Public Health Commons^™

Understanding Health Profile Of The Middle-Aged Residents In Tsuen Wan, Tsuen Wan Safe And Health Community, Tsuen Wan Adventist Hospital, Asia-Pacific Institute Of Ageing Studies, Lingnan University

APIAS Research Report 研究報告

Modernization marked the progress of society and posed various changes to human life as well as the epidemiological transition. Improvements in public health care, living conditions, income and the control of infectious diseases were important factors in the first half of the twentieth century that led to the increases in life expectancy, while in the second half it was improvements in social conditions, health technologies such as antibiotics, and widespread immunization. The existences of advanced medical services effectively get rid of the prevalence of infectious disease that caused immediate human threats such as Measles and Smallpox.

Given that technological advancement …

Using The Commons To Facilitate Health Communication, Anna Liebzeit, Karen Adams, Mat Jakobi

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

Suicide And Suicide Risk In Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Populations: Review And Recommendations, Ann P. Haas, Mickey Eliason, Vickie M. Mays, Robin M. Mathy, Susan D. Cochran, Anthony R. D'Augelli, Morton M. Silverman, Prudence W. Fisher, Tonda Hughes, Margaret Rosario, Stephen T. Russell, Effie Malley, Jerry Reed, David A. Litts, Ellen Haller, Randall L. Sell, Gary Remafedi, Judith Bradford, Annette L. Beautrais, Gregory K. Brown, Gary M. Diamond, Mark S. Friedman, Robert Garofalo, Mason S. Turner, Amber Hollibaugh, Paula J. Clayton

Publications and Research

Despite strong indications of elevated risk of suicidal behavior in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, limited attention has been given to research, interventions or suicide prevention programs targeting these populations. This article is a culmination of a three-year effort by an expert panel to address the need for better understanding of suicidal behavior and suicide risk in sexual minority populations, and stimulate the development of needed prevention strategies, interventions and policy changes. This article summarizes existing research findings, and makes recommendations for addressing knowledge gaps and applying current knowledge to relevant areas of suicide prevention practice.

Maine Pediatric And Family Practice Survey Chartbook: Improving Health Outcomes For Children, Martha Elbaum Williamson Mpa, Kimberley S. Fox Mpa, Al Leighton Ba, Stuart Bratesman Mpp

Population Health & Health Policy

As part of the IHOC initiative, the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine surveyed pediatric and family practices about how they use data, clinical guidelines and office systems to monitor and improve children’s healthcare quality. The purpose of the survey is to provide baseline information about quality improvement activities in primary care practices serving children in Maine. Survey data will be used to inform IHOC activities and to monitor changes over time. The web-based survey was conducted in the winter of 2011-2012 and sent to practice managers at a sample of 168 practice sites, of …

2011 Community Benefit, Children's Mercy Hospital

Community Benefits

Fiscal year report on the community benefits provided by Children's Mercy Kansas City to the communities in the Kansas City region.

Prevalence, Knowledge, And Concern About Bed Bugs, Mary Beth Kaylor

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Recent research suggests that the United States and the world are on the verge of a bed bug pandemic. Assumptions have been made that socioeconomic status is not an indicator and that bed bugs are not competent disease vectors. However, little information is available at the local level about the prevalence of bed bugs in private homes. This study aimed to identify prevalence, knowledge, and concern about bed bugs in one village in Ohio. Responses from 96 individuals who completed the Prevalence, Knowledge, and Concern about Bed Bugs (PK CABB) survey were utilized for data analysis. The majority of the …

Worksite Wellness: An Administrative Perspective, Neha Kumar

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Objective: To develop a better understanding of businesses’ goals and purpose for offering worksite wellness opportunities and the level of administrative support for worksite wellness programs.

Method: Human resource directors, benefit managers, or other administrators of 76 businesses that have contracted with Premier Community Health in the past 2 years were contacted by e-mail to complete a standardized online survey on SurveyMonkey®. The survey included questions about the businesses worksite wellness current programs and future interests. In addition, data on how often businesses have utilized each of the PCH worksite offerings over the past 2 years was collected from the …

Ic107: Cancer Facts: African Americans And Cancer, Intercultural Cancer Council

Informational and Promotional Materials

The fact sheet summarizes cancer facts related to the African American population. The document is organized into seven sections: Who We Are, Causes/Etiology, Patient/Provider Communication, Screening, Disparities, Outcomes, and References. See more at Intercultural Cancer Council Records.

