Public Health Commons^™

A Prospective Evaluation Of The Relationships Between Smoking Dosage And Body Mass Index In An Adolescent, Biracial Cohort., Theodore Cooper, R. Klesges, L. Robinson, S. Zbikowski

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Traditional Practices On Women's Health In Africa: Research Conducted In Cape Coast, Ghana, June 2001, Clementine M. Msengi

International Journal of Global Health

Traditional cultural practices are found in every social unit, in all societies. They stem from values and beliefs intrinsic in the cultural fabric of any given society. Such beliefs lead to certain practices in the area of health that can be a detriment or a benefit to a segment of a population. Examples in Africa range from FGC (female genital cutting); preadolescent or early adolescent marriage; nutritional taboos; social, cultural, and educational preference for male children; pregnancy practices and taboos, dowry-related mistreatment and enslavement of wives; abuse related suicides; etc. In all these examples, it is women who are affected …

The Risks Associated With Agriculture: A Review, Danelle Bickett-Weddle

International Journal of Global Health

Agriculture dates back to the first recorded civilizations in Mesopotamia (currently known as Iraq) in 8000 B.C. and is defined as "the science, art, or practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock and in varying degrees the preparation and marketing of the resulting products." (1) It is a worldwide craft and agriculture is thought to be one of the three most hazardous occupations in the United States. There has been data collection regarding farm size, crops or animals produced and income generated for more than 150 years. A farm includes any place that sells or produces, or …

Health And Environmental Effects Of Landfilling And Incineration Of Waste - A Literature Review, D. Crowley, A. Staines, C. Collins, J. Bracken, M. Bruen, J Fry, Victor Hrymak, D. Malone, B. Magette, M. Ryan, C Thunhurst

Reports

A literature review on the health effects of landfill and incineration is presented together with an application to Ireland of the findings

Physician Incentives: Managed Care And Ethics, Douglas A. Mains, Alberto Coustasse, Kristine Lykens

Management Faculty Research

The authors review the principle features of the managed care system in an effort to understand the ethical assumptions inherent in managed care. The interrelationships among physician incentives, responsibilities of patients and the physician-patient relationship are examined in light of the ethical concerns identified in the managed care system. The managed care system creates ethical tensions for those who influence the allocation of scare resources. Managed care's administrative controls have increasingly changed the doctor-patient relationship to the businessperson-consumer relationship. Managed care goals of quality and access demand that physicians be both patient advocate and organizational advocate, even though these roles …

Nsucommuniversity Link - January 2003, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Digital: Communiversity

No abstract provided.

A Prospective Evaluation Of The Relationships Between Smoking Dosage And Body Mass Index In An Adolescent, Biracial Cohort., Theodore Cooper, R. Klesges, L. Robinson, S. Zbikowski

Departmental Papers (Psych)

No abstract provided.

Sodium Tanshinone Iia Sulfonate Mediates Electron Transfer Reaction In Rat Heart Mitochondria, Guangyin Zhou, Wen Jiang, Yan Zhao, Guangén Ma, Wenjuan Xin, Junjie Yin, Baolu Zhao

United States Public Health Resources

In this paper, an electron transfer reaction mediated by sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate (STS) was studied in rat heart mitochondria. It was found that STS could stimulate mitochondrial NADH oxidation dose-dependently and partly restore NADH oxidation in the presence of respiratory inhibitor (rotenone or antimycin A or KCN). It was likely that STS could accept electrons from complex I similar to ferricyanide and could be converted to its semiquinone form that could then reduce oxygen molecule. The data also showed that cytochrome c (Cyt c) could be reduced by STS in the presence of KCN, or STS could transfer the …

A Preliminary Linkage Map Of The Hard Tick, Ixodes Scapularis, A. J. Ullmann, J. Piesman, M. C. Dolan, W. C. Black Iv

United States Public Health Resources

Blackwell Publishing Ltd. A linkage map of the Ixodes scapularis genome was constructed, based upon segregation amongst 127 loci. These included 84 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers, 32 Sequence-Tagged RAPD (STAR) markers, 5 cDNAs, and 5 microsatellites in 232 F₁ intercross progeny from a single, field-collected P₁ female. A preliminary linkage map of 616 cM was generated across 14 linkage groups with one marker every 10.8 cM. Assuming a genome size of ~ 10 ⁹ bp, the relationship of physical to genetic distance was found to be ~ 300 kb/cM in the I. scapularis genome.

