Neighborhood Cancerization: New Approaches Linking Social and Biological Mechanisms of Cancer

Novel multidisciplinary and multilevel approaches are required to link biologic and social mechanisms with cancer. We propose a new biosocial concept, â??neighborhood cancerization,â?? which postulates that residents of the same geographically-defined regions can be exposed to common unfavorable circumstances. These common neighborhood-level exposures can in turn have biological consequences that may result in an increased risk of cancer. Just as common â??molecular signaturesâ?? can differentiate tumor types, â??neighborhood signaturesâ?? can identify neighborhoods at increased risk for cancers of similar etiologic origins. Under a shared chronic stress hypothesis, we test the neighborhood cancerization theory by first determining the effect of neighborhood circumstances on telomere length (TL), a cellular marker of oxidative stress often implicated in cancer development at the population level. After addressing common methodologic concerns often cited in TL studies, we tested neighborhood and TL associations in a multi-racial, multi-center setting and in the context of individual-level stressors using quantile regression. We then developed and conducted a neighborhood-wide association study (NWAS) using all available U.S Census variables and the Pennsylvania State Cancer Registry in order to empirically identify common neighborhood factors related to prostate cancer. Our novel NWAS approach demonstrates how agnostic, high-dimensional data analyses can be used to identify neighborhoods and people at risk for high grade/high stage, aggressive prostate cancer. Our work has implications for health disparities research, and provides evidence to support the neighborhood cancerization hypothesis

Influences of Training and Personal Experiences on Counselor Trainees\u27 GLBT Ally Development: A Case Stud

The goal of this multiple case study was to investigate straight counseling students’ perceptions of their preparation to work with GLBT clients. For this study, semi - structured interviews were conducted with six straight counselor education students from two universities. Pattern matching analysis revealed that students with significant exposure to GLBT individuals, as well as those who believed their training provided adequate preparation for GLBT counseling, were more likely to adopt a GLBT - affirmative identity and to experience greater self - efficacy about counseling with GLBT individuals. In addition, thematic analysis revealed seven themes of participants’ experiences that fell into four categories. Ideas for counselor educators to incorporate experiential learning into their programs are offered

Seawater cadmium in the Florida Straits over the Holocene and implications for Upper AMOC variability

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2022. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology 37, (2022): e2021PA004379, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021pa004379.Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) plays a central role in the global redistribution of heat and precipitation during both abrupt and longer-term climate shifts. Over the next century, AMOC is projected to weaken due to greenhouse gas warming, though projecting its future behavior is dependent on a better understanding of how AMOC changes are forced. Seeking to resolve an apparent contradiction of AMOC trends from paleorecords of the more recent past, we reconstruct seawater cadmium, a nutrient-like tracer, in the Florida Straits over the last ∼8,000 years, with emphasis on the last millennium. The gradual reduction in seawater Cd over the last 8,000 years could be due to a reduction in AMOC, consistent with cooling Northern Hemisphere temperatures and a southward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. However, it is difficult to reconcile this finding with evidence for an increase in geostrophic flow through the Florida Straits over the same time period. We combine data from intermediate water depth sediment cores to extend this record into the Common Era at sufficient resolution to address the broad scale changes of this time period. There is a small decline in the Cd concentration in the Late Little Ice Age relative to the Medieval Climate Anomaly, but this change was much smaller than the changes observed over the Holocene and on the deglaciation. This suggests that any trend in the strength of AMOC over the last millennium must have been very subtle.This work was funded by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship DGE-1148903 (SV) and NSF grant OCE-1459563 and OCE-1851900 (JLS)

Identifying Polyphagous and Kuroshio Shot-Hole Borer in California

The Invasive Shot-Hole Borer is a new, rapidly spreading, invasive pest threatening landscape trees and commercial avocado groves. The beetle is a vector for the plant disease fusarium dieback. First detected in the Los Angeles basin in 2012, it has quickly spread as far north as San Luis Obispo. Currently there are no control measures for the disease. While the current economic impact to crops is focused on avocados, computer models suggest almond to be a potential host. This publication explains the life cycle, biology and identification, look-alike pests, signs and symptoms of infestation and damage, reproductive hosts, and landscape and agricultural host species

Sex Differences in Obesity-Induced Inflammation

Obesity is defined as a BMI greater than 25 kg/m2. Once thought to simply be a nutritional disorder, obesity has become a major health concern characterized by a state of constant low-grade inflammation caused by chronic adiposity. This state of inflammation is characterized by circulating inflammatory mediators, such as IL-6, leptin, and TNF-α, as well as varying levels of glucose-regulating hormones produced by obese adipose tissue. When left untreated, obesity can lead to a number of diseases including, but not limited to, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, neurodegeneration, type II diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and infertility. The distribution of adiposity differs in men and women, and these differences, along with the differences in sex hormones and sex hormone levels, can exacerbate or attenuate the course of disease pathology. Obesity can also be exacerbated by stress, which can worsen disease pathogenesis. In this review, we will explore how obesity affects inflammation and disease and how sex can affect the course of these diseases

Encoding NF-κB temporal control in response to TNF: distinct roles for the negative regulators IκBα and A20

TNF-induced NF-κB activity shows complex temporal regulation whose different phases lead to distinct gene expression programs. Combining experimental studies and mathematical modeling, we identify two temporal amplification steps—one determined by the obligate negative feedback regulator IκBα—that define the duration of the first phase of NF-κB activity. The second phase is defined by A20, whose inducible expression provides for a rheostat function by which other inflammatory stimuli can regulate TNF responses. Our results delineate the nonredundant functions implied by the knockout phenotypes of iκbα and a20, and identify the latter as a signaling cross-talk mediator controlling inflammatory and developmental responses

The Pediatrician and Disaster Preparedness

Recent natural disasters and events of terrorism and war have heightened society's recognition of the need for emergency preparedness. In addition to the unique pediatric issues involved in general emergency preparedness, several additional issues related to terrorism preparedness must be considered, including the unique vulnerabilities of children to various agents as well as the limited availability of age- and weight-appropriate antidotes and treatments. Although children may respond more rapidly to therapeutic intervention, they are at the same time more susceptible to various agents and conditions and more likely to deteriorate if not monitored carefully.The challenge of dealing with the threat of terrorism, natural disasters, and public health emergencies in the United States is daunting not only for disaster planners but also for our medical system and health professionals of all types, including pediatricians. As part of the network of health responders, pediatricians need to be able to answer concerns of patients and families, recognize signs of possible exposure to a weapon of terror, understand first-line response to such attacks, and sufficiently participate in disaster planning to ensure that the unique needs of children are addressed satisfactorily in the overall process. Pediatricians play a central role in disaster and terrorism preparedness with families, children, and their communities. This applies not only to the general pediatrician but also to the pediatric medical subspecialist and pediatric surgical specialist. Families view pediatricians as their expert resource, and most of them expect the pediatrician to be knowledgeable in areas of concern. Providing expert guidance entails educating families in anticipation of events and responding to questions during and after actual events. It is essential that pediatricians educate themselves regarding these issues of emergency preparedness. For pediatricians, some information is currently available on virtually all of these issues in recently produced printed materials, at special conferences, in broadcasts of various types, and on the Internet. However, selecting appropriate, accurate sources of information and determining how much information is sufficient remain difficult challenges. Similarly, guidance is needed with respect to developing relevant curricula for medical students and postdoctoral clinical trainees