Search

Background Platelet–endothelial interactions are thought to contribute to early atherogenesis. These interactions are potentiated by oxidative stress. We used in vivo molecular imaging to test the hypothesis that platelet–endothelial interactions occur at early stages of plaque development in obese, insulin‐resistant nonhuman primates, and are suppressed by NADPH‐oxidase‐2 inhibition. Methods and Results Six adult rhesus macaques fed a Western‐style diet for a median of 4.0 years were studied at baseline and after 8 weeks of therapy with the NADPH‐oxidase‐2‐inhibitor apocynin (50 mg/kg per day). Six lean control animals were also studied. Measurements included intravenous glucose tolerance test, body composition by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry, carotid intimal medial thickness, carotid artery contrast ultrasound molecular imaging for platelet GPIbα (glycoprotein‐ Ibα) and vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1, and blood oxidative markers on mass spectrometry. Compared with lean controls, animals on a Western‐style diet were obese (median body mass: 16.0 versus 8.7 kg, P=0.003; median truncal fat: 49% versus 20%, P=0.002), were insulin resistant (4‐fold higher insulin–glucose area under the curve on intravenous glucose tolerance test, P=0.002), had 40% larger carotid intimal medial thickness (P=0.004), and exhibited oxidative signatures on proteomics. In obese but not lean animals, signal enhancement on molecular imaging was significantly elevated for GPIbα and vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1. The signal correlated modestly with intimal medial thickness but not with the degree of insulin resistance. Apocynin significantly (P80% and vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1 signal by 75%, but did not affect intimal medial thickness, body mass, or intravenous glucose tolerance test results. Conclusion In nonhuman primates, diet‐induced obesity and insulin resistance leads to platelet–endothelial adhesion at early atherosclerotic lesion sites, which is associated with the expression of pro‐inflammatory adhesion molecules. These responses appear to be mediated, in part, through oxidative pathways.

Purpose: To examine the factors that support and hinder farmers' learning and to investigate the impact of an innovative learning program on farmers' practice change. Design/methodology/approach: Individual interviews and focus group discussions were held with 24 farmers over 20 months. Observations were made of these farmers as they participated with eight agricultural and social scientists in a range of innovative experiences to learn about chicory and plantain establishment and management. These learning experiences were designed around evidence-informed educational pedagogies. Data sets were analyzed using NVivo to determine common themes of affordances and barriers to learning and actual practice changes. Findings: The affordances for learning and practice change include belonging to a learning community, enhancing self-efficacy, engaging with scientists, seeing relative advantage, reinforcing and validating learning, supporting system's integration and developing an identity as learners. Barriers to learning and practice change include issues of: trialability, complexity, compatibility and risk. Practical implications: The importance of basing new models of extension around evidence-informed pedagogies known through educational research to promote learning and practice change. Theoretical implications: Sociocultural theory and self-efficacy theories of learning are critical to the success of effective agricultural extension programs. Originality: To date, little empirical research about the affordances and barriers for pastoral farmers' learning has been based on contemporary educational research.

Background and Objective: Indoor air pollution (IAP) and tobacco smoke exposure (ETS) are global health concerns contributing to the burden of childhood respiratory disease. Studies assessing the effects of IAP and ETS in preschool children are limited. We assessed the impact of antenatal and postnatal IAP and ETS exposure on lung function in a South African birth cohort, the Drakenstein Child Health Study. Methods: Antenatally enrolled mother–child pairs were followed from birth. Lung function measurements (oscillometry, multiple breath washout and tidal breathing) were performed at 6 weeks and 3 years. Quantitative antenatal and postnatal IAP (particulate matter [PM10], volatile organic compounds [VOC]) and ETS exposures were measured. Linear regression models explored the effects of antenatal and postnatal exposures on lung function at 3 years. Results: Five hundred eighty‐four children had successful lung function testing, mean (SD) age of 37.3 (0.7) months. Exposure to antenatal PM10 was associated with a decreased lung clearance index (p < 0.01) and postnatally an increase in the difference between resistance at end expiration (ReE) and inspiration (p = 0.05) and decrease in tidal volume (p = 0.06). Exposure to antenatal VOC was associated with an increase in functional residual capacity (p = 0.04) and a decrease in time of expiration over total breath time (tE/tTOT) (p = 0.03) and postnatally an increase in respiratory rate (p = 0.05). High ETS exposure postnatally was associated with an increase in ReE (p = 0.03). Conclusion: Antenatal and postnatal IAP and ETS exposures were associated with impairment in lung function at 3 years. Strengthened efforts to reduce IAP and ETS exposure are needed. Indoor air pollution (IAP) contributes to the high burden of childhood respiratory illness. We performed comprehensive lung function testing, showing both antenatal and postnatal IAP and environmental tobacco smoke exposure to be associated with impairment in lung function at 3‐years of age. This highlights the need for public health awareness and initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pheochromocytomas are rare tumours that require complex perioperative management. Despite recent consensus guidelines, there is substantial variability in the management of pheochromocytomas. Our study characterizes the current state of [...]

