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Abstract Background This analysis assessed whether Blacks, Whites and Puerto-Rican (PR) Hispanics differed in their ability to identify the Tuskegee Syphilis Study (TSS) via open-ended questions following lead-in recognition and recall questions. Methods The Tuskegee Legacy Project (TLP) Questionnaire was administered via a Random-Digit Dial (RDD) telephone survey to a stratified random sample of Black, White and PR Hispanic adults in three U.S. cities. Results The TLP Questionnaire was administered to 1,162 adults (356 African-Americans, 313 PR Hispanics, and 493 non-Hispanic Whites) in San Juan, PR, Baltimore, MD and New York City, NY. Recall question data revealed: 1) that 89% or more of Blacks, Whites, and PR Hispanics were not able to name or definitely identify the Tuskegee Syphilis Study by giving study attributes; and, 2) that Blacks were the most likely to provide an open-ended answer that identified the Tuskegee Syphilis Study as compared to Whites and PR Hispanics (11.5% vs 6.3% vs 2.9%, respectively) (p ≤ 0.002). Even when probed by a recognition question, only a minority of each racial/ethnic group (37.1%, 26.9%, and 8.6%, for Blacks, Whites and PR Hispanics, respectively) was able to clearly identify the TSS (p < 0.001). Conclusions The two major implications of these findings for health disparity researchers are 1) that it is unlikely that detailed knowledge of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study has any current widespread influence on the willingness of minorities to participate in biomedical research, and 2) that caution should be applied before assuming that what community leaders 'know and are aware of' is equally 'well known' within their community constituencies.

Objectives: Evaluate oral health care access and utilisation, while identifying the specific oral health needs of the Native American Elders within the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (WTGH) on Martha's Vineyard Island., Background: Elders, particularly the WTGH face notable issues in obtaining oral health care. This study addressed the oral health gaps within the WTGH Elders through a comprehensive community needs assessment., Methods: Employing a mixed-methods approach, qualitative concept mapping interviews with stakeholders and tribe members, a quantitative survey was conducted, and deidentified billing codes were analysed., Results: Concept mapping revealed limited availability of services, accessibility and transportation, insurance challenges, lack of a centralised database, tribal/national policy and health-related self-sufficiency. Quantitative data indicated that 65% of Elders faced challenges in accessing oral health care, and 48% reported experiencing an oral health issue in the last 12 months. Additionally, 23% did not receive oral health care during this period, with a significant portion having previously utilised services at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital Oral Health Clinic., Conclusion: Establishing a formal relationship between the WTGH and an academic institution for creating a portable oral health clinic supervised by faculty and developing a structured referral system is essential. This initiative aims to dismantle barriers to oral health care, improve access, and meet the oral health needs among Elders while offering valuable educational experiences for students regarding diverse patient populations and access-to-care factors., (© 2024 The Author(s). Gerodontology published by Gerodontology Association and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The Actinobacteriophages Elezi, Asa16, and Niobe infect Arthrobacter globiformis B-2979 and are closely related to Eraser and London in Cluster AZ. They have flexible noncontractile tails, are predicted to be temperate phages, and their genome sizes range between 43,471 bp and 43,602 bp.

Dietary supplementation is commonly employed by individuals seeking to improve body composition and exercise performance. The purpose of the present study was to examine the safety and effectiveness of a commercially available dietary supplement designed to promote thermogenesis and fat loss. In a randomized double-blind trial, participants were assigned to consume placebo or a multi-ingredient supplement containing caffeine, green tea extract, l-carnitine, evodiamine and other ingredients that purportedly enhance thermogenesis. The study included acute baseline testing, a 6-week progressive resistance training and supplementation intervention, and post-intervention testing. Laboratory assessments included resting energy expenditure responses to acute supplement ingestion, evaluation of body composition and muscular performance, and analysis of blood variables (metabolic panel, testosterone, estrogen and cortisol). Dependent variables were analyzed using ANOVA with repeated measures. No unfavorable effects of supplementation were reported, and the supplement did not adversely affect safety markers. However, the supplement did not reduce fat mass or increase lean mass relative to placebo. In the supplement group, lower body maximal strength was increased relative to placebo (+18%, d=1.1 vs. +10%, d=0.5), and cortisol concentrations were decreased relative to placebo (-16%; d=-0.4 vs. +15%, d=.75). However, no differences were observed for upper body maximal strength or muscular endurance. REE increased in response to both supplement and placebo ingestion (placebo: +5%; supplement: +11.5%), but the difference between conditions was not statistically significant. Overall, some select parameters may have been beneficially modified by supplementation, but this did not result in superior weight or fat loss over 6 weeks of supplementation and resistance training.

