Research participation,trust, and fair compensation among people living with and without HIV in Florida

Florida has the second highest number of newly diagnosed cases of HIV in the United States. Sociodemographic representation that is reflective of the population is essential in developing evidence based interventions to improve HIV outcomes and reduce disparities. Understanding HIV research trial participation, preferences for types of research, and fair compensation for research will further our understanding of someone’s decision to participate in research. The purpose of this analysis was to identify differences in prior research participation, trust, interests in types of research, and fair compensation between people living with HIV and without HIV in North Central Florida. In this sample of 8340 people interviewed in the community about their health concerns and research participation, 156 reported living with HIV. Only 20.5% of people with HIV reported past participation in research, however 94.2% said they were interested in future research participation. While people with HIV were slightly more interested in higher risk/low convenience research, there were no statistically significant differences in preferences for types of research between those with and without HIV. People with HIV reported no difference in the amount they would request for fair compensation ($78.4 USD) compared with those without HIV ($72.2 USD, p?=?0.69). Community members are interested in participating in research, although few had previously participated. Improving our understanding of research study participation will help improve recruitment efforts and draw stronger conclusions regarding the effectiveness of interventions, as well as enhance implementation of these interventions.     

Tissue engineering: A promising therapeutic approach to necrotizing enterocolitis

Tissue engineering is a promising potential candidate for treating intestinal failure resulting from necrotizing enterocolitis. This requires the acquisition, preparation and implantation of autologous organoid units. This may be affected by the complexities of periods of storage of viable donor tissue and delayed implantation. This chapter addresses the development, methodology, and application of tissue-engineered intestine in the experimental and clinical setting. Tissue engineering has the potential of avoiding the inherent toxicities of intestinal transplantation and prolonged immunosuppression.     

Pupil and salivary indicators of autonomic dysfunction in autism spectrum disorder

Dysregulated tonic pupil size has been reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Among the possible sources of this dysregulation are disruptions in the feedback loop between norepinephrine (NE) and hypothalamic systems. In the current study, we examined afternoon levels of salivary alpha‐amylase (sAA, a putative correlate of NE) and cortisol (used to assess stress‐based responses) in two independent samples of children with ASD. We found a larger pupil size and lower sAA levels in ASD, compared to typical and clinical age‐matched controls. This was substantiated at the individual level, as sAA levels were strongly correlated with tonic pupil size. Relatively little diurnal variation in sAA taken in the home environment in the ASD group was also observed, while typical controls showed a significant linear increase throughout the day. Results are discussed in terms of potential early biomarkers and the elucidation of underlying neural dysfunction in ASD. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 55: 465–482, 2013     

Anthraquinones As Pharmacological Tools and Drugs

Anthraquinones (9,10‐dioxoanthracenes) constitute an important class of natural and synthetic compounds with a wide range of applications. Besides their utilization as colorants, anthraquinone derivatives have been used since centuries for medical applications, for example, as laxatives and antimicrobial and antiinflammatory agents. Current therapeutic indications include constipation, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. Moreover, biologically active anthraquinones derived from Reactive Blue 2 have been utilized as valuable tool compounds for biochemical and pharmacological studies. They may serve as lead structures for the development of future drugs. However, the presence of the quinone moiety in the structure of anthraquinones raises safety concerns, and anthraquinone laxatives have therefore been under critical reassessment. This review article provides an overview of the chemistry, biology, and toxicology of anthraquinones focusing on their application as drugs.