Fan the Flames: Encouraging Local Expressions of Christian Worship in a La Paz Church Community

When the members of a church in La Paz participated in a songwriting and arranging workshop, along with corresponding research into perspectives on local music used in worship, the results were mixed. An analysis of the songs used in the church’s worship shows a predominance of imported, predominantly Western or Western-styled songs. Similarly, observations of worship events in the church do not incorporate any local rhythms or instruments, even though there are musicians in the church who are skilled in Bolivian styles of music. While there is an interest by musicians and leadership in the church for locally written worship songs, many members in the church relate local styles of Bolivian music to activities and lifestyles that are considered “sinful.” Some also see imported worship music as more worshipful, because it does not have the social lifestyle and indigenous associations. The songwriting and arranging workshop, which took place over several days, demonstrated a few things. First, it showed that there is little to no interest in arranging existing worship songs in local Bolivian styles of music, or with local instruments. Second, there needed to be more thorough and lengthy instruction for the entire congregation on the theology of worship and how it can be applied to cultural music expressions, without the association of the music being considered “sinful.” Finally, the participants in the songwriting workshop needed to be instructed on the characteristics own local music styles, as well as time to explore those styles in their worship songwriting. Even though one of the songs written was in the tinku rhythm and was performed using local instruments, such as the charango and zampoña, a combination of the workshop results, surveys, and interviews suggest that the issue of incorporating local music styles into this church in La Paz is complex and requires continued research and conversations with local church members. An analysis of worship observations, a survey, interviews, and the results of the songwriting workshops indicates that while some leaders and congregation members have a desire to see local music incorporated into their church worship, there is also a hesitancy by others to do so because Bolivian music is perceived to be less worshipful than imported worship songs. Ultimately, this project demonstrates a need for further encouragement and equipping for locally composed songs in Bolivia, as a demonstration of God’s love not only for the world in general, but specifically for Bolivians

Psychological Distress, Sexual Risk Behavior, and Attachment Insecurity among Young Adult Black Men who Have Sex with Men (YBMSM)

Background: Though there continues to be a significant amount of research aimed at understanding factors associated with participating in sexual risk behavior in populations of YBMSM, there has been far less research concerned with understanding how psychological distress may influence sexual risk behaviors and how emotional bond formation may affect the relationship between psychological distress and sexual risk behavior. This study aims to better understand the relationship between psychological distress and sexual risk behavior as well as the moderating effect of adult attachment insecurity on this relationship. Methods: Three data collection strategies were utilized to address the study aims: 1) cross-sectional (n = 228), 2) eight-week structured diary (n = 153), and 3) semi-structured interview (n = 30). The cross-sectional survey provided measurement information on adult attachment style using a modified version of the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR) that consists of the attachment avoidance and anxiety subscales, the Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI) and the Kessler-10 (K10). Sexual risk was measured by assessing unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) and serodiscordant UAI in the last two months. The eight-week structured diary utilized weekly reports of UAI encounter vs. no UAI encounter, and serodiscordant UAI encounter vs. no serodiscordant UAI encounter. The K10 and the Profile of Moods (POMS) anxiety and depression subscales measured psychological distress. The semi-structured interview assessed childhood attachment. Regression analyses were used to analyze the cross-sectional data. Random effects and population average regression models were used to analyze the structured diary data. A thematic inductive analysis technique was utilized to analyze the qualitative data. Results: Overall, participants reported slightly elevated mean scores on the attachment anxiety subscale while scores on the attachment avoidance subscale remained low. Participants reported an average of two UAI partners in the last month and an average of 1.3 UAI encounters over the eight-week diary period. Psychological distress scores were slightly elevated in the cross-sectional survey and depression scores were elevated in the diary component. For Aim 1, men higher on attachment insecurity (anxiety and avoidance) had higher levels of general psychological distress, depression, and anxiety in comparison to men who were more secure. The qualitative data supported the quantitative findings and showed that subjective appraisal of traumatic events and sexual orientation disclosure may mediate the relationship between childhood attachment and adult mental health. For Aim 2, the quantitative findings suggested that attachment insecurity was not related to sexual risk behavior. However, the qualitative component suggested that participants who were anxious used sex as a means to try to create an emotional bond, while participants who were avoidant used sex as a means to feel good without wanting to create an emotional bond. Both anxious and avoidant men seemed to participate in more concurrent sexual relationships which could increase their likelihood of HIV/STI transmission. For Aim 3, men who were more depressed and had higher levels of general psychological distress were more likely to report a serodiscordant UAI encounter in a given week. The qualitative data supported the quantitative findings and suggested that men might use sex as a means of escape their negative mood. This model of "escapism" could have lead to participation in sexual practices that increased men's risk of HIV/STI transmission. For Aim 4, adult attachment insecurity did not moderate the relationship between psychological distress and sexual risk. The qualitative data suggested that secure attachment in childhood was important to adequately coping with stressful situations, which in turn promoted overall well-being. Conclusion: Study findings suggest that understanding adult attachment may lead to a better understanding of psychological distress and sexual risk behavior among YBMSM. The results highlight the importance of considering childhood and young adult emotional bond formation in the development of HIV/STI prevention intervention activities aimed at addressing the heightened rates of sexual risk behavior among YBMSM. This research could have valuable implications for the development of HIV/STI and mental health prevention interventions aimed at reducing sexual risk behaviors and promoting well-being in populations of YBMS

