The Positive Effect of the Rational Addiction Prevention Program (RAPP) on Adolescents with High Risk for Drug Consumption.

The aim of this longitudinal study was to determine the effect of an original prevention program (RAPP) on the behavioral and cognitive characteristics of adolescents with high risk for substance consumption. Seventy-six Mexican adolescents 12-15 years old (38 with high risk (HR) and 38 with low risk (LR)) were selected. RAPP was applied for 3 months.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of a Carbamate-Containing Tubulysin Antibody-Drug Conjugate.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) use antibodies to deliver cytotoxic payloads directly into tumor cells via specifically binding to the target cell surface antigens. ADCs can enhance the anti-tumor effects of antibodies, and increase the delivery of cytotoxic payloads to cancer cells with a better therapeutic index. An ADC was prepared with a potent carbamate-containing tubulysin analogue attached to an anti-mesothelin antibody via a Cit-Val dipeptide linker.

High-Throughput Platform to Identify Antibody Conjugation Sites from Antibody-Drug Conjugate Libraries.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a therapeutic modality that traditionally enable the targeted delivery of highly potent cytotoxic agents to specific cells such as tumor cells. More recently, antibodies have been used to deliver molecules such as antibiotics, antigens, and adjuvants to bacteria or specific immune cell subsets. Site-directed mutagenesis of proteins permits more precise control over the site and stoichiometry of their conjugation, giving rise to homogeneous chemically defined ADCs.

Cognitive variability-A marker for incident MCI and AD: An analysis for the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.

Introduction: The potential of intra-individual cognitive variability (IICV) to predict incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's disease (AD) was examined and compared to well-established neuroimaging and genetic predictors.

Methods: IICV was estimated using four neuropsychological measures for n = 1324 Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) participants who were cognitively healthy or diagnosed with MCI at baseline. IICV was used to predict time to incident MCI or AD, and compared to hippocampal volume loss and APOE ε4 status via survival analysis.

Initial report of the osteogenesis imperfecta adult natural history initiative.

Background: A better understanding of the natural history of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) in adulthood should improve health care for patients with this rare condition.

Methods: The Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation established the Adult Natural History Initiative (ANHI) in 2010 to give voice to the health concerns of the adult OI community and to begin to address existing knowledge gaps for this condition. Using a web-based platform, 959 adults with self-reported OI, representing a wide range of self-reported disease severity, reported symptoms and health conditions, estimated the impact of these concerns on present and future health-related quality of life (QoL) and completed a Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) survey of health issues.

An ecological approach to addressing HIV/AIDS in the African American community.

The disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on African Americans is a significant public health challenge. The complex constellation of individual, social, and environmental factors influencing transmission, require ecological solutions that recognize these multiple levels of influence and actively involve communities. This article describes the formation of a community-based coalition and highlights three initiatives it has undertaken in the areas of mobile HIV testing, HIV education, and faith-based work to improve HIV services for African Americans.

Evaluating the prevention through alternative learning styles program.

This article reports on the evaluation of a two-year alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) intervention, the Prevention through Alternative Learning Styles (PALS) program, targeting both teachers and middle-school students. Teachers are taught to recognize students' unique learning styles in the context of the ATOD curriculum and adapt the ATOD messages to these learning styles. The student curriculum consists of 5 topic areas with two lessons per topic area.

Efficacy of contact lens disinfecting solutions against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Purpose: To evaluate the disinfection properties of multipurpose contact lens disinfection solutions, based on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14729 guidelines.

Methods: ReNu with MoistureLoc Multi-Purpose Solution, OPTI-FREE Express with Aldox Multi-Purpose Solution, Betadine 5% sterile ophthalmic preparation solution (povidone iodine), and 0.9% normal saline solution were inoculated with strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

IL-6 levels predict disease variant and extent of organ involvement in patients with mastocytosis.

Mastocytosis is often associated with organ involvement and hematological disorders. Patients may also exhibit elevated levels of plasma IL-6. To gain insight into the relevance of this observation, we correlated plasma levels of IL-6 and soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) with multiple disease parameters in 29 patients with mastocytosis.

Alterations of plasma lipids in mice via adenoviral-mediated hepatic overexpression of human ABCA1.

ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) is a widely expressed lipid transporter essential for the generation of HDL. ABCA1 is particularly abundant in the liver, suggesting that the liver may play a major role in HDL homeostasis. To determine how hepatic ABCA1 affects plasma HDL cholesterol levels, we treated mice with an adenovirus (Ad)-expressing human ABCA1 under the control of the cytomegalovirus promoter.

Assessment of the extent of cutaneous involvement in children and adults with mastocytosis: relationship to symptomatology, tryptase levels, and bone marrow pathology.

Background: Cutaneous involvement occurs in most patients with systemic mastocytosis.

Objective: We sought to determine whether the extent of cutaneous involvement is predictive of systemic disease.

Methods: In a prospective survey of 48 adults and 19 children, the extent and density of cutaneous lesions were compared with patient history, symptoms, internal organ involvement, serum total mast cell tryptase level, and bone marrow pathology.

Protein kinase A site-specific phosphorylation regulates ATP-binding cassette A1 (ABCA1)-mediated phospholipid efflux.

ATP-binding cassette A1 (ABCA1) is a key mediator of cholesterol and phospholipid efflux to apolipoprotein particles. We show that ABCA1 is a constitutively phosphorylated protein in both RAW macrophages and in a human embryonic kidney cell line expressing ABCA1. Furthermore, we demonstrate that phosphorylation of ABCA1 is mediated by protein kinase A (PKA) or a PKA-like kinase in vivo.

Regression of urticaria pigmentosa in adult patients with systemic mastocytosis: correlation with clinical patterns of disease.

Objective: To determine clinical correlates of urticaria pigmentosa (UP) regression in adult patients with systemic mastocytosis (SM).

Design: Cohort study of the natural history of mastocytosis.

Setting: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center.

Human cytomegalovirus US7, US8, US9, and US10 are cytoplasmic glycoproteins, not found at cell surfaces, and US9 does not mediate cell-to-cell spread.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) expresses a large number of membrane proteins with unknown functions. One class of these membrane proteins apparently acts to allow HCMV to escape detection by the immune system. The best characterized of these are the glycoproteins encoded within the US2 to US11 region of the HCMV genome that mediate resistance to CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cells.

Levels of mast-cell growth factors in plasma and in suction skin blister fluid in adults with mastocytosis: correlation with dermal mast-cell numbers and mast-cell tryptase.

Background: Mast-cell accumulation has been observed in the skin and other organs of patients with systemic indolent mastocytosis (SM). The basis for this pathologic increase is not fully understood.

Objective: We sought to determine levels of mast-cell growth factors in the skin and plasma of patients with SM, patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), and healthy individuals and to correlate these levels to dermal mast-cell numbers and levels of mast-cell tryptase.

Suppression of IL-4 Production in Murine Lymphocytes by Orally Effective Prostaglandin E(1) Analogs.

Prostaglandins (PGs) regulate a wide variety of immunologic processes. We studied the activity of PGE(1), and two orally effective PGE(1) methyl ester analogs, misoprostol (MP) and enisoprost (EP), as inhibitors of interleukin-4 (IL-4) production in stimulated murine splenic T cells in vitro. Effective suppresion of IL-4 production was seen with all three agents with KI(50)s of 65 nM for MP and 20 nM for EP.