Absence Of Interferon-Γ–Inducible Gene Igtp Does Not Significantly Alter The Development Of Chagasic Cardiomyopathy In Mice Infected With Trypanosoma Cruzi (Brazil Strain), A. P. De Souza, B. Tang, H. B. Tanowitz, S. M. Factor, V. Shtutin, J. Shirani, G. A. Taylor, L. M. Weiss, L. A. Jelicks

United States Public Health Resources

Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) contributes to host resistance during acute infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas’ disease. Inducibly expressed guanosine triphosphatase (IGTP), a 48-kDa guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase), is a member of a family of GTPase proteins inducibly expressed by IFN-γ. The expression pattern of IGTP suggests that it may mediate IFN-γ–induced responses in a variety of cell types. IGTP has been demonstrated to be important for control of Toxoplasma gondii infection but not for resistance against Listeria monocytogenes. We evaluated the role of IGTP in development of chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy in IGTP null mice and C57X129sv (wild …

Accuracy Of Six Commercially Available Systems For Identification Of Members Of The Family Vibrionaceae, Caroline M. O’Hara, Evangeline G. Sowers, Cheryl A. Bopp, Sarah B. Duda, Nancy A. Strockbine

United States Public Health Resources

Six commercially available bacterial identification products were tested with Vibrio alginolyticus (12 strains), V. cholerae (30 strains), Photobacterium (Vibrio) damselae (10 strains), V. fluvialis (10 strains), V. furnissii (4 strains), V. hollisae (10 strains), V. metschnikovii (9 strains), V. mimicus (10 strains), V. parahaemolyticus (30 strains), and V. vulnificus (10 strains) to determine the accuracy of each system for identification. The products included API 20E, Crystal E/NF, MicroScan Neg ID2 and Rapid Neg ID3, and Vitek GNI+ and ID-GNB. Each product was tested only with those species that were listed in its database. Overall, the systems correctly …

Estimated Risk Of Transmission Of The West Nile Virus Through Blood Transfusion In The Us, 2002, Brad J. Biggerstaff, Lyle R. Petersen

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND: The West Nile virus (WNV) epidemic in 2002 in the US saw over 3300 reported human cases of WNV disease, with over 2300 reported cases of WNV encephalitis and meningitis. The first documented cases of transfusion transmission of WNV through voluntary blood donation also occurred.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Case onset dates from the 2002 WNV epidemic in the US were used to estimate the risk of transfusion-associated transmission with statistical resampling. An easily computed approximating formula for the mean risk was derived. Estimates were computed for six high-incidence states and metropolitan areas.

RESULTS: Mean and …

Incidence Of Ovarian Cancer By Race And Ethnicity In The United States, 1992–1997, Marc T. Goodman, Holly L. Howe, Ko Hui Tung, Joellyn Hotes, Barry A. Miller, Steven S. Coughlin, Vivien W. Chen

United States Public Health Resources

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer among U.S. women.¹ An estimated 23,400 new cases were expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2001. As is the case for breast and endometrial cancers, ovarian cancer is more common among women in northern and central Europe, and North America compared with Africa, South America, and Asia.² In the U.S., substantial racial and ethnic variations also are observed in the incidence of ovarian cancer. rates reportedly are highest among non-Hispanic white and American Indian women, and are lower among Hispanic, Native Hawaiian, and Asian women.³ Among white …

Inhibition Of Markers Of Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation By The Hormone Relaxin, Robert G. Bennett, Kusum K. Kharbanda, Dean J. Tuma

