Ethnic differences in positive alcohol expectancies during childhood: the Pittsburgh Girls Study

Background: Positive expectancies about alcohol’s effects are more likely to be endorsed with increasing age through adolescence, and the strength of positive alcohol expectancies in children appears to differ by ethnicity. Little is known about the extent to which differences in a measure’s psychometric properties as a function of development and ethnicity may account for changes that are observed over time and ethnic differences. This study used measurement invariance methods to examine ethnic differences in the development of alcohol expectancies, and examined risk factors associated with girls’ positive expectancies. Methods: African‐American (56%) and Caucasian (44%) girls (n = 570) in the age 7 cohort of the Pittsburgh Girls Study, and the girl’s primary caretaker, were followed annually for 4 years (ages 7–10). Girls reported on alcohol expectancies at each wave, and physical aggression at Year 1. In Year 1, caretakers reported on neighborhood drug use, their own substance‐related problems, and depression in the girl. Structural equation modeling was used to examine measurement invariance of positive alcohol expectancies, and to test associations of risk factors to initial level and change in expectancies. Results: Five of 8 positive alcohol expectancy items showed measurement equivalence for African‐American and Caucasian girls in cross‐sectional, but not longitudinal, analyses. Measurement equivalence over ages 7–10 was demonstrated for Caucasian girls, and over ages 7–8 and 9–10 (i.e., a two‐part model) for African‐American girls. Risk factor analyses indicated that, for Caucasian girls, greater physical aggression was associated with higher initial positive expectancies. Conclusions: Some developmental change and ethnic differences in the performance of positive expectancy items were identified, highlighting the utility of measurement invariance methods. Risk factor analyses suggest the potential benefit of targeted alcohol prevention interventions for certain girls.     

Urban poverty and infant mortality rate disparities

This study examined whether the relationship between high poverty and infant mortality rates (IMRs) varied across race- and ethnic-specific populations in large urban areas. Data were drawn from 1990 Census and 1992-1994 Vital Statistics for selected U.S. metropolitan areas. High-poverty areas were defined as neighborhoods in which > or = 40% of the families had incomes below the federal poverty threshold. Bivariate models showed that high poverty was a significant predictor of IMR for each group; however, multivariate analyses demonstrate that maternal health and regional factors explained most of the variance in the group-specific models of IMR. Additional analysis revealed that high poverty was significantly associated with minority-white IMR disparities, and country of origin is an important consideration for ethnic birth outcomes. Findings from this study provide a glimpse into the complexity associated with infant mortality in metropolitan areas because they suggest that the factors associated with infant mortality in urban areas vary by race and ethnicity.     

Cardiac transplantation as a treatment option for the heart failure patient

Cardiac transplantation is an effective therapy for a select group of heart failure patients. Timely referral of these patients is paramount to optimal patient care. After an extensive evaluation, suitable candidates are added to the national transplant waiting list and prioritized based on medical urgency. The waiting period then begins as these patients face a terminal illness with an unpredictable future.     

Muscle fatigue increases the probability of developing hyperalgesia in mice.

Chronic muscle pain is a major clinical problem that is often associated with fatigue. Conversely, chronic fatigue conditions are commonly associated with muscle pain. We tested the hypothesis that muscle fatigue enhances hyperalgesia associated with injection of acidic saline into muscle. We evaluated mechanical sensitivity of the paw (von Frey) in mice after 2 intramuscular injections of saline (20 microL; pH 4, pH 5, pH 6, pH 7.2) in a fatigue and a control group. To induce fatigue, mice were run for 2 h/day for 2 days prior to the first injection and 2 h/day for 2 days prior to the second injection. Muscle lactate, pCO(2), pO(2), creatinine kinase, phosphate, and histology were examined after the fatigue task and compared to a control group. Grip force was significantly decreased after 2 h of running indicating fatigue. The fatigue task did not induce muscle damage as there was no difference in muscle lactate, pCO(2), pO(2), creatinine kinase, phosphate, or histology. The fatigue task altered the dose-response relationship to intramuscular acidic saline injections. Mechanical hyperalgesia was observed in both fatigue and control groups after intramuscular injection of pH 4.0, but only the fatigue group after injection of pH 5. Neither the fatigue nor the control group developed hyperalgesia in response to intramuscular injection of pH 6 or pH 7.2. In conclusion, fatigue modified the susceptibility of mice to acid injection of pH 5.0 to result in mechanical hyperalgesia after 2 injections of pH 5.0. The fatigue task did not produce measurable changes in the muscle tissue suggesting a central mechanism mediating the enhancement of hyperalgesia. PERSPECTIVE: These data therefore show that muscle fatigue can enhance the likelihood that one develops pain to a mild insult. Clinically, this could relate to the development of pain from such conditions as repetitive strain injury, and may relate to the interrelationship between chronic pain and fatigue.     

Carraguard Vaginal Gel Safety in HIV-Positive Women and Men in South Africa

OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety of the candidate microbicide Carraguard gel in HIV-positive women and men. DESIGN: A randomized, placebo-controlled, triple-blinded clinical trial of Carraguard gel when applied vaginally once per day for 14 intermenstrual days by sexually abstinent and sexually active HIV-positive women; and when applied directly to the penis once per day for 7 days by sexually abstinent HIV-positive men. METHODS: In each cohort (n = 20 per cohort), participants were randomized to Carraguard, methylcellulose placebo, or no product (1:1:1). In addition to traditional microbicide trial safety endpoints, the effects of microbicide use on vaginal shedding of HIV-1 RNA and markers of genital inflammation, epithelial sloughing, and microhemorrhage were also explored. RESULTS: Gel compliance was high in both gel-use groups in the 3 cohorts. Carraguard use was not associated with abnormal genital findings, other abnormal clinical findings, markers of genital inflammation, epithelial sloughing or microhemorrhage, or self-reported symptoms in women and men, or with abnormal vaginal flora or genital shedding of HIV-1 RNA in women. Adverse events were mostly mild, not attributed to gel use, and similarly distributed between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Once-daily use of Carraguard for 7 to 14 days appeared to be safe in HIV-positive women and men.     

A uniaxial bioMEMS device for quantitative force-displacement measurements

There is a need for experimental techniques that allow the simultaneous imaging of cellular cystoskeletal components with quantitative force measurements on single cells. A bioMEMS device has been developed for the application of strain to a single cell while simultaneously quantifying its force response. The prototype device presented here allows the mechanical study of a single, adherent cell in vitro. The device works in a fashion similar to a displacement-controlled uniaxial tensile machine. The device is calibrated using an AFM cantilever and shows excellent agreement with the calculated spring constant. The device is demonstrated on a single fibroblast. The force response of the cell is seen to be linear until the onset of de-adhesion with the de-adhesion from the cell platform occurring at a force of approximately 1500 nN.