Racial and gender differences in discrimination and psychological distress among young adults.

Racial and gender differences in the effects of discrimination on health are well-established. The evidence has derived largely from studies of older adults, with less attention paid to younger adults. The current study takes an intersectional approach to address this gap. Using nationally representative, longitudinal data from the 2017 and 2019 Panel Study of Income Dynamics Transitioning to Adulthood Supplement (PSID-TAS), we assess the effects of everyday discrimination on psychological distress among Black and White young adults aged 18-28 (n = 3894). We examine cumulative discrimination and individual items of the cumulative measure based on the Everyday Discrimination Scale. The analysis reveals that perceived discrimination is positively associated with psychological distress for each race-gender group. However, the magnitude of the association varied by group and dimension of discrimination. Black men and women reported more frequent experiences of each type of discrimination than their White counterparts. The positive association between discrimination and distress, however, was lower for Black men and women relative to White men- suggesting that White men may be more sensitive to and/or less resilient against the effects of perceived discrimination. In contrast, associations for White women did not differ significantly from those of White men. Our findings demonstrate that the health-harming effects of discrimination on psychological distress begin early in the life course and suggest that resilience-based coping mechanisms found in older samples of Black adults may also exist for younger adults.

Does an Immigrant Health Advantage Exist Among US Whites? Evidence from a Nationally-Representative Examination of Mental and Physical Well-Being.

This study examines whether an immigrant health advantage exists among US Whites, a group often used as a reference category in research on racial and ethnic health disparities. Using recent data from the National Health Interview Survey (2019-2022), I disaggregate non-Hispanic White adults (n = 41,752) by nativity status and use logistic regression models to assess differences in six measures of mental and physical health. The analysis includes self-reported conditions (depression, anxiety, fair/poor self-rated health) and diagnosed conditions that require interaction with the healthcare system (hypertension, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD). Foreign-born Whites have a significantly lower prevalence of each health outcome relative to US-born Whites. The immigrant health advantage remains significant for depression, anxiety, fair/poor health (i.e., self-reported conditions) and diagnosed hypertension, after adjusting for sociodemographic and healthcare characteristics. In contrast, the inclusion of these explanatory factors reduces the nativity gap in diagnosed diabetes and COPD to non-significance. Overall, the results indicate important variation in health among Whites that is missed in studies that focus on US-born Whites, alone. Scholars must continue to monitor the health of White immigrants, who are projected to grow to 20% of the US immigrant population in the years to come.

Evolutionarily conserved resistance to phagocytosis observed in melanoma cells is insensitive to upregulation of pro-phagocytic signals and to CD47 blockade.

Therapeutic activation of macrophage phagocytosis has the ability to restrain tumour growth through phagocytic clearance of tumour cells and activation of the adaptive immune response. Our objective for this study was to evaluate the effects of modulating pro- and anti-phagocytic pathways in malignant melanoma. In order to identify evolutionarily conserved mechanisms of resistance that may be important for melanoma cell survival, we utilized a multi-species approach and examined the phagocytosis of human, mouse, and dog melanoma cells. We observed that melanoma cells from all three species displayed unexpected resistance to phagocytosis that could not be fully mitigated by blockade of the 'don't eat me' signal CD47 or by chemotherapeutic enhancement of known 'eat me' signals. Additionally, CD47 blockade failed to promote anti-melanoma immune responses or tumour regression in vivo. This melanoma resistance to phagocytosis was not mediated by soluble factors, and it was unaffected by siRNA-mediated knockdown of 47 prospective 'don't eat me' signals or by CRISPR-Cas-mediated CD47 knockout. Unexpectedly, CD47 knockout also did not enhance phagocytosis of lymphoma cells, but it eliminated the pro-phagocytic effect of CD47 blockade, suggesting that the pro-phagocytic effects of CD47 blockade are due in part to Fc receptor engagement. From this study, we conclude that melanoma cells possess an evolutionarily conserved resistance to macrophage phagocytosis. Further investigation will be needed to overcome the mechanisms that mediate melanoma cell resistance to innate immunity.

Histopathologic findings characteristic of CARD14-associated papulosquamous eruption.

