Search

Background: Incarcerated individuals face high rates of mental illness, substance use disorders and communicable diseases including HIV, with increased health complications and mortality in the early post-release period. Multiple re-entry interventions linking justice-involved individuals to community resources via peer navigation have emerged, though limited data exist on the mechanics and personal impact of these approaches. This paper quantifies and evaluates a pilot study of a combined Community Health Worker (CHW)-re-entry intervention for individuals released from jail who use substances and have HIV to inform future large-scale applications. Methods: A mixed-methods analysis of a CHW-re-entry intervention utilized in a pilot randomized controlled trial involving people with HIV who have a history of substance (stimulant, opioid or alcohol) use in Dallas, TX was conducted using an explanatory sequential design. Quantitative assessments of the intervention measured interaction types, time spent, and topics discussed and explored associations between the "dose" of intervention and patient outcomes. Qualitative analyses of CHW field notes and end-of-study participant interviews were triangulated with quantitative findings to elucidate the intervention's impact. Results: Of the 17/31 participants assigned to the intervention, 16 interacted with the CHW on at least one occasion, and 6 successfully completed a visit with the re-entry organization. Most CHW interactions occurred by phone (66%) or in person (28%). Frequently discussed topics included substance use, housing, and physical health. On average, participants spent 7.65 h (range 0-37.18, SD = 9.33) engaged with the intervention over 6 months. Intervention dose was associated with improved HIV control, decreased stimulant use, higher rates of recidivism, and improved clinical appointment show rate. Qualitative analyses revealed key intervention components, paralleling benefits of study participation alone: outreach, nonjudgmental approach, motivation and accountability. Conclusions: A CHW-re-entry intervention, while resource-intensive, shows preliminary promise in improving HIV and some substance use outcomes. Frequent telephone and in-person contact, with an empathetic yet goal-oriented approach, fostered participant support and motivation to address HIV and substance use. Participants reported that engagement in research provided accountability and a sense of purpose. Future studies should focus on optimizing implementation of CHW-based interventions to enhance impact on vulnerable populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity is a risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). It was reported that obesity -associated inflammation correlates with insulin resistance and increased risk of EAC. The objective of the study is to investigate the role of obesity associated inflammatory mediators in the development of EAC. Methods: We included 23 obese and nonobese patients with EAC or with or without Barrett's esophagus (BE) after IRB approval. We collected 23 normal, 10 BE, and 19 EAC tissue samples from endoscopy or esophagectomy. The samples were analyzed for the expression levels of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic factors, PKC-δ, cIAP2, FLIP, IGF-1, Akt, NF-kB and Ki67 by immunofluorescence and RT-PCR. We compared the expression levels between normal, BE, and EAC tissue using Students' t-test between two groups. Results: Our results showed decreased gene and protein expression of pro-apoptotic factors (bad, bak and bax) and increased expression of anti-apoptotic factors (bcl-2, Bcl-xL) in BE and EAC compared to normal tissues. There was increased gene and protein expression of PKC-δ, cIAP2, FLIP, NF-kB, IGF-1, Akt, and Ki67 in BE and EAC samples compared to normal esophagus. Further, an increased folds changes in mRNA expression of proapoptotic factors, antiapoptotic factors, PKC-δ, IGF-1, Akt, and Ki-67 was associated with obesity. Conclusion: Patients with EAC had increased expression of cIAP2 and FLIP, and PKC-δ which is associated with inhibition of apoptosis and possible progression of esophageal adenocarcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acellular dermal matrices (ADM) are widely used in direct-to-implant breast reconstruction and were introduced as part of the implant-based breast reconstruction within the previous decade. This study presents clinical outcomes of ADM-assisted direct-to-implant breast reconstruction and evaluates the most frequent and severe postoperative complications. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent ADM-assisted submuscular direct-to-implant breast reconstruction from March 2013 to February 2017 at the University Hospital Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet. All postoperative complications were classified using the Clavien Dindo classification of surgical complications. We used univariate and multivariate analyses with Fisher’s exact test and multiple logistic regression to determine potential risk factors. Results: A total of 102 breast reconstructions were carried out in the inclusion period. The incidence rate of severe skin flap necrosis and surgical site infection was 6% and 4%, respectively. The total rate of skin flap necrosis was 14.7%, surgical site infection 11.8%, rotation of anatomical implants 4.90%, seroma 3.92%, dynamic breast deformity 1.96% and hematoma 1.96%. No patients suffered from red breast syndrome or capsular contracture. Total explantation rate was 4.90%. The median follow-up period was 32 months. Conclusion: