bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of mesenchymal stem cells in treatment of infertility in male rats
Authors: Hassan Amal I , Alam Sally S
Published: November 2014

Introduction

The present study aimed to elucidate the therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from the bone marrow of rats (BM) against toxic effects of lead (Pb) on the male gonads of experimental rats.

Methods

The experimental animals were exposed to lead in the form of lead nitrate (LN) one quarter of the LD50. The efficacy of MSCs to reduce gonado-totoxicity induced by lead nitrate at 21, 30 and 60 days, was evaluated experimentally in male rats.

Results

The results showed that testosterone levels and semen quality ameliorated following treatment with MSCs. Also, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase levels were increased 21, 30 and 60 days post treatment of MSCs. Moreover, a decrease in genomic DNA alteration and percentage of fragmented DNA was recorded after MSCs treatment. Lead nitrate caused degeneration, necrosis, interstitial edema, and reduction in spermatogenic activity in some seminiferous tubules. The LN-induced changes in histopathologic findings of testis were partially reversed by treatment with MSCs. Histological examination of testis showed deformities in morphology of testis in test animals with gross damage within the seminiferous tubules in Lead nitrate group. The LN-induced changes in histopathologic findings of testis were partially reversed by treatment of MSCs.

Conclusions

It was concluded that lead is a gonadotoxic with a tendency of suppressing semen characteristics and testosterone levels of animals, the presence of MSCs was found to alleviate the toxic effects of lead. We conclude that MSCs derived from the bone marrow of rats can be an effective therapy of LN induced gonado toxicity, thus can contribute to the treatment of infertility.
Identification of the Link Between the Hypothalamo-Pituitary Axis and the Testicular Orphan Nuclear Receptor NR0B2 in Adult Male Mice
Authors: Vega Aurélie , Martinot Emmanuelle , Baptissart Marine , De Haze Angélique , Saru Jean-Paul , Baron Silvère , Caira Françoise , Schoonjans Kristina , Lobaccaro Jean-Marc A. , Volle David H.
Published: November 2014

The small heterodimer partner (SHP, nuclear receptor subfamily 0, group B, member 2; NR0B2) is an atypical nuclear receptor known mainly for its role in bile acid homeostasis in the enterohepatic tract. We previously showed that NR0B2 controls testicular functions such as testosterone synthesis. Moreover, NR0B2 mediates the deleterious testicular effects of estrogenic endocrine disruptors leading to infertility. The endocrine homeostasis is essential for health, because it controls many physiological functions. This is supported by a large number of studies demonstrating that alterations of steroid activity lead to several kinds of diseases such as obesity and infertility. Within the testis, the functions of the Leydig cells are mainly controlled by the hypothalamo-pituitary axis via LH/chorionic gonadotropin (CG). Here, we show that LH/CG represses Nr0b2 expression through the protein kinase A-AMP protein kinase pathway. Moreover, using a transgenic mouse model invalidated for Nr0b2, we point out that NR0B2 mediates the repression of testosterone synthesis and subsequent germ cell apoptosis induced by exposure to anti-GnRH compound. Together, our data demonstrate a new link between hypothalamo-pituitary axis and NR0B2 in testicular androgen metabolism, making NR0B2 a major actor of testicular physiology in case of alteration of LH/CG levels.
Implementing a telehealth service: nurses’ perceptions and experiences
Authors: Odeh Bassel , Kayyali Reem , Nabhani-Gebara Shereen , Philip Nada
Published: November 2014

Background:

Telehealth is defined as the remote surveillance of a patient's health to aid early diagnosis and timely intervention. Understanding how the stakeholders perceive telehealth can influence its acceptability and diffusion.

Introduction:

A primary care trust (PCT) in south London has been providing telehealth services for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart-failure patients for the past 22 months. The aim of this study was to elicit practice nurses’ perceptions of the telehealth service provided by this PCT.

Materials and methods:

A descriptive qualitative design was chosen to elicit practice nurses’ perceptions. A semi-structured email interview was used to investigate their experiences of the service to date and their views about the future of the service.

Results:

Seven nurses, working on telehealth for an average of 15 months and providing the service to 34 patients, were interviewed. Overall, the nurses described their experience with telehealth to be positive. Lack of resources, organisational support, patient selection criteria and technical support were identified as barriers to effective implementation of telehealth. Additional team members, more input and training, and expanded patient selection criteria were suggested by the nurses to enhance and ensure the success of telehealth.