United States Public Health Resources

Hepatic fibrois results from excess extracellular matrix produced primarily by hepatic stellate cells (HSC). In response to injury, HSC differentiate to a myofibroblastic phenotype expressing smooth muscle actin and fibrillar collagens. Relaxin is a polypeptide hormone shown to have antifibrotic effects in fibrosis models. In this study, activated HSC from rat liver were treated with relaxin to determine if relaxin can reverse markers of HSC activation. Relaxin treatment resulted in a decrease in the expression of smooth muscle actin, but had no effect on cell proliferation rate. The levels of total collagen and type I collagen were reduced, while the …

Ethanol Consumption Decreases The Synthesis Of The Mannose 6-Phosphatelinsulin-Like Growth Factor Ii Receptor But Does Not Decrease Its Messenger Rna, James Haorah, Richard Macdonald, Julie A. Stoner, Terrence M. Donohue, Jr.

United States Public Health Resources

The mannose 6-phosphatelinsulin-like growth factor I1 receptor (M6P/IGF-IIR) is a protein that facilitates the transport of acid hydrolases into the lysosome. We have shown that chronic ethanol consumption lowers the M6P/IGF-IIR content in rat hepatocytes. Here, we determined the steady-state level of mRNA encoding M6P/IGF-IIR, as well as the rate of receptor synthesis, to ascertain whether the ethanol-elicited reduction in receptor protein content is related to changes in either or both of these parameters. Rats were pair-fed the normal carbohydrate (NC) or low carbohydrate high-fat (LC) liquid diets containing either ethanol or isocaloric maltose-dextrin for 7-8 weeks. RNA was isolated …

Impaired Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis By The Asialoglycoprotein Receptor In Ethanol-Fed Mice: Implications For Studying The Role Of This Receptor In Alcoholic Apoptosis, Shana R. Dalton, Robert L. Wiegert, Cheryl R. Baldwin, Karen M. Kassel, Carol A. Casey

United States Public Health Resources

During receptor-mediated endocytosis (RME), extracellular molecules are internalized after being recognized and bound to specific cell surface receptors. In previous studies of the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) in rats, we showed that ethanol impairs RME at multiple ASGPR sites. Ethanol administration has been shown to increase apoptosis, and we demonstrated increased sensitization to apoptotic induction in hepatocytes from ethanol-fed rats. Although a physiological role for the ASGPR has not been identified, investigators have shown its involvement in the uptake/clearance of apoptotic cells in vitvo. This suggests a potential role for the ASGPR in the removal of apoptotic cells, and the recent …

Acute Pesticide-Related Illnesses Among Working Youths, 1988–1999, Geoffrey M. Calvert, Louise N. Mehler, Rachel Rosales, Lynden Baum, Catherine Thomsen, Dorilee Male, Omar Shafey, Rupali Das, Michelle Lackovic, Ernest Arvizu

United States Public Health Resources

Objectives. The goal of this study was to describe acute occupational pesticide-related illnesses among youths and to provide prevention recommendations.
Methods. Survey data from 8 states and from poison control center data were analyzed. Illness incidence rates and incidence rate ratios were calculated.
Results. A total of 531 youths were identified with acute occupational pesticide-related illnesses. Insecticides were responsible for most of these illnesses (68%), most of which were of minor severity (79%). The average annual incidence rate among youths aged 15 to 17 years was 20.4 per billion hours worked, and the incidence rate ratio among youths vs adults …

Interferon Gamma Enhances Proteasome Activity In Recombinant Hep G2 Cells That Express Cytochrome P4502e1: Modulation By Ethanol, Natalia A. Osna, Dahn L. Clemens, Terrence M. Donohue Jr.

