Using a Film of Digital Storytelling and Art to Decrease Stigma Toward Those With Substance Use Disorder.

The stigma associated with substance use disorder (SUD) harms the lives of people who use drugs (PWUD). Perceptions and projections such as PWUD are unclean, dangerous, noncompliant, or at fault for their addiction are unfounded and can harm the person's quality of life, impacting all social determinants of health. Stigmatic behaviors displayed in the healthcare setting directly influence the ability of the person with SUD to engage fully in their care as feelings of trust are replaced by shame.

Strengthening influenza surveillance capacity in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: Nearly two decades of direct support from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Since 2004, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Influenza Division (ID) has supported seven countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region and the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean to establish and strengthen influenza surveillance. The substantial growth of influenza surveillance capacities in the region demonstrates a commitment by governments to strengthen national programs and contribute to global surveillance. The full value of surveillance data is in its use to guide local public health decisions.

Comparative neurotranscriptomics reveal widespread species differences associated with bonding.

Background: Pair bonding with a reproductive partner is rare among mammals but is an important feature of human social behavior. Decades of research on monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), along with comparative studies using the related non-bonding meadow vole (M. pennsylvanicus), have revealed many of the neural and molecular mechanisms necessary for pair-bond formation in that species.

Screening and Genomic Characterization of Filamentous Hemagglutinin-Deficient Bordetella pertussis.

Despite high vaccine coverage, pertussis cases in the United States have increased over the last decade. Growing evidence suggests that disease resurgence results, in part, from genetic divergence of circulating strain populations away from vaccine references. The United States employs acellular vaccines exclusively, and current isolates are predominantly deficient in at least one immunogen, pertactin (Prn).

The History of Bordetella pertussis Genome Evolution Includes Structural Rearrangement.

Despite high pertussis vaccine coverage, reported cases of whooping cough (pertussis) have increased over the last decade in the United States and other developed countries. Although is well known for its limited gene sequence variation, recent advances in long-read sequencing technology have begun to reveal genomic structural heterogeneity among otherwise indistinguishable isolates, even within geographically or temporally defined epidemics. We have compared rearrangements among complete genome assemblies from 257 isolates to examine the potential evolution of the chromosomal structure in a pathogen with minimal gene nucleotide sequence diversity.

Complete Genome Sequences of Four Different Bordetella sp. Isolates Causing Human Respiratory Infections.

Species of the genus Bordetella associate with various animal hosts, frequently causing respiratory disease. Bordetella pertussis is the primary agent of whooping cough and other Bordetella species can cause similar cough illness. Here, we report four complete genome sequences from isolates of different Bordetella species recovered from human respiratory infections.

The Role of Assimilating to the US Culture and the Relationship Between Neighborhood Ethnic Composition and Dietary Intake Among Hispanic Youth.

Background: Dietary fiber and sugar intake have been shown to affect metabolic health in overweight Hispanic youth. Evidence on the influence of culture on fiber and sugar intake in Hispanic youth is limited.

Methods: The associations among score for levels of assimilation, neighborhood ethnic characteristics, and daily total and added dietary sugar and dietary fiber intake were assessed using regression analyses.

Identifying Underlying Emotional Instability and Utilizing a Combined Intervention in the Treatment of Childhood Constipation and Encopresis-A Case Report.

Background: Childhood constipation is a common ailment that in certain cases can lead to encopresis or fecal incontinence. The literature suggests that standard care varies in effectiveness, especially in the long term. Fecal incontinence can lead to frustration, guilt, and shame for both the child and family and has untold long-term psychological and physical consequences.

Enhancing behavioral health treatment and crisis management through mobile ecological momentary assessment and SMS messaging.

Many veterans returning from service in Afghanistan or Iraq suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or mild traumatic brain injury. Treating these conditions can be challenging because of high rates of relapse and associated memory impairments. We report on a pilot study that assessed the utility of mobile health (mHealth) technologies, including personal digital assistant-based ecological momentary assessment and two-way interactive text (SMS) messaging, for providing treatment feedback to clinicians, encouraging and motivating veterans throughout treatment, and monitoring participants for relapse after treatment discharge.

BAC-based sequencing of behaviorally-relevant genes in the prairie vole.

The prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) is an important model organism for the study of social behavior, yet our ability to correlate genes and behavior in this species has been limited due to a lack of genetic and genomic resources. Here we report the BAC-based targeted sequencing of behaviorally-relevant genes and flanking regions in the prairie vole. A total of 6.

A genetic linkage map and comparative mapping of the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) genome.

Background: The prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) is an emerging rodent model for investigating the genetics, evolution and molecular mechanisms of social behavior. Though a karyotype for the prairie vole has been reported and low-resolution comparative cytogenetic analyses have been done in this species, other basic genetic resources for this species, such as a genetic linkage map, are lacking.