BACKGROUND: Pathogenic mutations in caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 14 (CARD14) lead to CARD14-associated papulosquamous eruption, which shares clinicopathologic findings with psoriasis and pityriasis rubra pilaris. We aimed to describe distinguishing histopathologic features of CARD14-associated papulosquamous eruption. METHODS: This retrospective study examined the histopathologic features of specimens from patients with confirmed CARD14-associated papulosquamous eruption and adult patients with plaque psoriasis and pityriasis rubra pilaris. RESULTS: Lesional skin biopsies from patients with CARD14-associated papulosquamous eruption consistently showed alternating checkerboard parakeratosis and orthokeratosis, acanthosis without acantholysis, and dilated vessels in the dermal papillae, with some cases also showing follicular plugging. CONCLUSION: CARD14-associated papulosquamous eruption has a range of findings, with a predominance of features typically associated with pityriasis rubra pilaris.

Disparities in functional disability among Arab Americans by nativity, immigrant arrival cohort, and country of birth.

This study contributes to a growing literature that documents the importance of arrival cohort and country of birth for differentiating the health of U.S. immigrants. We use nationally-representative data from nine years of the American Community Survey (2008-2016) to examine if an immigrant health advantage exists among Arab Americans ages 40+ (n = 49,867) and test if differences among the foreign-born vary by arrival cohort (pre-1991, 1991-2000, and 2001+). Results from multivariate logistic regression models find that foreign-born Arab Americans have higher odds of physical and self-care disability, and this varies by immigrant arrival cohort. The post-2001 cohort had the highest odds of both disabilities, while the earlier two cohorts did not differ from the native-born after adjustments for covariates. Compositional differences in birthplace, particularly the large influx of immigrants from Iraq in the most recent cohort, explained these differences. Political instabilities globally have contributed to a growing number of U.S. immigrants with vulnerabilities that might be overlooked when arrival cohorts are not considered.

Sudden-onset unilateral ptosis induced by pituitary Macroadenoma, with false-positive jolly and neostigmine tests.

The development of ptosis as a consequence of pituitary tumor is an exceptionally rare occurrence. Here, we describe the case of sudden-onset unilateral ptosis induced by pituitary macroadenoma. The condition was characterized by false-positive Jolly and neostigmine tests. These findings mimic oculomotor nerve palsy and make the correct diagnostics rather challenging. The case points to the fact that patients with acquired ptosis need detailed neuroophthalmological examination.

Engagement of MHC class I by the inhibitory receptor LILRB1 suppresses macrophages and is a target of cancer immunotherapy.

Exciting progress in the field of cancer immunotherapy has renewed the urgency of the need for basic studies of immunoregulation in both adaptive cell lineages and innate cell lineages. Here we found a central role for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I in controlling the phagocytic function of macrophages. Our results demonstrated that expression of the common MHC class I component ß2-microglobulin (ß2M) by cancer cells directly protected them from phagocytosis. We further showed that this protection was mediated by the inhibitory receptor LILRB1, whose expression was upregulated on the surface of macrophages, including tumor-associated macrophages. Disruption of either MHC class I or LILRB1 potentiated phagocytosis of tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo, which defines the MHC class I-LILRB1 signaling axis as an important regulator of the effector function of innate immune cells, a potential biomarker for therapeutic response to agents directed against the signal-regulatory protein CD47 and a potential target of anti-cancer immunotherapy.

The anatomy of Wassel type IV-D thumb duplication.

We describe Wassel type IV-D thumb duplication anatomy after surgery on 11 affected children (12 hands, seven boys (eight hands) and four girls). We studied the structure and course of the flexor pollicis longus tendon and its action at the joint. Four patients had secondary deformity associated with an absent A2 pulley and a tendon that clung to the radial side of a small thumb. In patients with primary deformity, the flexor tendon sheath became membranous in the A2 area and attached to neighbouring sites on the opposite side of the proximal phalanx. In the proximal A2 area, the tendon divided - one division attached on the ulnar side of the distal phalanx base; the other, the base of the radial side. There was slight ulnar angulation of the distal phalanx on the radial portion of the duplication and slight ulnar angulation on the radial portion. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: V.

Lateral closing isosceles triangular osteotomy for the treatment of a post-traumatic cubitus varus deformity in children.

