Diabetes prevalence and mortality in the Great Plains Region differences based on the social determinants of health

American Indians in the Great Plains Region have the highest diabetes mortality rates in the nation compared with other racial or ethnic groups or American Indians in other regions. Public health officials, Tribal leaders, and community members are calling diabetes an epidemic and serious public health issue. Strategies to prevent and control early mortality from diabetes in this population have not been as effective as needed. Effective prevention and intervention programs require that Tribal leaders and policy makers better understand the epidemic. This requires an investigation into the social determinants of health, and conditions from which differences in diabetes emerge. Examining the risk conditions that result in differential vulnerability in Tribal and county specific environments may provide guidance for public health initiatives aimed at reaching high risk populations. This dissertation uses Tribally-recommended methods for describing diabetes mortality in Great Plains Tribes and county-level diabetes prevalence data within a social determinants of health framework to examine associations between risk conditions and diabetes. Diabetes mortality data from 2002-2010 were examined to assess differences in mortality among American Indians and whites in the GPR. Diabetes prevalence data and select risk conditions were also assessed through multiple regression analysis. Results show significant regional and Tribal specific differences in diabetes mortality. The social determinants of health were useful in predicting diabetes in the GPR

Exploring Child Welfare Workers' Attitudes and Practice With Fathers

This cross-sectional study explored child welfare agency workers' attitudes and practice regarding working with fathers whose children are at-risk for abuse and neglect. Agency workers completed a questionnaire about their attitudes towards working with fathers, their knowledge of barriers to fathers' engagement, and their experiences with their own fathers. They also completed open-ended items about services and supports they felt would be most helpful to fathers. A content analysis of the data revealed critical themes for four areas that workers felt could be enhanced to effectively engage fathers: (a) use diligent efforts that ensure fathers are present to contribute, (b) provide equitable services, supports, and policies for fathers, (c) address father-specific needs, and (d) promote a positive worker-father relationship. The findings provide insight into ways that social workers can maximize fathers' strengths and reduce their challenges

Feasibility testing a family level intervention to prevent risky sex behaviors among middle school age Latinas

Purpose: In this article, we report a pilot study that tested the feasibility and initial efficacy of a culturally, linguistically, and developmentally tailored risky sex prevention intervention for middle school–age Latinas and their mothers. Design: We used a one-group pre-test, post-test, and 3-month post-intervention follow-up design. Data were collected at three points on aspects of the girls’ communication, beliefs, and behaviors. Results: Promising results included improvements in girl’s self-efficacy regarding condom communication and condom consistent use, and in mother–teen sexual risk communication. There were also trends in demonstration of fewer risky sex behaviors. Discussion: These findings suggest that the “Latina–Girls Empowered through Mind and Mission” (L-GEMM) intervention for young Latinas and their mothers is feasible and warrants further testing. Implications: Nurses are uniquely positioned to deliver risky sex preventive interventions to young Latinas. Including mothers and tailoring interventions to build on cultural strengths are important for success

Integrating students into interdisciplinary health and health disparities research teams

Major initiatives by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as the World Health Organization have produced a large and compelling body of evidence on how to reduce health disparities, which entails having a clear understanding of how social factors shape health and healthcare outcomes. Specifically, there is a need for healthcare professionals to understand social determinants of health (e.g., low socioeconomic status, lack of health insurance, and poor education) and how these lead to disparities in health for people of minority racial and ethnic groups. Little is known about how students are developed as health disparities researchers or how their research experiences impact their views about addressing social determinants of health as a career goal. The purpose of this paper is to describe how health and human sciences students were integrated into three minority HIV prevention and testing projects using the lifelong learning for health professionals (LLHP) principles and activities framework, which entails a focus on: (a) education, (b) community, and (c) organization in the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of interdisciplinary research

Lived experience, power that a degree cannot give you: a phenomenological study of one Hispanic woman leader in academia