Food Insecurity Rates Rise Steeply with Recession

Children's HealthWatch finds that the prevalence of food insecurity in a five-city sample of low-income families with young children increased from 18.5 percent to 22.6 percent between 2007 and 2008. This is the largest year-to-year change seen in the dataset since 2001. The increase is an indication of the economic hardships facing low-income families with young children. This data suggests that we are likely to see significant increases in food insecurity when the U.S. Department of Agriculture issues its own statistics for 2008 in late fall

Even Very Low Levels of Food Insecurity Found to Harm Children's Health

This publication is the first in a series of Children's HealthWatch Policy Action Briefs, which will provide a summary of our research, as well as that of others, on issues affecting children's health and well-being. This brief finds that more children are at risk for health and developmental problems due to lack of food than were previously thought. These children and their families are classified as

Federal Programs that Protect Young Children's Health

An investment in children's health is an investment in our country's economic health. Infants and toddlers, whose bodies and brains are in their most rapid period of growth, are uniquely vulnerable to even shortterm deprivation. Ensuring that they have the basic physiologic building blocks for healthy bodies and minds is not only the right thing to do -- it is the smart thing to do. Research has shown that children who suffer from poor nutrition, unstable housing and inadequate home heating have a greater likelihood of poor health, a higher risk of developmental delays and, in some cases, an increased risk of hospitalization

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli colonization of human colonic epithelium in vitro and ex vivo

Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) are important foodborne pathogens causing gastroenteritis and more severe complications such as hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. Pathology is most pronounced in the colon, but to date there is no direct clinical evidence showing EHEC binding to colonic epithelium in patients. In this study, we investigated EHEC adherence to the human colon by using in vitro organ culture (IVOC) of colonic biopsies and polarized T84 colon carcinoma cells. We showed for the first time that EHEC colonized human colonic biopsies by forming typical attaching/effacing (A/E) lesions which were dependent on EHEC type III secretion (T3S) and binding of the outer membrane protein intimin to the Translocated intimin receptor (Tir). A/E lesion formation was dependent on oxygen levels and suppressed under oxygen-rich culture conditions routinely used for IVOC. In contrast, EHEC adherence to polarized T84 cells occurred independently of T3S and intimin and did not involve Tir translocation into the host cell membrane. Neither colonization of biopsies nor T84 cells was significantly affected by expression of Shiga toxins. Our study suggests that EHEC colonize and form stable A/E lesions on the human colon which is likely to contribute to intestinal pathology during infection. Furthermore, care needs to be taken when using cell culture models as they might not reflect the in vivo situation

