A trial of questionnaire administration modalities for measures of sexual risk behaviour in the uniformed services of Peru

Summary

Modalities of questionnaire administration may affect data quality, particularly when conducting Biological and Behavioral Surveillance Surveys (BBSS) of uniformed personnel. We aimed to examine differences in administration, reporting and data quality across several common modalities of administration for BBSS endeavors. Prior to a large-scale BBSS endeavor with the uniformed services of Peru, we pilot tested three modes of questionnaire administration among personnel engaged in internal combat: face-to-face interview (FFI), self-administered paper-based interview (SAPI), and audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI). Individuals who took the survey using ACASI were less likely to have missing data on measures of sexual risk and alcohol abuse and were more likely to report sexual risk behaviours and symptoms of alcohol abuse; however, more individuals took the survey using SAPI given inadequate time to devote to sitting through an entire FFI or ACASI. Sexually transmitted infections did not vary significantly across modes of questionnaire administration. While more logistically complicated for BBSS efforts in resource-constrained settings, we recommend the use of ACASI in collecting BBSS data from uniformed personnel if conditions are permissible.

Upregulation of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in mouse astrocytes infected with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV)

Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) induces demyelination in susceptible strains of mice through a CD4(+) Th1 T cell-mediated immunopathological process. TMEV infection produces a syndrome in mice that resembles multiple sclerosis. In this work, we focused on the increased expression of the genes encoding voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel subunits in SJL/J mouse astrocytes infected in culture with a BeAn strain of TMEV. Affymetrix DNA murine genome U74v2 DNA microarray hybridized with cRNA from mock- and TMEV-infected astrocytes revealed the upregulation of four sequences encoding Ca(2+)-binding and Ca(2+) channel subunit proteins. The DNA hybridization results were further validated using conventional RT-PCR and quantitative RT-PCR, demonstrating the increased expression of mRNA encoding channel subunit proteins. Western blotting also showed the increased synthesis of L- and N-type channel subunit specific proteins after infection. The reduced expression and the functional upregulation of functional voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels in mock- and TMEV-infected cells, respectively, was demonstrated using voltage clamp experiments. TMEV infection in mouse astrocytes induced a Ca(2+) current with a density proportional to the amount of viral particles used for infection. The use of Ca(2+) channel blockers, nimodipine and ω-conotoxin-GVIA, showed that both functional L- and N-type Ca(2+) channels were upregulated in infected astrocytes. The upregulation of Ca(2+) channels in astrocytes after TMEV infection provides insight into the molecular processes and potential role of astrocyte Ca(2+) dysregulation in the pathophysiology of encephalomyelitis and is important for the development of novel therapeutic strategies leading to prevention of neurodegeneration.

Efficacy of florfenicol for control of mortality associated with Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.)

Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis (Fno) (syn. F. asiatica) is an emergent Gram-negative facultative intracellular bacterium. Although it is considered one of the most pathogenic bacteria in fish, there are no commercially available treatments or vaccines. The objective of this project was to determine the most efficacious concentration of florfenicol (FFC) [10, 15 or 20 mg FFC kg(-1) body weight (bw) per days for 10 days] administered in feed to control experimentally induced infections of Fno in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.), reared in a recirculating aquaculture system. The cumulative mortality of fish that received 0, 10, 15 or 20 mg FFC kg(-1)  bw per day was 60, 37, 14 and 16%, respectively. Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis genome equivalents were detected in water from all challenged groups with slight reduction in the concentration in the florfenicol-treated groups 4 days after treatment. The mean LOG of CFU Fno mg(-1) spleen was 3-5 and was present in all challenged groups at necropsy 11 days after treatment (21 days after challenge). Results show that florfenicol administered at doses of 15 and 20 mg FFC kg(-1)  bw per days for 10 days significantly reduced mortality associated with francisellosis in Nile tilapia.

Identity, expression and functional role of the sodium-activated potassium current in vestibular ganglion afferent neurons

Vestibular afferent neurons (VANs) transmit information from the vestibular end organs to the central nuclei. This information is encoded within the firing pattern of these cells and is heavily influenced by the K⁺ conductances expressed by vestibular neurons. In the present study, we describe the presence of a previously unidentified Na⁺-activated K⁺ conductance (KNa) in these cells. We observed that the blocking of Na⁺ channels by tetrodotoxin (TTX) or the substitution of choline for Na⁺ in the extracellular solution during voltage clamp pulses resulted in the reduction of a sustained outward current that was dependent on the Na⁺ current. Furthermore, increases in the intracellular concentration of Na⁺ that were made by blocking the Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase with ouabain increased the amplitude of the outward current, and reduction of the intracellular Cl⁻ concentration reduced the TTX-sensitive outward current. The substitution of Li⁺ for Na⁺ in the extracellular solution significantly reduced the amplitude of the outward current in voltage clamp pulses and decreased the afterhyperpolarization (AHP) of the action potentials in current clamp experiments. These electrophysiological results are consistent with the presence of mRNA transcripts for the KNa subunits Slick and Slack in the vestibular ganglia and in the sensory epithelium, which were detected using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). These results are also consistent with the immunolabeling of Slick and Slack protein in isolated vestibular neurons, in the vestibular ganglion and in the vestibular sensory epithelium. These results indicate that KNa channels are expressed in VANs and in their terminals. Furthermore, these data indicate that these channels may contribute to the firing pattern of vestibular neurons.

