Population-based Interventions Engaging Communities of Color in Healthy Eating and Active Living: A Review

INTRODUCTION: The U.S. obesity epidemic is escalating, particularly among communities of color. Obesity control efforts have shifted away from individual-level approaches toward population-based approaches that address socio-cultural, political, economic, and physical environmental factors. Few data exist for ethnic minority groups. This article reviews studies of population-based interventions targeting communities of color or including sufficient samples to permit ethnic-specific analyses. METHODS: Inclusion criteria were established, an electronic database search conducted, and non-electronically catalogued studies retrieved. Findings were aggregated for earlier (early 1970s to early 1990s) and later (mid-1990s to present) interventions. RESULTS: The search yielded 23 ethnically inclusive intervention studies published between January 1970 and May 2003. Several characteristics of inclusive interventions were consistent with characteristics of community-level interventions among predominantly white European-American samples: use of non-interpersonal channels for information dissemination directed at broad spheres of influence (e.g., mass media), promotion of physical activity, and incorporation of social marketing principles. Ethnically inclusive studies, however, also placed greater emphasis on involving communities and building coalitions from study inception; targeting captive audiences; mobilizing social networks; and tailoring culturally specific messages and messengers. Inclusive studies also focused more on community than individual norms. Later studies used "upstream" approaches more than earlier studies. Fewer than half of the inclusive studies presented outcome evaluation data. Statistically significant effects were few and modest, but several studies demonstrated better outcomes among ethnic minority than white participants sampled. CONCLUSION: The best data available speak more about how to engage and retain people of color in these interventions than about how to create and sustain weight loss, regular engagement in physical activity, or improved diet. Advocacy should be directed at increasing the visibility and budget priority of interventions, particularly at the state and local levels

Prevalence of and risk factors for feline hyperthyroidism in South Africa

Feline hyperthyroidism is a disease of middle-aged to older cats that has shown a marked increase in worldwide incidence within the last three decades as well as a marked geographic variation in prevalence. The exact pathogenesis of the disease still remains obscure and despite a plethora of epidemiological studies, clear risk factors have not been identified. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of feline hyperthyroidism in South Africa and to identify potential risk factors. Serum total thyroxine (tT4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (cTSH) were measured in 302 cats aged 9 years and older that were presented at various veterinary clinics. In a few cats, serum free thyroxine (fT4) was also measured. At the time of blood sampling a questionnaire was completed regarding vaccination history, internal and external parasite control, diet and environment. The prevalence of hyperthyroidism (tT4> 50nmol/L or tT4 between 30-50 nmol/L with cTSH 50pmol/L) within this population was 7.0% with no significant difference in prevalence between healthy (5.1%) and sick (8.2%) cats. Cats ≥ 12years of age (OR= 4.3, p= 0.02) and cats with canned food in their diet (OR= 2.1, p= 0.1) were more likely to be diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. No significant relationship between vaccinations, parasite control or indoor environment and hyperthyroidism was observed. Hyperthyroid cats were more likely to present with weight loss (OR= 3.2, p= 0.01) and with a heart rate ≥ 200bpm (OR= 5, p= 0.01) than cats without the disease.The prevalence of feline hyperthyroidism in South Africa appears to be similar to that in cats in Japan and Portugal but less than that in cats in the UK and Germany. Risk factors for hyperthyroidism, previously found in other studies, specifically older age and eating canned food was present in this study population.Poster presented at the University of Pretoria, Faculty of Veterinary Science Faculty Day, August 25, 2016, Pretoria, South Africa.ab201

Microbiota of human breast tissue

In recent years, a greater appreciation for the microbes inhabiting human body sites has emerged. In the female mammary gland, milk has been shown to contain bacterial species, ostensibly reaching the ducts from the skin. We decided to investigate whether there is a microbiome within the mammary tissue. Using 16S rRNA sequencing and culture, we analyzed breast tissue from 81 women with and without cancer in Canada and Ireland. A diverse population of bacteria was detected within tissue collected from sites all around the breast in women aged 18 to 90, not all of whom had a history of lactation. The principal phylum was Proteobacteria. The most abundant taxa in the Canadian samples were Bacillus (11.4%), Acinetobacter (10.0%), Enterobacteriaceae (8.3%), Pseudomonas (6.5%), Staphylococcus (6.5%), Propionibacterium (5.8%), Comamonadaceae (5.7%), Gammaproteobacteria (5.0%), and Prevotella (5.0%). In the Irish samples the most abundant taxa were Enterobacteriaceae (30.8%), Staphylococcus (12.7%), Listeria welshimeri (12.1%), Propionibacterium (10.1%), and Pseudomonas (5.3%). None of the subjects had signs or symptoms of infection, but the presence of viable bacteria was confirmed in some samples by culture. The extent to which these organisms play a role in health or disease remains to be determined. © 2014, American Society for Microbiology

