is increasingly common globally. Most of the evidence concerning dairy products comes from observational studies in western populations which are inevitably open to confounding. To triangulate the evidence concerning dairy products, we examined the associations of whole cow’s milk consumption with cardiovascular risk factors in a non-Western setting with a different pattern of milk consumption and cardiovascular diseases from Western populations.

Methods
We used multivariable censored linear or logistic regression to examine cross-sectionally the adjusted associations of whole cow’s milk consumption (none (n = 14892), 1–3/week (n = 2689) and 3+/week (n = 2754)) with cardiovascular …

Complement Expression In The Retina Is Not Influenced By Short-Term Pressure Elevation, Konstantin Astafurov, Cecilia Q. Dong, Lampros Panagis, Gautam Kamtham, Lizhen Ren, Anna Rozenboym, Tarique D. Perera, Jeremy D. Coplan, John Danias

Publications and Research

Purpose: To determine whether short-term pressure elevation affects complement gene expression in the retina in vitro and in vivo.

Methods: Muller cell (TR-MUL5) cultures and organotypic retinal cultures from adult mice and monkeys were sub- jected to either 24-h or 72-h of pressure at 0, 15, 30, and 45 mmHg above ambient. C57BL/6 mice were subjected to microbead-induced intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation for 7 days. RNA and protein were extracted and used for analysis of expression levels of complement component genes and complement component 1, q subcomponent (C1q) and comple- ment factor H (CFH) immunoblotting. …

Identifying And Addressing Sources Of Measurement Error In The Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire, Eileen Gigliotti, William Ellery Samuels, June Como, Tofiga Gamidova, Brian Gordon, Peter Acerios

Publications and Research

Background and Purpose: The Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ) provides a rich portrait of one’s perceived social support including network size/composition and quality of support. Analyses of quantitative research reports and critiques of the NSSQ revealed non-negligible measurement error. We document evidence of measurement error, report potential sources of this error, and present forthcoming psychometric testing. Methods: Quantitative evidence of measurement error from the NSSQ literature provided the basis for initial hypotheses concerning sources of error in network nomination and support ratings. We then conducted cognitive interviews to investigate these hypotheses. Results: Cognitive interviews revealed evidence of respondents’ miscomprehension and …

Is Burnout A Depressive Disorder? A Reexamination With Special Focus On Atypical Depression, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

Whether burnout and depression cover the same psychopathology remains to be elucidated. To date, subtypes of depression have been overlooked in research on the burnout–depression overlap. Our aim was to estimate the prevalence of depressive disorders in workers with burnout while examining the overlap of burnout with the atypical subtype of depression. The present study included 5,575 schoolteachers (mean age = 41 years; 78% female). Burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Depression was measured with the 9-item depression scale of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Atypical features of depression were examined using a dedicated module, referenced to …

Writing To Cope: Meaning Making For Professionals Caring For The Cancer Patient, Nicole Saint-Louis

Publications and Research

This paper will focus on the use of narrative or writing as an opportunity to bear witness, honor and work through the grief and loss professional caregivers experience in their oncology practice. The discussion includes, meaning making, narrative theory, narrative therapy and the growing literature of narrative medicine. Sample narratives will be shared to elucidate how writing can assist with the pain, loss and grief professional caregivers experience in the care of those coping with death and dying.

A Feasibility Study Of Motivational Interviewing For Health Risk Behaviors Among Thai Youth Living With Hiv, Chokechai Rongkavilit, Sylvie Naar-King, Juline Koken, Torsak Bunupuradah, Xinguang Chen, Pichai Saengcharnchai, Apirudee Panthong, Jeffrey T. Parsons

Publications and Research

Thailand is among the few less-developed countries with successful HIV prevention among segments of the population (National AIDS Prevention and Alleviation Committee, 2010). However, the success of HIV prevention among Thai adolescents and young adults has been questionable. The highest percentage of Thai persons with AIDS remain in the age group of 25–34 years, indicating that the time of greatest HIV acquisition has occurred in adolescence and young adulthood (Thai Working Group on HIV/AIDS, 2010). Most Thai youth living with HIV (TYLH) acquire HIV through sexual contact (National AIDS Prevention and Alleviation Committee, 2010). In a study of TYLH, only …

Male Clients Of Male Escorts: Satisfaction, Sexual Behavior, And Demographic Characteristics, Christian Grov, Margaret Wolff, Michael D. Smith, Juline A. Koken, Jeffrey T. Parsons

Publications and Research

Few studies have examined male clients who pay for sex with male escorts. In 2012, clients (n = 495) completed an online survey about their most recent hire. Most clients were White/Caucasian (87.7%), HIV negative (89.5%), employed full time (71.1%), single (58.6%), with a mean age of 54. Three-quarters of clients were gay identified, 18% bisexual, and 4% heterosexual. The median rate paid to escorts was $250 per hour with a modal appointment time of 1 to 2 hours (41.6%). Oral sex was common (80% gave, 69% received), 30% reported anal insertive sex, and 34% reported anal receptive sex. In …

Case Study: Sick On A South American Sugarcane Plantation, Kevin M. Bonney

Publications and Research

A case study is presented that was designed to be used in high school and college level courses to familiarize students with chagas disease, its transmission, and effects in Central and South America. Noted objectives of the lesson include evaluating disease symptoms, examining socioeconomic factors related to the epidemiology, and creating visual aids with public health information. Questions are provided for discussing the a case of chagas disease at a Brazilian sugarcane plantation.