Ic107: Cancer Facts: Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders And Cancer, Intercultural Cancer Council

Informational and Promotional Materials

The fact sheet summarizes cancer facts related to the Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population. The document is organized into seven sections: Who We Are, Causes/Etiology, Patient/Provider Communication, Screening, Disparities, Outcomes, and References. See more at Intercultural Cancer Council Records.

Ic107: Cancer Facts: Elderly And Cancer, Intercultural Cancer Council

Informational and Promotional Materials

The fact sheet summarizes cancer facts related to the elderly population. The document is organized into seven sections: Who We Are, Causes/Etiology, Patient/Provider Communication, Screening, Disparities, Outcomes, and References. See more at Intercultural Cancer Council Records.

Ic107: Cancer Facts: Rural Poor, Intercultural Cancer Council

Informational and Promotional Materials

The fact sheet summarizes cancer facts related to the Rural Poor population. The document is organized into seven sections: Who We Are, Causes/Etiology, Patient/Provider Communication, Screening, Disparities, Outcomes, and References. See more at Intercultural Cancer Council Records.

Ic107: Cancer Facts: Workplace And Cancer, Intercultural Cancer Council

Informational and Promotional Materials

The fact sheet summarizes cancer facts related to the workplace. The document is organized into seven sections: Who We Are, Causes/Etiology, Patient/Provider Communication, Screening, Disparities, Outcomes, and References. See more at Intercultural Cancer Council Records.

Action Anthropology And Pedagogy: University-Community Collaborations In Setting Policy, Lutchmie Narine, Sandra D. Lane, Robert A. Rubinstein, Inga Back, Caitlin Cornell, Alexander Hodgens, Monique Brantley, Rachel Kramas, Kathleen Keough, Brandon O'Connor, William Suk, Eric Morrissette, Mary Benson

Public Health, Food Studies, and Nutrition

This article describes a student-led, community-participatory project focused on reducing the burden of childhood lead poisoning in rental housing. A multidisciplinary group of students and faculty worked with community members. We compiled the social, public health, economic, and policy information on the human and fiscal costs of childhood lead poisoning. This analysis was done for community advocates to use to persuade policymakers to enact a local law strengthening the prevention of childhood lead poisoning in rental property. In conducting this work, the students gained experience in qualitative research methods, quantitative data analysis, the health consequences of lead exposure, health policy, …

Survival Of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 On Cattle Hides, Terrance M. Arthur, Xiangwu Nou, Norasak Kalchayanard, Joseph M. Bosilevac, Tommy Wheeler, Mohammad Koohmaraie

United States Public Health Resources

The objective of this study was to determine the time period that Escherichia coli O157:H7 survives on the hides of cattle. Extensive research has been conducted and is ongoing to identify and develop novel preharvest intervention strategies to reduce the presence of E. coli O157:H7 on live cattle and subsequent transfer to processed carcasses. If a reduction of E. coli O157:H7 levels in feces can be achieved through preharvest intervention, it is not known how long it would take for such reductions to be seen on the hide. In the study presented herein, three trials were conducted to follow E. …

Changes In Consumption Of Omega-3 And Omega-6 Fatty Acids In The United States During The 20th Century, Tanya L. Blasbalg, Joseph R. Hibbeln, Christopher E. Ramsden, Sharon F. Majchrzak, Robert R. Rawlings

United States Public Health Resources

Background: The consumption of omega-3 (n–3) and omega-6 (n–6) essential fatty acids in Western diets is thought to have changed markedly during the 20th century.

Objective: We sought to quantify changes in the apparent consumption of essential fatty acids in the United States from 1909 to 1999.

Design:We calculated the estimated per capita consumption of food commodities and availability of essential fatty acids from 373 food commodities by using economic disappearance data for each year from 1909 to 1999. Nutrient compositions for 1909 were modeled by using current foods (1909-C) and foods produced by traditional early 20th century practices (1909-T). …

The Shaping Of Modern Human Immune Systems By Multiregional Admixture With Archaic Humans, Laurent Abi-Rached, Matthew J. Jobin, Subhash Kulkarni, Alasdair Mcwhinnie, Klara Dalva, Loren Gragert, Farbod Babrzadeh, Baback Gharizadeh, Ma Luo, Francis A. Plummer, Joshua Kimani, Mary Carrington, Derek Middleton, Raja Rajalingam, Meral Beksac, Steven G. E. Marsh, Martin Maiers, Lisbeth A. Guethlein, Sofia Tavoularis, Ann-Margaret Little, Richard E. Green, Paul J. Norman, Peter Parham

