Fatty Acids, Amphiregulin Production, and Lung Function in a Cohort of Midwestern Veterans.

Rationale: The relationship between many fatty acids and respiratory outcomes remains unclear, especially with regard to mechanistic actions. Altered regulation of the process of lung repair is a key feature of chronic lung disease and may impact the potential for pulmonary rehabilitation, but underlying mechanisms of lung repair following injury or inflammation are not well-studied. The epidermal growth factor receptor agonist amphiregulin (AREG) has been demonstrated to promote lung repair following occupational dust exposure in animals.

Gender Differences in Recommended Treatment Decisions among Breast Cancer Patients: A Study Using the National Cancer Database.

Background: Previous studies have explored surgery refusal among female breast cancer patients. However, little attention has been given to other therapies in both females and males. The goal of this study was to determine the potential role of gender on recommended hormone therapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery refusal and to describe other determinants of refusal.

Cross-sectional survey study of primary care clinics on evidence-based colorectal cancer screening intervention use.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine differences between urban and rural primary care clinics in the use of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening methods and evidence-based interventions to promote CRC screening.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of primary care clinics in Nebraska. Surveys in paper form were sent out and followed up with telephone interviews to nonrespondents.

Development of an Integer-based Risk Score to Predict 90-Day Mortality After Hepatectomy in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: The incidence of liver cancer has more than tripled since 1980. Hepatectomy represents the major curative treatment for liver cancer. The risk factors associated with 90-day mortality after hepatectomy are not well understood and there are currently no good prediction models for this outcome.

Symptom Clusters and Quality of Life over 1 Year in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy.

Objective: Evidence is scant regarding symptom clusters and quality of life (QOL) over 1 year in women who receive adjuvant breast cancer chemotherapy (CTX). Our purpose was to identify the prevalence and severity of individual symptoms, symptom clusters, and QOL in women receiving adjuvant breast cancer CTX from baseline over 1 year.

Methods: Symptoms were identified in a sample ( = 219) at three times: baseline (prior to the first adjuvant CTX treatment), 1 month after the last CTX (approximately 6 months after baseline), and 1 year after baseline.

Association of Dietary Fiber on Asthma, Respiratory Symptoms, and Inflammation in the Adult National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Population.

High intake of dietary fiber may have antiinflammatory properties and be protective against respiratory morbidity. We examined the relationship between dietary fiber intake and asthma, respiratory symptoms, and inflammation among adults who participated in the 2007 to 2012 NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey). We analyzed data from adults 20 to 79 years of age ( = 13,147) with complete information on fiber intake, total calorie intake, body mass index, smoking status, and poverty level.

A Cross-sectional Study of Gender-related Differences in Reporting Fatigue and Pain among Latino/A Migrant Farmworkers.

: Migrant farmworkers face many hardships in both their working and living environments including dangerous and demanding tasks, long hours, and inadequate rest. This study sought to explore gender differences in the reporting of fatigue and pain and to identify predictors of fatigue and pain among migrant farmworkers in Nebraska (n = 241). : Bivariate tests were used to assess associations among study variables.

Methods in Lung Microbiome Research.

The lung microbiome is associated with host immune response and health outcomes in experimental models and patient cohorts. Lung microbiome research is increasing in volume and scope; however, there are no established guidelines for study design, conduct, and reporting of lung microbiome studies. Standardized approaches to yield reliable and reproducible data that can be synthesized across studies will ultimately improve the scientific rigor and impact of published work and greatly benefit microbiome research.

Association Between Weight Loss and Glycemic Outcomes: A Analysis of a Remote Patient Monitoring Program for Diabetes Management.

: Evidence-based guidelines for the management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) consist of blood glucose monitoring, medication adherence, and lifestyle modifications that may particularly benefit from reminders, consultation, education, and behavioral reinforcements through remote patient monitoring (RPM). : To identify predictors of weight loss and to examine the association between weight loss and hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) outcomes for T2D patients who were enrolled in an RPM program for diabetes management. : The study applied logistic and ordinary least-squares regression models to examine the relationship between baseline characteristics and the likelihood of weight loss during the RPM, and how the magnitude of weight loss was related to changes in HbA1C outcomes for 1,103 T2D patients who went through 3 months of RPM from 2014 to 2017.

Genetic Variants in Circadian Rhythm Genes and Self-Reported Sleep Quality in Women with Breast Cancer.

Introduction: Women diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) are at increased risk of sleep deficiency. Approximately 30-60% of these women report poor sleep during and following surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and anti-estrogen therapy. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between genetic variation in circadian rhythm genes and self-reported sleep quality in women with BC.

Creating Customized Workforce Development Plans for Medium-to-Large Public Health Departments.

Objectives: The objectives of our study were to (1) illustrate a public health workforce assessment process in a medium-sized city or county health department and (2) demonstrate the insights gained by moving from the use of aggregate department-level and competency domain-level training needs results to more granular division-level and skills-level results when creating a workforce development plan.

Methods: We used a 130-question needs assessment to guide the creation of a workforce development plan for the Lincoln Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) in Nebraska and its 7 divisions. Using SurveyMonkey, we administered the survey to 128 (of the 129) LLCHD public health staff members in June 2015.