Discussion and conclusions:

The challenges and barriers to the implementation of telehealth identified by the practice nurses need to be addressed by health services to ensure its continuity and success.
Reading and Deaf Individuals: Perspectives on the Qualitative Similarity Hypothesis
Authors: Wang Ye , Andrews Jean
Published: November 2014

I n this , the first article in the American Annals of the Deaf special issue on English reading development for individuals who are d/Deaf and hard of hearing, the coeditors aim to promote interdisciplinary dialogue among researchers regarding literacy research with d/Deaf and hard of hearing (d/Dhh) students by setting the tone for an open and inclusive forum. Researchers from various disciplines are invited to discuss the similarities and differences between students who are d/Dhh and their typically developing hearing peers in terms of aspects such as reading process, reading development, and reading assessment. Challenges related to the acquisition of language and literacy by d/Dhh students are described. The article highlights the purpose of the special issue, which is to explore what works where, when, why, and for whom.
Are We Hammering Square Pegs Into Round Holes?: An Investigation of the Meta-Analyses of Reading Research With Students Who Are d/Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Students Who Are Hearing
Authors: Wang Ye , Williams Cheri
Published: November 2014

I n a qualitative meta-analysis , the researchers systematically reviewed qualitative and quantitative meta-analyses on reading research with PK–12 students published after the 2000 National Reading Panel (NRP) report. Eleven qualitative and 39 quantitative meta-analyses were reviewed examining reading research with typically developing hearing students, special education hearing students (including English Language Learners), and d/Deaf or hard of hearing (d/Dhh) students. Generally, the meta-analysis yielded findings similar to and corroborative of the NRP’s. Contradictory results (e.g., regarding the role of rhyme awareness in reading outcomes) most often resulted from differing definitions of interventions and their measurements. The analysis provided evidence of several instructional approaches that support reading development. On the basis of the qualitative similarity hypothesis (Paul, 2010, 2012; Paul & Lee, 2010; Paul & Wang, 2012; Paul, Wang, & Williams, 2013), the researchers argue that these instructional strategies also should effectively support d/Dhh children’s reading development.
Early Visual Language Exposure and Emergent Literacy in Preschool Deaf Children: Findings From a National Longitudinal Study
Authors: Allen Thomas E. , Letteri Amy , Choi Song Hoa , Dang Daqian
Published: November 2014

a brief review is provided of recent research on the impact of early visual language exposure on a variety of developmental outcomes, including literacy, cognition, and social adjustment. This body of work points to the great importance of giving young deaf children early exposure to a visual language as a critical precursor to the acquisition of literacy. Four analyses of data from the Visual Language and Visual Learning (VL2) Early Education Longitudinal Study are summarized. Each confirms findings from previously published laboratory findings and points to the positive effects of early sign language on, respectively, letter knowledge, social adaptability, sustained visual attention, and cognitive-behavioral milestones necessary for academic success. The article concludes with a consideration of the qualitative similarity hypothesis and a finding that the hypothesis is valid, but only if it can be presented as being modality independent.
Is Reading Different for Deaf Individuals?: Reexamining the Role of Phonology
Authors: Mayer Connie , Trezek Beverly J.
Published: November 2014

A quarter century ago , Hanson (1989) asked, “Is reading different for deaf individuals?” (p. 85). Appealing to evidence available at the time, she argued that skilled deaf readers, like their hearing counterparts, relied on their knowledge of English structure, including phonological information. This perspective on the role phonology plays in the reading process for deaf learners continues to generate much debate in the field, and little consensus exists on whether it is a necessary aspect of learning to read for this population. The present article revisits this question in terms of what is known about phonology and reading in typically developing learners, and in light of two reviews of the research from the field of deafness. The authors conclude that there is stronger empirical evidence for the argument for a relationship between phonology and reading in the population of deaf readers than for the counterargument.
Literacy and Linguistic Development in Bilingual Deaf Children: Implications of the “and” for Phonological Processing
Authors: McQuarrie Lynn , Parrila Rauno
Published: November 2014

C umulating evidence suggests that the establishment of high-quality phonological representations is the cognitive precursor that facilitates the acquisition of language (spoken, signed, and written). The authors present two studies that contrast the nature of bilingual profoundly deaf children’s phonological representations derived from a spoken language and from a signed language using the framework of “functional equivalence” as outlined in McQuarrie and Parilla (2009). The authors argue further that a signed-language phonological system is suited in establishing the “functional” representational base that will support reading acquisition for bilingual deaf learners. They highlight rapidly developing empirical research on dual-language interactions between signed language and written language is highlighted, and discuss the need to take such data into account in any discussion of fundamental skills necessary to support reading achievement in bilingual profoundly deaf learners.
Game Changers: The Role Athletic Identity and Racial Identity Play on Academic Performance
Authors: Bimper Albert Y.
Published: November 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which athletic and racial identity predict the academic outcomes of Black student athletes participating in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 Football Bowl Series football. The academic outcomes of Black student athletes are a growing concern to both scholars and practitioners focused on improving the student athlete experience at this elite level of college sports. Results of this study indicate higher measures of athletic identity predict lower GPA. The racial identity attitude measures did not emerge as direct predictors of GPA in this study. Study findings and the implications for student athlete practitioners and future research are discussed.
Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Analyzing the Characteristics of Academically Disengaged Students: Results From UCUES 2010
Authors: Brint Steven , Cantwell Allison M.
Published: November 2014

