Detained and committed youth: Examining differences in achievement, mental health needs, and special education status

Currently, there is limited research about the relationship between academic, mental health needs, and special education status among populations of incarcerated youth. Additionally, little is known about differences between special education and general education students, or about differences between detained and committed populations. This article reports the results of an investigation of the academic achievement, mental health history, and special education status of 555 detained and incarcerated boys in one mid-Atlantic state. Descriptive data and results from a logistic regression analysis are reported. We found that mean standard scores of participants on standardized achievement tests were one standard deviation below the population mean. We also found high rates of participants with disabilities, and high rates of participants reporting prior therapy and prior use of psychotropic medication. In addition, we found that student academic and mental health characteristics obtained through an intake screening protocol were predictive of special education status, but not of placement in detention or commitment settings. Finally, we found that African American students had a significantly higher risk of being committed than Caucasian students. Implications for future research and practice are discussed

Once Daily Valacyclovir for Reducing Viral Shedding in Subjects Newly Diagnosed with Genital Herpes

Objective. Genital herpes (GH) recurrences and viral shedding are more frequent in the first year after initial HSV-2 infection. The objective of this study was to provide the first evaluation of valacyclovir 1 g once daily compared to placebo in reducing viral shedding in subjects newly diagnosed with GH. Methods. 70 subjects were randomized to receive valacyclovir 1 g daily or placebo in a crossover design for 60 days with a 7-day washout period. A daily swab of the genital/anal-rectal area was self-collected for HSV-2 detection by PCR. Subjects attended the clinic for routine study visits and GH recurrence visits. Treatment differences were assessed using a nonparametric crossover analysis. Results. 52 subjects had at least one PCR measurement in both treatment periods and comprised the primary efficacy population. Valacyclovir significantly reduced HSV-2 shedding during all days compared to placebo (mean 2.9% versus 13.5% of all days (P < .01), a 78% reduction). Valacyclovir significantly reduced subclinical HSV-2 shedding during all days compared to placebo (mean 2.4% versus 11.0% of all days (P < .01), a 78% reduction). However, 79% of subjects had no GH recurrences while receiving valacyclovir compared to 52% of subjects receiving placebo (P < .01). Conclusion. In this study, the frequency of total and subclinical HSV-2 shedding was greater than reported in earlier studies involving subjects with a history of symptomatic genital recurrences. Our study is the first to demonstrate a significant reduction in viral shedding with valacyclovir 1 g daily compared to placebo in a population of subjects newly diagnosed with HSV-2 infection

Variations in Clinical Presentation of Ocular Syphilis

Ocular syphilis, a form of neurosyphilis, has been increasingly diagnosed in the United States. This case series summarizes the course of 6 patients recently diagnosed with ocular syphilis, emphasizing the varied sociodemographic factors and the wide range of symptoms and outcomes that are seen in patients with this disease

Can Young Adults Accurately Report Sexual Partnership Dates? Factors Associated With Interpartner and Dyad Agreement

Sexual partnership dates are critical to STI/HIV research and control programs, though validity is limited by inaccurate recall and reporting

Association of perceived partner non-monogamy with prevalent and incident sexual concurrency

Concurrency is suggested as an important factor in sexually transmitted infection transmission and acquisition, though little is known regarding factors that may predict concurrency initiation. We examined the association between perception of a partner’s non-monogamy (PPNM) and simultaneous or subsequent concurrency among at-risk heterosexual young adults in the Los Angeles area

Pregnancy and HIV Infection in Young Women in North Carolina

We described young women in North Carolina (NC) who were pregnant at the time of diagnosis with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection to identify an at-risk population that could be targeted for increased HIV screening. We investigated the combined effect of partner counseling and referral services (PCRS) and comprehensive prenatal HIV screening

Influence of Detection Method and Study Area Scale on Syphilis Cluster Identification in North Carolina

Identifying geographical clusters of sexually transmitted infections can aid in targeting prevention and control efforts. However, detectable clusters can vary between detection methods because of different underlying assumptions. Furthermore, because disease burden is not geographically homogenous, the reference population is sensitive to the study area scale, affecting cluster outcomes. We investigated the influence of cluster detection method and geographical scale on syphilis cluster detection in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

Phase matters when there is power : Phasic modulation of corticospinal excitability occurs at high amplitude sensorimotor mu-oscillations