Recent reports describe the ability of select bacterial strains to bind human norovirus, although the specificity of such interactions is unknown. The purpose of this work was to determine if a select group of bacterial species representative of human gut microbiota bind to human norovirus, and if so, to characterize the intensity and location of that binding. The bacteria screened included naturally occurring strains isolated from human stool (Klebsiella spp., Citrobacter spp., Bacillus spp., Enterococcus faecium and Hafnia alvei) and select reference strains (Staphylococcus aureus and Enterobacter cloacae). Binding in PBS was evaluated to three human norovirus strains (GII.4 New Orleans 2009 and Sydney 2012, GI.6) and two surrogate viruses (Tulane virus and Turnip Crinkle Virus (TCV)) using a suspension assay format linked to RT-qPCR for quantification. The impact of different overnight culture media prior to washing on binding efficiency in PBS was also evaluated, and binding was visualized using transmission electron microscopy. All bacteria tested bound the representative human norovirus strains with high efficiency (<1 log10 of input virus remained unbound or <10% unbound and >90% binding efficiency) (p>0.05); there was selective binding for Tulane virus and no binding observed for TCV. Binding efficiency was highest when bacteria were cultured in minimal media (<1 log10 of input virus remained unbound, so >90% bound), but notably decreased when cultured in enriched media (1-3 log10 unbound or 0.01 -<90% bound)) (p<0.05). The norovirus-bacteria binding occurred around the outer cell surfaces and pili structures, without apparent localization. The findings reported here further elucidate and inform the dynamics between human noroviruses and enteric bacteria with implications for norovirus pathogenesis.

Human noroviruses are the most common cause of acute viral gastroenteritis, and the environmental persistence of these viruses contributes to their transmissibility. Environmental sampling is thus an important tool for investigating norovirus outbreaks and for assessing the effectiveness of cleaning and decontamination regimens. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a sampling material (wipes) for their efficacy at recovering human norovirus from hard surfaces and foods. Dilutions of a human norovirus GII.4 stool specimen derived from an outbreak were applied to hard surfaces (stainless steel and ceramic) and the surfaces of representative foods (green pepper, apple, tomato, and cheese). The viruses were recovered at various times postinoculation using the wipes, followed by RNA extraction and reverse transcription quantitative PCR. Recovery efficiency ranged from 74% to almost 100% for all artificially inoculated hard surfaces and for most fresh produce surfaces. Less efficient recovery was observed for cheese. Viral RNA could be recovered from select surfaces for up to 7 days postinoculation, with a <1 log reduction in genome copy number. In field tests, 24 (11%) of 210 environmental samples collected during winter 2012 from restrooms in North Carolina were presumptively positive for human norovirus, and six of these samples were confirmed as GII.4 by sequencing. These wipes may be a valuable tool for investigations of norovirus outbreaks and studies of norovirus prevalence.

