Glucose Testing for Adults Receiving Medicaid and Antipsychotics: A Population-Based Prescriber Survey on Behaviors, Attitudes, and Barriers.

Objective: This study aimed to assess provider attitudes about glucose testing for adults prescribed second-generation antipsychotic medication.

Methods: Missouri Medicaid prescribers of antipsychotics in 2011 were surveyed (N=924, 25% response rate). Pearson's chi square test was used to compare responses between prescriber specialty setting.

Cardiac Ischemia Reperfusion Injury Following Instillation of 20 nm Citrate-capped Nanosilver.

Background: Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) have garnered much interest due to their antimicrobial properties, becoming one of the most utilized nano-scale materials. However, any potential evocable cardiovascular injury associated with exposure has not been reported to date. We have previously demonstrated expansion of myocardial infarction after intratracheal (IT) instillation of carbon-based nanomaterials.

Validation and Impact of Caregivers' Oral Health Knowledge and Behavior on Children's Oral Health Status.

Purpose: To validate oral health knowledge and behavior measures from the Basic Research Factors Questionnaire, developed to capture specific themes contributing to children's oral health outcomes and the influence of caregivers.

Methods: Data were collected as part of a randomized clinical trial (n equals 992) aimed at reducing dental caries in young children. Participants were American Indian/Alaska Native caregivers with a three- to five-year-old child enrolled in a Navajo Nation Head Start Center.

Influence of carbon nanomaterial defects on the formation of protein corona.

In any physiological media, carbon nanomaterials (CNM) strongly interact with biomolecules leading to the formation of biocorona, which subsequently dictate the physiological response and the fate of CNMs. Defects in CNMs play an important role not only in material properties but also in the determination of how materials interact at the nano-bio interface. In this article, we probed the influence of defect-induced hydrophilicity on the biocorona formation using micro-Raman, photoluminescence, infrared spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and molecular dynamics simulations.

Adolescents with substance use disorder and assent/consent: Empirical data on understanding biobank risks in genomic research.

Objective: This study assessed whether a customized disclosure form increases understanding for adolescents with substance use disorder (SUD) when compared to a standard disclosure for genomic addiction research.

Method: We gathered empirical data from adolescents with SUD, family members, former patients followed since adolescence, and community counterparts. The study was conducted in four stages.

A hyperspectral and toxicological analysis of protein corona impact on silver nanoparticle properties, intracellular modifications, and macrophage activation.

The inevitable adsorption of biomolecules on nanomaterials results in the formation of a protein corona (PC), which modifies the nanoparticle (NP)-cell interface resulting in modified uptake, activity, clearance, and toxicity. While the physicochemical properties of the NP govern the composition of PC, the formation of PC in turn alters the characteristics of the NP by imparting a new unique "biological" identity. To assess how the PC influences AgNP properties, intracellular modifications, and cellular responses, we utilized a combination of hyperspectral and toxicological analyses.

Deployment-Related Lung Disorders.

Deployment in southwest Asia is associated with a wide range of respiratory disorders related to tobacco use and to workplace and environmental exposures. Physicians should carefully consider deployment history when assessing and treating veterans with lung disorders.

Interferon-γ enhances both the anti-bacterial and the pro-inflammatory response of human mast cells to Staphylococcus aureus.

Human mast cells (huMCs) are involved in both innate and adaptive immune responses where they release mediators including amines, reactive oxygen species (ROS), eicosanoids and cytokines. We have reported that interferon-γ (IFN-γ) enhances FcγR-dependent ROS production. The aim of this study was to extend these observations by investigating the effect of IFN-γ on the biological responses of huMCs to Staphylococcus aureus.

Deployment-Related Lung Disorders.

Deployment in southwest Asia is associated with a wide range of respiratory disorders related to tobacco use and to workplace and environmental exposures. Physicians should carefully consider deployment history when assessing and treating veterans with lung disorders.

Implications of scavenger receptors in the safe development of nanotherapeutics.

Nanomaterials (NMs) are being utilized in a variety of biomedical applications including drug delivery, diagnostics, and therapeutic targeting. These applications are made possible due to the unique physicochemical properties that are exhibited at the nanoscale. To ensure safe development of NMs for clinical use, it is necessary to understand their interactions with cells and specifically cell surface receptors, which will facilitate either their toxicity and/or clinical function.

Lack of significant association between serum inflammatory cytokine profiles and the presence of colorectal adenoma.

Background: Inflammatory cytokines in the colonic microenvironment have been shown to increase with advance colorectal cancer disease state. However, the contribution of inflammatory cytokines to pre-malignant disease, such as the formation of adenomas, is unclear.

Methods: Using the Milliplex® MAP Human Cytokine/ Chemokine Magnetic Bead Panel Immunoassay, serum cytokine and chemokine profiles were assayed among participants without an adenoma (n = 97) and those with an adenoma (n = 97) enrolled in the NCI-funded Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Colon Study.

Impact of Silver and Iron Nanoparticle Exposure on Cholesterol Uptake by Macrophages.