We theorize 5 dimensions of academic disengagement based on students’ values, motivations, study behaviors, academic interactions, and competing involvements. Using 2010 survey data from the University of California, we find support for this conceptualization. The size of disengaged populations varied between 5% and 25%, depending on the measure used. On most measures, male students, upper-division students, students with low college GPAs, and students in the humanities and social sciences were significantly more likely, net of covariates, to be among academically disengaged populations. Students with high SAT scores were also more likely to be among academically disengaged populations.
Academic Preparedness of First-Generation College Students: Different Perspectives
Authors: Atherton Matthew C.
Published: November 2014

As student populations continue to become more diversified, institutions must understand students’ academic preparedness to better serve them. A significant amount of research and literature focuses on experiences of students whose parents had little or no college education. Although these first-generation students have much in common with other disadvantaged student groups, their situation presents unique conditions and obstacles to their college experience. This research project seeks to focus on the topic of academic preparedness of first-generation students. More specifically, this project builds on previous research on academic preparedness of first-generation students by exploring differences in students’ attitudes about preparedness compared with traditional academic measures. This study investigates whether first-generation student status affects self-assessment of academic preparedness in the same way it affects traditional measures of academic preparedness.
Leadership Development on a Diverse Campus
Authors: Riutta Satu , Teodorescu Daniel
Published: November 2014

While leadership development is considered an important goal of education on many campuses, very little is known about how leadership skills develop in a diverse environment, which most colleges will be in the future. We compare causes for Socially Responsible Leadership (SRL) at the end of college students’ first year in one diverse liberal arts college, finding a crucial role for (the quality of) peer interactions and relevance of out-of-classroom experiences. How students interact with diverse peers has a high bearing on the extent to which they develop leadership skills.
Intercultural Interactions Outside the Classroom: Narratives on a US Campus
Authors: Lehto Xinran Y. , Cai Liping A. , Fu Xiaoxiao , Chen Yi
Published: November 2014

This study provides a picture of the interactional experiences between domestic and international undergraduate students outside the classroom on a US campus. Based on 9 focus group sessions, 8 distinctive themes emerged as a result. The study revealed some similarities but many differences between domestic and international students, illuminating the lack of and barriers to intercultural learning. The findings highlight the challenges and opportunities currently faced on US campuses, thereby making a timely contribution to efforts at developing students’ readiness to be successful in a global and multicultural environment.
Male Ballet Dancers and Their Performances of Heteromasculinity
Authors: Haltom Trenton M. , Worthen Meredith G. F.
Published: November 2014

Although previous research has investigated men in feminized sports, we took a different approach in this study and examined men in ballet. Because ballet is one of the most highly gender-codified sports, male ballet dancers must negotiate their identities as men while performing a dance form that is highly stigmatized as effeminate. We investigated how five self-identified heterosexual male college dance majors perceive and perform heteromasculinity within male ballet culture using qualitative data gathered from structured interviews. Results provide three unique contributions to the literature. First, we found that these men develop and contextualize their heteromasculinity in the context of a male ballet culture. Second, the results demonstrate three unique stigma-management techniques within male ballet culture. Third, men described a hegemonic heteromasculinity and the roles of masculinity and emotionality in male ballet performance as parts of male ballet culture. We hope this study will stimulate future research that can help personnel and faculty to better understand how college ballet programs can be informed by the ways masculinity may be institutionalized and reproduced within the context of dance programs, as well as the ways male ballet dancers can challenge heteromasculine hegemony in the sports world.
The Subject of Style
Authors: Burrows Stuart
Published: November 2014

“The Subject of Style” asks whether the uniformity that is one of the principal characteristics of Jamesian style—the fact that all his characters sound the same—implies a corresponding universality of experience. To answer this question this essay examines the depiction of social relations in two of James's works: The Portrait of a Lady and “In the Cage.” These relations take three forms: externalization (the subject comes to know itself by projecting itself onto the world); vicariousness (the subject understood as the projection of someone else), and simultaneity (the time experienced by the characters mirrors that of the narrative).
Modes of Composition in Henry James: Dictation, Style, and What Maisie Knew
Authors: Hoover David L.
Published: November 2014

This article challenges the widelyheld belief that the radical differences between James's early and late styles result from his change in mode of composition from handwriting to dictation in 1897 while writing What Maisie Knew . Computational methods show that James's style develops gradually over his whole career rather than changing abruptly after 1897. Along with traditional evidence about the composition of Maisie, they also show that methods that are very effective in identifying even subtle stylistic variations show no significant stylistic changes within Maisie that can be reasonably linked with the process of dictation.
The Philosophical Importance of James’s Late Style
Authors: Steele Meili
Published: November 2014

