bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Interferon-γ-mediated pathways andin vitroPBMC proliferation in HIV-infected patients
Authors: Schroecksnadel Katharina , Winkler Christiana , Werner Ernst R. , Sarcletti Mario , Romani Nikolaus , Ebner Susanne , Schennach Harald , Fuchs Dietmar , Zangerle Robert 
Published: November 2008

AbstractHIV infection is characterized by progressive immunodeficiency: HIV-infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) cannot properly react to stimulation with allo-antigens and mitogens. In this study, we examined interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-mediated pathways and the proliferative response of mitogen-stimulated HIV-infected PBMCsin vitro. PBMCs of 30 HIV-infected patients were stimulated with the mitogens concanavalin A (Con A), phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and pokeweed mitogen (PWM). Mitogen stimulation induced expression of IFN-γ, GTP cyclohydrolase I (GCH-I), and indoleamine (2,3)-dioxygenase (IDO) resulting in enhanced neopterin formation and tryptophan degradation by HIV-infected and control PBMCs. IFN-γ concentrations correlated with neopterin levels and tryptophan degradation. Proliferative responses to PHA and PWM cytokine were lower in HIV patients, with IFN-γ formation predicting proliferative responses. Higher mRNA expression of IFN-γ, GCH-I and IDO after 6 h was related to better proliferative responses in HIV-infected PBMCs. In conclusion, induction of IFN-γ and subsequent enzymes appears to importantly influence the proliferative response of HIV-infected PBMCsin vitro, suggesting a prominent role of the cytokine in the development of immunodeficiency.
Primary sequence, together with other factors, influence peptide deimination by peptidylarginine deiminase-4
Authors: Stensland Maria E. , Pollmann Sylvie , Molberg Øyvind , Sollid Ludvig M. , Fleckenstein Burkhard 
Published: November 2008

Abstract
Enzymes of the peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD) family catalyze the posttranslational deimination of polypeptide-bound arginine residues. Here, we report the selection of peptide substrates by PAD-4, an isoform thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. First, we investigated whether PAD-4-mediated deimination is influenced by the nature of amino acid residues flanking the targeted arginine. Using two peptide substrates, residues in positions -2, -1, +1, and +2 relative to the central arginine targeted by PAD-4 were systematically replaced by all natural l-amino acids except cysteine. Each peptide was treated with recombinant human PAD-4 and deimination was analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In all four flanking positions, amino acids which positively or negatively influenced deimination were identified. We next designed peptides with expected high or low deimination rates and determined their K
m and k
cat values. These peptides showed PAD-4 substrate behavior as predicted, demonstrating that residues flanking the targeted arginine are important for deimination. Further truncation of peptide substrates suggested additional effects on deimination by residues outside the -2 to +2 region. Finally, we observed that a methylated lysine residue flanking the targeted arginine influences PAD-4-mediated deimination, also suggesting that posttranslational modifications can affect substrate efficiency.
Identification of novel mutations of the WFS1 gene in Brazilian patients with Wolfram syndrome
Authors: Gasparin Maria Regina R , Crispim Felipe , Paula Sílvia L , Freire Maria Beatriz S , Dalbosco Ivaldir S , Manna Thais Della , Salles João Eduardo N , Gasparin Fábio , Guedes Aléxis , Marcantonio João M , Gambini Márcio , Salim Camila P , Moisés Regina S 
Published: November 2008

