Liver-X-receptor agonists rescue axonal degeneration in SPG11-deficient neurons via regulating cholesterol trafficking.

Spastic paraplegia type 11 (SPG11) is a common autosomal recessive form of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) characterized by the degeneration of cortical motor neuron axons, leading to muscle spasticity and weakness. Impaired lipid trafficking is an emerging pathology in neurodegenerative diseases including SPG11, though its role in axonal degeneration of human SPG11 neurons remains unknown. Here, we established a pluripotent stem cell-based SPG11 model by knocking down the SPG11 gene in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).

Sexual behavior and pregnancy among adolescents in foster family homes.

Objective To examine the prevalence of and factors associated with sexual behavior and pregnancy involvement among adolescents in foster family homes. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among a random sample of children living in foster family homes. Logistic regression with Firth's correction was used to determine factors associated with sexual risk behavior and pregnancy involvement (i.

Dual Incarceration and Condom Use in Committed Relationships.

Incarceration fractures relationship ties and has been associated with unprotected sex. Relationships where both individuals have a history of incarceration (dual incarceration) may face even greater disruption and involve more unprotected sex than relationships where only one individual has been incarcerated. We sought to determine whether dual incarceration is associated with condom use, and whether this association varies by relationship type.

Prevention knowledge, risk behaviours and seroprevalence among nonurban injectors of southwest Connecticut.

Introduction And Aims: Little is known about injection-associated risk behaviours, knowledge and seroprevalence of viral infections among people who inject drugs (PWID) in nonurban locales in the US. Harm reduction services are more available in urban locales. The present study examined a cohort of active PWID residing in non urban areas of Connecticut to investigate how primarily injecting in urban or non urban areas was associated with injection-associated risk behaviours, knowledge and prevalence of blood-borne viruses.

Prevalence and experience of chronic pain in suburban drug injectors.

Aims: To explore the relationship between chronic pain and characteristics, behaviors, and psychological status of suburban Connecticut injection drug users.

Methods: Cross-sectional study with quantitative interview and serological testing for HIV and hepatitis B and C in 456 individuals who injected drugs in the past month. Participants were dichotomized into those reporting current chronic pain of at least six months duration and all others.

Female Condom Use and Adoption Among Men and Women in a General Low-Income Urban U.S. Population.

HIV prevention is increasingly focused on antiretroviral treatment of infected or uninfected persons. However, barrier methods like male condoms (MC) and female condoms (FC) remain necessary to achieve broad reductions in HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI). Evidence grows suggesting that removal of basic obstacles could result in greater FC use and reduced unprotected sex in the general population.

History of childhood abuse, sensation seeking, and intimate partner violence under/not under the influence of a substance: a cross-sectional study in Russia.

Objectives: To examine correlates of perpetration and victimization of intimate partner violence (IPV) under and not under the influence of a substance, we conducted a study among women in Russia.

Methods: In 2011, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among patients receiving services at a clinic for sexually transmitted infections in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Long-term assessment of systemic inflammation and the cumulative incidence of age-related hearing impairment in the epidemiology of hearing loss study.

Background: Although research has linked systemic inflammation to various diseases of aging, few studies have examined the potential role it may play in the development of age-related hearing impairment.

Methods: Among 1,073 participants free of hearing impairment (pure-tone average 0.5, 1, 2, 4kHz ≤ 25 dB HL) in the population-based Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (1998-2000), serum C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6 were measured at three time points (1988-1990, 1998-2000, and 2009-2010), and tumor necrosis factor-α was measured at one time point (1998-2000), whereas hearing impairment was measured again in 2003-2005 and 2009-2010 to determine the 10-year cumulative incidence.

Gender differences in the relationship between alcohol use and depressive symptoms in St. Petersburg, Russia.

BACKGROUND: Gender differences in the relationship between alcohol use and depressive symptoms are inconsistent, and few studies have addressed this issue in Russia. Because this finding may have important implications for interventions to reduce alcohol misuse or alcohol related problems in Russia, we conducted a study to investigate whether the association between alcohol use and depressive symptoms differs by gender at high risk for HIV. METHODS: We used the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale to measure alcohol use and depressive symptoms among 307 patients who attended a clinic for sexually transmitted infections in St.

Efficacy of a brief HIV prevention counseling intervention among STI clinic patients in Russia: a randomized controlled trial.

The study examined the efficacy of a brief theory-based counseling intervention to reduce sexual HIV risk behaviors among STI clinic patients in St. Petersburg, Russia. Men and women (n = 307) were recruited to receive either: (1) a 60-minute motivational/skills-building counseling session dealing with sexual HIV risk reduction, or (2) written HIV prevention information material.

Generational differences in the reporting of tinnitus.

