An analysis of shiftwork and self-reported depressive symptoms in a police cohort from Buffalo, New York.

Shiftwork has been associated with elevated depressive symptoms; police officers frequently work shifts and may experience depressive symptoms. This study assessed the association between depressive symptoms and shiftwork in a police cohort from Buffalo, New York, USA using a repeated cross-sectional design with data collected in 2004-2009 (n = 428) and 2010-2014 (n = 261). Electronic payroll records were used to quantitatively classify officers on the day, evening, or night shift based on the shift they spent most of their working hours.

High incidence of brain and other nervous system cancer identified in two mining counties, 2001-2015.

Two counties in Montana, Deer Lodge and Silver Bow (DL/SB), have two Superfund sites, as well as an active copper and molybdenum mine in SB. The population living in proximity to these sites are exposed to additional metals and some have been shown to be neurotoxic, especially for children; thus, this study focused on the incidence of brain and other nervous system cancers. The Montana Central Tumor Registry data was used to identify the cases in DL/SB and the remaining 54 counties of Montana (comparison group).

Impact of a 12-month Inflammation Management Intervention on the Dietary Inflammatory Index, inflammation, and lipids.

Background And Aims: The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility (ability to recruit participants and develop the 12-month intervention), acceptability (retention of participants in the intervention), and impact on systemic inflammation and Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) scores over a 12-month DII-based intervention.

Methods: Adults were recruited to participate in a self-selection trial (intervention: n = 61, in-person classes; control: n = 34, newsletters). Classes included participatory cooking and dietary recommendations focused on consuming a plant-based diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods (spices, vegetables, etc.

Perspective: The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII)-Lessons Learned, Improvements Made, and Future Directions.

The literature on the role of inflammation in health has grown exponentially over the past several decades. Paralleling this growth has been an equally intense focus on the role of diet in modulating inflammation, with a doubling in the size of the literature approximately every 4 y. The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) was developed to provide a quantitative means for assessing the role of diet in relation to health outcomes ranging from blood concentrations of inflammatory cytokines to chronic diseases.

Dietary patterns based on the Mediterranean diet and DASH diet are inversely associated with high aggressive prostate cancer in PCaP.

Background: Several foods and nutrients have been linked to the development of prostate cancer, but the association between healthy dietary patterns and prostate cancer aggressiveness is less studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the Mediterranean diet (MED) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet scores and prostate cancer aggressiveness by race.

Methods: Data from the population-based, case-only North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (PCaP) were used to examine the association between diet quality, measured by MED and DASH scores, and prostate cancer aggressiveness in 1899 African American (AA) and European American (EA) research subjects.

Hyperbaric Oxygen as Radiation Sensitizer for Locally Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx: A Phase 1 Dose-Escalation Study.

Purpose: To explore, in a dose-escalation study, the feasibility of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatments immediately before intensity modulated radiation therapy in conjunction with cisplatinum chemotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

Methods And Materials: Eligible patients presented with SCCHN (stage III-IV [M0]), life expectancy >6 months, and Karnofsky performance status ≥70. Enrollees received intensity modulated radiation therapy, 70 Gy in 35 fractions over 7 weeks with weekly cisplatinum.

The Effects of a Park Awareness Campaign on Rural Park Use and Physical Activity.

To examine the effects of a park awareness campaign on park use in 6 community parks. One-group pretest-posttest design. Six community parks located in a South Carolina county.

Inflammatory potential of diet and all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III Study.

Background: Various dietary components have been studied in relation to overall mortality; however, little is known about the relationship between the inflammatory potential of overall diet and mortality.

Materials And Methods: We examined the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and mortality in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III follow-up study. The DII was computed from baseline dietary intake assessed using 24-h dietary recalls (1988-1994).

Provider Behavior Under Global Budgeting and Policy Responses: An Observational Study on Eye Care Services in Taiwan.

Third-party payer systems are consistently associated with health care cost escalation. Taiwan's single-payer, universal coverage National Health Insurance (NHI) adopted global budgeting (GB) to achieve cost control. This study captures ophthalmologists' response to GB, specifically service volume changes and service substitution between low-revenue and high-revenue services following GB implementation, the subsequent Bureau of NHI policy response, and the policy impact.

Structures of lipoyl synthase reveal a compact active site for controlling sequential sulfur insertion reactions.

Lipoyl cofactors are essential for living organisms and are produced by the insertion of two sulfur atoms into the relatively unreactive C-H bonds of an octanoyl substrate. This reaction requires lipoyl synthase, a member of the radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) enzyme superfamily. In the present study, we solved crystal structures of lipoyl synthase with two [4Fe-4S] clusters bound at opposite ends of the TIM barrel, the usual fold of the radical SAM superfamily.

The associations between park environments and park use in southern US communities.

Purpose: To document park use and park and neighborhood environment characteristics in rural communities, and to examine the relationship between park characteristics and park use.

Methods: The System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities measured use in 42 target areas across 6 community parks in May 2010 and October 2010. Direct observation instruments were used to assess park and neighborhood environment characteristics.