This study demonstrates an acceptable rate of explantation in ADM-assisted direct-to-implant breast reconstruction. We found that skin flap necrosis and surgical site infection were the most frequently occurring complications with low rates of severe cases. However, there is a need for larger, controlled studies to further explore the impact of patient and surgery related risk factors. Level of evidence: Level III, Risk/Prognostic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Worldwide, the United States has the highest incarceration rate per capita. Thousands of people are released from US correctional facilities each year, including many who are impacted by HIV infection and substance use disorder (SUD), two frequently comorbid conditions that present multiple challenges upon reentry. Reentry and care engagement research involving justice-involved people with HIV (PWH) with comorbid SUD has been largely limited to the perspective of those released. To formulate effective interventions for this population aimed at maintaining health and reducing recidivism, it is crucial to collect data from formerly incarcerated individuals with firsthand experience of the reentry process as well as other actors within the reentry framework. Insights from medical and legal service providers working in reentry systems have the potential to address key implementation concerns. To inform an intervention aimed at helping recently-released individuals PWH and SUD, we conducted a qualitative study to assess barriers and facilitators to community reentry from the perspectives of diverse consumers and providers of medical, legal, and reentry services. Results: Fifteen stakeholders within XXX County participated in in-person interviews. Results indicated that 1) Patients/clients emphasized psychosocial support and individual attitude more than medical and legal participants, who chiefly focused on logistical factors such as finances, housing, and transportation; 2) Patients/clients expressed both medical and legal needs during the reentry period, though medical providers and participants from legal entities mainly expressed concerns limited to their respective scopes of work; 3) All three participant groups underscored the need for a low-barrier, collaborative, patient-centered approach to reentry with the goal of achieving self-sufficiency. Conclusions: Findings support and extend existing literature detailing the barriers and facilitators to successful reentry. Our findings underscore the notion that an effective reentry intervention addresses both medical and legal needs, includes an individualized approach that incorporates psychosocial needs, and focuses on establishing self-sufficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male-produced pheromone components have been reported in the Asian longhorn beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), but field attraction to these components has been less than overwhelming. Female ALBs were observed rhythmically extending the genitalia in a manner reminiscent of female calling behaviors in other cerambycid species. We thus hypothesized that female ALBs release volatile pheromone while performing this sex-specific behavior. A group of sesquiterpenes, including a major compound α-longipinene and several minor ones α-cubebene, α-ylangene, (−)-α-copaene, α-bergamotene, β-caryophyllene, and α-farnesene, found in genitalia extracts from virgin females elicited male antennal responses. Y-tube olfactometer assays indicated significant attraction of α-longipinene to both sexes in either the presence or absence of host volatiles. This compound was also detected in genitalia extracts from virgin males, though in much lower quantities than in females. Dose–response experiments conducted in the y-tube olfactometer and field both revealed that α-longipinene was attractive at the higher doses, but not at the lower ones. In the field, traps baited with a blend containing α-longipinene, α-cubebene, and β-caryophyllene captured significantly more ALB than solvent controls. The trap catches of α-longipinene combined with either the minor components or host compounds were both greater than those of α-longipinene alone, but the difference was not significant. These results indicate that α-longipinene is a new type of female-produced volatile pheromone in ALB, and the attraction may be synergistically enhanced by several minor components. Sesquiterpenes may play an important role in intraspecies chemical communication of this insect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aromia bungii is a serious pest of stone fruit trees including cherries, plums, peaches and apricots. It is native to eastern Asia but has recently been introduced into and has established in Japan, Germany and Italy and has been intercepted in cargo entering the USA and Great Britain. We synthesized the naturally produced enantiomer of the major pheromone component, (E)-2-cis-6,7-epoxynonenal, and in field tests, comparing its attractiveness to that of the racemate. We also tested different ratios of a minor pheromone component, (2E,6Z)-nona-2,6-dienal, on attraction to the major component. Lastly, we conducted a dose–response assay to determine the optimal loading rates. Addition of the minor component at a ratio of 0.31 mg minor to 25 mg major component is more than double the trap captures of males but not females. Using this ratio, we found no difference in trap captures with 10 mg, 32 mg or 100 mg of the major component, but the 10 mg load attracted significantly more females than the 3.2 mg load, and only the 32 mg load