Critics have approached the complexity and ambiguity of James's late style as an effort to capture the sensitivity of the characters (Martha Nussbaum) or the collapsing moral codes of the era (Robert Pippin). In this reading, James's works open an ontological dimension to the question of language and normativity, a question that modernity's moral languages—whether based on deontology, utility, or virtue—fail to articulate. His texts interrogate what normativity is rather than just portraying the sensitivity of the characters or the uncertainty of the historical moment.
Adventitious Style in The Portrait of a Lady
Authors: de Lima João Cardoso
Published: November 2014

A close reading of the initial paragraphs in chapters 1 and 22 of The Portrait of a Lady reveals a number of formal devices summarized as an “adventitious style.” Their overall effect is that of exciting the reader's curiosity by impressing her with a sense of protracted, uninformed arrival at a foreign scene. Further textual analysis detects variations underlying this overall effect that chime with the moral and affective atmosphere of each of the two chapters.
“Conscience of the Atelier”: Style in James’s Criticism
Authors: Grimstad Paul
Published: November 2014

“Conscience of the Atelier” claims that Henry James worked out in his criticism a view about the relation of prose technique to moral interest. That insight arose for James gradually, from his first reviews of Flaubert, which operate with a clear distinction between moral interest and concern with fictional technique (what F. R. Leavis derisively called the “post-Flaubertian conscience of the atelier”), through his study of Nathaniel Hawthorneand up to the preface he added to his novel The Ambassadors . James, I argue, came finally to believe that, pace Leavis, a “conscience of the atelier” and moral interest were one and the same; a view which comes to its fullest articulation in a 1915 letter to H.G. Wells.
Toward the Incalculable: A Note on Henry James and Organic Form
Authors: Gutorow Jacek
Published: November 2014

Central to James's understanding of the novelistic genre was his assumption that the work of art should be organically coherent and unified. However, his prefaces to The New York Edition are informed by a sense of ambiguities permeating the concept of organicism and imply a possibility that the novelistic language contains virus-like qualities that disrupt its unity. James questioned the organic form in the name of what he called the “incalculable art” of the novel and concluded that the artistic process has to take into account the author's and the readers' capacities to interpret the same story in different ways.
Henry James’s Jolie Laide
Authors: O’Farrell Mary Ann
Published: November 2014

The mixed aesthetic of James's writing includes moments when what is compelling and beautiful is the achievement of an ugliness. The structures, balances, and controls of James's style work together with its sometimes exasperating brokenness, emptiness, and excess to produce his complex apprehension of the jolielaide . Discussing “The Beldonald Holbein” and The Ambassadors , this essay considers how James articulates an aesthetic of the jolielaide grounded in seeing the face as a sentence and the sentence as a face. The jolielaide in James is both remainder and reminder of frailty and weakness in their inevitability and in the context of the command to live all you can.
A Transcription of Impressions: The American Scene and the Jamesian Aesthetics of Lateness
Authors: Tsang Philip
Published: November 2014

This essay builds on Adorno’s and Said’s work on late style and offers an account of Jamesian lateness as the experience of one’s exclusion from the world, with primary reference to The American Scene . In this generically ambiguous book, James adopts an impressionistic approach to undermine the centrality of authorial consciousness, dissolves his subjectivity into a range of narrative personae, and theatricalizes “I,” “we,” and “you” in such a way that these pronouns only negate themselves. As a late work, The American Scene insists on the negative relation between subjectivity and the objective landscape and announces its own obsolescence.
Henry James’s Straight Talking Style
Authors: Krumholtz Matthew
Published: November 2014

In The Awkward Age (1899), James adopts straight talk, a newly invented style of address, to unsettle cultural norms of adolescent development that were emerging in psychological theory and social practice. During the same period, James experiments privately with straight talk in his letters to Edith Wharton. Through The Awkward Age and his correspondence, James expands the register in which intimacy can be spoken and felt in his writing, trying out a style on the periphery of normative social and sexual development, and a counter style to his infamous indirection, with the use of straight talk.
Scratching at the Surface: Understanding History through Style in James’s Italy
Authors: Salter Sarah
Published: November 2014

Drawing attention to the immediate beauty of language and the distracting superficiality of ornate expression, James offers style as a means for representing and contemplating Italy. This essay argues that an emphasis on stylistic surface illustrates how contemplations of Italy dramatized a distinct struggle of James’s writing career: how to balance the perceived necessity of plot, read as an historical impulse, with the rich surface of style, understood as an embrace of extra-temporal spectacle.
“Henry would never know he hadn’t written it himself”: The Implications of “Dictation” for Jamesian Style
Authors: Layne Bethany
Published: November 2014