Proportion of gestational diabetes mellitus attributable to overweight and obesity among non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic white, and Hispanic women in South Carolina.

Objective was to estimate race-specific proportions of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) attributable to overweight and obesity in South Carolina. South Carolina birth certificate and hospital discharge data were obtained from 2004 to 2006. Women who did not have type 2 diabetes mellitus before pregnancy were classified with GDM if a diagnosis was reported in at least one data source.

A population-based dietary inflammatory index predicts levels of C-reactive protein in the Seasonal Variation of Blood Cholesterol Study (SEASONS).

Objective: To perform construct validation of the population-based Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) using dietary data from two different dietary assessments and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) as the construct validator.

Design: Using data derived from (i) three 24 h dietary recalls (24HR) at baseline and at the end of each subsequent quarter (i.e.

Designing and developing a literature-derived, population-based dietary inflammatory index.

Objective: To design and develop a literature-derived, population-based dietary inflammatory index (DII) to compare diverse populations on the inflammatory potential of their diets.

Design: Peer-reviewed primary research articles published through December 2010 on the effect of diet on inflammation were screened for possible inclusion in the DII scoring algorithm. Qualifying articles were scored according to whether each dietary parameter increased (+1), decreased (-1) or had no (0) effect on six inflammatory biomarkers: IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α and C-reactive protein.

Perceived environmental church support and physical activity among Black church members.

Background: Churches are an appealing setting for implementing health-related behavior change programs.

Purpose: The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between perceived environmental church support for physical activity (PA) and PA behaviors.

Method: Black church members from South Carolina (n = 309) wore an Actigraph accelerometer prior to the initiation of an intervention.

Racial disparities in colorectal cancer incidence by type 2 diabetes mellitus status.

Purpose: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prevalence has increased dramatically in the United States since the early 1970s. Though T2DM is known to be associated with colorectal cancer (CRC), information on racial differences in the relationship between T2DM and CRC is limited.

Methods: Using a retrospective cohort design, we compared the association between T2DM and CRC, including subsites of the colon, in African Americans (AAs) and European Americans (EAs) in South Carolina, a region with large racial disparities in rates of both diseases.

Power of a reproducing kernel-based method for testing the joint effect of a set of single-nucleotide polymorphisms.

This study explored a semi-parametric method built upon reproducing kernels for estimating and testing the joint effect of a set of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The kernel adopted is the identity-by-state kernel that measures SNP similarity between subjects. In this article, through simulations we first assessed its statistical power under different situations.

Occurrence of new sexually transmitted diseases in males after HIV diagnosis.

Risk reduction following an HIV diagnosis is important for controlling the epidemic. The objective of this retrospective cohort study of 6,965 HIV-positive males was to evaluate the joint risk of new reportable STDs in males after HIV diagnosis by race/ethnicity and risk behavior. This investigation linked HIV case reports with STD surveillance, clinical care and laboratory datasets to determine new STD acquisition in HIV positive individuals.

The effect of maternity leave length and time of return to work on breastfeeding.

Objective: We investigated the effect of maternity leave length and time of first return to work on breastfeeding.

Methods: Data were from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort. Restricting our sample to singletons whose biological mothers were the respondents at the 9-month interview and worked in the 12 months before delivery (N = 6150), we classified the length of total maternity leave (weeks) as 1 to 6, 7 to 12, ≥ 13, and did not take; paid maternity leave (weeks) as 0, 1 to 6, ≥ 7, and did not take; and time of return to work postpartum (weeks) as 1 to 6, 7 to 12, ≥ 13, and not yet returned.

Balancing work and family: effect of employment characteristics on breastfeeding.

This article describes an investigation of the effect of postpartum employment and occupational type on breastfeeding initiation and duration. Data were from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort. Postpartum employment status was classified as full-time, part-time, and not employed.

Associations of rural residence with timing of HIV diagnosis and stage of disease at diagnosis, South Carolina 2001-2005.

Context: Rural areas in the southern United States face many challenges, including limited access to health care services and stigma, which may lead to later HIV diagnosis among rural residents.

Purpose: To investigate the associations of rural residence with timing of HIV diagnosis and stage of disease at diagnosis.

Methods: Timing of HIV diagnosis was categorized as a diagnosis of acquired immune deficiency syndrome within 1 year of a first positive HIV test or HIV-only.

Effects of Feldenkrais exercises on balance, mobility, balance confidence, and gait performance in community-dwelling adults age 65 and older.

Background: Falls and fall-related injuries are a major public health concern, a financial challenge for health care providers, and critical issues for older adults. Poor balance and limited mobility are major risk factors for falls.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine effects of Feldenkrais exercises in improving balance, mobility, and balance confidence in older adults.

A new dietary inflammatory index predicts interval changes in serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.

Inflammation is associated with a number of chronic conditions, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Reducing inflammation may help prevent or treat these conditions. Diet has consistently been shown to modulate inflammation.