A mixed methods approach to evaluating community drug distributor performance in the control of neglected tropical diseases

BACKGROUND: Trusted literate, or semi-literate, community drug distributors (CDDs) are the primary implementers in integrated preventive chemotherapy (IPC) programmes for Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) control. The CDDs are responsible for safely distributing drugs and for galvanising communities to repeatedly, often over many years, receive annual treatment, create and update treatment registers, monitor for side-effects and compile treatment coverage reports. These individuals are 'volunteers' for the programmes and do not receive remuneration for their annual work commitment. METHODS: A mixed methods approach, which included pictorial diaries to prospectively record CDD use of time, structured interviews and focus group discussions, was used to triangulate data on how 58 CDDs allocated their time towards their routine family activities and to NTD Programme activities in Uganda. The opportunity costs of CDD time were valued, performance assessed by determining the relationship between time and programme coverage, and CDD motivation for participating in the programme was explored. RESULTS: Key findings showed approximately 2.5 working weeks (range 0.6-11.4 working weeks) were spent on NTD Programme activities per year. The amount of time on NTD control activities significantly increased between the one and three deliveries that were required within an IPC campaign. CDD time spent on NTD Programme activities significantly reduced time available for subsistence and income generating engagements. As CDDs took more time to complete NTD Programme activities, their treatment performance, in terms of validated coverage, significantly decreased. Motivation for the programme was reported as low and CDDs felt undervalued. CONCLUSIONS: CDDs contribute a considerable amount of opportunity cost to the overall economic cost of the NTD Programme in Uganda due to the commitment of their time. Nevertheless, programme coverage of at least 75 %, as required by the World Health Organisation, is not being achieved and vulnerable individuals may not have access to treatment as a consequence of sub-optimal performance by the CDDs due to workload and programmatic factors

Oral administration of a Salmonella enterica-based vaccine expressing Bacillus anthracis protective antigen confers protection against aerosolized B. anthracis.

Bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax, a disease that affects wildlife, livestock, and humans. Protection against anthrax is primarily afforded by immunity to the B. anthracis protective antigen (PA), particularly PA domains 4 and 1. To further the development of an orally delivered human vaccine for mass vaccination against anthrax, we produced Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium expressing full-length PA, PA domains 1 and 4, or PA domain 4 using codon-optimized PA DNA fused to the S. enterica serovar Typhi ClyA and under the control of the ompC promoter. Oral immunization of A/J mice with Salmonella expressing full-length PA protected five of six mice against a challenge with 10(5) CFU of aerosolized B. anthracis STI spores, whereas Salmonella expressing PA domains 1 and 4 provided only 25% protection (two of eight mice), and Salmonella expressing PA domain 4 or a Salmonella-only control afforded no measurable protection. However, a purified recombinant fusion protein of domains 1 and 4 provided 100% protection, and purified recombinant 4 provided protection in three of eight immunized mice. Thus, we demonstrate for the first time the efficacy of an oral S. enterica-based vaccine against aerosolized B. anthracis spores

Large-Scale Imputation of KIR Copy Number and HLA Alleles in North American and European Psoriasis Case-Control Cohorts Reveals Association of Inhibitory KIR2DL2 With Psoriasis

Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) regulate immune responses in NK and CD8+ T cells via interaction with HLA ligands. KIR genes, including KIR2DS1, KIR3DL1, and KIR3DS1 have previously been implicated in psoriasis susceptibility. However, these previous studies were constrained to small sample sizes, in part due to the time and expense required for direct genotyping of KIR genes. Here, we implemented KIR*IMP to impute KIR copy number from single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on chromosome 19 in the discovery cohort (n=11,912) from the PAGE consortium, University of California San Francisco, and the University of Dundee, and in a replication cohort (n=66,357) from Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Stratified multivariate logistic regression that accounted for patient ancestry and high-risk HLA alleles revealed that KIR2DL2 copy number was significantly associated with psoriasis in the discovery cohort (p ≤ 0.05). The KIR2DL2 copy number association was replicated in the Kaiser Permanente replication cohort. This is the first reported association of KIR2DL2 copy number with psoriasis and highlights the importance of KIR genetics in the pathogenesis of psoriasis