This essay explores the critical implications of Cynthia Ozick’s “Dictation,” a work of biographical fiction in which James and Conrad’s typists covertly exchange excerpts from “The Jolly Corner” and “The Secret Sharer.” Ozick’s conceit enables us to read against the plot of the tales, emphasizing the queer desire of each hero for his alter ego over the narrative restoration of compulsory heterosexuality. Her disruption of the link between extract and referent disallows naïve attempts to extrapolate a gaybiographical subject from a queer reading of the text, emphasizing Jamesian style’s intrinsic reluctance to anchor the sign to a coherent identity.
Does Medicaid Coverage Matter?: A Qualitative Multi-State Study of Abortion Affordability for Low-income Women
Authors: Dennis Amanda , Manski Ruth , Blanchard Kelly
Published: November 2014

Medicaid is designed to ensure low-income populations can afford health care. However, not all health services are covered by the program. Most state Medicaid programs restrict abortion coverage, though a small number of state programs offer such coverage. Little is known about how low-income women are affected by differing Medicaid coverage policies regarding abortion. We conducted indepth interviews with 98 low-income women who had abortions. We found that women’s impressions about abortion costs and the availability of Medicaid coverage are generally accurate and that women rely predominantly on abortion facilities for confirmatory cost and coverage information. Additionally, when abortion is out of financial reach, women and the people in their lives experience numerous emotional and financial harms. Policies that aim to ensure abortion is affordable largely prevent these harms, though the availability of Medicaid coverage does not always guarantee access to affordable care. Findings can help advance evidence-based policies.
Perceptions of Food-insecure HIV-positive Adults Participating in a Food Supplementation Program in Central Kenya
Authors: Ndirangu Murugi , Sztam Kevin , Sheriff Muhsin , Hawken Mark , Arpadi Stephen , Rashid Juma , Deckelbaum Richard , El-Sadr Wafaa
Published: November 2014

Malnutrition coexists with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Food supplementation is recommended for food-insecure, HIV-positive individuals. This study was part of a larger six-month food supplementation program for adults initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in central Kenya. We conducted 10 focus group interviews with program participants to examine the perceptions of participants regarding the food supplementation program. Focus group transcripts were analyzed for themes and six were identified. These were perception of food insecurity and the health of the participants, the benefits of participating, use of the food, coping strategies after the program ended, suggestions for improving the program, and sustainability of the benefits. Participants perceived that the food improved their health and ART adherence, and reduced stigma. The improvements were not always sustained. Sharing with people beyond the immediate family was very common, depleting the food available to the participants. Interventions with sustainable effects for food-insecure, HIV-positive individuals and their families are needed.
Women as Health Care Decision-Makers: Implications for Health Care Coverage in the United States
Authors: Matoff-Stepp Sabrina , Applebaum Bethany , Pooler Jennifer , Kavanagh Erin
Published: November 2014

Women in the United States make approximately 80% of the health care decisions for their families, yet often go without health care coverage themselves. The implementation of the Affordable Care Act provides an historical opportunity for women to gain health care coverage for themselves and their families. The focus of this commentary is on women’s leadership roles in the context of health care decision-making and Affordable Care Act education and outreach, and implications for reaching broader health and social goals.
State Policy and Health Disparities: An Examination of the Impact of State Offices of Minority Health
Authors: Patton Dana
Published: November 2014

For over two decades, a concerted effort has been underway to tackle health disparities. State Offices of Minority Health (OMH) have led efforts in data collection, training, and policy development. Yet, little evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of these efforts. I address this dearth of knowledge by examining the impact of state Offices of Minority Health on Black infant mortality rates. I perform a longitudinal regression analysis controlling for political, economic, and policy variables. I find that state OMHs are associated with a decrease in Black infant mortality rates. Furthermore, when Medicaid spending is low, the implementation of a state OMH decreases Black infant mortality over time. As Medicaid spending increases, however, the effect diminishes. State OMHs and Medicaid are important tools to decrease Black infant mortality rates. States that invest relatively little in health care for the poor should consider increasing investments in their Offices of Minority Health.
Factors Influencing Health Care Access Perceptions and Care-seeking Behaviors of Immigrant Latino Sexual Minority Men and Transgender Individuals: Baseline Findings from the HOLA Intervention Study
Authors: Tanner Amanda E. , Reboussin Beth A. , Mann Lilli , Ma Alice , Song Eunyoung , Alonzo Jorge , Rhodes Scott D.
Published: November 2014

Little is known about immigrant Latino sexual minorities’ health seeking behaviors. This study examined factors associated with perceptions of access and actual care behaviors among this population in North Carolina. Methods . A community-based participatory research partnership recruited 180 Latino sexual minority men and transgender individuals within preexisting social networks to participate in a sexual health intervention. Mixed-effects logistic regression models and GIS mapping examined factors influencing health care access perceptions and use of services (HIV testing and routine check-ups). Results . Results indicate that perceptions of access and actual care behaviors are low and affected by individual and structural factors, including: years living in NC, reported poor general health, perceptions of discrimination, micro-, meso-, and macro-level barriers, and residence in a Medically Underserved Area. Discussion . To improve Latino sexual minority health, focus must be placed on multiple levels, including: individual characteristics (e.g., demographics), clinic factors (e.g., provider competence and clinic environment), and structural factors (e.g., discrimination).
Telehealth Technologies: Changing the Way We Deliver Efficacious and Cost-Effective Diabetes Self-Management Education
Authors: Fitzner Karen K. , Heckinger Elizabeth , Tulas Katrina M. , Specker James , McKoy June
Published: November 2014

Nearly 26 million people diagnosed with diabetes mellitus in the U.S. must actively engage in self-management of the disease. Telehealth is a population-based approach with the potential to optimize resources and increase access to diabetes self-management education/training (DSME/T). We conducted a systematic literature review on diabetes education and telehealth (2009–April 2014) to determine whether remote DSME/T sufficiently improves behavioral, clinical, and economic outcomes and access. Twenty-five out of 213 identified systematic literature reviews or meta-analyses (two on mobile health were identified via a Google search) met our criteria and were fully reviewed; 22 additional studies and reports of diabetes-related technologies and interventions were also identified. Telemedicine has the potential to offer great utility, but guidelines for high research standards must be introduced, adopted, and proactively refined to determine the strengths of this technology for DSME/T, behavioral change, cost-effective care, and improved access in chronic disease self-management.
Acculturation, Inner Peace, Cancer Self-efficacy, and Self-rated Health among Latina Breast Cancer Survivors
Authors: García-Jimenez María , Santoyo-Olsson Jasmine , Ortiz Carmen , Lahiff Maureen , Sokal-Gutierrez Karen , Nápoles Anna María
Published: November 2014

Cancer self-efficacy (CSE) and spiritual well-being (SWB) have been associated with better self-rated health (SRH) among breast cancer survivors (BCS), but have not been well studied among Latina BCS (LBCS). Multivariate logistic regression analyses of secondary data from a cross-sectional population-based telephone survey of 330 LBCS explored relationships of language acculturation, CSE, and SWB subdomains of inner peace and faith with SRH. English proficiency was associated with SRH, independent of other covariates (OR=2.26, 95% CI 1.15, 4.45). Cancer self-efficacy attenuated this effect and was positively associated with SRH (OR=2.24, 95% CI 1.22, 4.10). Adding inner peace (a SWB subscale) attenuated the association of CSE and SRH (OR=1.67, 95% CI 0.88, 3.18). Inner peace remained associated with SRH (OR= 2.44, 95% CI 1.30, 4.56), controlling for covariates. Findings support the importance of a sense of inner peace and control over breast cancer to LBCS’ perceived health.
From Admission to Discharge: Patterns of Interpreter Use among Resident Physicians Caring for Hospitalized Patients with Limited English Proficiency
Authors: Tang Amy S. , Kruger Jenna F. , Quan Judy , Fernandez Alicia
Published: November 2014

Resident physicians’ use of professional interpreters drives communication with hospitalized patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). We surveyed residents from three specialties across two hospitals affiliated with one academic medical institution about their communication with their last hospitalized LEP patient. Among 149 respondents (73% response rate), 71% reported using professional interpreters for fewer than 60% of hospital encounters. Most (91%) perceived their quality of communication with hospitalized LEP patients as worse than with English-speaking patients. Professional interpreter use varied substantially by resident and by hospital encounter, with more reporting use of ad hoc interpreters, their own language skills, or not talking to the patient due to time constraints during pre-rounds (39%), team rounds (49%), or check-ins (40%) than during procedural consents (9%) or family meetings (17%). The reported variation suggests targets for quality improvement efforts and the need for clear enforceable guidelines on resident communication with hospitalized LEP patients.
Bottles to Breastfeeding in Rural Haiti
Authors: Gebrian Bette
Published: November 2014

In 1987 exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in Haiti was rare. Most rural women deliver at home. The Haitian Health Foundation (HHF) provides family-oriented, practical education and, home visits. By 1998, 66% of women completed six months of EBF; 80% by 2010. In 2011, HHF and two villages were certified “baby friendly.”
Hospital Language Service Programs: A Closer Look at Translation Practices
Authors: Regenstein Marsha , Andres Ellie
Published: November 2014