ObjectiveWolfram syndrome (WS) is a rare, progressive, neurodegenerative disorder with an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance. The gene for WS, WFS1, was identified on chromosome 4p16 and most WS patients carry mutations in this gene. However, some studies have provided evidence for genetic heterogeneity and the genotype–phenotype relationships are not clear. Our aim was to ascertain the spectrum of WFS1 mutations in Brazilian patients with WS and to examine the phenotype–genotype relationships in these patients.Design and methodsClinical characterization and analyses of the WFS1 gene were performed in 27 Brazilian patients with WS from 19 families.ResultsWe identified 15 different mutations in the WFS1 gene in 26 patients, among which nine are novel. All mutations occurred in exon 8, except for one missense mutation which was located in exon 5. Although we did not find any clear phenotype–genotype relationship in patients with mutations in exon 8, the homozygous missense mutation in exon 5 was associated with a mild phenotype: onset of diabetes mellitus and optic atrophy during adulthood with good metabolic control being achieved with low doses of sulfonylurea.ConclusionsOur data show that WFS1 is the major gene involved in WS in Brazilian patients and most mutations are concentrated in exon 8. Also, our study increases the spectrum of WFS1 mutations. Although no clear phenotype–genotype relationship was found for mutations in exon 8, a mild phenotype was associated with a homozygous missense mutation in exon 5.
Impact of the Safe Water System on Water Quality in Cyclone-Affected Communities in Madagascar
Authors: Mong Yves , Kaiser Reinhard , Ibrahim Dasy , Rasoatiana  , Razafimbololona Lalaina , Quick Robert E. 
Published: November 2008

Cyclone Hudah struck the northeastern coast of Madagascar in the spring of 2000. Over a 5-month period, 11 700 relief kits consisting of bottles of water disinfectant and foldable jerry cans were distributed to the affected population. Five months after the cyclone, a survey was conducted in 12 villages to determine the impact of these relief kits on water quality. Seventy-six percent of the surveyed households reported using jerry cans, and 65% reported using the disinfectant. Stored water in households using both products had significantly less microbiological contamination than stored water in other households. To improve the prospects for a sustainable intervention, the response plan for future disasters should incorporate a transition to recovery and development, including formative research into local customs, beliefs, and water handling habits, and funding support to initiate social marketing.
Trapping the Vector: Community Action to Curb Sleeping Sickness in Southern Sudan
Authors: Joja Lasu Lauya , Okoli Uzo Amaka 
Published: November 2008

South Sudan experienced a resurgence of trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) in the 1990s. In 1997 in Tambura County, public health officials combined standard mass screening and treatment techniques for infected persons with an additional component—trapping the vectors of the disease. The intent of this integrated approach was to lower the number and concentration of the tsetse flies that spread the disease while reducing the level of infection in the human population to make the likelihood of transmission extremely low. Because the trapping project depends on village participation (making, setting, and maintaining the traps), village volunteers and their neighbors learned more about the causes and prevention of sleeping sickness and became much more willing to participate in serosurveys and to seek treatment.
Transportation for Maternal Emergencies in Tanzania: Empowering Communities Through Participatory Problem Solving
Authors: Schmid Thomas , Kanenda Omari , Ahluwalia Indu , Kouletio Michelle 
Published: November 2008

Inadequate health care and long delays in obtaining care during obstetric emergencies are major contributors to high maternal death rates in Tanzania. Formative research conducted in the Mwanza region identified several transportation-related reasons for delays in receiving assistance. In 1996, the Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began an effort to build community capacity for problem-solving through participatory development of community-based plans for emergency transportation in 50 villages. An April 2001 assessment showed that 19 villages had begun collecting funds for transportation systems; of 13 villages with systems available, 10 had used the system within the last 3 months. Increased support for village health workers and greater participation of women in decision making were also observed.
Social Medicine Then and Now: Lessons From Latin America
Authors: Waitzkin Howard , Iriart Celia , Estrada Alfredo , Lamadrid Silvia 
Published: November 2008