Background: Increasing metabolism is a primary focus of many commercially available dietary supplements marketed to support weight management. Caffeine (e.g. anhydrous and herbal) and green tea are key ingredients in such products, augmenting resting energy expenditure (REE) and improving reported mood states (alertness, fatigue, focus, etc.). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a thermogenic dietary supplement (DBX) on REE, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), reported measures of alertness, focus, energy, concentration, fatigue, and hunger, as well as the general safety of the product based on electrocardiogram (ECG) and hemodynamic responses in habitual caffeine consumers., Methods: Six male and six female subjects (mean ± SD; 22.50 ± 3.22 years; 76.94 ± 14.78 kg; 22.7 ± 9.5% body fat), physically active (≥12 months), and moderate habitual caffeine consumers (<200 mg/day) received either two capsules of DBX containing 340 mg of total caffeine plus green tea extract, yerba mate extract, carnitine tartrate and other active ingredients or a placebo (PLC) in a double-blinded, crossover design. Heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), REE, RER and perceived mood states were measured at baseline and then hourly for four hours after ingesting either treatment., Results: Resting energy expenditure was significantly increased at all four time points and significant increases were determined for perceived alertness (p = 0.026) and focus (p = 0.05) at hour 1 and for energy at 1 and 2 hours after treatment for the DBX group (p = 0.008 and p = 0.017, respectively). Additionally, perceived fatigue was decreased at the hour 1 assessment (p = 0.010). No significant differences were seen between DBX and placebo for hunger, anxiety, HR, BP, ECG patterns or RER., Conclusions: The results of this investigation support that the proprietary blend of this thermogenic aid is capable of increasing REE for four hours post-ingestion while supporting increased focus, alertness, and energy as well as decreasing fatigue without promoting anxiety or causing significant changes in HR, BP, or ECG measurements in habitual caffeine consumers.

Two of the most popular forms of protein on the market are whey and casein. Both proteins are derived from milk but each protein differs in absorption rate and bioavailability, thus it is possible that each type of protein may contribute differently to the adaptations elicited through resistance training. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the potential effects of ingestion of two types of protein in conjunction with a controlled resistance training program in collegiate female basketball players. Sixteen NCAA Division III female basketball players were matched according to body mass and randomly assigned in a double-blind manner to consume 24 g whey protein (WP) (N = 8, 20.0 ± 1.9 years, 1.58 ± 0.27 m, 66. 0 ± 4.9 kg, 27.0 ± 4.9 %BF) or 24 g casein protein (CP) (N = 8, 21.0 ± 2.8 years, 1.53 ± 0.29 m, 68.0 ± 2.9 kg, 25.0 ± 5.7 %BF) immediately pre- and post-exercise for eight weeks. Subjects participated in a supervised 4-day per week undulating periodized training program. At 0 and 8 weeks, subjects underwent DXA body composition analysis, and at 0 and 8 weeks underwent one repetition maximum (1RM) strength, muscle endurance, vertical jump, 5-10-5 agility run, and broad jump testing sessions. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA, and presented as mean ± SD changes from baseline after 60 days. No significant group x time interaction effects were observed among groups in changes in any variable (p > 0.05). A significant time effect was observed for body fat (WP: -2.0 ± 1.1 %BF; CP: -1.0 ± 1.6 %BF, p < 0.001), lean mass (WP: 1.5 ± 1.0 kg; CP: 1. 4 ± 1.0 kg, p < 0.001), fat mass (WP: -1.3 ± 1.2 kg; CP: -0.6 ± 1.4 kg, p < 0.001), leg press 1RM (WP: 88.7 ± 43.9 kg; CP: 90.0 ± 48.5 kg, p < 0.001), bench press 1RM (WP: 7.5 ± 4.6 kg; CP: 4.3 ± 4.5 kg, p = 0.01), vertical jump (WP: 4.1 ± 1.8 cm; CP: 3.5 ± 7.6 cm, p < 0.001), 5-10-5 (WP: -0.3 ± 0.2 sec; CP: -0.09 ± 0.42 sec, p < 0.001), and broad jump (WP: 10.4 ± 6.6 cm; CP: 12. 9 ± 7.1 cm, p < 0.001). The combination of a controlled undulating resistance training program with pre- and post-exercise protein supplementation is capable of inducing significant changes in performance and body composition. There does not appear to be a difference in the performance- enhancing effects between whey and casein proteins. Key pointsFemales can experience and increase in performance makers from consuming protein after resistance training.Females can have a decreased body fat composition when ingesting protein with daily resistance training and conditioning.There was no significant difference in performance markers between whey and casein.

We evaluated the Oral Physician Program, a dental residency sponsored by Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and the Cambridge Health Alliance that offers an innovative model for training dentists to provide limited primary care. The didactic and clinical experiences increased residents' medical knowledge and interviewing skills, and faculty assessments supported their role as oral physicians. Oral physicians could increase patients'-especially patients from underserved groups-access to integrated oral and primary care services.