Policy and Science for Global Health Security: Shaping the Course of International Health.

The global burden of infectious diseases and the increased attention to natural, accidental, and deliberate biological threats has resulted in significant investment in infectious disease research. Translating the results of these studies to inform prevention, detection, and response efforts often can be challenging, especially if prior relationships and communications have not been established with decision-makers. Whatever scientific information is shared with decision-makers before, during, and after public health emergencies is highly dependent on the individuals or organizations who are communicating with policy-makers.

Multistakeholder Etiological Explanation Agreement and Adolescent/Parent Treatment Engagement.

Client-therapist consensus has been hypothesized to be an important element of culturally competent care. However, little is known about the relationship between explanatory model agreement and treatment engagement, particularly for services involving adolescents, where both parent and youth perspectives may need to be considered. This longitudinal study collected youth, parent, and therapist survey data on etiological beliefs as well as therapist-rated treatment engagement related to a culturally diverse sample of 285 outpatient mental health service-using youth (aged 12-18, M = 14.

Reliability and Validity of Three Versions of the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis: A Scleroderma Patient-Centered Intervention Network Cohort Study.

Objective: Fear of negative evaluation is a common concern among individuals with visible differences but has received limited attention in systemic sclerosis (SSc), which can involve substantial changes to appearance. The Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (BFNE) was specifically designed to evaluate fear of negative evaluation. There are currently 3 versions of the BFNE with strong demonstrated measurement properties: two 8-item versions (BFNE-S, BFNE-8) and one 12-item version (BFNE-II).

Validation of the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis: A Scleroderma Patient-Centered Intervention Network Cohort Study.

Objective: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease that can cause disfiguring changes in appearance. This study examined the structural validity, internal consistency reliability, convergent validity, and measurement equivalence of the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS) across SSc disease subtypes.

Methods: Patients enrolled in the Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network Cohort completed the SAAS and measures of appearance-related concerns and psychological distress.

Behavioral and Neural Sustained Attention Deficits in Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Objective: Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD), characterized by severe irritability, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are highly comorbid. This is the first study to characterize neural and behavioral similarities and differences in attentional functioning across these disorders.

Method: Twenty-seven healthy volunteers, 31 patients with DMDD, and 25 patients with ADHD (8 to 18 years old) completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging attention task.

Neural Markers in Pediatric Bipolar Disorder and Familial Risk for Bipolar Disorder.

Objective: Bipolar disorder (BD) is highly heritable. Neuroimaging studies comparing unaffected youth at high familial risk for BD (i.e.

Factors Affecting Implementation of the California Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (CA-CORD) Project, 2013.

Introduction: Ecological approaches to health behavior change require effective engagement from and coordination of activities among diverse community stakeholders. We identified facilitators of and barriers to implementation experienced by project leaders and key stakeholders involved in the Imperial County, California, Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration project, a multilevel, multisector intervention to prevent and control childhood obesity.

Methods: A total of 74 semistructured interviews were conducted with project leaders (n = 6) and key stakeholders (n = 68) representing multiple levels of influence in the health care, early care and education, and school sectors.

Examination of the association of sex and race/ethnicity with appearance concerns: a Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network (SPIN) Cohort study.

Objectives: Appearance concerns are common in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and have been linked to younger age and more severe disease. No study has examined their association with sex or race/ethnicity.

Methods: SSc patients were sampled from the Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network Cohort.

Prevalence and Correlates of Sex Exchange Among a Nationally Representative Sample of Adolescents and Young Adults.

The present study examines prevalence and correlates of exchanging sex for drugs, money, food shelter, or other favors (sex exchange) among a nationally representative sample of youth and young adults. Adolescents and young adults (n = 11,620, 53% female, 47% male) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were used for the current sample. Participants completed in-home interviews at both waves.

Quantitative, Qualitative and Geospatial Methods to Characterize HIV Risk Environments.

Increasingly, 'place', including physical and geographical characteristics as well as social meanings, is recognized as an important factor driving individual and community health risks. This is especially true among marginalized populations in low and middle income countries (LMIC), whose environments may also be more difficult to study using traditional methods. In the NIH-funded longitudinal study Mapa de Salud, we employed a novel approach to exploring the risk environment of female sex workers (FSWs) in two Mexico/U.

A global systematic review of Chagas disease prevalence among migrants.

Human migration has been identified as a potential factor for increased Chagas disease risk and has transformed the disease from a Latin American problem to a global one. We conducted a systematic review of the scientific literature between 2004-2014 in order to: summarize recent seroprevalence estimates of Chagas disease among Latin American migrants, in both endemic and non-endemic settings; compare seroprevalence estimates in migrants to countrywide prevalence estimates; and identify risk factors for Chagas disease among migrants. A total of 320 studies were screened and 23 studies were included.

Creating a Standardized Process to Meet Core Measure Compliance.

A standardized process to improve compliance with venous thromboembolism prophylaxis and hospital-based inpatient psychiatric services Core Measures was developed, implemented, and evaluated by a clinical nurse specialist team. The use of a 1-page tool with the requirements and supporting evidence, combined with concurrent data and feedback, ensured success of improving compliance. The initial robust process of education and concurrent and retrospective review follow-up allowed for this process to be successful.