Osteoarthritis And Articular Cartilage: Biomechanics And Novel Treatment Paradigms, Ray Marks

Publications and Research

Background: Osteoarthritis is a widespread highly painful disabling age-related disease with no known cure. Although novel strategies for ameliorating osteoarthritic damage abound, it is likely that none will be successful over time if the entire spectrum of the disease and the effects of joint biomechanics on joint tissues are not carefully considered.

Objectives: 1) To detail the structure of healthy articular cartilage, the key tissue affected by osteoarthritis. 2) To detail what aspects of cartilage damage best characterize osteoarthritis. 3) To consider the role of biomechanical factors in developing solutions to treat osteoarthritic joint damage. Methods: Literature sources from 1980 …

Community-Based Settings And Sampling Strategies: Implications For Reducing Racial Health Disparities Among Black Men, New York City, 2010–2013, Helen Cole, Antoinette Schoenthaler, Scott Braithwaite, Joseph Ladapo, Sherry Mentor, Jennifer Uyei, Chau Trinh-Shevrin

Publications and Research

Introduction Rates of screening colonoscopies, an effective method of preventing colorectal cancer, have increased in New York City over the past decade, and racial disparities in screening have declined. However, vulnerable subsets of the population may not be reached by traditional surveillance and intervention efforts to improve colorectal cancer screening rates.

Methods We compared rates of screening colonoscopies among black men aged 50 or older from a citywide random-digit–dial sample and a location-based sample focused on hard-to-reach populations to evaluate the representativeness of the random-digit–dial sample. The location-based sample (N = 5,568) was recruited from 2010 through 2013 from community-based …

Perception Of Childhood Obesity And Support For Prevention Policies Among Latinos And Whites, Douglas M. Puricelli Purin, Leah Frerichs, Sergio Costa, Amelie G. Ramirez, Terry T.-K. Huang

Publications and Research

A cross-sectional survey was administered to Latino and White residents of Omaha, NE, to assess perception of the childhood obesity problem, attribution of responsibility, and support for obesity-related policies. The sample included 40.8% () Latinos and 59.2% () Whites. Among Latinos, 25% did not see childhood obesity as a problem, compared to 6% of Whites (). This difference persisted after adjusting for age, gender, and education level (odds ratio (OR) 2.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07–4.14). Latinos were more likely to agree that government was responsible for addressing childhood obesity compared to Whites (OR 2.81, 95% CI 1.82–4.35). Higher support …

Influences Of Maternal Stress During Pregnancy On The Epi/Genome: Comparison Of Placenta And Umbilical Cord Blood, Jia Chen, Qian Li, Alexender Rialdi, Elana Mystal, Jenny Ly, Jackie Finik, Taira Davey, Luca Lambertini, Yoko Nomura

Publications and Research

Background: Maternal stress during pregnancy is one of the major adverse environmental factors in utero that is capable of influencing health outcomes of the offspring throughout life. Both genetic and epigenetic processes are susceptible to environmental insults in utero and are potential biomarkers of the experienced environment including maternal stress.

Methods: We profiled expression level of six genes in hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis functioning (HSD11B2, SLC6A4, NR3C1, NR3C2, CRHR1 and CRHR2), two imprinted genes (IGF2 and H19) and one neurodevelopmental gene (EGR1), from 49 pairs of placenta and umbilical cord blood (UCB) samples from a birth cohort. We also …

An Exploration Of Self-Management Support In The Context Of Palliative Nursing: A Modified Concept Analysis, Bridget Johnson, Liz Rogerson, Jurate Macijauskiene, Aurelija Blaževičienė, Patricia Cholewka

Publications and Research

Background
The role of self-management is often ambiguous, yet, it is an important area in clinical practice for palliative nurses. A clear conceptual understanding, however, of what it represents is lacking.

Method
This paper reports an analysis of the concept of self-management support in palliative nursing. Avant and Walker's method was used to guide this concept analysis. A search of electronic databases (1990–2013), use of internet search engines and supplementary hand searching produced an international data set of reviews, empirical research, editorials, protocols and guidelines.

Results
Based on the analysis self-management support in palliative nursing has been defined as assessing, …

Idiots Savants, Retarded Savants, Talented Aments, Mono-Savants, Autistic Savants, Just Plain Savants, People With Savant Syndrome, And Autistic People Who Are Good At Things: A View From Disability Studies, Joseph N. Straus

Publications and Research

People identified as idiot savants have long comprised an identifiable group (a high level of skill in the context of perceived mental deficiency) whose story has mostly been told by psychiatrists and psychologists within a medicalized model of disability that assumes deficiency and seeks remediation and normalization. More recently, people identified as savants have become common figures of literary and cinematic representation. Both of these narrative frames have enfreaked them as alien Others, whose gifts and disabilities place them outside the normal run of human intelligence and creativity. With a focus on music, this article tries to see through these …