United States Public Health Resources

Whole genome comparisons identified introgression from archaic to modern humans. Our analysis of highly polymorphic HLA class I, vital immune system components subject to strong balancing selection, shows how modern humans acquired the HLA-B*73 allele in west Asia through admixture with archaic humans called Denisovans, a likely sister group to the Neandertals. Virtual genotyping of Denisovan and Neandertal genomes identified archaic HLA haplotypes carrying functionally distinctive alleles that have introgressed into modern Eurasian and Oceanian populations. These alleles, of which several encode unique or strong ligands for natural killer cell receptors, now represent more than half the HLA alleles of …

Hla/Kir Restraint Of Hiv: Surviving The Fittest, Arman A. Bashirova, Rasmi Thomas, Mary Carrington

United States Public Health Resources

Multiple epidemiological studies have demonstrated associations between the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loci and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease, and more recently the killer cell immunoglobulin-like (KIR) locus has been implicated in differential responses to the virus. Genome-wide association studies have convincingly shown that the HLA class I locus is the most significant host genetic contributor to the variation in HIV control, underscoring a central role for CD8 T cells in resistance to the virus. However, both genetic and functional data indicate that part of the HLA effect on HIV is due to interactions between KIR …

Diversity Of The Kir Gene Cluster In An Urban Brazilian Population, D. G. Augusto, L. Zehnder-Alves, M. R. Pincerati, M. P. Martin, Mary Carrington, Maria Luiza Petzl-Erler

United States Public Health Resources

The activity of natural killer cells depends on the balance between activating and inhibitory signals coming from their receptors. Among these are the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) that recognize specific HLA class I allotypes. Here we characterized KIR genetic diversity and their HLA ligands in the population of Curitiba, Paraná State (n=164), and compared it with other worldwide populations. The distribution of 2DL4 alleles was also analyzed. The Curitiba population did not differ significantly from European and Euro-descendant populations, but as an admixed population showed higher genetic diversity. We found 27 KIR profiles, many of them uncommon in European …

Analysis Of Binding Of Kir3ds1*014 To Hla Suggests Distinct Evolutionary History Of Kir3ds1, Geraldine M. O'Connor, Eriko Yamada, Andy Rampersaud, Rasmi Thomas, Mary Carrington, Daniel W. Mcvicar

United States Public Health Resources

NK cell activity is regulated by the integration of positive and negative signals. One important source of these signals for human NK cells is the killer Ig-like receptor (KIR) family, which includes both members that transduce positive and those that generate negative signals. KIR3DL1 inhibits NK cell activity upon engagement by its ligand HLA-Bw4. The highly homologous KIR3DS1 is an activating receptor, which is implicated in the outcome of a variety of pathological situations. However, unlike KIR3DL1, direct binding of KIR3DS1⁺ cells to HLA has not been demonstrated. We analyzed four key amino acid differences between KIR3DL1*01502 and KIR3DS1*013 …

Factors Associated With Viral Rebound In Hiv-1-Infected Individuals Enrolled In A Therapeutic Hiv-1 Gag Vaccine Trial, Jonathan Z. Li, Zabrina L. Brumme, Chanson J. Brumme, Hongying Wang, John Spritzler, Michael N. Robertson, Michael M. Lederman, Mary Carrington, Bruce D. Walker, Rovert T. Schooley, Daniel R. Kuritzkes

United States Public Health Resources

Background. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccines directed to the cell-mediated immune system could have a role in lowering the plasma HIV-1 RNA set point, which may reduce infectivity and delay disease progression.

Methods. Randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving HIV-1-infected participants who received a recombinant adenovirus serotype 5 (rAd5) HIV-1 gag vaccine or placebo. Sequence-based HLA typing was performed for all 110 participants who initiated analytic treatment interruption (ATI) to assess the role of HLA types previously associated with HIV prognosis. Plasma HIV-1 gag and pol RNA sequences were obtained during the ATI. Virologic endpoints and HLA groups …

Common Hiv-1 Peptide Variants Mediate Differential Binding Of Kir3dl1 To Hla-Bw4 Molecules, Lena Fadda, Geraldine M. O'Connor, Swati Kumar, Alicja Piechocka-Trocha, Clair M. Gardiner, Mary Carrington, Daniel W. Mcvicar, Marcus Altfeld

