An Effectiveness Evaluation of Motivational Interviewing as an Addition to an Internet-Based Health Promotion Program for Vocational Rehabilitation Consumers

People with disabilities (PWD) frequently experience preventable and/or manageable secondary health conditions such as weight problems, depression, and chronic pain (Jones & Bell, 2003; Seekins, Clay, & Ravesloot, 1994). Importantly, high rates of secondary conditions are correlated with low employment rates in Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) consumers (Ipsen, Seekins, & Ravesloot, 2010; Ipsen, Seekins, & Arnold, 2011). Thus, one pathway to improving employment outcomes in rehabilitation programs may involve enhancing health through the reduction of limiting secondary conditions (Ipsen, 2006; Ipsen et al., 2010). This pilot study tested whether the addition of telephone-based Motivational Interviewing (HPE+MI) to Health Plans for Employment (HPE), an internet-based health promotion and goal setting intervention targeting secondary conditions, resulted in higher self-efficacy beliefs than a factsheets only minimal intervention group or HPE alone. One-hundred and forty-two male and female active VR consumers were randomized to 1 of these 3 intervention groups. Contrary to expectation, no group effects or group × time interaction effects on targeted specific health behavior self- efficacy, reduction in limitation resulting from secondary conditions, or health related quality of life were observed. A main effect for time was, however, observed for targeted specific health behavior self-efficacy suggesting that participation in both the HPE and the HPE+MI interventions led to higher self reported self-efficacy beliefs on specific targeted health behaviors such as balanced diet, stress management, sleep, and physical activity. Importantly, main effects for time were also observed on measures of secondary condition limitation and health related quality of life suggesting the possibility that all three intervention groups were effective in reducing limitation and enhancing health related quality of life. Of note, program adherence across groups was high, and, contrary to expectation, program adherence did not differ between groups. Study findings suggest that PWD enrolled in VR programs can benefit from health behavior change interventions targeting multiple health behaviors, which are delivered remotely, and that the specific delivery modality (e.g., telephone, interactive website, or emailed factsheets) of health information may be less important than was originally thought. Study implications and future research areas are discussed

Health Plans for Employment: Nutrition

We all know that we should eat “healthy.” But what does that mean? A healthy diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins, and healthy fats. Eating these foods gives you energy for the day and can help manage fatigue, anxiety or stress. They also can help protect you against many diseases. Eating the right types of food is important but so is watching how much we eat. This fact sheet on nutrition provides guidelines on how to do both. This fact sheet also provides tips on how to eat healthy on a tight budget. In addition to the English version, it is also available in Spanish and Hmong. This fact sheet was developed by RTC:Rural for Wisconsin Promise as part of the Health Plans for Employment series. Each of the four fact sheets in this series provides healthy living tips geared towards youth

Health plans for employment: Stress management

No matter how old we are, we all deal with stress. Although stress is a normal part of life, there are times when it may affect how well we can cope with life emotionally, socially, intellectually, or physically. This fact sheet highlights several stress management techniques. In addition to the English version, it is also available in Spanish and Hmong. This fact sheet was developed by RTC:Rural for Wisconsin Promise as part of the Health Plans for Employment series. Each of the four fact sheets in this series provides healthy living tips geared towards youth

Health Plans for Employment: Physical Activity

From a young age, we are told that exercise and active movement are good for our heart and help us stay strong. But did you know that regular physical activity can also prevent injury, reduce pain, fatigue, depression, and anxiety, and improve your sleep? This fact sheet describes the different types of physical activity and the resources available from the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability. In addition to the English version, it is also available in Spanish and Hmong. This fact sheet was developed by RTC:Rural for Wisconsin Promise as part of the Health Plans for Employment series. Each of the four fact sheets in this series provides healthy living tips geared towards youth

Health Plans for Employment: Sleep

How often do you wish that you had gotten a better night’s sleep? Sleep issues have been linked to anxiety, pain, depressed mood, fatigue, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and weight problems. This fact sheet provides tips on developing good sleep habits and strategies to help you fall asleep. In addition to the English version, it is also available in Spanish and Hmong. This fact sheet was developed by RTC:Rural for Wisconsin Promise as part of the Health Plans for Employment series. Each of the four fact sheets in this series provides healthy living tips geared towards youth

The characterization of Thermotoga maritima Arginine Binding Protein variants demonstrates that minimal local strains have an important impact on protein stability

The Ramachandran plot is a versatile and valuable tool that provides fundamental information for protein structure determination, prediction, and validation. The structural/thermodynamic effects produced by forcing a residue to adopt a conformation predicted to be forbidden were here explored using Thermotoga maritima Arginine Binding Protein (TmArgBP) as model. Specifically, we mutated TmArgBP Gly52 that assumes a conformation believed to be strictly disallowed for non-Gly residues. Surprisingly, the crystallographic characterization of Gly52Ala TmArgBP indicates that the structural context forces the residue to adopt a non-canonical conformation never observed in any of the high-medium resolution PDB structures. Interestingly, the inspection of this high resolution structure demonstrates that only minor alterations occur. Nevertheless, experiments indicate that Gly52 replacements in TmArgBP produce destabilizations comparable to those observed upon protein truncation or dissection in domains. Notably, we show that force-fields commonly used in computational biology do not reproduce this non-canonical state. Using TmArgBP as model system we here demonstrate that the structural context may force residues to adopt conformations believed to be strictly forbidden and that barely detectable alterations produce major destabilizations. Present findings highlight the role of subtle strains in governing protein stability. A full understanding of these phenomena is essential for an exhaustive comprehension of the factors regulating protein structures

