Psychoneuroimmunology: a cross-cultural, biopsychosocial study of the role of perceived social support for people living with HIV/AIDS

Background: The immunological as well as the psycho-social impact, of living with HIV/AIDS transform HIV/AIDS into a multidimensional process. Stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are proposed as hostile scenarios increasing hopelessness and reducing perceived and real social support affecting people’s health status. Peer support strategies are proposed as key factors for dealing with this scenario; additionally, socio-cultural variables may determine the provision and perception of social support. Objectives: To enhance the understanding of the process of living with HIV/AIDS and the role played by social support and to suggest cooperative strategies for dealing with stigma and discrimination against PLWHA to improve people’s health. Sample and method: Five studies were conducted studying 37 HIV positive members and non-members of peer support organisations (PSOs) in Chile and England; nine healthcare professionals working with PLWHA; and three spokes persons from PSOs of PLWHA from Romania, England and Chile. Results: PSOs of PLWHA, which reflect a cooperative strategy used by PLWHA to deal with stigma and self-provide social support, appear to play an important and underexplored role in PLWHAs’ health status; this relationship is also affected by socio-cultural characteristics. A measure of PSS was developed and theoretical analysis lead to a linkage with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Personality characteristics were found critical for the success of PNI based interventions. Conclusions: Living with HIV/AIDS involves psychological and social complications. PSOs are a powerful cooperative strategy improving quality of life and general health; however, further research is needed to establish the real impact of PSOs over HIV+ people. Implications: The peer-support strategy of PSOs is a powerful but underused clinical strategy. Healthcare teams and PLWHA may benefit from including this strategy if cooperative work is carried out with PSOs

Validation of the English version of the Scale for Psychosocial Factors in Food Allergy and the relationship with mental health, quality of life, and self-efficacy

Background. The Scale for Psychosocial Factors in Food Allergy (SPS-FA) is based on the biopsychosocial model of health and was developed and validated in Chile to measure the interaction between psychological variables and allergy symptoms in the child. We sought to validate this scale in an English speaking population and explore its relationship with parental quality of life, self-efficacy, and mental health. Methods. Parents (n = 434) from the general population in the UK, who had a child with a clinical diagnosis of food allergy, completed the SPS-FA and validated scales on food allergy specific parental quality of life (QoL), parental self-efficacy, and general mental health. Findings. The SPS-FA had good internal consistency (alphas = .61-.86). Higher scores on the SPS-FA significantly correlated with poorer parental QoL, self-efficacy, and mental health. All predictors explained 57% of the variance in SPS-FA scores with QoL as the biggest predictor (β = .52). Discussion. The SPS-FA is a valid scale for use in the UK and provides a holistic view of the impact of food allergy on the family. In conjunction with health-related QoL measures, it can be used by health care practitioners to target care for patients and evaluate psychological interventions for improvement of food allergy management

Psychoneuroimmunology: a cross-cultural, biopsychosocial study of the role of perceived social support for people living with HIV/AIDS

Background: The immunological as well as the psycho-social impact, of living with HIV/AIDS transform HIV/AIDS into a multidimensional process. Stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are proposed as hostile scenarios increasing hopelessness and reducing perceived and real social support affecting people’s health status. Peer support strategies are proposed as key factors for dealing with this scenario; additionally, socio-cultural variables may determine the provision and perception of social support. Objectives: To enhance the understanding of the process of living with HIV/AIDS and the role played by social support and to suggest cooperative strategies for dealing with stigma and discrimination against PLWHA to improve people’s health. Sample and method: Five studies were conducted studying 37 HIV positive members and non-members of peer support organisations (PSOs) in Chile and England; nine healthcare professionals working with PLWHA; and three spokes persons from PSOs of PLWHA from Romania, England and Chile. Results: PSOs of PLWHA, which reflect a cooperative strategy used by PLWHA to deal with stigma and self-provide social support, appear to play an important and underexplored role in PLWHAs’ health status; this relationship is also affected by socio-cultural characteristics. A measure of PSS was developed and theoretical analysis lead to a linkage with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Personality characteristics were found critical for the success of PNI based interventions. Conclusions: Living with HIV/AIDS involves psychological and social complications. PSOs are a powerful cooperative strategy improving quality of life and general health; however, further research is needed to establish the real impact of PSOs over HIV+ people. Implications: The peer-support strategy of PSOs is a powerful but underused clinical strategy. Healthcare teams and PLWHA may benefit from including this strategy if cooperative work is carried out with PSOs

Introductions of West Nile Virus Strains to Mexico

Complete genome sequencing of 22 West Nile virus isolates suggested 2 independent introductions into Mexico. A previously identified mouse-attenuated glycosylation variant was introduced into southern Mexico through the southeastern United States, while a common US genotype appears to have been introduced incrementally into northern Mexico through the southwestern United States

The Evolution of the Baryons Associated with Galaxies Averaged over Cosmic Time and Space

We combine the recent determination of the evolution of the cosmic density of molecular gas (H2) using deep, volumetric surveys, with previous estimates of the cosmic density of stellar mass, star formation rate and atomic gas (H i), to constrain the evolution of baryons associated with galaxies averaged over cosmic time and space. The cosmic H i and H2 densities are roughly equal at z ~ 1.5. The H2 density then decreases by a factor ${6}_{-2}^{+3}$ to today's value, whereas the H i density stays approximately constant. The stellar mass density is increasing continuously with time and surpasses that of the total gas density (H i and H2) at redshift z ~ 1.5. The growth in stellar mass cannot be accounted for by the decrease in cosmic H2 density, necessitating significant accretion of additional gas onto galaxies. With the new H2 constraints, we postulate and put observational constraints on a two-step gas accretion process: (i) a net infall of ionized gas from the intergalactic/circumgalactic medium to refuel the extended H i reservoirs, and (ii) a net inflow of H i and subsequent conversion to H2 in the galaxy centers. Both the infall and inflow rate densities have decreased by almost an order of magnitude since z ~ 2. Assuming that the current trends continue, the cosmic molecular gas density will further decrease by about a factor of two over the next 5 Gyr, the stellar mass will increase by approximately 10%, and cosmic star formation activity will decline steadily toward zero, as the gas infall and accretion shut down