Introduction: Structural racism, bias, and discrimination within institutions of higher educationprevent Hispanic women from becoming university leaders and professors, especially when theydo not have a formal degree. Hispanic leaders in higher education often have lived experiencesbased on their cultural values, family connections, and time working in community settings.However, lived experience is not always viewed as an equal qualification to college degreeswhen it comes to teaching, leading, or managing programs and departments.Methods: The purpose of this study is to present a case study of one program operations director(leader) working at a University who does not have a terminal or advanced degree but holds thelived and professional experiences of working in community health worker programs withminority and underserved populations. This study examined her experience as a Hispanic femaleleading in higher education. We used qualitative phenomenological methods grounded in adescriptive case study design to inform our work.Results: The themes from the analysis process represent how LE influences the participant’swork as a leader in academia and give insight into how she navigates academia without a collegedegree.Discussion: Higher education must meet the needs of Hispanic students and leaders. Byelevating Hispanic women in leadership positions, even without degrees, institutions of highereducation are demonstrating a commitment to Hispanic student support, development, diversity,and culture

American-Indian diabetes mortality in the Great Plains Region 2002–2010

Objective To compare American-Indian and Caucasian mortality rates from diabetes among tribal Contract Health Service Delivery Areas (CHSDAs) in the Great Plains Region (GPR) and describe the disparities observed.Research design and methods Mortality data from the National Center for Vital Statistics and Seer*STAT were used to identify diabetes as the underlying cause of death for each decedent in the GPR from 2002 to 2010. Mortality data were abstracted and aggregated for American-Indians and Caucasians for 25 reservation CHSDAs in the GPR. Rate ratios (RR) with 95% CIs were used and SEER*Stat V.8.0.4 software calculated age-adjusted diabetes mortality rates.Results Age-adjusted mortality rates for American-Indians were significantly higher than those for Caucasians during the 8-year period. In the GPR, American-Indians were 3.44 times more likely to die from diabetes than Caucasians. South Dakota had the highest RR (5.47 times that of Caucasians), and Iowa had the lowest RR, (1.1). Reservation CHSDA RR ranged from 1.78 to 10.25.Conclusions American-Indians in the GPR have higher diabetes mortality rates than Caucasians in the GPR. Mortality rates among American-Indians persist despite special programs and initiatives aimed at reducing diabetes in these populations. Effective and immediate efforts are needed to address premature diabetes mortality among American-Indians in the GPR

α-Arrestins Aly1 and Aly2 Regulate Intracellular Trafficking in Response to Nutrient Signaling

Arrestins, known regulators of endocytosis, take on novel functions in nutrient-regulated endosomal recycling. Yeast α-arrestins, Aly1 and Aly2, redistribute the Gap1 permease from endosomes to the cell surface and interact with clathrin/AP-1. Aly2 is regulated by the Npr1 kinase and acts through mechanisms distinct from Aly1

Highlights From the Annual Meeting of the American Epilepsy Society 2022

With more than 6000 attendees between in-person and virtual offerings, the American Epilepsy Society Meeting 2022 in Nashville, felt as busy as in prepandemic times. An ever-growing number of physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals gathered to learn a variety of topics about epilepsy. The program was carefully tailored to meet the needs of professionals with different interests and career stages. This article summarizes the different symposia presented at the meeting. Basic science lectures addressed the primary elements of seizure generation and pathophysiology of epilepsy in different disease states. Scientists congregated to learn about anti-seizure medications, mechanisms of action, and new tools to treat epilepsy including surgery and neurostimulation. Some symposia were also dedicated to discuss epilepsy comorbidities and practical issues regarding epilepsy care. An increasing number of patient advocates discussing their stories were intertwined within scientific activities. Many smaller group sessions targeted more specific topics to encourage member participation, including Special Interest Groups, Investigator, and Skills Workshops. Special lectures included the renown Hoyer and Lombroso, an ILAE/IBE joint session, a spotlight on the impact of Dobbs v. Jackson on reproductive health in epilepsy, and a joint session with the NAEC on coding and reimbursement policies. The hot topics symposium was focused on traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic epilepsy. A balanced collaboration with the industry allowed presentations of the latest pharmaceutical and engineering advances in satellite symposia

The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead