Urban Dwelling American Indian Adolescent Girls’ Beliefs Regarding Health Care Access and Trust

Indigenous people, specifically American Indians (AI), have historically had a greater mistrust of the medical system compared to their White counterparts. The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of AI adolescent girls living in an urban

The association of at-risk, problem, and pathological gambling with substance use, depression, and arrest history

We examined at-risk, problem, or pathological gambling co-occurrence with frequency of past-year alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use; depressive symptoms; and arrest history. Data included the responses of over 3,000 individuals who participated in a 2006 telephone survey designed to understand the extent of at-risk, problem, and pathological gambling; comorbidity levels with substance use; mental health; and social problems among Southwestern U.S. residents. Data were analyzed with multinomial and bivariate logistic regression. Respondents at risk for problem gambling were more likely to use alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana than those respondents not at risk. Pathological gamblers were no more or less likely to consume alcohol or tobacco than were non-gamblers or those not at risk. A dose-response relationship existed between degree of gambling problems and depressive symptoms and arrest history. Interventions for at-risk or problem gamblers need to include substance use treatment, and the phenomenon of low levels of substance use among pathological gamblers needs further exploration

Enhanced Characterization of Drug Metabolism and the Influence of the Intestinal Microbiome: A Pharmacokinetic, Microbiome, and Untargeted Metabolomics Study.

Determining factors that contribute to interindividual and intra-individual variability in pharmacokinetics (PKs) and drug metabolism is essential for the optimal use of drugs in humans. Intestinal microbes are important contributors to variability; however, such gut microbe-drug interactions and the clinical significance of these interactions are still being elucidated. Traditional PKs can be complemented by untargeted mass spectrometry coupled with molecular networking to study the intricacies of drug metabolism. To show the utility of molecular networking on metabolism we investigated the impact of a 7-day course of cefprozil on cytochrome P450 (CYP) activity using a modified Cooperstown cocktail and assessed plasma, urine, and fecal data by targeted and untargeted metabolomics and molecular networking in healthy volunteers. This prospective study revealed that cefprozil decreased the activities of CYP1A2, CYP2C19, and CYP3A, decreased alpha diversity and increased interindividual microbiome variability. We further demonstrate a relationship between the loss of microbiome alpha diversity caused by cefprozil and increased drug and metabolite formation in fecal samples. Untargeted metabolomics/molecular networking revealed several omeprazole metabolites that we hypothesize may be metabolized by both CYP2C19 and bacteria from the gut microbiome. Our observations are consistent with the hypothesis that factors that perturb the gut microbiome, such as antibiotics, alter drug metabolism and ultimately drug efficacy and toxicity but that these effects are most strongly revealed on a per individual basis

Chemolithotrophy in the continental deep subsurface: Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), USA

The deep subsurface is an enormous repository of microbial life. However, the metabolic capabilities of these microorganisms and the degree to which they are dependent on surface processes are largely unknown. Due to the logistical difficulty of sampling and inherent heterogeneity, the microbial populations of the terrestrial subsurface are poorly characterized. In an effort to better understand the biogeochemistry of deep terrestrial habitats, we evaluate the energetic yield of chemolithotrophic metabolisms and microbial diversity in the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in the former Homestake Gold Mine, SD, USA. Geochemical data, energetic modeling, and DNA sequencing were combined with principle component analysis to describe this deep (down to 8100 ft below surface), terrestrial environment. SURF provides access into an iron-rich Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary deposit that contains deeply circulating groundwater. Geochemical analyses of subsurface fluids reveal enormous geochemical diversity ranging widely in salinity, oxidation state (ORP 330 to −328 mV), and concentrations of redox sensitive species (e.g., Fe(2+) from near 0 to 6.2 mg/L and Σ S(2-) from 7 to 2778μg/L). As a direct result of this compositional buffet, Gibbs energy calculations reveal an abundance of energy for microorganisms from the oxidation of sulfur, iron, nitrogen, methane, and manganese. Pyrotag DNA sequencing reveals diverse communities of chemolithoautotrophs, thermophiles, aerobic and anaerobic heterotrophs, and numerous uncultivated clades. Extrapolated across the mine footprint, these data suggest a complex spatial mosaic of subsurface primary productivity that is in good agreement with predicted energy yields. Notably, we report Gibbs energy normalized both per mole of reaction and per kg fluid (energy density) and find the later to be more consistent with observed physiologies and environmental conditions. Further application of this approach will significantly expand our understanding of the deep terrestrial biosphere

Pelvic obliquity, arm swing kinematics, strength, and speed in recreational distance runners

Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only.Running has become an immensely popular form of exercise for recreational, professional, social, health, and overall fitness purposes. There is no shortage of existing research on lower extremity running mechanics and sex differences in running-related injury rates, but research regarding pelvic obliquity (PVO), upper extremity running mechanics, and isometric trunk strength is limited. The purpose of this study was to determine the connection between PVO, arm swing crossover (ASC), and trunk and pelvic strength as a function of running speed in recreational distance runners and to determine whether sex differences exist in these relationships. Data from 16 apparently healthy recreational runners (age 24.25 ± 4.25 years; 6 females) were analyzed in this study. Motion capture data was collected during four, 2- minute treadmill running trials at varying speeds between 2.68 and 4.02 m∙s-1, followed by a series of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) tests for lateral trunk flexion, trunk rotation, hip abduction, and unilateral hip flexion and extension strength. While significant correlations were found between PVO and right ASC at some speeds (3.13 m∙s-1 – p = .027, 3.57 m∙s-1 – p = .048), PVO shared no correlations with left ASC (p > .05). Significant negative correlations were found between left ASC and various strength measures (p < .05), while right ASC was only correlated with right hip abduction strength (p < .04). Significant main effects of speed were observed on PVO (p = .004) and right ASC (p = .003). Findings suggest that limb dominance, strength differences between left and right limbs, and neuromuscular movement patterns may have contributed to asymmetric biomechanical relationships between left and right sides. Speed effects on running kinematics may have been influenced by neuromuscular control abilities, novelty of certain speeds, and differences in energy demands.Thesis (M.S.

Blocking Zika virus vertical transmission.

The outbreak of the Zika virus (ZIKV) has been associated with increased incidence of congenital malformations. Although recent efforts have focused on vaccine development, treatments for infected individuals are needed urgently. Sofosbuvir (SOF), an FDA-approved nucleotide analog inhibitor of the Hepatitis C (HCV) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) was recently shown to be protective against ZIKV both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we show that SOF protected human neural progenitor cells (NPC) and 3D neurospheres from ZIKV infection-mediated cell death and importantly restored the antiviral immune response in NPCs. In vivo, SOF treatment post-infection (p.i.) decreased viral burden in an immunodeficient mouse model. Finally, we show for the first time that acute SOF treatment of pregnant dams p.i. was well-tolerated and prevented vertical transmission of the virus to the fetus. Taken together, our data confirmed SOF-mediated sparing of human neural cell types from ZIKV-mediated cell death in vitro and reduced viral burden in vivo in animal models of chronic infection and vertical transmission, strengthening the growing body of evidence for SOF anti-ZIKV activity

Maternal Gambling, Parenting in the Home Environment, and Child Outcomes in Native American Families.

This mixed method study examined the relations between and among women's casino gambling,parenting in the home environment, parenting self-efficacy beliefs, social supports, and childbehavior problems in a sample of 150 Native American mothers with a child between 6 and 15 years of age. Respondents were recruited from a tribal casino on a Great Lakes Indian Reservation. Hypotheses were: 1) higher scores on measures of gambling frequency among Native American mothers will be associated with more behavior problems in their children; 2) greater access to emotional and instrumental support, higher parenting self-efficacy, and more adequate parenting in the home environment among Native American mothers will be associated with fewer behavior problems in their children; and 3) greater access to social support, higher parenting self-efficacy, and more adequate parenting in the home environment among Native American mothers will moderate the relationship between maternal gambling and child behavior problems. As expected, correlational analyses indicated that pathological gambling was associated positively and significantly with child behavior problems, while greater access to instrumental support, higher parenting self-efficacy, and more adequate parenting in the home environment were each associated significantly with fewer child behavior problems. Multiple regression analyses revealed that greater maternal financial strain and less adequate parenting in the home environment together explained 9 percent of the variance in child behavior problems and that access to social support from family moderated the relationship between maternal gambling frequency and child behavior problems. Social support from family explained an additional 5 percent of the variance in child behavior problems. Boys were more negatively affected by their mothers' frequent gambling than girls in this study. Qualitative themes were: Mothers' concerns regarding spending money and time at the casino, and guilt and remorse over how these affect their children and families; mothers' reports of the positive economic benefits of the jobs and educational opportunities now available to them; mothers' concerns that while there are increased opportunities to socialize and reduce their stress while gambling, that there is no culturally appropriate gambling treatment program on the reservation

Demographics and Fracture Patterns of Patients Presenting to US Emergency Departments for Intimate Partner Violence

Orthopaedic surgeons are in a position to assist in identifying intimate partner violence (IPV) patients. It was the purpose of this study to analyze the demographics and fracture patterns of IPV patients in the United States