Experiences of community and parental violence among HIV-positive young racial/ethnic minority men who have sex with men

Adolescents and young adults (ages 13–24) in the USA are frequently exposed to violence in their community and home. While studies have examined the prevalence and impact of violence exposure among adolescents, there is a lack of data focusing specifically on adolescent men of color who have sex with men. Eight demonstration sites funded through a Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Initiative recruited 363 HIV-positive racial/ethnic minority young men who have sex with men (YMSM) for a longitudinal study between 2006 and 2009. Over two-thirds of participants (83.8%) had witnessed community violence, 55.1% in the prior three months. Witnessing violence committed with a deadly weapon was significantly associated with being African-American, having ever used drugs, and drinking alcohol in the prior two weeks. Fear of violence in the community was significantly associated with depressive symptomatology, having less than a high school degree, not possessing health insurance, and site of enrollment. Having been emotionally or physically abused by a parent or caretaker was significantly associated with depressive symptomatology, attempting suicide, site of enrollment, and increased age. Witnessing violence with a deadly weapon was significantly associated with alcohol and drug use but not with high-risk sexual behaviors. As this was one of the first studies on the prevalence and correlates of violence exposure among racial/ethnic minority YMSM living with HIV, the findings can be used to inform the development of culturally appropriate resilience-focused interventions to address the aftereffects of violence exposures and help develop social support systems outside of the family.     

Six-year follow-up of a point-source exposure to CWD contaminated venison in an Upstate New York community: risk behaviours and health outcomes 2005–2011

Objectives

It is currently unknown whether chronic wasting disease (CWD), a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of cervids, is transmissible to humans. Reported on here are the behavioural risk factors and health conditions associated with a six-year follow-up of a known point-source exposure to a CWD infected deer in an Upstate New York community.

Study design

Longitudinal.

Methods

The Oneida County Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance Project was launched in 2005 in response to a point-source exposure to a CWD infected deer at a March 2005 Sportsmen's feast in Upstate New York. Eighty-one exposed individuals participated in the 2005 baseline data collection, and were sent follow-up questionnaires following each deer hunting season between 2005 and 2011.

Results

Over a six year period, participants reported a reduction in overall venison consumption. Participants reported no significant changes in health conditions, although several conditions (vision loss, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, weight changes, hypertension, and arthritis), were significantly associated with age.

Conclusions

To this day, this incident remains the only known large-scale point-source exposure to a CWD infected deer. Prion diseases can incubate for multiple decades before the manifestation of clinical symptoms; thus, continued surveillance of this exposed study population represents a unique opportunity to assess the risk of CWD transmission to humans. This project is uniquely situated to provide the first epidemiological evidence of CWD transmission to humans, should it occur.     

Novel adenosine deaminase 2 mutations in a child with a fatal vasculopathy

Adenosine deaminase 2 (ADA2) deficiency due to CECR1 mutations is a recently defined disorder that involves systemic inflammation and vasculopathy often associated with polyarteritis nodosa. We report on a 5-year-old girl with a severe vasculopathy who carried two novel mutations in CECR1. Conclusion: Identification of CECR1 mutations in patients with vasculopathy may lead to earlier diagnosis of ADA2 deficiency.     

Multicenter in vitro evaluation of lomefloxacin (NY-198, SC-47111), including tests against nearly 7,000 bacterial isolates and preliminary recommendations for susceptibility testing

Lomefloxacin (NY-198 or SC-47111) is a difluoro-quinolone derivative having a C-methyl at the 3-position of the piperazine ring, thus minimizing its metabolic alteration in vivo. In our research, its antimicrobial activity was most similar to that of difloxacin, enoxacin, fleroxacin, and norfloxacin but usually less than that of ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin against most species. Lomefloxacin shared cross-resistance with other 4-quinolones but remained very active against ceftazidime-resistant organisms, including stably derepressed beta-lactamase producing Gram-negative bacilli. Lower pH increased the lomefloxacin MICs. MBCs were usually identical to the measured MIC, and the lomefloxacin MICs were not significantly increased by high inoculum concentrations. The were found to have a very low rate of spontaneous mutation to lomefloxacin resistance (10⁻⁸–10⁻⁹). In vitro tests by 5-μg and 10-μg lomefloxacin disks and dilution methods were correlated, and the 10-μg disk was recommended for clinical trials using a ≤4 μg/ml susceptible breakpoint. The quality assurance guidelines for dilution tests were determined by a multilaboratory study.     

Localized Cold Urticaria to the Face in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract: We present a curious case of localized cold urticaria restricted to the face in a 10‐year‐old girl. Testing for the condition using an ice cube was positive only in the facial area. After 2 years, the patient continues to experience localized urticaria only on her face on cold exposure. A review of the available published medical literature on cold urticaria was performed using Ovid and PubMed databases. The literature search was not limited to the English language. Only three other cases of cold urticaria localized to the face were identified. Upon review of the published reports on cold urticaria and discussion of classification and diagnostic testing, we conclude that cold urticaria clearly is a rare and poorly understood entity.