Macrophages are central to the development of atherosclerosis by absorbing lipids, promoting inflammation, and increasing plaque deposition. Nanoparticles (NPs) are becoming increasingly common in biomedical applications thereby increasing exposure to the immune and vascular systems. This project investigated the influence of NPs on macrophage function and specifically cholesterol uptake.

Getting my child to eat the right amount. Mothers' considerations when deciding how much food to offer their child at a meal.

Feeding young children successfully requires parenting skills, trust that children will eat, and nutrition and child development knowledge to ensure that foods and the amounts offered are developmentally appropriate. Mothers are often responsible for determining how much food is offered to their children; however, the influences on mothers' decisions regarding how much to offer their children--their motivations, goals for feeding and child consumption--have not been investigated. Study aims included gathering qualitative data regarding mothers' decisional processes related to preparing a dinner meal plate for her preschooler.

Influence of physicochemical properties of silver nanoparticles on mast cell activation and degranulation.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are increasingly being incorporated into products for their antimicrobial properties. This has resulted in increased human exposures and the possibility of adverse health effects. Mast cells orchestrate allergic immune responses through degranulation and release of pre-formed mediators.

Effects of endurance exercise training on the motor and non-motor features of Parkinson's disease: a review.

Background: Despite the benefits of medications and surgical interventions for Parkinson's disease (PD), these treatments are not without complications and neuroprotective strategies are still lacking. Therefore, there is a need for effective alternative approaches to treat motor and non-motor symptoms in PD. During the last decade, several studies have investigated endurance exercise training as a potential treatment for individuals with PD.

Formation of a protein corona on silver nanoparticles mediates cellular toxicity via scavenger receptors.

Addition of a protein corona (PC) or protein adsorption layer on the surface of nanomaterials following their introduction into physiological environments may modify their activity, bio-distribution, cellular uptake, clearance, and toxicity. We hypothesize that silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) will associate with proteins common to human serum and cell culture media forming a PC that will impact cell activation and cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the role of scavenger receptor BI (SR-BI) in mediating this toxicity was evaluated.

An improved high yield total synthesis and cytotoxicity study of the marine alkaloid neoamphimedine: an ATP-competitive inhibitor of topoisomerase IIα and potent anticancer agent.

Recently, we characterized neoamphimedine (neo) as an ATP-competitive inhibitor of the ATPase domain of human Topoisomerase IIα. Thus far, neo is the only pyridoacridine with this mechanism of action. One limiting factor in the development of neo as a therapeutic agent has been access to sufficient amounts of material for biological testing.

Temporal trends in patient characteristics and outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries undergoing primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement in the United States, 2006-2010. Results from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry's Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Registry.

Background: Contemporary patterns of use and outcomes of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in community practice settings are not well characterized. We assessed temporal trends in patient characteristics and outcomes among older patients undergoing primary prevention ICD therapy in US hospitals between 2006 and 2010.

Methods And Results: Using the National Cardiovascular Data Registry's ICD Registry, we identified Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged ≥65 years and older with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% who underwent primary prevention ICD implantation, including those receiving concomitant cardiac resynchronization therapy between 2006 and 2010 and could be matched to Medicare claims.

Nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (Nnt) links the substrate requirement in brain mitochondria for hydrogen peroxide removal to the thioredoxin/peroxiredoxin (Trx/Prx) system.

Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species are implicated in the etiology of multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson disease. Mitochondria are known to be net producers of ROS, but recently we have shown that brain mitochondria can consume mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in a respiration-dependent manner predominantly by the thioredoxin/peroxiredoxin system. Here, we sought to determine the mechanism linking mitochondrial respiration with H2O2 catabolism in brain mitochondria and dopaminergic cells.

Engineered nanomaterial exposure and the risk of allergic disease.

Purpose Of Review: Although the production and use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) is rapidly increasing, we lack sufficient knowledge regarding their capacity to induce and/or promote allergic disease. As novel ENMs are being developed and used for biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, it will be critical to understand the relationship between physicochemical properties of ENMs and possible mechanisms of immunomodulation.

Recent Findings: Cellular studies and a few animal studies have begun to examine the immunomodulatory effects of ENM exposure that may be predictive of developing allergic reactions.

RNF38 encodes a nuclear ubiquitin protein ligase that modifies p53.

The RNF38 gene encodes a RING finger protein of unknown function. Here we demonstrate that RNF38 is a functional ubiquitin protein ligase (E3). We show that RNF38 isoform 1 is localized to the nucleus by a bipartite nuclear localization sequence (NLS).

A blinded randomized controlled trial to evaluate the use of botulinum toxin for pain control in breast reconstruction with tissue expanders.

Background: Tissue expander placement is a common means of reconstruction after mastectomy. Many patients report significant pain and discomfort with the tissue expansion process. Because placement is subpectoral, it was hypothesized that injection of the pectoralis muscle with botulinum toxin could decrease pain associated with tissue expanders.