Structural Determinants of Client Perpetrated Violence Among Female Sex Workers in Two Mexico-U.S. Border Cities.

Female sex workers (FSWs) are disproportionately affected by both HIV and gender-based violence, such as that perpetrated by clients (CPV). We used a structural determinants framework to assess correlates of physical or sexual CPV in the past 6 months among FSWs in the Mexico/U.S.

Protective association of colonoscopy against proximal and distal colon cancer and patterns in interval cancer.

Background: The protective effect of colonoscopy against proximal colorectal cancer is variable and depends on the detection and complete removal of precancerous polyps.

Objective: To estimate the efficacy of colonoscopy in a medical center with open-access screening colonoscopy since 1998.

Design: Nested case-control study with incidence density sampling.

Disease Severity and Pregnancy Outcomes in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results from the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists Autoimmune Diseases in Pregnancy Project.

Objective: To determine the effect of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease severity on pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women with and without autoimmune diseases.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted using the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists Autoimmune Diseases in Pregnancy Project. Pregnant women with RA enrolled between 2005 and 2013 were selected if they (1) delivered a live-born singleton infant; and (2) completed 3 telephone-based measures of RA disease severity prior to 20 weeks' gestation, including the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), pain score, and patient's global scale.

Treatment Recruitment and Retention of Geriatric Participants With Hoarding Disorder.

This study describes the initial contact of 255 potential participants, recruitment of 63 participants, and retention of 57 participants from three geriatric Hoarding Disorder (HD) studies. Patients with HD were easily recruited from the community, primarily through the use of clinician referrals and posted flyers, as evidenced by steady patient flow despite lack of compensation for participation. Contrary to treatment outcomes of late life mood and anxiety disorders, geriatric HD patients are largely retained in clinical research treatment studies.

Emerging and reemerging neglected tropical diseases: a review of key characteristics, risk factors, and the policy and innovation environment.

In global health, critical challenges have arisen from infectious diseases, including the emergence and reemergence of old and new infectious diseases. Emergence and reemergence are accelerated by rapid human development, including numerous changes in demographics, populations, and the environment. This has also led to zoonoses in the changing human-animal ecosystem, which are impacted by a growing globalized society where pathogens do not recognize geopolitical borders.

Evaluation of an inpatient heart failure screening tool.

Heart failure is increasing in incidence, prevalence, and mortality. The purpose of this study was to test the predictive accuracy of a screening tool to identify inpatients with heart failure. The tool demonstrated statistical significance for predictability, with 68.

Effects of Behavioral Contingencies on Adolescent Active Videogame Play and Overall Activity: A Randomized Trial.

Objective: This study evaluated the effect of four active videogames (AVGs) varying in behavioral contingencies (behavior-consequence relations) on adolescent AVG play and overall activity levels over 4 weeks.

Materials And Methods: Each AVG, manufactured by SSD/Xavix(®) (Shiseido Co. of Japan, Tokyo, Japan), was coded and scored for the number of positive and aversive behavioral contingencies within the games.

Physical activity and dietary behavior change in Internet-based weight loss interventions: comparing two multiple-behavior change indices.

Objective: To investigate the effects of two Internet-based weight loss interventions on physical activity (PA) and dietary behaviors using two approaches for computing combined behavior change.

Method: Participants were 352 overweight/obese women and men completing 12-month interventions in San Diego, California during 2002-2007. Moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and sedentary time were measured with accelerometers, and dietary fat and fruit and vegetable intake were assessed with food frequency questionnaires.

Increasing hookah use in California.

Hookah use is gaining popularity nationwide. We determined the correlates and trends for hookah use from the California Tobacco Survey. Between 2005 and 2008 hookah use increased more than 40%, and in 2008, 24.

Parent-child interactions among low-income Mexican American parents and preschoolers: do clinic-referred families differ from nonreferred families?

This study compared low-income Mexican American parents of young children referred for behavior problems to their nonreferred counterparts on an observational measure of parent-child interactions. Referred Mexican American parents demonstrated more negative behaviors than their nonreferred counterparts in both nondirective and highly directive situations. However, no differences were found at moderate levels of directiveness.

A spiritually based group intervention for combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: feasibility study.

Purpose: To assess the feasibility, effect sizes, and satisfaction of mantram repetition -- the spiritual practice of repeating a sacred word/phrase throughout the day -- for managing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans.

Design: A two group (intervention vs. control) by two time (pre- and postintervention) experimental design was used.

Away-from-home food intake and risk for obesity: examining the influence of context.

Objective: This study examined sociodemographic and cultural determinants of away-from-home food consumption in two contexts and the influence of frequency of away-from-home food consumption on children's dietary intake and parent and child weight status.

Methods And Procedures: Parents of children (N=708) in grades K-2 were recruited from 13 elementary schools in Southern California. Parents were asked through a questionnaire the frequency with which they eat meals away from home and the restaurant they frequented most often.