United States Public Health Resources

Epidemiological studies have shown the protective effect of KIR3DL1/HLA-Bw4 genotypes in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection; however, the functional correlates for the protective effect remain unknown. We investigated whether human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-Bw4-presented HIV-1 peptides could affect the interaction between the inhibitory natural killer (NK) cell receptor KIR3DL1 and its ligand HLA-Bw4. Distinct HIV-1 epitopes differentially modulated the binding of KIR3DL1 to HLA-Bw4. Furthermore, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) escape mutations within the immunodominant HLA-B57 (Bw4)-restricted Gag epitope TSTLQEQIGW abrogated KIR3DL1 binding to HLA-B57, suggesting that sensing of CTL escape variants by NK cells can contribute to the protective …

Human Leukocyte Antigen Genotype And Risk Of Hiv Disease Progression Before And After Initiation Of Antiretroviral Therapy, Mark H. Kuniholm, Xiaojiang Gao, Andrea Kovacs, Kathryn Anastos, Darlene Marti, Ruth M. Greenblatt, Mardge H. Cohen, Howard Minkoff, Stephen J. Gange, Melissa Fazzari, Mary A. Young, Howard D. Strickler, Mary Carrington

United States Public Health Resources

While the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotype has been associated with the rate of HIV disease progression in untreated patients, little is known regarding these relationships in patients using highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The limited data reported to date identified few HLA-HIV disease associations in patients using HAART and even occasional associations that were opposite of those found in untreated patients. We conducted high-resolution HLA class I and II genotyping in a random sample (n = 860) of HIV-seropositive women enrolled in a long-term cohort initiated in 1994. HLA-HIV disease associations before and after initiation of HAART were examined …

Differential Microrna Regulation Of Hla-C Expression And Its Association With Hiv Control, Smita Kulkarni, Ram Savan, Ying Qi, Xiaojiang Gao, Yuko Yuki, Sara E. Bass, Maureen P. Martin, Peter Hunt, Steven G. Deeks, Amalio Telenti, Florencia Pereyra, David Goldstein, Steven Wolinsky, Bruce Walker, Howard A. Young, Mary Carrington

United States Public Health Resources

The HLA-C locus is distinct relative to the other classicalHLA class I loci in that it has relatively limited polymorphism1, lower expression on the cell surface, and more extensive ligand–receptor interactions with killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) 35 kb upstream of HLA-C (rs9264942; termed -35) associates with control of HIV, and with levels of HLA-C messenger RNA transcripts and cell-surface expression, but the mechanism underlying its varied expression is unknown. We proposed that the -35 SNP is not the causal variant for differential HLA-C expression, but rather is marking another polymorphism that directly affects levels of HLA-C. …

Hiv-1 Adaptation To Nk-Cell-Mediated Immune Pressure, Galit Alter, David Heckerman, Arne Schneidewind, Lena Fadda, Carl M. Kadie, Jonathan M. Carlson, Cesar Oniangue-Ndza, Maureen Martin, Bin Li, Salim I. Khakoo, Mary Carrington, Todd M. Allen, Marcus Altfeld

United States Public Health Resources

Natural killer (NK) cells have an important role in the control of viral infections, recognizing virally infected cells through a variety of activating and inhibitory receptors. Epidemiological and functional studies have recently suggested that NK cells can also contribute to the control of HIV-1 infection through recognition of virally infected cells by both activating and inhibitory killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs). However, it remains unknown whether NK cells can directly mediate antiviral immune pressure in vivo in humans. Here we describe KIR-associated amino-acid polymorphisms in the HIV-1 sequence of chronically infected individuals, on a population level. We show that these KIR-associated …

Hla-A*3101 And Carbamazepine-Induced Hypersensitivity Reactions In Europeans, Mark Mccormack, Ana Alfirevic, Stephane Bourgeois, John J. Farrell, Dalia Kasperavičiūtė, Mary Carrington, Graeme J. Sills, Tony Marson, Xiaoming Jia, Paul I. W. De Bakker, Krishna Chinthapalli, Mariam Molokhia, Michael R. Johnson, Gerard D. O'Connor, Elijah Chaila, Saud Alhusaini, B. Kevin Park, Chantal Depondt, Sanjay M. Sisodiya, David B. Goldstein, Panos Deloukas, Norman Delanty, Gianpiero L. Cavalleri, Munir Pirmohamed, Werner Pichler, Kevin V. Shianna, Rodney A. Radtke, Massimo Pandolfo

United States Public Health Resources

Background

Carbamazepine causes various forms of hypersensitivity reactions, ranging from maculopapular exanthema to severe blistering reactions. The HLA-B*1502 allele has been shown to be strongly correlated with carbamazepine-induced Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS–TEN) in the Han Chinese and other Asian populations but not in European populations.