Objectives: Recent research suggests that hearing impairment is declining among older adults compared with earlier generations of the same age. Tinnitus is often associated with hearing impairment, so one might hypothesize that the prevalence of tinnitus is declining in a similar manner. The purpose of this study was to use multigenerational data with repeated measures to determine whether the prevalence of tinnitus is declining among more recent generations.

Depressive symptoms and unprotected sex in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Objective: Growing evidence indicates that emotional distress such as depression may have the potential to increase the risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study investigated the association between depressive symptoms and unprotected sex among STI clinic patients in Russia.

Methods: We used pre-intervention data collected between 2009 and 2010 among 307 participants who were enrolled in a randomized intervention trial conducted in an STI clinic in St.

The natural course of nicotine dependence symptoms among adolescent smokers.

Introduction: Few studies have investigated the natural course of nicotine dependence prospectively from the earliest experiences with smoking.

Methods: Drawing on a cohort of 9th- and 10th-grade adolescents followed over 48 months, survival analyses were conducted to evaluate the cumulative probability, following smoking initiation, for the development of nicotine dependence symptoms.

Results: Although each nicotine dependence symptom was significantly more prevalent among adolescents who had smoked more than 100 cigarettes by the end of the follow-up assessment, 20% of adolescents smoking fewer than 100 cigarettes reported experiencing "smoking to relieve restlessness and irritability" and "smoking a lot more now to be satisfied compared to when first smoked.

Partner violence perpetration and victimization and HIV risk behaviors in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Whether intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and victimization are associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviors is seldom investigated in Russia. The present study hypothesized that patients from a sexually transmitted infection center in Russia who perpetrated IPV or were victims of IPV would be more likely to have HIV risk behaviors including injection drug use, multiple partners, and inconsistent condom use than those who were not involved with IPV. We used a self-administered questionnaire to collect information from 381 patients on demographics, health status, injection drug use, sexual behaviors, and violence involving sexual partners between 2008 and 2009.

Inebriation, drinking motivations and sexual risk taking among sexually transmitted disease clinic patients in St. Petersburg, Russia.

We investigated whether inebriation was associated with having non-main partners and unprotected sex with non-main partners and whether drinking motivations were associated with sexual risk behaviors among patients attending an STD clinic in St Petersburg, Russia. A cross-sectional behavior survey was applied to 362 participants between 2008 and 2009. Multivariate logistic regression was used for analysis.

Correlates of abortions and condom use among high risk women attending an STD clinic in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Background: Many women in Russia rely on abortion as a primary birth control method. Although refusal to use contraceptives, including condoms, may undermine public health efforts to decrease HIV sexual risk behaviors, few studies have investigated the risk factors associated with abortion among women at high risk for HIV. This study sought to identify the correlates of abortions and of lack of condom use among high risk STD clinic patients in St Petersburg Russia.

Modifiable determinants of hearing impairment in adults.

Objective: To identify factors contributing to the declining prevalence of hearing impairment in more recent generations.

Methods: We used data on hearing thresholds and potential risk factors of hearing impairment collected from studies in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (1993-1995, n=3753; 1998-2000, n=2800 and 2003-2005, n=2395), the concurrent Beaver Dam Eye Study on the same cohort, and a subgroup (n=2173) of the Beaver Dam Offspring Study (2005-2008).

Results: Educational attainment significantly reduced the odds ratio (OR) of the birth cohort effect on hearing impairment from 0.

Alcohol misuse, drinking contexts and intimate partner violence in St. Petersburg, Russia: results from a cross-sectional study.

Background: Alcohol misuse has been linked to intimate partner violence (IPV). However, this association is not usually examined in Russia. Moreover, more investigation is required as to whether specific drinking contexts are also associated with IPV.

Gap between consecutive sexual partnerships and sexually transmitted infections among STI clinic patients in St Petersburg, Russia.

We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine whether the time between two consecutive sexual partnerships (gap) is associated with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Russia. A self-administered questionnaire was administered to STI clinic patients in St. Petersburg and participant's STI data at the time of enrollment in the study was collected from medical charts.

Concurrent sexual partnerships and sexually transmitted diseases in Russia.

Background: Sexual concurrency is associated with higher prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV. However, most studies have focused only on the concurrency of the individual participant (individual concurrency) and not on concurrency of their sexual partners (partner concurrency). Furthermore, limited concurrency information is available in Russia where HIV epidemic is growing rapidly.

Generational differences in the prevalence of hearing impairment in older adults.

There were significant changes in health and lifestyle throughout the 20th century which may have changed temporal patterns of hearing impairment in adults. In this study, the authors aimed to assess the effect of birth cohort on the prevalence of hearing impairment in an adult population aged 45-94 years, using data collected between 1993 and 2008 from 3 cycles of the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (n = 3,753; ages 48-92 years at baseline) and a sample of participants from the Beaver Dam Offspring Study (n = 2,173; ages > or =45 years). Hearing impairment was defined as a pure-tone average of thresholds at 0.