Saturated Fat Intake Is Associated with Lung Function in Individuals with Airflow Obstruction: Results from NHANES 2007⁻2012.

Nutritional status is a well-recognized prognostic indicator in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); however, very little is known about the relationship between lung function and saturated fat intake. We used data from the cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) to assess the relationship between saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake and lung function in the general US adult population. Adults in NHANES (2007⁻2012) with pre-bronchodilator spirometry measurements and dietary SFA intake were included.

Estrogen Metabolism in African-American Women with and without Breast Cancer: A Pilot Study.

Studies in Caucasian women have shown that the formation of estrogen-DNA adducts is greater in women at high risk for breast cancer or already diagnosed with the disease. To begin investigating whether the role of estrogens in the etiology of breast cancer is similar in African-American (AA) women, a saliva sample and a spot urine sample were collected from 19 AA women with breast cancer and 23 AA women not diagnosed with breast cancer. In the urine samples, 20 estrogen metabolites, conjugates, and DNA adducts were analyzed by using ultraperformance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry, and then the ratio of adducts to metabolites and conjugates was calculated for each sample.

Aging leads to dysfunctional innate immune responses to TLR2 and TLR4 agonists.

Background: Sepsis is more common in the elderly. TNF⍺ is recognized as an important mediator in sepsis and Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in initiating signaling cascades to produce TNF⍺. Little is known about how innate immunity is altered in healthy human aging that predisposes to sepsis.

Relationship of systemic IL-10 levels with proinflammatory cytokine responsiveness and lung function in agriculture workers.

Background: Agriculture workers are exposed to microbial component- and particulate matter-enriched organic dust aerosols. Whereas it is clear that exposure to these aerosols can lead to lung inflammation, it is not known how inflammatory responses are resolved in some individuals while others develop chronic lung disease. Interleukin (IL)-10 is an immunomodulatory cytokine that is recognized as a potent anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving factor.

Short term dynamics of the sputum microbiome among COPD patients.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory disorder characterized by incompletely reversible airflow obstruction. The complexity of the lung microbial community in COPD patients has been highlighted in recent years. Evidence suggests that transplantation, medications, age, and disease severity influence microbial community membership.

Persistent light to moderate alcohol intake and lung function: A longitudinal study.

Alcohol intake has been inconsistently associated with lung function levels in cross-sectional studies. The goal of our study was to determine whether longitudinally assessed light-to-moderate alcohol intake is associated with levels and decline of lung function. We examined data from 1333 adult participants in the population-based Tucson Epidemiological Study of Airway Obstructive Disease.

Interaction of CD14 haplotypes and soluble CD14 on pulmonary function in agricultural workers.

Background: Agricultural environments are contaminated with organic dusts containing bacterial components. Chronic inhalation of organic dusts is implicated in respiratory diseases. CD14 is a critical receptor for gram-negative lipopolysaccharide; however, its association with respiratory disease among agricultural workers is unknown.

Obesity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: recent knowledge and future directions.

Purpose Of Review: Obesity has been shown to have a significant impact on lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The purpose of this review is to discuss the most recent findings regarding the association between obesity, COPD, and COPD-related outcomes.

Recent Findings: Evidence indicates that obese patients with COPD may compose a unique disease phenotype who are more susceptible than their lean counterparts to environmental exposures.

A principal factor analysis to characterize agricultural exposures among Nebraska veterans.

Agricultural workers are at an increased risk of developing chronic respiratory disorders. Accurate estimation of long-term agricultural exposures based on questionnaires has been used to improve the validity of epidemiologic investigations and subsequent evaluation of the association between agricultural exposures and chronic diseases. Our aim was to use principal factor analysis (PFA) to distill exposure data into essential variables characterizing long-term agricultural exposures.

Associations of toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 single nucleotide polymorphisms and rheumatoid arthritis disease progression: an observational cohort study.

Objective: To examine the associations of toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with disease progression in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: A total of 1188 RA patients were genotyped for TLR4 SNPs (rs1927911, rs11536878, and rs4986790). Measures of disease activity were examined, including Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28), Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MD-HAQ), Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI), and Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI).

Unbalanced estrogen metabolism in ovarian cancer.

Greater exposure to estrogens is a risk factor for ovarian cancer. To investigate the role of estrogens in ovarian cancer, a spot urine sample and a saliva sample were obtained from 33 women with ovarian cancer and 34 age-matched controls. Thirty-eight estrogen metabolites, conjugates and DNA adducts were analyzed in the urine samples using ultraperformance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry, and the ratio of adducts to metabolites and conjugates was calculated for each sample.

Hypothyroidism and pesticide use among male private pesticide applicators in the agricultural health study.

Objective: Evaluate the association between thyroid disease and use of insecticides, herbicides, and fumigants/fungicides in male applicators in the Agricultural Health Study.

Methods: We examined the association between use of 50 specific pesticides and self-reported hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and "other" thyroid disease among 22,246 male pesticide applicators.

Results: There was increased odds of hypothyroidism with ever use of the herbicides 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), 2,4,5-T (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid), 2,4,5-TP (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy-propionic acid), alachlor, dicamba, and petroleum oil.