United States Public Health Resources

We tested the influence of IFNγ on proteasome activity in parental Hep G2 cells that do not metabolize ethanol, as well as in recombinant Hep G2-derived cells that express either or both alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1). IFNγ treatment increased proteasome activity in VL-17A (ADH⁺, CYP2E1⁺) and E-47 (CYP2E1⁺) cells, but not in Hep G2, VI-R2 (parental cells with empty vectors) or in VA-13 (ADH⁺) cells. Proteasome activation by IFNγ correlated positively with the level of CYP2E1 activity. Treatment of VL-17A cells with agents that inhibit CYP2E1 or the inducible …

What Affects Influenza Vaccination Rates Among Older Patients? An Analysis From Inner-City, Suburban, Rural, And Veterans Affairs Practices, Richard Kent Zimmerman, Tammy A. Santibanez, Janine E. Janosky, Michael J. Fine, Mahlon Raymund, Stephen A. Wilson, Inis Jane Bardella, Anne R. Medsger, Mary Patricia Nowalk

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND: Despite strong evidence of the effectiveness of influenza vaccination, immunization rates have reached a plateau that is below the 2010 national goals. Our objective was to identify facilitators of, and barriers to, vaccination in diverse groups of older patients.
METHODS: A survey was conducted in 2000 by computer-assisted telephone interviewing of patients from inner-city health centers, Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient clinics, rural practices, and suburban practices. The inclusion criteria were age ≥66 years and an office visit after September 30, 1998.
RESULTS: Overall, 1007 (73%) interviews were completed among 1383 patients. Influenza vaccination rates were 91% at VA clinics, …

Chronic Ethanol Consumption Impairs Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis Of Maa-Modified Albumin By Liver Endothelial Cells, Michael J. Duryee, Lynell W. Klassen, Thomas L. Freeman, Monte S. Willis, Dean J. Tuma, Geoffrey M. Thiele

United States Public Health Resources

Alcoholic liver disease has been associated with abnormalities in receptor-mediated endocytosis (RME) which results in abnormal degradation of metabolically altered proteins. Model systems using formaldehyde-modified albumin (f-Alb) have shown an impairment in RME following chronic alcohol consumption utilizing both in situ perfused rat livers and isolated rat liver endothelial cells (LECs). The discovery that alcohol metabolite derived aldehydes can modify proteins prompted a study to determine if malondialdehyde– acetaldehyde-modified albumin (MAA-Alb) would be degraded similar to that reported for f-Alb, and whether ethanol-fed rats would demonstrate an impaired RME with respect to this ligand which occurs as a consequence of …

Reproductive Health Services In Kwazulu Natal, South Africa: A Situation Analysis Study Focusing On Hiv/Aids Services, Lewis Ndhlovu, Catherine Searle, Robert A. Miller, Andrew A. Fisher, Ester Snyman, Nancy L. Sloan

HIV and AIDS

This Horizons report examines the readiness of reproductive health services in South Africa, which are primarily geared to women, to deliver HIV and AIDS treatment, care, and prevention services. The goal of the study was to obtain information from a representative sample of provincial health care facilities offering reproductive health services in KwaZulu Natal to meet the growing demand for HIV/AIDS-related services. Ninety-eight hospitals, community health centers, and clinics participated in the situation analysis that identified gaps in service delivery and determined priorities for service integration. Results of the study were presented to a large audience of Department of Health, …

Empowering Communities To Respond To Hiv/Aids: Ndola Demonstration Project On Maternal And Child Health: Operations Research Final Report, Hope Humana, Linkages, National Food And Nutrition Commission, Ndola District Health Management Team, Horizons Program, Zambia Integrated Health Project

HIV and AIDS

A pre–post intervention study conducted in Zambia by Horizons and local NGOs and governmental organizations demonstrated that HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) and infant feeding counseling (IFC) to mothers attending maternal and child health (MCH) clinics are vital components of any mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) reduction strategy, whether or not antiretrovirals (ARVs) are available. These interventions enable mothers to make informed and healthy decisions. Data from the Ndola Demonstration Project yielded encouraging results from efforts to improve the capacity of mothers to make informed decisions about their own health and the health of their infant. The interventions succeeded in raising …

Rethinking Pegram : Why Erisa Health Benefits Administrators Should Have A Comprehensive Legal Requirement Of Fiduciary Duty, Bradley Ray Helfand

Public Health Theses

In the 2000 case Pegram v. Herdrich, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that administrators of health benefits plans covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974 do not have a fiduciary duty towards beneficiaries when making "mixed decisions" involving treatment and eligibility components. This thesis, Rethinking Pegram: Why ERISA Health Benefits Administrators Should Have a Comprehensive Legal Requirement of Fiduciary Duty, challenges the Court's opinion on grounds of legal precedent and public health ethics. While the legal critique of Pegram is an elaboration of earlier scholarship, the public health ethics critique represents a unique contribution …

Information For Authors

International Journal of Global Health

No abstract provided.