The accomplishments of Latin American social medicine remain little known in the English-speaking world. In Latin America, social medicine differs from public health in its definitions of populations and social institutions, its dialectic vision of “health–illness,” and its stance on causal inference. A “golden age” occurred during the 1930s, when Salvador Allende, a pathologist and future president of Chile, played a key role. Later influences included the Cuban revolution, the failed peaceful transition to socialism in Chile, the Nicaraguan revolution, liberation theology, and empowerment strategies in education. Most of the leaders of Latin American social medicine have experienced political repression, partly because they have tried to combine theory and political practice—a combination known as “praxis.” Theoretic debates in social medicine take their bearings from historical materialism and recent trends in European philosophy. Methodologically, differing historical, quantitative, and qualitative approaches aim to avoid perceived problems of positivism and reductionism in traditional public health and clinical methods. Key themes emphasize the effects of broad social policies on health and health care; the social determinants of illness and death; the relationships between work, reproduction, and the environment; and the impact of violence and trauma.
Community Health Worker Performance in the Management of Multiple Childhood Illnesses: Siaya District, Kenya, 1997–2001
Authors: Kelly Jane M. , Osamba Benta , Garg Renu M. , Hamel Mary J. , Lewis Jennifer J. , Rowe Samantha Y. , Rowe Alexander K. , Deming Michael S. 
Published: November 2008

Objectives. To characterize community health worker (CHW) performance using an algorithm for managing common childhood illnesses in Siaya District, Kenya, we conducted CHW evaluations in 1998, 1999, and 2001. Methods. Randomly selected CHWs were observed managing sick outpatient and inpatient children at a hospital, and their management was compared with that of an expert clinician who used the algorithm. Results. One hundred, 108, and 114 CHWs participated in the evaluations in 1998, 1999, and 2001, respectively. The proportions of children treated “adequately” (with an antibiotic, antimalarial, oral rehydration solution, or referral, depending on the child's disease classifications) were 57.8%, 35.5%, and 38.9%, respectively, for children with a severe classification and 27.7%, 77.3%, and 74.3%, respectively, for children with a moderate (but not severe) classification. CHWs adequately treated 90.5% of malaria cases (the most commonly encountered classification). CHWs often made mistakes assessing symptoms, classifying illnesses, and prescribing correct doses of medications. Conclusions. Deficiencies were found in the management of sick children by CHWs, although care was not consistently poor. Key reasons for the deficiencies appear to be guideline complexity and inadequate clinical supervision; other possible causes are discussed.
Self-Assessed Health Among Indigenous Australians: How Valid Is a Global Question?
Authors: Sibthorpe Beverly , Anderson Ian , Cunningham Joan 
Published: November 2008

Objectives. This study assessed the validity of a global measure of self-assessed health among Indigenous Australians. Methods. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with self-assessed health in a nationally representative sample. Results. Among 8782 adult respondents, poorer self-assessed health was strongly associated with several factors, including age, number of health conditions, and recent health actions. The association with health conditions was attenuated when the respondent's primary language was not English. Conclusions. Self-assessed health may be a valid measure among indigenous Australians whose primary language is English. However, although the measure draws on common experiences of health and illness, it may obscure differences in how people incorporate these experiences into social actions.
Predictors of Low Back Pain Onset in a Prospective British Study
Authors: Power Chris , Frank John , Hertzman Clyde , Schierhout Gill , Li Leah 
Published: November 2008

Objectives. This study examined predictors of low back pain onset in a British birth cohort.Methods. Univariate and multivariate analyses focused on individuals who experienced onset of low back pain at 32 to 33 years of age (n= 571) and individuals who were pain free (n = 5210). Participants were members of the 1958 British birth cohort.Results. Incident pain was elevated among those with psychological distress at 23 years of age (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.65, 3.86) and among persistent moderate or heavy smokers (adjusted OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.23, 2.17). Significant univariate associations involving other factors (e.g., social class, childhood emotional status, body mass index, job satisfaction) did not persist in multivariate analyses.Conclusions. This prospectively studied cohort provides evidence that psychological distress more than doubles later risk of low back pain, with smoking having a modest independent effect. Other prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings before implications for low back pain prevention can be assessed.
Evaluation and Reform of Mexican National Epidemiological Surveillance System
Authors: Tapia-Conyer Roberto , Kuri-Morales Pablo , González-Urbán Luis , Sarti Elsa 
Published: November 2008