AIMS: Cubitus varus is the most common late complication of a supracondylar fracture of the humerus in children. Correction can be performed using one of a number of techniques of osteotomy but each has disadvantages. We describe a new technique for correcting post-traumatic cubitus varus using a lateral closing wedge isosceles triangular osteotomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A lateral closing wedge isosceles triangular osteotomy was performed in 25 patients (15 male and ten female with a mean age of 9.5 years (6 to 12)) between May 2010 and April 2013. All patients had cubitus varus secondary to malunion of a supracondylar fracture, with good function of the elbow and a full range of movement. The osteotomy lines were marked on the bone with an isosceles triangular template made before surgery, after which the osteotomy was performed leaving the medial cortex intact. Fixation was performed using two lateral 2 mm Kirschner (K)-wires and patients were immobilised in an above-elbow plaster. By six to eight weeks callus was present and the wires and cast were removed. Patients were reviewed at four and six weeks, three, six and 12 months and then every two years until skeletal maturity. Clinical and radiographic outcomes were categorised as excellent, good or poor. RESULTS: A total of 23 patients had an excellent and two had a good outcome at a mean final follow-up of 3.4 years (two to four). The mean post-operative carrying angle in the corrected elbow was 11.7° (7° to 18°). One patient fell, displacing the osteotomy, and needed revision of the fixation. No patient had a nerve injury. CONCLUSION: A lateral isosceles triangular osteotomy and with K-wire fixation is a practical, effective, reliable, safe and simple method of correcting post-traumatic cubitus varus in children. It has inherent stability and excellent cosmesis without prominence of the lateral condyle. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:1521-5.

Causes of secondary deformity after surgery to correct Wassel type IV-D thumb duplication.

UNLABELLED: This study was undertaken to document the causes of secondary deformities after surgery for correction of Wassel type IV-D thumb duplication. We carefully dissected and observed the flexor pollicis longus, and bone and joint anatomy in eight patients with secondary deformities after surgical correction. We transferred the flexor pollicis longus and thenar muscle attachments, reconstructed the A2 pulley, released and tightened the joint capsule, and performed osteotomies to correct skeletal malalignment. Kirschner wire fixation was used for 4-5 weeks, followed by brace fixation for 3 months. Patients were followed up for 13-34 months (mean 20 months). According to the Tada scores, the outcomes were good in six patients, and fair and poor in one patient each. The main causes of the secondary deformities were failure to reconstruct the A2 pulley, to transfer the flexor pollicis longus and thenar muscles, and incomplete resection of the radial metacarpal head. Brace fixation after Kirschner wire removal is crucial in preventing secondary deformities. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Coffee consumption and the risk of lung cancer: an updated meta-analysis of epidemiological studies.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Coffee is one of the most popularly consumed beverages worldwide. Many epidemiological studies have investigated the association between coffee consumption and lung cancer risk, but the results are inconsistent. Hence, we conducted a systematic analysis of relevant population-based studies to examine this association and derive a more precise estimation. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The Cochrane library, PubMed and Embase databases were searched to identify studies published through Mar 2015 that met the predetermined inclusion criterion. Seventeen studies (5 cohort and 12 case-control studies) involving 12 276 cases and 102 516 controls were included. RESULTS: The summary odds ratio (OR) of lung cancer was 1.17 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-1.33) for coffee drinkers compared with nondrinkers and 1.31 (95% CI: 1.11-1.55) for the highest category of coffee consumption compared with the lowest category. Compared with nondrinkers, the pooled ORs for lung cancer were 1.10 (95% CI: 0.92-1.31) for ⩽1 cup per day, 1.10 (95% CI: 0.93-1.30) for 2-3 cups per day and 1.20 (95% CI: 1.02-1.39) for ⩾3 cups per day. Further analysis showed that the ORs for hospital-based case-control studies, population-based case-control studies and prospective cohort studies were 1.36 (95% CI: 1.10-1.69), 0.99 (95% CI: 0.77-1.28) and 1.59 (95% CI: 1.26-2.00), respectively. Significant associations for high coffee intake with increased risk of lung cancer were observed in men (OR=1.41 95% CI: 1.21-1.63), but not in women (OR=1.16, 95% CI: 0.86-1.56), in American (OR=1.34 95% CI: 1.08-1.65) and Asian populations (OR=1.49 95% CI: 1.28-1.74), but not in European populations (OR=1.12, 95% CI: 0.74-1.67), and in smokers (OR=1.24, 95% CI: 1.00-1.54), but not in nonsmokers (OR=0.85, 95% CI: 0.64-1.11). Particularly over the last 5 years, studies have consistently indicated that lung cancer risk is significantly increased by 47% in the population with the highest category intake of coffee compared with that with the lowest category intake (OR=1.47, 95% CI: 1.21-1.79). CONCLUSION: The present study suggested that coffee intake was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer.

Somatic and germinal mobility of the RescueMu transposon in transgenic maize.