Results: Here we report the construction of a genome-wide linkage map of the prairie vole.

Ambient air pollution is associated with the increased incidence of breast cancer in US.

Women in the United States have among the highest incidence rates of breast cancer. The reasons behind this are not fully understood. In this study we analyzed US ecological data to examine the effect of ambient air pollution on breast cancer incidence.

Haplotype-based genomic sequencing of a chromosomal polymorphism in the white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis).

Inversion polymorphisms have been linked to a variety of fundamental biological and evolutionary processes. Yet few studies have used large-scale genomic sequencing to directly compare the haplotypes associated with the standard and inverted chromosome arrangements. Here we describe the targeted genomic sequencing and comparison of haplotypes representing alternative arrangements of a common inversion polymorphism linked to a suite of phenotypes in the white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis).

Evolution of a bitter taste receptor gene cluster in a New World sparrow.

Bitter taste perception likely evolved as a protective mechanism against the ingestion of harmful compounds in food. The evolution of the taste receptor type 2 (TAS2R) gene family, which encodes the chemoreceptors that are directly responsible for the detection of bitter compounds, has therefore been of considerable interest. Though TAS2R repertoires have been characterized for a number of species, to date the complement of TAS2Rs from just one bird, the chicken, which had a notably small number of TAS2Rs, has been established.

A W-linked palindrome and gene conversion in New World sparrows and blackbirds.

A hallmark feature of the male-specific region of the human Y chromosome is the presence of large and near-identical palindromes. These palindromes are maintained in a state of near identity via gene conversion between the arms of the palindrome, and both neutral and selection-based theories have been proposed to explain their enrichment on the human Y and X chromosomes. While those proposed theories would be applicable to sex chromosomes in other species, it has not been established whether near-identical palindromes are a common feature of sex chromosomes in a broader range of taxa, including other tetrapods.

Development of genomic resources for the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster): construction of a BAC library and vole-mouse comparative cytogenetic map.

Background: The prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) is a premier animal model for understanding the genetic and neurological basis of social behaviors. Unlike other biomedical models, prairie voles display a rich repertoire of social behaviors including the formation of long-term pair bonds and biparental care. However, due to a lack of genomic resources for this species, studies have been limited to a handful of candidate genes.

Acceptability of adverse childhood experiences questions for health surveillance in U.S. Armed Forces.

Background: Research has documented a consistent and strong association between adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and negative health outcomes in adulthood. The Department of Defense is expanding health surveillance of military members and considering the inclusion of ACE questions.

Objective: To explore the perceptions and attitudes of service members and spouses regarding the use of ACE questions in routine health surveillance.

Deterioration of insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function in overweight Hispanic children during pubertal transition: a longitudinal assessment.

Purpose: To examine 1-year changes in insulin dynamics in overweight Hispanic children at high-risk of type 2 diabetes as a function of body composition and pubertal transition.

Experimental Design: Longitudinal changes in insulin dynamics, body composition and maturation were determined in 132 Hispanic children (70 boys/62 girls; aged 10.9 +/- 1.

Culturally competent research with American Indians and Alaska Natives: findings and recommendations of the first symposium of the work group on American Indian Research and Program Evaluation Methodology.

This article describes the collective experience of a multidisciplinary network of researchers, practitioners, and program evaluators who support appropriate research and evaluation methods in working with Native peoples. Our experience underlines the critical importance of culture in understanding and conducting research with the diverse populations of American Indians and Alaska Natives, and documents the need for community-based, collaborative, participatory action research. We discuss the major findings of the first American Indian Research and Program Evaluation Methodology national symposium, and articulate a set of 20 guiding principles for conducting research and program evaluation.

Provider and patient perspectives regarding health care for war-related health concerns.

Objective: To gain insight about Department of Defense providers' and health care beneficiaries' opinions regarding provider-patient communication of health care for post-deployment health concerns.

Methods: Thirty-five Department of Defense primary care providers and 14 military beneficiaries participated in focus groups at five military medical treatment facilities. We audiotaped, transcribed, and qualitatively analyzed semi-structured focus group interviews to determine attitudes and beliefs about war-related health concerns, symptoms, and health care quality.

4-Alkyl and 4,4'-dialkyl 1,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)pyrazolidine-3,5-dione derivatives as new inhibitors of bacterial cell wall biosynthesis.

Over 195 4-alkyl and 4,4-dialkyl 1,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)pyrazolidine-3,5-dione derivatives were synthesized, utilizing microwave accelerated synthesis, for evaluation as new inhibitors of bacterial cell wall biosynthesis. Many of them demonstrated good activity against MurB in vitro and low MIC values against gram-positive bacteria, particularly penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP). Derivative 7l demonstrated antibacterial activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.