Much of the information we have about the delivery of language services for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) relates to interpreter services. Very little is known about hospitals’ experiences responding to LEP patients’ needs for written materials in their preferred languages. This study describes the translation practices of 35 hospitals with large interpreter services programs to inform guidance for the effective delivery of translation services in health care settings. We conducted in-depth telephone interviews with hospital staff members responsible for overseeing translation services at their hospitals. Translation practices varied considerably among study participants, with participants relying on a combination of interpreters serving as translators and contract translators to translate between 5 and 5,000 documents per year. This study showcases examples of hospitals with surprisingly robust translation service programs despite limited external funding. The variance in translation practices underscores a lack of guidance in this area.
Understanding Social and Sexual Networks of Sexual Minority Men and Transgender Women in Guatemala City to Improve HIV Prevention Efforts
Authors: Tucker C. , Arandi C. Galindo , Bolaños J. Herbert , Paz-Bailey G. , Barrington C.
Published: November 2014

Sexual minority men and transgender women are disproportionately affected by HIV in Guatemala. Innovative prevention strategies are urgently needed to address these disparities. While social network approaches are frequently used to reach sexual minorities, little is known about the unique network characteristics among sub-groups. We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 13 gay-identifying men, eight non-gay-identifying men who have sex with men (MSM) and eight transgender women in Guatemala City. Using narrative and thematic coding procedures, we identified distinct patterns in the size, composition, and overlap between social and sexual networks across groups. Gay-identifying men had the largest, most supportive social networks, predominantly comprising family. For both non-gay-identifying MSM and transgender women, friends and sex clients provided more support. Transgender women reported the smallest social networks, least social support, and the most discrimination. HIV prevention efforts should be tailored to the specific sexual minority population and engage with strong ties.
Identifying Vulnerable Asian Americans under Health Care Reform: Working in Small Businesses and Health Care Coverage
Authors: Cook Won Kim , Tseng Winston , Ko Chin Kathy , John Iyanrick , Chung Corina
Published: November 2014

Working in small businesses has been identified as a key factor for low coverage rates in immigrant communities. In this study, we identify specific cultural and socioeconomic predictors of Asian Americans who work in small businesses to identify subgroups at a greater disadvantage than others in obtaining health insurance. Logistic regression models were fitted using a sample of 3,819 Asian American small business owners and employers extracted from pooled 2005–2012 California Health Interview Survey data. We found that individuals with low income levels, Korean Americans, U.S.-born South Asian and Southeast Asian (other than Vietnamese) Americans, immigrants without citizenship (particularly those lacking a green card), and individuals with limited English proficiency had higher odds of lacking coverage. The odds of being uninsured did not differ between small business owners and employees. Based upon these key findings, we propose several strategies to expand coverage for Asian Americans working in small businesses and their most vulnerable subgroups.
In Our Country Tortilla Doesn’t Make Us Fat: Cultural Factors Influencing Lifestyle Goal-setting for Overweight and Obese Urban, Latina Patients
Authors: Jay Melanie , Gutnick Damara , Squires Allison , Tagliaferro Barbara , Gerchow Lauren , Savarimuthu Stella , Chintapalli Sumana , Shedlin Michele G. , Kalet Adina
Published: November 2014

Obesity disproportionately affects Latina adults, and goal-setting is a technique often used to promote lifestyle behavior change and weight loss. To explore the meanings and dimensions of goal-setting in immigrant Latinas, we conducted four focus groups arranged by language ability and country of origin in an urban, public, primary care clinic. We used a narrative analytic approach to identify the following themes: the immigrant experience, family dynamics , and health care. Support was a common sub-theme that threaded throughout, with participants relying on the immigrant community, family, and the health care system to support their goals. Participants derived satisfaction from setting and achieving goals and emphasized personal willpower as crucial for success. These findings should inform future research on how goal-setting can be used to foster lifestyle behavior change and illustrate the importance of exploring the needs of Latino sub-groups in order to improve lifestyle behaviors in diverse Latino populations.
Social Determinants of Health in Public Health Practice: Case Study of Rent Stipends to Augment Tuberculosis Cluster Management
Authors: Grande Katarina M. , Hunter Paul , Biedrzycki Paul A. , Swain Geoffrey R.
Published: November 2014

Precariously housed patients with tuberculosis (TB) may transmit TB while moving between various relatives’ or friends’ homes. Here, we describe the experience of the City of Milwaukee Health Department with leveraging funding not traditionally used for housing to help contain a TB cluster embedded in an environment of housing instability.
Provider Type and Preterm Birth in New York City Births, 2009–2010
Authors: Huynh Mary
Published: November 2014