Improving Postpartum Care Among Low Parity Mothers In Palestine, Center For Development In Primary Health Care (Cdphc)

Reproductive Health

In an effort to improve the health status of Palestinian women and their children in the West Bank and Gaza, USAID, in collaboration with the Palestinian Ministry of Health and a number of NGOs, designed and funded a 28-month pilot activity, the Pilot Health Project (PHP), that was expected to have a positive impact on the health of women and children. This report describes the results of the intervention designed to measure the effectiveness of a second home visit on low-parity women in 1) improving their knowledge and practices regarding their own health as well as the health of their …

Final Report On Evaluation Of Indian Health Service Funded Community Alcohol Service Programs., Indian Health Service

Native Health Database Full Text

The IHS Strategic Plan is the product of a diverse workgroup with expertise in various facets of healthcare from clinical care to facilities construction. The IHS Strategic plan entails four goals: Build Healthy Communities, Achieve Parity in Access by 2010, Provide Compassionate Quality Health Care, and Embrace Innovation. Each of these goals are outlined alongside their respective strategies for accomplishment.

Cancer Mortality Among American Indians And Alaska Natives: Regional Differences, 1994-1998, D.K. Espey, R.E. Paisano, N. Cobb

Native Health Database Full Text

This monograph delineates cancer mortality rates among American Indians and Alaska Native within the different regions served by the Indian Health Service (IHS). The table and charts depict broader geographic regions than in previous IHS cancer mortality monographs. The estimated IHS service population for each region and the cancer mortality rates from 1994 to 1998 are presented. Comparisons are made to the general U.S. population for the same time period. The intention of this publication is to provide detailed information about thew impact of cancer among Native American peoples, with a focus on the regional variability of cancer incidence for …

In Pursuit Of Best Practice : Benchmarking Tools And Processes For The Management Of Hazardous Substances In The Workplace, Barry Chesson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Many organisations now strive to achieve excellence in various aspects of occupational health and safety. Benchmarking of the techniques and approaches of other organisations is becoming a popular way of bridging gaps and seeking to achieve high levels of performance. There exist many sources of guidance in the form of external and internal standards, regulations, codes of practice, publications by professional institutions and similar. However, there are clear shortfalls in terms of tools and processes needed to identify areas of opportunity and to overcome barriers to the efficient transfer of ideas and techniques from one enterprise to another. This is …

Is It 'Too Bloody Late'? : Older People's Attitudes To Physical Activity And To The Recommendations In The National Physical Activity Guidelines, Joan Jackson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Participation in physical activity confers many health benefits by reducing the risk factor for a number of lifestyle related diseases such as diabetes, colon cancer, and heart disease. Other benefits include improved mental and physical well-being. For older people the benefits are even more important; engagement in physical activity extends to such health benefits as reduction in the risk of falls and related potential injuries. However the most significant benefit to older people is that physical activity enables older people to live independently for longer and with a greater sense of well-being. This study explores, through qualitative research, older people's …

An Ethnographic Investigation Of The Relevance Of Shop Floor Culture To Effective Safety Communication In An Australian Minerals Refinery, David R. Leith

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Many organisations which aim to achieve excellent workplace safety choose 'culture change' as the means to achieve this. They make use of employee communication media to help re-form the values, beliefs, norms and behaviours which are generally thought to comprise culture. However, culture is a complex and profound phenomenon. Successful communication between two culturally separate groups requires each to achieve an understanding of the other, no less so in workplaces than in societies composed of different cultures.Yet even employers who believe in communicating fully with their workforces find it difficult to convey viewpoints other than their own. Their communication tends …