Lipid A's structure mediates Neisseria gonorrhoeae fitness during experimental infection of mice and men.

Unlabelled: Phosphoethanolamine (PEA) on Neisseria gonorrhoeae lipid A influences gonococcal inflammatory signaling and susceptibility to innate host defenses in in vitro models. Here, we evaluated the role of PEA-decorated gonococcal lipid A in competitive infections in female mice and in male volunteers. We inoculated mice and men with mixtures of wild-type N.

Ecological system influences in the treatment of pediatric chronic pain.

Family, school and the peer network each shape the chronic pain experience of the individual child, and each of these contexts also represents a domain of functioning often impaired by chronic pain. The goal of the present article is to summarize what is known about these bidirectional influences between children with pain and the social systems that surround them. Case reports that illustrate these complex, transactional forces and their ultimate impact on the child's pain-related functioning are included.

Energy balance: the key to a unified message on diet and physical activity.

The aim of this commentary is to highlight the advantages of an energy-balance framework to unify diet and physical activity messages. Despite an array of pharmacotherapies, lifestyle modification remains the first-line approach for preventing obesity, cardiometabolic diseases, and cancer. Yet, patients, let alone professionals, often perceive recommendations on diet to be separate from, or even competitive with, those on physical activity.

Experimental Gonococcal Infection in Male Volunteers: Cumulative Experience with Neisseria gonorrhoeae Strains FA1090 and MS11mkC.

Experimental infection of male volunteers with Neisseria gonorrhoeae is safe and reproduces the clinical features of naturally acquired gonococcal urethritis. Human inoculation studies have helped define the natural history of experimental infection with two well-characterized strains of N. gonorrhoeae, FA1090 and MS11mkC.

Vaccines for gonorrhea: can we rise to the challenge?

Immune responses to the gonococcus after natural infection ordinarily result in little immunity to reinfection, due to antigenic variation of the gonococcus, and redirection or suppression of immune responses. Brinton and colleagues demonstrated that parenteral immunization of male human volunteers with a purified pilus vaccine gave partial protection against infection by the homologous strain. However, the vaccine failed in a clinical trial.

Novel Treponema pallidum serologic tests: a paradigm shift in syphilis screening for the 21st century.

The mainstay of diagnosis for Treponema pallidum infections is based on nontreponemal and treponemal serologic tests. Many new diagnostic methods for syphilis have been developed, using specific treponemal antigens and novel formats, including rapid point-of-care tests, enzyme immunoassays, and chemiluminescence assays. Although most of these newer tests are not yet cleared for use in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration, their performance and ease of automation have promoted their application for syphilis screening.

Evolution, body composition, insulin receptor competition, and insulin resistance.

Objective: Better understanding of the relationships between body composition and insulin resistance.

Results: Average human adiposity and sarcopenia have attained unprecedented levels and the resultantly abnormal body composition distorts insulin receptor balance. Compared to evolutionary norms we now have too many adipocyte insulin receptors (in adipose tissue and liver) and too few myocyte insulin receptors.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae activates the proteinase cathepsin B to mediate the signaling activities of the NLRP3 and ASC-containing inflammasome.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a common sexually transmitted pathogen that significantly impacts female fertility, neonatal health, and transmission of HIV worldwide. N. gonorrhoeae usually causes localized inflammation of the urethra and cervix by inducing production of IL-1beta and other inflammatory cytokines.

Understanding nonsmoking in African American and Caucasian college students: an application of the theory of planned behavior.

Few studies have considered whether psychological determinants of nonsmoking among college students vary by ethnicity. The authors tested the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explain differences in nonsmoking intentions of 238 African American and 197 Caucasian college students who completed an in-class TPB questionnaire and a smoking assessment 1 week later. After removing 35 students who reported smoking at the baseline assessment, regressions were used to examine ethnic effects on TPB constructs when predicting nonsmoking intentions.

Understanding adherence to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day: a theory of planned behavior perspective.

Objective: The primary purpose of the present study was to examine the utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in explaining the 5-A-Day intentions and behavior of college students. A secondary purpose was to determine whether any of the TPB relationships were moderated by gender or ethnicity.

Design: A prospective design that asked college students to complete a baseline TPB 5-A-Day questionnaire and a fruit and vegetable consumption measure 1 week later.

Promising practices in promotion of healthy weight at small and medium-sized US worksites.

Introduction: We developed a new evaluation method to identify promising practices for promoting healthy weight among employees at small and medium-sized worksites.

Methods: We used a structured rating and selection process to select 9 worksites with approximately 100 to 3,000 employees from a pool of worksites with health promotion programs reputed to be exemplary. A site visit over 2 sequential half-days at each site included interviews with senior management, program staff, vendors, and wellness committees; observation guided by a written environmental assessment; and structured review of program data on health outcomes of wellness program participants.

A new evaluation tool to obtain practice-based evidence of worksite health promotion programs.

Introduction: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed the Swift Worksite Assessment and Translation (SWAT) evaluation method to identify promising practices in worksite health promotion programs. The new method complements research studies and evaluation studies of evidence-based practices that promote healthy weight in working adults.

Methods: We used nationally recognized program evaluation standards of utility, feasibility, accuracy, and propriety as the foundation for our 5-step method: 1) site identification and selection, 2) site visit, 3) post-visit evaluation of promising practices, 4) evaluation capacity building, and 5) translation and dissemination.

Do ethnicity and gender matter when using the theory of planned behavior to understand fruit and vegetable consumption?

A majority of Americans do not meet the recommendation to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day (5-A-Day). The purpose of the present study was to examine the utility of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) for understanding 5-A-Day intentions and behavior and to determine whether any of the TPB relationships were moderated by ethnicity or gender. A total of 413 participants completed a baseline TPB questionnaire and a fruit and vegetable consumption measure 2 weeks later.