attracted significantly more males than the 3.2 mg load. The natural enantiomer was significantly more attractive to females than the racemate. However, the multi-step, low-yielding synthesis likely will prohibit the insect-produced enantiomer from being used for operational trapping. The addition of the minor component to the racemate significantly increased trap catches, and the dose–response assay did not indicate significant differences in loads above 10 mg of the racemic major component when formulated with ~ 1.2% of the minor component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major advances in highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAART) have extended the lives of people living with HIV, but there still remains an increased risk of death by cardiovascular diseases (CVD). HIV proteins have been shown to contribute to cardiovascular dysfunction with effects on the different cell types that comprise the arterial wall. In particular, HIV-1 transactivating factor (Tat) has been shown to bind to endothelial cells inducing a range of responses that contribute to vascular dysfunction. It is well established that hemodynamics also play an important role in endothelial cell mediated atherosclerotic development. When exposed to low or oscillatory shear stress, such as that found at branches and bifurcations, endothelial cells contribute to proteolytic vascular remodeling by upregulating cathepsins, potent elastases and collagenases that contribute to altered biomechanics and plaque formation. Mechanisms to understand the influence of Tat on shear stress mediated vascular remodeling have not been fully elucidated. Using an in vivo HIV-Tg mouse model and an in vitro cone and plate shear stress bioreactor to actuate physiologically relevant pro-atherogenic or atheroprotective shear stress on human aortic endothelial cells, we have shown synergism between HIV proteins and pro-atherogenic shear stress to increase endothelial cell expression of the powerful protease cathepsin K, and may implicate this protease in accelerated CVD in people living with HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient, medical and legal perspectives on reentry: The need for a low-barrier, collaborative, patient-centered approach. B Correction to: Health Justice 9, 37 (2021) b . https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-021-00161-7 Following the publication of the original article (Pulitzer et al., [1]) the authors noticed that the published version of the manuscript has blinded citations. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Fire Ecology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

HIV patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) exhibit elevated incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including a higher risk of myocardial infarction and prevalence of atherosclerotic lesions, as well as increases in markers of subclinical atherosclerosis including increased carotid artery intima-media thickness (c-IMT), increased arterial stiffness, and impaired flow-mediated dilation. Both HAART and HIV-infection are independent risk factors for atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction. Studies implicate the HIV proteins tat, gp120, vpu, and nef in early on-set atherosclerosis. The objective of this study was to quantify the role of expression of HIV-1 proteins on the vascular function, biomechanics, and geometry of common carotid arteries and aortas. This study employed NL4-3Δ gag/pol transgenic mice (HIV-Tg), which contain the genetic sequence for the HIV-1 proteins env, tat, nef, rev, vif, vpr, and vpu but lacks the gag and pol genes and reports that HIV-Tg mice have impaired aortic endothelial function, increased c-IMT, and increased arterial stiffness. Further, HIV-Tg arteries show decreased elastin content, increased cathepsin K and cathepsin S activity, and increased mechanical residual stress. Thus, mice that express HIV proteins exhibit pre-clinical markers of atherosclerosis and these markers correlate with changes in markers of vascular remodeling. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that HIV-proteins, independent of HAART treatment or HIV infection, could play a role in of the development of CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to the widely applied approach to model soft tissue remodeling employing the concept of volumetric growth, microstructurally motivated models are capable of capturing many of the underlying mechanisms of growth and remodeling; i.e., the production, removal, and remodeling of individual constituents at different rates and to different extents. A 3-dimensional constrained mixture computational framework has been developed for vascular growth and remodeling, considering new, microstructurally motivated kinematics and constitutive equations and new stress and muscle activation mediated evolution equations. Our computational results for alterations in flow and pressure, using reasonable physiological values for rates of constituent growth and turnover, concur with findings in the literature. For example, for flow-induced remodeling, our simulations predict that, although the wall shear stress is restored completely, the circumferential stress is not restored employing realistic physiological rate parameters. Also, our simulations predict different levels of thickening on inner versus outer wall locations, as shown in numerous reports of pressure-induced remodeling. Whereas the simulations are meant to be illustrative, they serve to highlight the experimental data currently lacking to fully