Methods

We performed a genomewide association study of samples obtained from 22 subjects with carbamazepine-induced hypersensitivity syndrome, 43 subjects with carbamazepine- induced maculopapular exanthema, and 3987 control subjects, all of European descent. We tested for an association between disease and HLA alleles through proxy single-nucleotide polymorphisms and imputation, confirming associations by high-resolution …

Prevalence And Predictors Of Food Insecurity In Migrant Farmworkers In Georgia, Brittany G. Hill, Ashley G. Moloney, Terry Mize, Tom Himelick, Jodie L. Guest

United States Public Health Resources

We examined the prevalence of food insecurity in migrant farmworkers in Georgia.Of these workers 62.83% did not have enough food, and non–H-2A workers had an adjusted risk of food insecurity almost 3 times higher than did H-2A workers. Lack of access to cooking facilities, transportation problems, and having children were additional risk factors. Migrant farmworkers are at extreme risk for food insecurity, although being an H-2A guestworker was protective within this population. Policy interventions are needed to protect these vulnerable farmworkers.

Coordinate Linkage Of Hiv Evolution Reveals Regions Of Immunological Vulnerability, Vincent Dahirel, Karrthik Shekhar, Florencia Pereyra, Toshiyuki Miura, Mikira Artyomov, Shiv Talsania, Todd M. Allen, Marcus Altfeld, Mary Carrington, Darrell J. Irvine, Bruce D. Walker, Arup K. Chakraborty

United States Public Health Resources

Cellular immune control of HIV is mediated, in part, by induction of single amino acid mutations that reduce viral fitness, but compensatory mutations limit this effect. Here, we sought to determine if higher order constraints on viral evolution exist, because some coordinately linked combinations of mutations may hurt viability. Immune targeting of multiple sites in such a multidimensionally conserved region might render the virus particularly vulnerable, because viable escape pathways would be greatly restricted. We analyzed available HIV sequences using a method from physics to reveal distinct groups of amino acids whose mutations are collectively coordinated (“HIV sectors”). From the …

Nih And Usda Funding Of Dietary Supplement Research, 1999–2007, Karen S. Regan, Edwina A. Wambogo, Carol J. Haggans

United States Public Health Resources

Over one-half of U.S. adults use dietary supplements, so federally supported research into the safety and effectiveness of these compounds is important for the health of many Americans. Data collected in the Computer Access to Research on Dietary Supplements database, which compiles federally sponsored dietary supplement-related research, are useful to scientists in determining the type of dietary supplement research that federal agencies are currently funding and where research gaps exist. This article describes the dietary supplement-related research funded by the NIH and the USDA. Between fiscal years 1999 and 2007, the number of research projects and funding for dietary supplement …

A Cancer And Leukemia Group B Multi-Center Study Of Da-Epoch-Rituximab In Untreated Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma With Analysis Of Outcome By Molecular Subtype, Wyndham Wilson, Sin-Ho Jung, Pierluigi Porcu, David Hurd, Jeffrey Johnson, S. Eric Martin, Myron Czuczman, Raymond Lai, Jonathan Said, Amy Chadburn, Dan Jones, Kieron Dunleavy, George Canellos, Andrew D. Zelenetz, Bruce D. Cheson, Eric D. Hsi

United States Public Health Resources

Background

A phase II trial of dose-adjusted etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and rituximab (DA-EPOCH-R) from the National Cancer Institute showed promising activity in untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The Cancer and Leukemia Group B conducted a study to determine if these results could be reproduced in a multi-institutional setting.

Design and Methods

The study included 69 patients with untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma at least 18 years of age and at least stage II. Radiaton therapy was not permitted on study. Median age was 58 years (range 23-83) and 40% had high-intermediate or high International Prognostic Index risk. Immunohistochemical …

Hippocampal Volume Differences In Gulf War Veterans With Current Versus Lifetime Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Brigitte A. Apfel, Jessica Ross, Jennifer Hlavin, Dieter J. Meyerhoff, Thomas J. Metzler, Charles R. Marmar, Michael W. Weiner, Norbert Schuff, Thomas C. Neylan

United States Public Health Resources

Background: Decreased hippocampal volume is described in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. However, it is not known whether it is a risk factor for the development of PTSD or a consequence of PTSD. We sought to determine the effects of PTSD and depressive symptoms on hippocampal volume.

Methods: Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging data were collected in a cross sectional study of 244 GulfWarveterans. Measures included lifetime and current Clinician Administered PTSD Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale, Life Stressor Checklist, and Lifetime Drinking History. Magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired with a 1.5-T scanner and analyzed with automated …