A novel SARS-CoV-2 (T Cell) vaccine candidate designed using the iVAX platform

EpiVax, Inc., a Rhode Island-based Biotechnology company, develops vaccines that exploit T cell immunity using the innovative iVAX vaccine antigen design platform. The premise of our strategy is the crucial role T cells play in development of protective antibody and cell-mediated immunity in natural infection. Because vaccines aim to recapitulate protective immune responses in infection, a vaccine should effectively harness T cell immunity to be protective. The significance of T cell immunity is underscored by COVID-19. Efficacy trial and real-world COVID-19 vaccine data for different vaccine modalities show a single vaccine dose is as much as 90% effective starting 14 days post-administration, when 100% of vaccinees have functional CD4 and CD8 T cells but no detectable neutralizing antibodies. As T cells support the SARS-CoV-2 antibody response, clear virus-infected cells, and may be required to block transmission, we set out to develop a vaccine designed by iVAX to enhance T cell immunity and provide long lasting protection. Please click Download on the upper right corner to see the full abstract

Safety and Immunogenicity of the Live Attenuated Varicella Vaccine Following T Replete or T Cell-Depleted Related and Unrelated Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (alloHCT)

There are limited studies assessing the live attenuated varicella vaccine following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT). Because of the morbidity of varicella acquired after childhood, we immunized and retrospectively analyzed the safety and immunogenicity of this vaccine in 46 varicella zoster virus (VZV) seronegative patients <20 years old at HCT who achieved a CD4 cell count ≥200/μL, were off immunosuppression, and responded to ≥1 post-HCT vaccines. Two vaccinated patients lacking follow-up titers were excluded from analysis. Stem cells were derived from an HLA-matched sibling (n = 18) or an alternative (HLA mismatched related or unrelated) donor (n = 26). Median time to vaccination was 4 years. Sixty-four percent of patients seroconverted following 1 immunization. There was no significant difference in response between recipients of a matched related or alternative donor graft (P = .2) or between those given a T cell-depleted or T-replete alternative donor graft (P = .27). Three of 44 patients developed a self-limited varicella-like rash within 2.5 weeks of immunization. With a median follow-up of 29.1 (range: 6.9-167.1) months, there were no subsequent cases of varicella-like rashes. No patient developed shingles. This study suggests that this vaccine is safe and immunogenic when given according to preset clinical and immunologic milestones, warranting larger prospective studies in patients ≥24 months following HCT as outlined in current post-HCT vaccine guidelines

Physician Perceptions on Cancer Screening for LGBTQ+ Patients

The LGBTQ+ community experiences cancer disparities due to increased risk factors and lower screening rates, attributable to health literacy gaps and systemic barriers. We sought to understand the experiences, perceptions, and knowledge base of healthcare providers regarding cancer screening for LGBTQ+ patients. A 20-item IRB-approved survey was distributed to physicians through professional organizations. The survey assessed experiences and education regarding the LGBTQ+ community and perceptions of patient concerns with different cancer screenings on a 5-point Likert scale. Complete responses were collected from 355 providers. Only 100 (28%) reported past LGBTQ+-related training and were more likely to be female (p = 0.020), have under ten years of practice (p = 0.014), or practice family/internal medicine (p \u3c 0.001). Most (85%) recognized that LGBTQ+ subpopulations experience nuanced health issues, but only 46% confidently understood them, and 71% agreed their clinics would benefit from training. Family/internal medicine practitioners affirmed the clinical relevance of patients’ sexual orientation (94%; 62% for medical/radiation oncology). Prior training affected belief in the importance of sexual orientation (p \u3c 0.001), confidence in understanding LGBTQ+ health concerns (p \u3c 0.001), and willingness to be listed as “LGBTQ+-friendly” (p = 0.005). Our study suggests that despite a paucity of formal training, most providers acknowledge that LGBTQ+ patients have unique health needs. Respondents had a lack of consensus regarding cancer screenings for lesbian and transgender patients, indicating the need for clearer screening standards for LGBTQ+ subpopulations and educational programs for providers

Low-dose TNF augments fracture healing in normal and osteoporotic bone by up-regulating the innate immune response

The mechanism by which trauma initiates healing remains unclear. Precise understanding of these events may define interventions for accelerating healing that could be translated to the clinical arena. We previously reported that addition of low-dose recombinant human TNF (rhTNF) at the fracture site augmented fracture repair in a murine tibial fracture model. Here, we show that local rhTNF treatment is only effective when administered within 24h of injury, when neutrophils are the major inflammatory cell infiltrate. Systemic administration of anti-TNF impaired fracture healing. Addition of rhTNF enhanced neutrophil recruitment and promoted recruitment of monocytes through CCL2 production. Conversely, depletion of neutrophils or inhibition of the chemokine receptor CCR2 resulted in significantly impaired fracture healing. Fragility, or osteoporotic, fractures represent a major medical problem as they are associated with permanent disability and premature death. Using a murine model of fragility fractures, we found that local rhTNF treatment improved fracture healing during the early phase of repair. If translated clinically, this promotion of fracture healing would reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with delayed patient mobilization