quantify mechanically mediated adaptations in the vasculature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many elderly people worldwide lose the neurosensory part of their ear and turn deaf. Cochlear implants to restore some hearing after neurosensory hearing loss are, at present, the only therapy for these people. In contrast to this therapy, replacement of hair cells via stem cell therapies holds the promise for a cure. We review here current insights into embryonic, adult, and inducible stem cells that might provide cells for seeding the cochlea with the hope of new hair cell formation. We propose a two-step approach using a first set of transcription factors to enhance the generation of inducible pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and a second set of factors to initiate the differentiation of hair cells. Recent evidence regarding ear development and stem cell research strongly suggest that microRNAs will be an important new regulatory factor in both iPS cell formation and differentiation to reprogram cells into hair cells. In addition, we highlight currently insurmountable obstacles to the successful transformation of stem cells into hair cell precursors and their injection into the cochlear canal to replace lost hair cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miscellaneous hormones, such as oral contraceptives (OCs) and tibolone, have not been evaluated as extensively as other hormonal therapies, but remain an option for the prevention and management of osteoporosis. OCs have been conside red for osteoporosis treatment since the 1970s and have demonstrated significant bone mineral density (BMD) increases with high doses that contained 50 μg of ethinyl estradiol. As OCs have evolved with lower doses of ethinyl estradiol (25–40 μg), the literature continues to report improved or maintained BMD in older women. Data are more controversial about OC fracture prevention abilities, the most clinically important end point in osteoporosis trials. Tibolone has not been approved for use in the United States, but it has been used in Europe for almost two decades for the management of osteoporosis. It has unique tissue-specific effects, including estrogen effects on bone and vaginal tissue, progestational effects on the endometrial tissue, and androgenic effects on the brain and liver tissue. Although fracture data are lacking, patients receiving 1.25 to 2.5 mg of tibolone have shown significant improvements in BMD. Tibolone can be regarded as an alternative to conventional hormone therapy for the prevention of postmenopausal bone loss based on similar BMD efficacy and minimal side effects, but its effects would still be less than bisphosphonates. Data supporting the use of oral contraceptives and tibolone for osteoporosis prevention and management will be discussed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibrissae are a unique sensory system of mammals that is characterized by a rich and diverse innervation involved in numerous sensory tasks with the potential for species-specific differences. In the present study, indocarbocyanine dyes (DiI and PTIR271) and confocal microscopy were combined to study the innervation of the mystacial vibrissae and vibrissa-specific sensory neuron distribution in the maxillary portion of the trigeminal ganglion of the mouse. The deeper regions of the vibrissa cavernous sinus (CS) contained a dense plexus of free nerve endings, possibly of autonomic fibers. The superficial part of this sinus displayed a massive array of corpuscular endings. Innervation in the region of the ring sinus consisted of Merkel endings and different morphological variances of lanceolate endings. The region of the inner conical body had a circular plexus of free nerve endings. In addition to confirming previous observations obtained by a variety of other techniques and ultrastructural studies, our studies revealed denser terminal receptor endings in a different distribution pattern than previously demonstrated in studies using the rat. We also revealed the distribution of sensory neurons in the trigeminal ganglion using retrograde tracing with fluorescent tracers from two nearby vibrissae. We determined that the populations of sensory neurons innervating the two vibrissae were largely overlapping. This suggests that the somatotopic maps of vibrissal projections reported at the different levels in the neuraxis are not faithfully reproduced at the level of the ganglion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) is a nuclear phosphoprotein that localizes to distinct domains in the nucleus, described as PML nuclear bodies (PML-NBs). Recent findings indicate that PML regulates the p53 response to oncogenic signals. Here, we define a p53-dependent role for PML in response to DNA damage. We exposed cells to ultraviolet light (UV-C) and imaged the nuclear distribution of PML, p53, and the BLM helicase by confocal microscopy. After DNA damage, PML partially relocated out of the PML-NBs, and colocalized with BLM and p53 at sites of DNA repair. In addition, using the isogenic HCT116 cell lines (p53+/+ and -/-), we show that the redistribution of PML was dependent on functional p53. Western analysis revealed that the level of PML protein remained unaltered after UV-C treatment. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that PML, in conjunction with p53 and BLM, contributes to the cellular response to UV-C-induced DNA damage and its repair.Oncogene (2003) 22, 1620-1628. doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1206140 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]