Prior studies have suggested that oscillatory activity in cortical networks can modulate stimulus-evoked responses through time-varying fluctuations in neural excitation-inhibition dynamics. Studies combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with electromyography (EMG) and electroencephalography (EEG) can provide direct measurements to examine how instantaneous fluctuations in cortical oscillations contribute to variability in TMS-induced corticospinal responses. However, the results of these studies have been conflicting, as some reports showed consistent phase effects of sensorimotor mu-rhythms with increased excitability at the negative mu peaks, while others failed to replicate these findings or reported unspecific mu-phase effects across subjects. Given the lack of consistent results, we systematically examined the modulatory effects of instantaneous and pre-stimulus sensorimotor mu-rhythms on corticospinal responses with offline EEG-based motor evoked potential (MEP) classification analyses across five identical visits. Instantaneous sensorimotor mu-phase or pre-stimulus mu-power alone did not significantly modulate MEP responses. Instantaneous mu-power analyses showed weak effects with larger MEPs during high-power trials at the overall group level analyses, but this trend was not reproducible across visits. However, TMS delivered at the negative peak of high magnitude mu-oscillations generated the largest MEPs across all visits, with significant differences compared to other peak-phase combinations. High power effects on MEPs were only observed at the trough phase of ongoing mu oscillations originating from the stimulated region, indicating site and phase specificity, respectively. More importantly, such phase-dependent power effects on corticospinal excitability were reproducible across multiple visits. We provide further evidence that fluctuations in corticospinal excitability indexed by MEP amplitudes are partially driven by dynamic interactions between the magnitude and the phase of ongoing sensorimotor mu oscillations at the time of TMS, and suggest promising insights for (re)designing neuromodulatory TMS protocols targeted to specific cortical oscillatory states

HIV Testing of Tuberculosis Patients by Public and Private Providers in New York City

Thirty percent of tuberculosis (TB) patients in New York City in 2007 were not tested for HIV, which may be attributable to differential testing behaviors between private and public TB providers. Adult TB cases in New York City from 2001–2007 (n=5172) were evaluated for an association between TB provider type (private or public) and HIV testing. Outcomes examined were offers of HIV tests and patient refusal of HIV testing, using multivariate logistic and binomial regression, respectively. HIV test offers were less frequent among patients who visited only private providers than patients who visited only public providers (males: adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=0.33, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.15–0.74; females: aOR=0.26, 95% CI: 0.12–0.57). Changing from private to public providers was associated with an increase in HIV tests offered among male patients (aOR=1.96, 95% CI: 1.04–3.70). Among patients who did not use substances, those who visited only private providers were more likely to refuse HIV testing than those who visited only public providers (males: adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR]=1.26, 95% CI: 0.99–1.60; females: aPR=1.78, 95% CI: 1.43–2.22). Patients of private providers were less likely to have an HIV test performed during their TB treatment. Education of TB providers should emphasize HIV testing of all TB patients, especially among patients who are traditionally considered low-risk

Clinical Study Once Daily Valacyclovir for Reducing Viral Shedding in Subjects Newly Diagnosed with Genital Herpes

Objective. Genital herpes (GH) recurrences and viral shedding are more frequent in the first year after initial HSV-2 infection. The objective of this study was to provide the first evaluation of valacyclovir 1 g once daily compared to placebo in reducing viral shedding in subjects newly diagnosed with GH. Methods. 70 subjects were randomized to receive valacyclovir 1 g daily or placebo in a crossover design for 60 days with a 7-day washout period. A daily swab of the genital/anal-rectal area was self-collected for HSV-2 detection by PCR. Subjects attended the clinic for routine study visits and GH recurrence visits. Treatment differences were assessed using a nonparametric crossover analysis. Results. 52 subjects had at least one PCR measurement in both treatment periods and comprised the primary efficacy population. Valacyclovir significantly reduced HSV-2 shedding during all days compared to placebo (mean 2.9% versus 13.5% of all days (P &lt; .01), a 78% reduction). Valacyclovir significantly reduced subclinical HSV-2 shedding during all days compared to placebo (mean 2.4% versus 11.0% of all days (P &lt; .01), a 78% reduction). However, 79% of subjects had no GH recurrences while receiving valacyclovir compared to 52% of subjects receiving placebo (P &lt; .01). Conclusion. In this study, the frequency of total and subclinical HSV-2 shedding was greater than reported in earlier studies involving subjects with a history of symptomatic genital recurrences. Our study is the first to demonstrate a significant reduction in viral shedding with valacyclovir 1 g daily compared to placebo in a population of subjects newly diagnosed with HSV-2 infection