Young adults in the workplace: A multisite initiative of substance use prevention programs

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration funded the multisite Young Adults in the Workplace (YIW) initiative to study the effectiveness of diverse approaches to workplace-based prevention of substance abuse. Six teams adapted evidence-based programs to target young employees and then implemented the programs in retail, restaurant, health care, construction, skilled trade, and transportation industry workplaces. This book describes the programs, the adaptation and implementation processes, and the YIW cross-site evaluation

Does an Interactive Health Promotion Website Facilitate Workplace Peer-to-Peer Substance Abuse Prevention?

Operation RedBlock, a substance abuse prevention and early intervention program at Amtrak, implemented an interactive health promotion website (On The Right Track, OTRT) for its volunteers, other employees and their families. OTRT was customized from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) -sponsored [email protected] website and implemented with the purpose of facilitating the peer-to-peer substance abuse prevention efforts of Operation RedBlock volunteers. SAMHSA’s GetFit website combines broad health and wellness messages with current substance abuse prevention resources. The OTRT customization adds Amtrak relevant and specific content concerning substance abuse prevention resources and treatment options, drug and alcohol use policies, health care coverage, support group meeting locations and dates, and local Operation RedBlock and Employee Assistance Program contact information. Using a retrospective pretest-posttest design this study evaluates whether and how OTRT facilitated peer-to-peer efforts in substance abuse prevention and early intervention. The evaluation revealed that the website significantly improved access to information and resources that helped Operation RedBlock volunteers’ in their peer-to-peer efforts. Volunteers valued the ready availability of reliable information, the confidential nature, and the ease of use of OTRT. Facilitated access to information and resources may help reduce substance abuse among employees at high risk

Organoid Sample Preparation and Extraction for LC-MS Peptidomics.

This protocol describes the peptidomic analysis of organoid lysates, FACS-purified cell populations, and 2D culture secretions by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Currently, most peptides are quantified by ELISA, limiting the peptides that can be studied. However, an LC-MS-based approach allows more peptides to be monitored. Our group has previously used LC-MS for tissue peptidomics and secretion of enteroendocrine peptides from primary culture. Now, we extend the use to organoid models. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Goldspink et al. (2020)

Global Analysis of Protein N-Myristoylation and Exploration of N-Myristoyltransferase as a Drug Target in the Neglected Human Pathogen Leishmania donovani

N-Myristoyltransferase (NMT) modulates protein function through the attachment of the lipid myristate to the N terminus of target proteins, and is a promising drug target in eukaryotic parasites such as Leishmania donovani. Only a small number of NMT substrates have been characterized in Leishmania, and a global picture of N-myristoylation is lacking. Here, we use metabolic tagging with an alkyne-functionalized myristic acid mimetic in live parasites followed by downstream click chemistry and analysis to identify lipidated proteins in both the promastigote (extracellular) and amastigote (intracellular) life stages. Quantitative chemical proteomics is used to profile target engagement by NMT inhibitors, and to define the complement of N-myristoylated proteins. Our results provide new insight into the multiple pathways modulated by NMT and the pleiotropic effects of NMT inhibition. This work constitutes the first global experimental analysis of protein lipidation in Leishmania, and reveals the extent of NMT-related biology yet to be explored for this neglected human pathogen

Effect of cytomegalovirus infection on breastfeeding transmission of HIV and on the health of infants born to HIV-infected mothers

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection can be acquired in utero or postnatally through horizontal transmission and breastfeeding. The effect of postnatal CMV infection on postnatal HIV transmission is unknown

Evaluating Nurses' Implementation of an Infant-Feeding Counseling Protocol for HIV-Infected Mothers: The Ban Study in Lilongwe, Malawi

A process evaluation of nurses’ implementation of an infant-feeding counseling protocol was conducted for the Breastfeeding, Antiretroviral and Nutrition (BAN) Study, a prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV clinical trial in Lilongwe, Malawi. Six trained nurses counseled HIV-infected mothers to exclusively breastfeed for 24 weeks postpartum and to stop breastfeeding within an additional four weeks. Implementation data were collected via direct observations of 123 infant feeding counseling sessions (30 antenatal and 93 postnatal) and interviews with each nurse. Analysis included calculating a percent adherence to checklists and conducting a content analysis for the observation and interview data. Nurses were implementing the protocol at an average adherence level of 90% or above. Although not detailed in the protocol, nurses appropriately counseled mothers on their actual or intended formula milk usage after weaning. Results indicate that nurses implemented the protocol as designed. Results will help to interpret the BAN Study’s outcomes

Adherence to extended postpartum antiretrovirals is associated with decreased breast milk HIV-1 transmission

Estimate association between postpartum antiretroviral adherence and breastmilk HIV-1 transmissio