This cross-sectional analysis assessed the role of provider type in preterm birth (PTB) using birth certificates (2009–2010) from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for singleton births to adult, low-risk women (n=73,887). Provider was categorized as a midwife led model or physician led model; PTB as less than 37 weeks gestation. Thirteen percent (13%) received care from a midwife led model. Preterm birth was significantly lower for women who received care from a midwife led model than for those with a physician led model (2.8% vs . 4.6%, p<.0001). The prevalence of PTB was significantly lower among women who used a midwife led model than among women who used a physician led model. After adjustment, the use of a midwife led model significantly reduced the likelihood of PTB (AOR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.63). These results have implications for clinical care and health care costs.
Association of Health Self-Empowerment with Health-Promoting Behaviors among Chronically Ill African American and non- Hispanic White Adolescents
Authors: Tucker Carolyn M. , Wippold Guillermo M. , Smith Tasia M. , Desmond Frederic F. , Arthur Tya M. , Butler Ashley M. , Pauly Rebecca R. , Surrency Sharon L.
Published: November 2014

Objective . Health Self-Empowerment Theory (health motivation, health self-efficacy, health self-praise, and active coping) was examined as a predictor of levels of engagement in four health-promoting behaviors (health responsibility behaviors, regular exercise, healthy eating, and stress management behaviors) among low-income African American adolescents and non-Hispanic White American adolescents living with at least one chronic illness. Methods . Eighty-seven participants completed measures of the Health Self-Empowerment Theory variables and of level of engagement in each of the four health-promoting behaviors. Results . Regression analyses revealed that the combined Health Self-Empowerment Theory variables significantly predicted level of engagement in the four examined health-promoting behaviors. Additionally, active coping, health self-praise, and health motivation each significantly predicted one or more of the examined health-promoting behaviors. Conclusions . Health self-empowerment may be useful for informing interventions designed to foster engagement in health-promoting behaviors among low-income adolescents living with one or more chronic illnesses.
Microfinance: Untapped Potential for Global Health
Authors: Patel Ronak B.
Published: November 2014

Microfinance has recently come under criticism for not meeting its potential for poverty reduction and its exploitation by for-profit entities. Access to finance still remains limited for many of the world’s poor. This re-examination of microfinance should not impede its proliferation and development into a tool to improve health for the underserved. There are significant returns on microfinance investments in health at the household level. Microfinance that allows the consumption of goods and services that can improve health can also lead to increased savings and productivity making it a financially viable and powerful tool for both health improvement and development.
Making the Case for Medicaid Funding of Smoking Cessation Treatment Programs: An Application to State-Level Health Care Savings
Authors: McCallum Debra Moehle , Fosson Gabriel H. , Pisu Maria
Published: November 2014

Background . In spite of cost-saving tobacco-dependence treatments, many state Medicaid programs offer only limited coverage for these treatments. This report builds a case for state-level financial benefits from funding smoking cessation treatment for Medicaid-eligible populations. Methods . Applying published cost estimates to state-specific data, we assessed potential health care savings from tobacco-dependence treatments for pregnant women, mothers exposing young children to secondhand smoke, and other adult Medicaid beneficiaries. Results . Across all three populations there was evidence for short-term positive returns on investment. Including counseling and nicotine replacement therapy, estimated net savings were $157,000 annually for pregnant women and their newborns, $33,000 annually within four years for children exposed to smoke at home, and $5 million annually within two years for the general adult Medicaid population in Alabama. Conclusions . Findings suggest that making tobacco-dependence treatment freely available to low-income smokers can produce net savings for state governments within a short period of time.
Language of Sexual Violence in Haiti: Perceptions of Victims, Community-level Workers, and Health Care Providers
Authors: Joshi Manisha , Rahill Guitele J. , Lescano Celia , Jean Florence
Published: November 2014

Non-partner sexual violence (NPSV), an important risk factor for HIV, is of global public health significance and understudied. The 2010 earthquake interacted syndemically with structural factors to increase sexual violence and HIV risk for women in Cité Soleil, Haiti. We used an exploratory sequential qualitative design and Grounded Theory to investigate language/terminology for NPSV, victims and perpetrators, and health effects of NPSV on victims, in four focus groups: Health care providers (HCPs) (n=3; n=8), community advocates (n=8), and victims (n=8). Crucial differences exist among stakeholders: HCPs prefer French and possess different explanatory models of illness from victims, who provided more extensive and explicit descriptions (e.g., “strangled like a chicken,” “ tuyo ”/“faucet”/“flooding” for gang rapes). Victims also reported purposeful injury to their external and internal genitalia, signaling STI/HIV risk. Reconciling within-culture differences between victims and HCPs can inform screening, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and delivery of relevant interventions.
Patching the Safety Net: Establishing a Free Specialty Care Clinic in an Academic Medical Center
Authors: Shuman Andrew G. , Aliu Oluseyi , Simpson Katherine , Salow Paul , Morgenstern Kara , Jennings Edward J. , Cederna Jean , McKean Erin L. , Bradford Carol R. , Cederna Paul S.
Published: November 2014

We describe the collaboration between an academic medical center and a free primary care clinic that provides multi-specialty services to indigent community members. Complementary components of both institutions have engendered a system in which they broaden the array of available services, providing a prototype for other institutions to collaborate similarly.