RescueMu, a Mu1 element containing a bacterial plasmid, is mobilized by MuDR in transgenic maize. Somatic excision from a cell-autonomous marker gene yields >90% single cell sectors; empty donor sites often have deletions and insertions, including up to 210 bp of RescueMu/Mu1 terminal DNA. Late somatic insertions are contemporaneous with excisions, suggesting that "cut-and-paste" transposition occurs in the soma. During reproduction, RescueMu transposes infrequently from the initial transgene array, but once transposed, RescueMu is suitable for high throughput gene mutation and cloning. As with MuDR/Mu elements, heritable RescueMu insertions are not associated with excisions. Both somatic and germinal RescueMu insertions occur preferentially into genes and gene-like sequences, but they exhibit weak target site preferences. New insights into Mu behaviors are discussed with reference to two models proposed to explain the alternative outcomes of somatic and germinal events: a switch from somatic cut-and-paste to germinal replicative transposition or to host-mediated gap repair from sister chromatids.

The monitoring biomarker for immune function of lymphocytes in the elderly.

In this paper, we determined the number of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) in the elderly and their proliferative response to PHA (Phytohemagglutinin). The data showed that the PBL number decreased with age. For the young group: 1680.0 +/- 644.7/microliters; the 60-69 years old group: 1284.0 +/- 492.3/microliters; the 70-79 years old group: 987.5 +/- 309.1/microliters, P < 0.05. The OD (optical density) value measured by MTT method for proliferative response of PBL in the elderly was 0.15 +/- 0.08, which was lower than the young group 0.18 +/- 0.05. Also, an apparent decline of soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) release from activated PBL in old people was found. The results suggested that the changes of PBL number and sIL-2R level could be considered as an indication of immune function of lymphocytes in the elderly.

Stimulatory effect of saponin from Panax ginseng on immune function of lymphocytes in the elderly.

We used the saponin Rg1 extracted from Panax ginseng to study its effects on lymphocytes of 10 young and 19 elderly persons. The proliferative response of lymphocytes cocultured for 72 h with PHA and saponin was measured by using MTT method and the 3H-TdR incorporation procedure. PHA and Rg1 had stimulative effects on the phenotype of lymphocytes (P < 0.001). Rg1 also increased the fluidity of lymphocyte membrane of the aged (P < 0.001). The CD25 and CD45RA positive cells of lymphocytes in the elderly were lower than those of the young people, 8.6% +/- 2.7% vs 10.43% +/- 3.5%; 20.95% +/- 15.5% vs. 50.86% +/- 4.2%, respectively. More CD45RO positive cells (41.5% +/- 13.9%) than CD45RA positive cell lymphocyte populations were seen in the aged. The CD45RO positive cells of the young people were 39.63% +/- 3.2%. We discussed the cause of declined immune function of lymphocytes of aged person and the mechanism of the effect of P. ginseng on lymphocytes.

Detection of HPV-16 DNA in cervical carcinoma by paraffin section in situ hybridization.

Thirty-eight cervical carcinomas and one cervical condyloma were examined for the presence of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) DNA using 3H-dcTP-labelled HPV-16 DNA probe in paraffin section in situ hybridization and dot blot hybridization (Tm-17 degrees C). The results showed that HPV-16 DNA positive rate in our series was about 74.4% (29/39) as determined by paraffin section in situ hybridization and about 71.8% (28/29) by dot blot hybridization. There was no significant difference between the two methods. We thus confirmed that paraffin section in situ hybridization is an informative, reliable, and sensitive method for the diagnosis of cervical HPV infection.

[Rate of G gamma and A gamma chains in Dong ethnic newborns and gene mapping of a case with high G gamma value].

The G gamma to A gamma ratio of fetal hemoglobin in 120 cord blood samples of Dong ethnic newborns distributed over the Dong Autonomous Regions in Guangxi and Hunan provinces were determined with the method of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The result showed that a case has the high G gamma value of 81.4% while 119 babies have the normal G gamma values of 56 to 76% (69.4 +/- 3.1%). The high G gamma case was identified as G gamma-AG gamma-A gamma/G gamma-A gamma genotype.

Detection of HPV-16 DNA in cervical carcinoma by paraffin section in situ hybridization.

Thirty-eight cervical carcinomas and 1 cervical condyloma were examined for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 DNA using 3H-dCTP-labelled HPV-16 DNA probe in paraffin section in situ hybridization and 32P-dCTP-labelled probe in dot blot hybridization (Tm-17). The results showed an HPV-16 DNA positive rate in our series of about 74.4% (29/39) as determined by paraffin section in situ hybridization and about 71.8% (28/29) by dot blot hybridization. There was no significant difference between the two methods. We thus confirmed that paraffin section in situ hybridization is an informative, reliable, and sensitive method for the diagnosis of cervical HPV infection.