Endoscopic management of uterine fibroids: an update

Recent technological advances in endoscopy have allowed gynecological surgeons to expand the operative approaches that can be utilized in the conservative management of uterine myomas. Commonly used approaches in gynecological practice now include laparoscopic myomectomy, laparoscopic-assisted myomectomy through a mini-laparotomy incision and robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy. Adequate preoperative evaluation with careful selection of the best operative approach for each particular patient constitutes the basis of safe and effective surgery for the operative management of uterine myomas.

The identification of two subgroups of obese women with differing endometrial proliferation levels: potential consequences in the development of endometrial cancer

Enhanced endometrial proliferation correlates obesity to type-I (estrogen-dependent) endometrial cancer (EC). Our aim was to distinguish obese women (without EC) with differing endometrial proliferation. Endometrial and blood samples were obtained from normal-weight and obese women without EC. Type-I EC samples were obtained from obese patients. On measuring endometrial proliferation (Ki67 and phosphorylated histone H3 (p-H3)), two groups of obese women without EC were identified: obese(High Proliferating) (O(HP)) and obese(Low Proliferating) (O(LP)). Increased Ki67 (88.5%, P<0.001), p-H3 (62.6%, P<0.01), 17β-estradiol/progesterone ratio (46.3%, P<0.01) and endometrial estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) (82.2%, P<0.001) were observed in O(HP) compared with O(LP) patients. ECs possessed similar ERα and enhanced proliferation as O(HP), suggesting that O(HP) women are at higher risk of type-I EC. O(LP) women were indistinguishable from normal-weight women regarding these determinants of endometrial proliferation, ERα and 17β-estradiol/progesterone ratio. Our data may further define the obesity phenotype in regards to type-I EC risk and may help identify obese women more susceptible to develop type-I EC, allowing early intervention and a potential reduction in mortality.

Prediction of neutropenia-related effects of a new combination therapy with the anticancer drugs BI 2536 (a Plk1 inhibitor) and pemetrexed

This study investigated the feasibility of predicting the neutropenia-related effects of a therapy that combines the investigational drug BI 2536 (inhibitor of Polo-like kinase 1) and pemetrexed, an approved anticancer drug. Predictions were arrived at using the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) parameters of each of the drugs obtained from monotherapy studies and assuming that the neutropenic effect is additive when the drugs are administered as a combination therapy. Subsequently, a PK/PD model was developed to determine whether this assumption of additive effect was reasonable in relation to these two drugs. All analyses and simulations were performed using the population approach in NONMEM, version VI.

Ecological links between water storage behaviors and Aedes aegypti production: implications for dengue vector control in variable climates

Understanding linkages between household behavior and Aedes aegypti (L.) larval ecology is essential for community-based dengue mitigation. Here we associate water storage behaviors with the rate of A. aegypti pupal production in three dengue-endemic Colombian cities with different mean temperatures. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews and pupal counts were conducted over a 7-15-day period in 235 households containing a water storage vessel infested with larvae. Emptying vessels more often than every 7 days strongly reduced pupal production in all three cities. Emptying every 7-15 days reduced production by a similar magnitude as emptying <7 days in Armenia (21.9 degrees C), has a threefold smaller reduction as compared to <7 days in Bucaramanga (23.9 degrees C), and did not reduce production in Barranquilla (29.0 degrees C). Lidding vessels reduced mosquito production and was most feasible in Barranquilla because of container structure. Vessel emptying strongly correlated with usage in Barranquilla, where many households stored water in case of interruptions in piped service rather than for regular use. In the cooler cities, >90% of households regularly used stored water for washing clothes, generating a weaker correlation between emptying and usage. Emptying was less frequent in the households surveyed in the dry season in all three cities. These results show that A. aegypti production and human behaviors are coupled in a temperature-dependent manner. In addition to biological effects on aquatic stages, climate change may impact A. aegypti production through human behavioral adaptations. Vector control programs should account for geographic variation in temperature and water usage behaviors in designing targeted interventions.