Research in psychoneuroimmunology suggests that immunosuppression associated with perceived stress may contribute to disease progression in persons with HIV infection. While stress management interventions may enhance immune function, few alternative approaches have yet been tested. This randomized clinical trial was conducted to test effects of three 10-week stress management approaches--cognitive-behavioral relaxation training (RLXN), focused tai chi training (TCHI), and spiritual growth groups (SPRT)--in comparison to a wait-listed control group (CTRL) among 252 individuals with HIV infection. Using repeated measures mixed modeling, the authors found that in comparison to the CTRL group, (a) both the RLXN and TCHI groups used less emotion-focused coping, and (b) all treatment groups had augmented lymphocyte proliferative function. Despite modest effects of the interventions on psychosocial functioning, robust findings of improved immune function have important clinical implications, particularly for persons with immune-mediated illnesses. (Contains 2 tables.)

Background: Although coping with autism has been examined in a number of papers, virtually no research exists on how families cope over time. This paper reports the results of a longitudinal study of parents coping with autism over a period of approximately a decade. Methods: The research method for the study was based on ethnographic methods that emphasized in-depth interviews and participant observation. The sample for this study consisted of 28 parents (19 mothers and nine fathers) of children with autism. The instrument for the interviews consisted of questions concerning: the child's medical history and referral experience, the child's present symptomatology, the effects of the child's problems on the parent's well-being, the effects of autism on the family's social life, parental coping strategies, illness conceptualization and the parents' expectations for the future. Results and conclusions: Coping strategies changed from the time of the initial study, as fewer parents coped through reliance on service providers, family support, social withdrawal and individualism and relatively more parents coped through their religious faith and other emotion-focused strategies. The results tentatively support previous research on coping that indicates that aging is linked to the use of more emotion-focused coping strategies.

Completion of a graduate degree in business, be it the general MBA or a specialized Master program, should add value to graduates and provide them with certain competencies to make them better managers and leaders. This article evaluates the impact of several Master level studies in business at a large, urban university in the southwestern US. We analyzed competencies, skills, self-perception, and career progress as well as salary and performance. Participant choice of degree program was either the generalist MBA degree or specialist graduate Master degree. Responses from 318 alumni, most of them now working managers, clearly indicate the value they gained from pursuing a graduate business degree. The most prominent impact of competencies and skills portfolio gained was on both internal and external measures of career success, for both the MBA and specialized programs.

Culture of human pancreatic islets is now routinely carried out prior to clinical islet allotransplantation, using conditions that have been developed empirically. One of the major causes of early islet destruction after transplantation is the process termed instant blood-mediated inflammatory reaction (IBMIR). The aim of this study was to develop in vitro methods to investigate IBMIR and apply them to the culture conditions used routinely in our human islet isolation laboratory. Freshly isolated or precultured (24 h, 48 h) human islets were incubated in either ABO-compatible allogeneic human blood or Hank's buffered salt solution (HBSS) for 1 h at 37°C. Tissue factor (TF) expression and leukocyte migration were assessed by light microscopy. TF was also quantified by ELISA. To assess β-cell function, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) assay was carried out. The extent of islet β-cell damage was quantified using a proinsulin assay. Islets cultured for 24 h had higher GSIS when compared to freshly isolated or 48-h precultured islets. Freshly isolated islets had significantly higher TF content than 24-h and 48-h precultured islets. Incubation of freshly isolated human islets in allogeneic human blood released 6.5-fold higher level of proinsulin in comparison to freshly isolated human islets in HBSS. The high level of proinsulin released was significantly attenuated when precultured islets (24 h or 48 h) were exposed to fresh blood. Histological examination of fresh islets in blood clot showed that some islets were fragmented, showing signs of extraislet insulin leakage and extensive neutrophil infiltration and necrosis. These features were markedly reduced when the islets were cultured for 24 h. These results suggest that our standard 24-h islet culture is markedly beneficial in attenuating IBMIR, as evidenced by increased GSIS, lower content of TF, decrease islet fragmentation, and proinsulin release.

Women diagnosed with fibromyalgia (N = 72) participated in a 10-week randomized trial to examine the effectiveness of guided imagery on self-efficacy, perceived stress, and selected biobehavioral factors (FMS symptoms; immune biomarkers). Participants in both guided imagery and usual care control conditions completed measures and donated 3 cc of blood at baseline, 6- and 10-weeks. A mixed effects linear model to test for differences between groups for all behavioral and biologic variables demonstrated that after 10 weeks of daily intervention use, guided imagery participants reported statistically significant increases in self-efficacy and statistically significant decreases in stress, fatigue, pain, and depression. There were no statistically significant changes in biomarker levels, although total group C-reactive protein was elevated at baseline (4.7 mg/L), indicating an inflammatory process. Subsequent studies should be undertaken to more fully elucidate the biobehavioral aspects of nonpharmacological intervention effectiveness. Keywords Fibromyalgia * Guided imagery * Self-efficacy * Stress * Pain * Cytokine * C-reactive protein, Introduction Fibromyalgia (FMS) is a chronic pain and fatigue syndrome (Dadabhoy et al., 2008) that affects 3-6 million adults in the United States (NIAMS, 2009). It is one of the [...]