A Global Assessment of Long-Term Greening and Browning Trends in Pasture Lands Using the GIMMS LAI3g Dataset

Pasture ecosystems may be particularly vulnerable to land degradation due to the high risk of human disturbance (e.g., overgrazing, burning, etc.), especially when compared with natural ecosystems (non-pasture, non-cultivated) where direct human impacts are minimal. Using maximum annual leaf area index (LAImax) as a proxy for standing biomass and peak annual aboveground productivity, we analyze greening and browning trends in pasture areas from 1982-2008. Inter-annual variability in pasture productivity is strongly controlled by precipitation (positive correlation) and, to a lesser extent, temperature (negative correlation). Linear temporal trends are significant in 23% of pasture cells, with the vast majority of these areas showing positive LAImax trends. Spatially extensive productivity declines are only found in a few regions, most notably central Asia, southwest North America, and southeast Australia. Statistically removing the influence of precipitation reduces LAImax trends by only 13%, suggesting that precipitation trends are only a minor contributor to long-term greening and browning of pasture lands. No significant global relationship was found between LAImax and pasture intensity, although the magnitude of trends did vary between cells classified as natural versus pasture. In the tropics and Southern Hemisphere, the median rate of greening in pasture cells is significantly higher than for cells dominated by natural vegetation. In the Northern Hemisphere extra-tropics, conversely, greening of natural areas is 2-4 times the magnitude of greening in pasture areas. This analysis presents one of the first global assessments of greening and browning trends in global pasture lands, including a comparison with vegetation trends in regions dominated by natural ecosystems. Our results suggest that degradation of pasture lands is not a globally widespread phenomenon and, consistent with much of the terrestrial biosphere, there have been widespread increases in pasture productivity over the last 30 years

Flagellin induces β-defensin 2 in human colonic ex vivo infection with enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) is an important foodborne pathogen in the developed world and can cause life-threatening disease particularly in children. EHEC persists in the human gut by adhering intimately to colonic epithelium and forming characteristic attaching/effacing lesions. In this study, we investigated the innate immune response to EHEC infection with particular focus on antimicrobial peptide and protein expression by colonic epithelium. Using a novel human colonic biopsy model and polarized T84 colon carcinoma cells, we found that EHEC infection induced expression of human β-defensin 2 (hBD2), whereas hBD1, hBD3, LL-37 and lysozyme remained unchanged. Infection with specific EHEC deletion mutants demonstrated that this was dependent on flagellin, and apical exposure to purified flagellin was sufficient to stimulate hBD2 and also interleukin (IL)-8 expression ex vivo and in vitro. Flagellin-mediated hBD2 induction was significantly reduced by inhibitors of NF-κB, MAP kinase p38 and JNK but not ERK1/2. Interestingly, IL-8 secretion by polarized T84 cells was vectorial depending on the side of stimulation, and apical exposure to EHEC or flagellin resulted in apical IL-8 release. Our results demonstrate that EHEC only induces a modest immune response in human colonic epithelium characterized by flagellin-dependent induction of hBD2 and low levels of IL-8

Affordable Health Care Keeps Children and Families Healthy

The health of young children is negatively affected when parents have to forego health care for themselves or other adult members of the household or when parents have to forego payment of household expenses in order to pay for health care

WIC Improves Child Health and School Readiness

New research by Children's HealthWatch demonstrates that young children who participate in the Special Supplemental Nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are more likely to be in excellent or good health and have a reduced risk of developmental delay. Investing in WIC supports the nutritional and health needs of young children during a critical window of brain and body growth.Progam improvements that decrease access barriers, provide the full amount of fruits and vegetables recommended by the Institute of Medicine, and accommodate working parents' schedules will help young children reach their full potential