To generate timely and reliable information for decision making in local health centers, Mexico's National Epidemiological Surveillance System (SINAVE) was evaluated and reformed. The reform was achieved by consensus through national meetings of epidemiologists, using a conceptual model of requirements, leadership, participation, and motivation. The new SINAVE is run by committees that use data from 16 468 local health centers that generate homogeneous information from all health institutions. Indicators, flowcharts, and standardized instruments were created. The reforms modernized SINAVE and strengthened epidemiologists' leadership, consolidated local decision making, and assessed control actions needed to improve the health of the Mexican population.
“Do It Now!” Yakima, Wash, and the Campaign Against Rural Typhoid
Authors: Casner Nicholas 
Published: November 2008

In 1911, Yakima, in western Washington, suffered a typhoid epidemic that turned the nation's attention to a crisis in public health. The response exemplified the ideals of the “new public health” as a more proactive, scientific, federal commitment to the problems of rural America. A US Public Health Service investigation led by Dr Leslie Lumsden found a typhoid mortality rate of nearly 5 times the national average. The cause was bad sanitation. Typhoid rates dropped dramatically as the community adopted pragmatic solutions. Lumsden helped organize a “Do It Now” sanitation campaign and one of the country's first city–county health units. Yakima provided a model for other rural areas and small towns across the country. This episode in one of the country's most productive fruit-growing regions raised serious questions regarding the geographic dynamics of disease. For Lumsden and other like-minded health officials, the countryside represented a dangerous reservoir of disease, a particular threat to the nation's agriculturally dependent urban populations. Yakima showed that the country needed a more comprehensive public health system that addressed urban and rural problems.
Growth Status and Related Medical Conditions Among Refugee Children in Massachusetts, 1995–1998
Authors: Geltman Paul L. , Radin Marjorie , Zhang Zi , Cochran Jennifer , Meyers Alan F. 
Published: November 2008

Objectives. This study analyzed growth and identified related medical conditions among refugee children in Massachusetts. Methods. Between July 1995 and June 1998, 1825 refugee children were screened. Variables included positive tuberculin (purified protein derivative; PPD) test; dental abnormalities; pathogenic parasites; weight-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-for-height z scores; and body mass index greater than the 84th percentile. Results. Of all the children, 21% had parasites, 62% had caries, and 25% had a positive PPD reaction. Twelve percent overall and 28% younger than 2 years had anemia. Eight percent had height-for-age z scores less than –2, and 6% had weight-for-age z scores greater than +2. Of those aged 1 to 9 years, 7% had weight-for-height z scores greater than +2. Weight-for-height z scores less than –2 were concentrated among Africans and East Asians (both 8%). Height-for-age z scores less than –2 were seen among African (13%), Near Eastern (19%), and East Asian (30%) children. Weight-for-height z scores greater than +2 and body mass index greater than the 84th percentile were concentrated among children from the former Yugoslavia (8% and 15%) and the former Soviet Union (8% and 14%). Conclusions. Recently arrived refugee children have significant growth abnormalities. European refugees were overweight; those from developing countries had growth retardation.
Health Care for Latino Children: Impact of Child and Parental Birthplace on Insurance Status and Access to Health Services
Authors: Granados Gilberto , Puvvula Jyoti , Berman Nancy , Dowling Patrick T. 
Published: November 2008

Objectives. This study sought to assess the impact of child and parental birthplace on insurance status and access to health care among Latino children in the United States. Methods. A cross-sectional, in-person survey of 376 random households with children aged 1 to 12 years was conducted in a predominantly Latino community. Children's insurance status and access to routine health care were compared among 3 child–parent groups: US born–US born (UU), US born–immigrant (UI), and immigrant–immigrant (II). Results. Uninsured rates for the 3 groups of children were 10% (UU), 23% (UI), and 64% (II). Rates for lack of access to routine health care were 5% (UU), 12% (UI), and 32% (II). Conclusion. Latino children of immigrant parents are more likely to lack insurance and access to routine health care than are Latino children of US-born parents.
The Contribution of Maternal Age to Racial Disparities in Birthweight: A Multilevel Perspective
Authors: Rauh Virginia A. , Andrews Howard F. , Garfinkel Robin S. 
Published: November 2008

