Differential effect of poly rI.rC and Newcastle disease virus on the expression of interferon and cellular genes in mouse cells

The expression of type I murine interferon (MuIFN) genes and several other cellular genes was examined in poly rI.rC induced and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) infected mouse cells. Northern analysis of RNA from induced L cells revealed that the MuIFN-alpha s are expressed efficiently in NDV infected cells but only at low levels in poly rI.rC induced cells. MuIFN-beta 1, however, is expressed equally well in cells treated with poly rI.rC or infected with NDV. As shown by the use of a probe specific for poly rI.rC, interferon induction correlates with the cellular uptake of poly rI.rC into the cells. The relative levels of alpha and beta 1 mRNAs in the cells reached a maximum at 10 hr after the induction which indicates coordinate expression of alpha and beta 1 interferon genes. The effect of viral infection on the expression of two murine genes coinduced with interferon (pMIF20/11 and pMIF3/10) and several cellular genes was also examined. While pMIF20/11 is an inducible gene, the pMIF3/10 gene is expressed constitutively in mouse L cells. Viral infection, but not poly rI.rC treatment, enhanced the expression of the pMIF3/10 gene, as well as two other cellular genes; H-2 and c-myc, however, the expression of beta-actin gene was unaltered. These data indicate that enhancement of gene expression in virus infected cells in not limited to the interferon system.     

Behavioral couples therapy for female substance-abusing patients: effects on substance use and relationship adjustment

Married or cohabiting female drug-abusing patients (N = 75) were randomly assigned to either a behavioral couples therapy condition (BCT; n = 37), which consisted of group, individual, and behavioral couples therapy sessions, or to an equally intensive individual-based treatment condition (IBT; n = 38), which consisted of group and individual counseling. During most of the 1-year follow-up, compared with participants who received IBT, those who received BCT reported (a) fewer days of substance use, (b) longer periods of continuous abstinence, (c) lower levels of alcohol, drug, and family problems, and (d) higher relationship satisfaction. However, differences in relationship satisfaction and number of days of substance use dissipated over the course of the posttreatment follow-up period and were not significantly different by the end of 1 year.     

Examining the Macrosystem Level of Influence on Community Health Worker Effectiveness in the State of Nebraska: A Qualitative Approach

Community health workers (CHWs) serve as the linkage between community and providers and are stakeholders for bridging services to the public. However, integration of CHWs into health care organizations is often lacking. This study explored macrosystem level barriers faced by CHWs and their ability to do their jobs effectively. Using qualitative interviews from CHWs (n?=?28) in Nebraska, we used an abductive approach to derive the following themes: (1) CHWs and client macrosystem barriers, (2) CHW workforce supports, and (3) macrosystem solutions for CHW workforce sustainability. Study results also found various macrosystem barriers affecting CHW workforces including immigration policies, insurance policies, funding sources, supervisor support, and obstacles for health seeking of clients. Moreover, through the lens of CHWs, results revealed the need to provide and advocate for solutions that prioritize the needs of CHWs as they continue to fill a crucial gap in community healthcare systems.

     

An improved method for mounting frozen-section specimens

We describe an efficient method for embedding frozen-section specimens. Transparent tape is used to produce a well on the surface of the tissue holder ("chuck"). This well contains a quantity of nonmotile mounting media in which a tissue specimen can be easily oriented. After freezing, the tape is removed, leaving a relatively smooth surface.     

Recall strategies and memory for health-care visits

Complex questions in health surveys place heavy cognitive demands on respondents, prompting researchers to appraise how specific cognitive interventions may improve the accuracy of people's answers. Investigators in one experiment asked participants to recall visits to medical providers in forward, backward, or no particular order, and matched results with providers' records. "Free" recall proved marginally superior to forward or backward ordering, although overall respondents underreported the number of visits by 20 percent; participants' gender and self-reported health status, among other factors, also affected quality of recall. The experiment lends support to contentions that the methods of cognitive science applied to survey research better the accuracy of population survey data.     

Prospective Recruitment of Women Receiving Prenatal Care from Diverse Provider Arrangements: A Potential Strategy

Objectives: This study describes the use of a Medicaid managed care list to prospectively recruit into a research project pregnant women receiving care from a variety of providers. Method: A list of women enrolled in Medicaid managed care was used to recruit pregnant African-American and Latina women into a study of prenatal care satisfaction. Due to privacy concerns, the researchers were not able to directly access names from the list. Instead, a managed care contract agency sent recruitment letters to 1009 pregnant African-American and Latina Medicaid recipients. Response rates by ethnicity and several other key variables are calculated. The biases associated with this method of recruiting pregnant women from a variety of providers are discussed. Results: Thirty-five percent of the women contacted returned consent forms and agreed to have researchers approach them; the response rate for African-American women was 43% and for Latinas was 29% (p < 0.0001). Respondents were younger and later in their pregnancies than nonrespondents, but did not differ from them by zip code of residence. The women recruited into the study obtained prenatal care from a diverse group of providers. Conclusions: While the use of a prospectively generated list of pregnant Medicaid recipients to recruit low-income pregnant women into a research study may be associated with some selection bias, the potential cost savings, decreased effort, and diminished recall bias may make their use a feasible sampling alternative, particularly when the researcher desires to recruit women seeking care from a variety of provider arrangements.