The Vehicle, Fall 1980

Vol. 22, No. 1 Table of Contents UntitledSusan Mehlpage 4 MitchJohn Stockmanpage 5 HallwayAndy Leszczynskipage 6 At The MoviesElise Hempelpage 8 HaikuAngie Patrickpage 8 On MagnoliasThersa Kennypage 9 NeighborJohn Stockmanpage 10 WetCathy Georgepage 10 HaikuThersa Kennypage 10 The Speed QueenCarolyn Perrypage 11 A ThoughtThersa Kennypage 14 The Stone Belongs to the LakeRobert Schumacherpage 15 Driving South of WinnipegJerry McAnultypage 16 Travels with the ExecutionerPeter Lindemanpage 17 NightwingLaura Muellerpage 18 Thoughts of an Uninterested StudentDru Seftonpage 19 Rainbird\u27s ManMary McDanielpage 20 EffortlessKevin Stottpage 25 Where the Waves SoundTheresa Whitesidepage 26 \u2745Ray Wallacepage 28 Epigram #1P. James Kruegerpage 28 UntitledSusan Mehlpage 29 RerunsAngie Patrickpage 30 SunsetGloria Rhoadspage 34 Return of the NativeRay Wallacepage 35 The GuitarJoanne Dunnepage 35 In Grandmother\u27s BedroomElise Hempelpage 36 Cindy Poem No. 3John Stockmanpage 36 Dust in the DarkLaura Muellerpage 37 Suspension BridgeLaura Henrypage 39 WavesLeslie Garnerpage 39 Oyama: a Setting and a GirlJerry McAnultypage 40 the middle of the nightKevin Stottpage 41 Old State RoadLaura Henrypage 43 Dairy QueenJohn Stockmanpage 43 Art CoverDennis Wunsch Pen and ink drawingRose Huberpage 3 PhotographIrene Brownpage 7 PhotographIrene Brownpage 27 PhotographIrene Brownpage 42 Pen and ink drawingRose Huberpage 44https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1036/thumbnail.jp

Association of Accelerometry-Measured Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Events in Mobility-Limited Older Adults: The LIFE (Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders) Study.

BACKGROUND:Data are sparse regarding the value of physical activity (PA) surveillance among older adults-particularly among those with mobility limitations. The objective of this study was to examine longitudinal associations between objectively measured daily PA and the incidence of cardiovascular events among older adults in the LIFE (Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders) study. METHODS AND RESULTS:Cardiovascular events were adjudicated based on medical records review, and cardiovascular risk factors were controlled for in the analysis. Home-based activity data were collected by hip-worn accelerometers at baseline and at 6, 12, and 24 months postrandomization to either a physical activity or health education intervention. LIFE study participants (n=1590; age 78.9±5.2 [SD] years; 67.2% women) at baseline had an 11% lower incidence of experiencing a subsequent cardiovascular event per 500 steps taken per day based on activity data (hazard ratio, 0.89; 95% confidence interval, 0.84-0.96; P=0.001). At baseline, every 30 minutes spent performing activities ≥500 counts per minute (hazard ratio, 0.75; confidence interval, 0.65-0.89 [P=0.001]) were also associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular events. Throughout follow-up (6, 12, and 24 months), both the number of steps per day (per 500 steps; hazard ratio, 0.90, confidence interval, 0.85-0.96 [P=0.001]) and duration of activity ≥500 counts per minute (per 30 minutes; hazard ratio, 0.76; confidence interval, 0.63-0.90 [P=0.002]) were significantly associated with lower cardiovascular event rates. CONCLUSIONS:Objective measurements of physical activity via accelerometry were associated with cardiovascular events among older adults with limited mobility (summary score >10 on the Short Physical Performance Battery) both using baseline and longitudinal data. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION:URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01072500

Icarus Falls: The Coal Health Scandal

The handling of cases under the Coal Health Compensation Schemes, set up in 1999 to compensate miners suffering from workplace medical conditions, resulted in over 100 solicitors from more than 30 firms facing disciplinary proceedings. Three were struck off, three suspended and over forty fined following the largest investigation ever mounted by the regulator. This article examines the political and regulatory context of the scandal, describes one of the cases presented to the Solicitors' Disciplinary Tribunal and examines the relevance of theories of transgression to professional disciplinary matters. It concludes by considering the regulatory impacts and implications of the scandal

US Cosmic Visions: New Ideas in Dark Matter 2017: Community Report

This white paper summarizes the workshop "U.S. Cosmic Visions: New Ideas in Dark Matter" held at University of Maryland on March 23-25, 2017.Comment: 102 pages + reference