Objectives. This study assessed the contribution of age and other risk factors to racial disparities in rates of moderately low birthweight (MLBW; 1500–2499 g) and very low birthweight (VLBW; <1500 g). Methods. Logistic regression models were developed to determine the effects on MLBW and VLBW of maternal age, race, and poverty, adjusting for birth order, smoking, substance abuse, marital status, and educational level. The sample consisted of 158 174 singleton births to US-born African American and White women in New York City between 1987 and 1993. Results. The effects of maternal age on MLBW varied by race and poverty, with the most extreme effects among poor African American women. The effects of maternal age on VLBW also varied by race, but these effects were not moderated by poverty. Community poverty had a significant effect on MLBW among African American women, but no effect on VLBW. The adverse effect of older maternal age on MLBW and VLBW did not vary with community poverty. Conclusions. Older maternal age is associated with reduced birthweight among infants born to African American women, and the age effect is exacerbated by individual poverty.
Relying on Surveys to Understand Abortion Behavior: Some Cautionary Evidence
Authors: Jagannathan Radha 
Published: November 2008

Objectives. The reliability of abortion self-reports has raised questions about the general usefulness of surveys in research about abortion behavior; however, the extent of underreporting remains a subject of some debate. This study sought to examine abortion reporting in a sample of welfare mothers and to determine factors in underreporting. Methods. In New Jersey, which covers abortions requested by welfare recipients under its Medicaid program, the responses of a randomly drawn sample of 1236 welfare mothers about abortion events were compared with the Medicaid claims records of these women. Results. Only 29% of actual abortions were self-reported by the women in the sample. This finding varied dramatically by race, with substantially higher rates of underreporting by Blacks than by Whites or Hispanics. Conclusions. Although race is the most consistent predictor of underreporting behavior, attitudinal factors and survey technology also help in explaining abortion reporting behavior.
Area-Level Characteristics and Smoking in Women
Authors: Tseng Marilyn , Yeatts Karin , Millikan Robert , Newman Beth 
Published: November 2008

Objectives. This study examined whether area-level characteristics are associated with individual smoking behavior among women. Methods. Analyses included 648 women enrolled as control patients in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study (1993–1996). Smoking and covariate information was obtained from interviews. Area-level characteristics included census block-group education level, poverty, unemployment, car–home ownership, crowding, and, for 431 women, city-level crime rates. Results. In multivariate logistic regression models, no area characteristics were clearly associated with a history of smoking. Among those who had ever smoked, continued smoking was associated with living in low-education areas (odds ratio [OR] = 1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.0, 2.9), highunemployment areas (OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.0, 2.8), and high-crime areas (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 0.8, 3.2). Conclusions. The present findings are consistent with a growing literature suggesting that area-level social and economic disadvantage influences individual smoking behavior.
Welfare Reform and the Perinatal Health and Health Care Use of Latino Women in California, New York City, and Texas
Authors: Joyce Ted , Bauer Tamar , Minkoff Howard , Kaestner Robert 
Published: November 2008

Objectives. This study analyzed changes in the financing of prenatal care and delivery, the use of prenatal care, and birth outcomes among foreign-born vs US-born Latino women following enactment of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) in August 1996. Methods. We used a pre–post design with a comparison group. The sample consisted of resident Latinas in California, New York City, and Texas who delivered a live infant in 1995 or 1998. Results. The proportion of births to Latinas that initiated prenatal care in the first 4 months of pregnancy increased for all foreign-born Latinas in California, New York City, and Texas between 1995 and 1998 (P < .05). Except for non-Dominicans in New York City, there was no increase in the proportion of low- or very-low-birthweight births among foreign-born vs US-born Latinas in the 3 localities between 1995 and 1996. Conclusions. There is little evidence from vital statistics in California, New York City, and Texas that PRWORA had any substantive impact on the perinatal health and health care utilization of foreign-born relative to US-born Latinas.