47 research outputs found

    Participant Recruitment of African American College Students at an Historically Black College and University (HBCU): Challenges and Strategies for Health-Related Research

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    Lack of research participation among African Americans is problematic for population relevant health disparity research. The purpose of this paper is to identify and describe challenges and strategies in recruitment of African American college students for health related research being conducted at a small Historically Black College or University (HBCU). Upon completion of a recruitment and retention literature review, study investigators constructed and tested a culturally-specific, direct-appeal protocol to recruit participants. Major barriers to recruitment of African American college students included discrete sources of distrust, lack of understanding of the research process, and logistical concerns. Implementation of a culturally-specific, direct appeal protocol led to a significant improvement in recruitment and retention of student participants. It is imperative that researchers demystify scientific investigation as a first step towards building trust between themselves and target populations, particularly those from traditionally underrepresented groups. Reasons for distrust, a need for trust and trust building strategies are offered here

    Resistance of IGFBP-3 knockout mice to experimental colitis produced by dextran sulfate sodium

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    IGFBP-3 is the most abundant binding protein that transports and controls the bioavailability and half-life of IGF-1 and IGF-2. In this thesis, we focused on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) colitis; a chemically-induced ulcerative colitis murine model. DSS damages the intestinal epithelial wall, subsequently resulting in an inflammatory response in the distal portions of the colon. Damage to the intestinal wall can be overcome by the ability of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) to initiate repair via cellular proliferation. We wished to determine if IGFBP-3 knockout mice resist damage induced by DSS, based on our hypothesis that in the absence of this binding protein, peripherally produced IGF-1 has increased binding to the IGF-1R, hence resulting in elevated proliferative activity and enhanced repair. Our results support this hypothesis, as IGFBP-3 knockout mice had significantly reduced colitis as measured by lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β), reduced weight loss, reduced myeloperoxidase activity, and maintenance of colorectal length. Additionally, DSS-induced IGFBP-3 knockout mice had significantly elevated levels of proliferative cells in the colon epithelium relative to control mice. In summary, our research strongly suggests that IGFBP-3 has a role in modulating inflammation in the DSS colitis model and justifies further work to explore involvement of the IGF system in inflammatory bowel disease.IGFBP-3 est la plus abondante des protéines de liaison qui transporte et contrôle la biodisponibilité et la demi-vie de l'IGF-1 et l'IGF-2. Dans cette étude, on s'est concentré sur la colite due au dextran de sulfate de sodium (DSS); une approche induite chimiquement à l'étude de la rectocolite hémorragique dans un modèle murin. Les dommages causés par le DSS affectent la paroi intestinale, ce qui entraîne par la suite une réponse inflammatoire dans les parties distales du côlon. Les dommages à la paroi intestinale peuvent être surmontés par la capacité des cellules épithéliales intestinales de réparer les dégâts grâce à la prolifération. Nous avons voulu déterminer si les souris knockout pour IGFBP-3 résistent aux dommages induits par le DSS, sur la base de notre hypothèse qu'en absence de sa protéine de liaison, IGF-1 produit en périphérie augmenterait l'activité de l'IGF-1R résultant en une activité de prolifération élevée et une réparation améliorée. Nos résultats confirment cette hypothèse, comme les souris knockout ont considérablement réduit la colite telle que mesurée par les faibles niveaux de cytokines pro-inflammatoires (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β), la perte de poids réduit, l'activité de la myéloperoxydase réduite, et le maintien de la longueur colorectal. En outre, les souris knockout avaient des niveaux significativement élevés de cellules prolifératives dans l'épithélium du côlon par rapport aux souris témoins. Pour résumé, notre recherche suggère fortement que l'IGFBP-3 joue un rôle dans la modulation de l'inflammation du côlon et justifie la poursuite des travaux d'explorer l'implication du système IGF dans les maladies inflammatoires de l'intestin

    Trait anxiety reduces affective fading for both positive and negative autobiographical memories

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    A valuable guideline of radioactive 125

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    Prehypertensive Risk Among African-American Undergraduates: Do The Extra Pounds Really Matter?

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    The objective of this study is to examine prehypertension among young African American adults and evaluate the predictive value of easily obtained standard measures of adiposity. Data for this study of 155 primarily African-American undergraduates was collected between April 2010-11. Participants provided family health history and anthropometric measures, including body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist to hip (WHR) ratio. Percentages were calculated for demographics. The average systolic blood pressure measured over two time periods within a single semester generated prehypertension rates. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression examined the impact of BMI, WHR, weight, and family medical history on prehypertension. A majority of participants (64%) were prehypertensive. Logistic regressions suggest that weight-related measures better predicted prehypertension than family history or WHR. In conclusion, this study showed prehypertensive risk was a significant problem among, young and primarily African-American adults. Furthermore, the best adiposity measure was weight, even when controlling for family history, WHR, and BMI
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