Walking in beauty: Responsive and responsible health and healing among Virginia American Indian people

Little is systematically known about the collective health and well-being of Virginia American Indian people. This study sought to explore the meaning of health and healing among Virginia American Indian people in the context of a reservation-based, non-federally funded health clinic. Using an emergent approach to qualitative research grounded in a constructivist inquiry paradigm and guided by Indigenous research principles, a total of 24 in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 American Indian service-users of the Clinic. Through an inductive thematic analysis of participant stories, a framework for understanding responsive and responsible health and healing was derived. The framework includes seven dimensions: spirituality, physical processes, mental and emotional processes, social relationships, access to resources, contextual factors, and the interconnection among the dimensions. Personal and collective identity was a significant element woven through the dimensions. From the stories told by participants, health seems to be a continuum and healing seems to be a cycle. With constant motion in each of the dimensions, health has to do with sustained engagement in healing processes that continually seek to bring about functional balance in one’s whole health system. Ill health has to do with when a change in any one of the dimensions overtakes one’s ability to bring about a functional balance in the whole health system. The framework is context-dependent, true for the people who participated in the study at the time of the study

A Culturally-Relevant, Emergent Approach to Exploring the Needs, Strengths, and Priorities of Tribal Communities in Virginia

Little is known about the health of the indigenous peoples in Virginia. When compared to the total U.S. population, indigenous peoples nationwide disproportionately experience disparities in health status across multiple health indicators. Research shows that these disparities are largely due to the inequitable distribution of social and economic determinants present within indigenous communities. Because the indigenous peoples of Virginia are affected by inequitable social and economic conditions, there is reason to believe that health indicators may mirror that of the indigenous population at-large. Outlined in this paper is a framework for exploring the needs, strengths, and priorities of indigenous communities in Virginia. This paper proposes that the use of a culturally relevant methodology, such as Talking Circle, combined with an emergent and community-based participatory approach, will lead to a more authentic identification of the strengths, needs, and priorities of indigenous communities than traditional public health surveillance methodology, as well as build community capacity for on-going engagement

Crucial role of SLP-76 and ADAP for neutrophil recruitment in mouse kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury

Neutrophils trigger inflammation-induced acute kidney injury (AKI), a frequent and potentially lethal occurrence in humans. Molecular mechanisms underlying neutrophil recruitment to sites of inflammation have proved elusive. In this study, we demonstrate that SLP-76 (SH2 domain–containing leukocyte phosphoprotein of 76 kD) and ADAP (adhesion and degranulation promoting adaptor protein) are involved in E-selectin–mediated integrin activation and slow leukocyte rolling, which promotes ischemia-reperfusion–induced AKI in mice. By using genetically engineered mice and transduced Slp76(−/−) primary leukocytes, we demonstrate that ADAP as well as two N-terminal–located tyrosines and the SH2 domain of SLP-76 are required for downstream signaling and slow leukocyte rolling. The Tec family kinase Bruton tyrosine kinase is downstream of SLP-76 and, together with ADAP, regulates PI3Kγ (phosphoinositide 3-kinase–γ)- and PLCγ2 (phospholipase Cγ2)-dependent pathways. Blocking both pathways completely abolishes integrin affinity and avidity regulation. Thus, SLP-76 and ADAP are involved in E-selectin–mediated integrin activation and neutrophil recruitment to inflamed kidneys, which may underlie the development of life-threatening ischemia-reperfusion–induced AKI in humans

Revisiting the Therapeutic Potential of Bothrops jararaca Venom: Screening for Novel Activities Using Connectivity Mapping

Submitted by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2018-10-05T13:49:56Z No. of bitstreams: 1 carolinaAlves_nicolau_etal_IOC_2081.pdf: 945357 bytes, checksum: bef37e6da5b6ecb11075862afbd0bbee (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2018-10-05T18:34:49Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 carolinaAlves_nicolau_etal_IOC_2081.pdf: 945357 bytes, checksum: bef37e6da5b6ecb11075862afbd0bbee (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2018-10-05T18:34:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 carolinaAlves_nicolau_etal_IOC_2081.pdf: 945357 bytes, checksum: bef37e6da5b6ecb11075862afbd0bbee (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Toxinologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil / Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Toxinas. Brasília, DF, Brasil / University of Virginia. Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology. Charlottesville, VA, USA.University of Virginia. Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology. Charlottesville, VA, USA.University of Virginia. Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology. Charlottesville, VA, USA.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Toxinologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil / Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Toxinas. Brasília, DF, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Toxinologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil / Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Toxinas. Brasília, DF, Brasil.University of Virginia. Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology. Charlottesville, VA, USA.Snake venoms are sources of molecules with proven and potential therapeutic applications. However, most activities assayed in venoms (or their components) are of hemorrhagic, hypotensive, edematogenic, neurotoxic or myotoxic natures. Thus, other relevant activities might remain unknown. Using functional genomics coupled to the connectivity map (C-map) approach, we undertook a wide range indirect search for biological activities within the venom of the South American pit viper Bothrops jararaca. For that effect, venom was incubated with human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF7) followed by RNA extraction and gene expression analysis. A list of 90 differentially expressed genes was submitted to biosimilar drug discovery based on pattern recognition. Among the 100 highest-ranked positively correlated drugs, only the antihypertensive, antimicrobial (both antibiotic and antiparasitic), and antitumor classes had been previously reported for B. jararaca venom. The majority of drug classes identified were related to (1) antimicrobial activity; (2) treatment of neuropsychiatric illnesses (Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, depression, and epilepsy); (3) treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and (4) anti-inflammatory action. The C-map results also indicated that B. jararaca venom may have components that target G-protein-coupled receptors (muscarinic, serotonergic, histaminergic, dopaminergic, GABA, and adrenergic) and ion channels. Although validation experiments are still necessary, the C-map correlation to drugs with activities previously linked to snake venoms supports the efficacy of this strategy as a broad-spectrum approach for biological activity screening, and rekindles the snake venom-based search for new therapeutic agents