Correction to: Prevalence of peripheral neuropathy among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in a rural health centre in South India

International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries - A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13410-020-00885-6     

Validation of the National Institute of Health Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) in Children and Adolescents with and without HIV Infection in Lusaka,Zambia

AIDS and Behavior - The objective of this study was to validate the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) in Zambian children with and without HIV-infection. Children living with HIV and...     

The Impact of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansion on Racial/Ethnic and Sex Disparities in HIV Testing: National Findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

IntroductionOver half of Americans have not been tested for HIV in their lifetime, and over a third of all HIV diagnoses are made less than a year before progression to AIDS. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion of 2014 had potential to improve HIV and other health screenings. We assessed the differential impacts of Medicaid expansion on racial/ethnic and racial/ethnic-sex disparities in HIV testing.MethodsUsing Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from all 50 states and D.C., we sampled low-income (≤ 138% of the federal poverty level) adults ages 19–64 who were non-pregnant and non-disabled. Using a difference-in-differences (DD) and triple difference-in-differences (DDD) study design, we assessed differential impacts by race/ethnicity (White, Black, Hispanic, and other) and race/ethnicity-sex between 2011 and 2013 and 2014–2018. Outcomes were (1) ever having received an HIV test and (2) having received an HIV test in the last year.ResultsOverall, Medicaid expansion was associated with a significant increase in HIV testing (p = 0.003). White females and Black males appeared most likely to benefit from this increase (DD 4.5 and 4.8 percentage points; p = 0.001 and 0.130 respectively). However, despite having baseline higher rates of HIV diagnosis, Black and Hispanic females did not have increased rates of ever having HIV testing following Medicaid expansion (DD − 1.9 and 0.9 percentage points; p = 0.391 and 0.703, respectively), including when compared to a White male reference subgroup and across other race/ethnicity-sex subgroups.ConclusionsMedicaid expansion was associated with an increased overall probability of HIV testing among low-income, nonelderly adults, but certain groups including Black females were not more likely to benefit from this increase, despite being disproportionately affected by HIV at baseline. Targeted and culturally informed interventions to increase Medicaid enrollment and access to primary care may be needed to expand HIV testing in vulnerable groups.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11606-021-06590-2.KEY WORDS: Medicaid, HIV, HIV testing, health disparities, health inequalities     

Contamination of community water sources by potentially pathogenic vibrios following sea water inundation

Potentially pathogenic members of the Vibrionaceae family including Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio parahemolyticus were isolated from domestic sources of drinking water in coastal villages following sea water inundation during the tsunami in Southern India. Phenotypic and genotypic studies were done to confirm the identity and detection of toxins. Vibrio-gyr (gyrase B gene) was detected in all sixteen vibrio isolates. Toxin regulating genes i.e.: ctx gene, tdh gene, and trh gene, however were not detected in any of the strains, thereby ruling out presence of toxins which could endanger human life. Other potentially pathogenic bacteria Aeromonas and Plesiomonas were also isolated from hand pumps and wells, in a few localities. There was no immediate danger in the form of an outbreak or sporadic gastroenteritis at the time of the study. Timely chlorination and restoration of potable water supply to the flood affected population by governmental and nongovernmental agencies averted waterborne gastroenteritis. Assessment of quality of water and detection of potential virulent organisms is an important public health activity following natural disasters. This work highlights the importance of screening water sources for potentially pathogenic microorganisms after natural disasters to avert outbreaks of gastroenteritis and other infectious diseases.     

Loss of enteric dopaminergic neurons and associated changes in colon motility in an MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's disease

Gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction is the most common non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). Symptoms of GI dysmotility include early satiety and nausea from delayed gastric emptying, bloating from poor small bowel coordination, and constipation and defecatory dysfunction from impaired colonic transit. Understanding the pathophysiology and treatment of these symptoms in PD patients has been hampered by the lack of investigation into GI symptoms and pathology in PD animal models. We report that the prototypical parkinsonian neurotoxin, MPTP (1-methyl 4-phenyl 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine), is a selective dopamine neuron toxin in the enteric nervous system (ENS). When examined 10 days after treatment, there was a 40% reduction of dopamine neurons in the ENS of C57Bl/6 mice administered MPTP (60 mg/kg). There were no differences in the density of cholinergic or nitric oxide neurons. Electrophysiological recording of neural-mediated muscle contraction in isolated colon from MPTP-treated animals confirmed a relaxation defect associated with dopaminergic degeneration. Behaviorally, MPTP induced a transient increase in colon motility, but no changes in gastric emptying or small intestine transit. These results provide the first comprehensive assessment of gastrointestinal pathophysiology in an animal model of PD. They provide insight into the impact of dopaminergic dysfunction on gastrointestinal motility and a benchmark for assessment of other PD model systems.     

Amyloid β and neuromelanin—Toxic or protective molecules?: The cellular context makes the difference

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) share several pathological mechanisms. The parallels between amyloid beta (Aβ) in AD and -synuclein in PD have been discussed in several reports. However, studies of the last few years show that Aβ also shares several important characteristics with neuromelanin (NM), whose role in PD is emerging. First, both molecules accumulate with aging, the greatest risk factor for AD and PD. Second, in spite of their different structures, Aβ and NM have similar characteristics that could also lead to neuroprotection. Metals are required to catalyze their formation and they can bind large amounts of these metals, generating stable complexes and thus playing a protective role against metal toxicity. Moreover, they may be able to remove toxic species such as oligopeptides and excess cytosolic dopamine. Third, both Aβ and NM have been implicated in parallel aspects of the neuronal death that underlies AD and PD, respectively. For example, both molecules can activate microglia, inducing release of toxic factors such as tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and nitric oxide (NO). A careful analysis of these parallel effects of Aβ and NM, including their seemingly paradoxical ability to participate in both cell death and protection, may lead to an improved understanding of the roles of these molecules in neurodegeneration and also provide insights into possible parallels in the pathological mechanisms underlying AD and PD.