The Jackson Heart Study: Preparing African American High School Students for Health Careers and Research.

In 1999, Tougaloo College (TC), located in Jackson, Mississippi, was charged, as a part of its role in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS), with creating a pool of well-trained high school students who, upon entering college, could successfully complete undergraduate and graduate or professional degrees in the health professions, biomedical research, and public health. TC identified the following educational challenges experienced by Mississippi high school students: inadequate exposure to reading, writing, logic, and quantitative skills; inadequate course work in science and mathematics; lack of mentors and role models in science-related fields as well as for exploration and identification of career options in the health professions and biomedical research. To this end, the JHS Undergraduate Training and Education Center (JHS UTEC) developed three four-week summer workshops in Science, Language Arts, and Mathematics (SLAM) for high school students in grades 9 through 11. Since SLAM's inception, more than 900 students have completed the program, and more than 90% have enrolled in college. In addition, according to National Student Clearinghouse and participant-reported data, many of the SLAM participants have earned not only undergraduate degrees in science, but also graduate degrees in a health-related and STEM fields. This article details the SLAM curricula and strategies for recruiting, selecting, training, and retaining high school students; we also present data to illustrate the success of the SLAM program.

The Role of Public Health Partnerships in the Success of the Jackson Heart Study Undergraduate Training and Education Center.

Background: The Jackson Heart Study (JHS) is a single-site prospective epidemiologic investigation of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among African Americans from the central Jackson, Mississippi area. The study is a collaboration between Jackson State University (JSU), University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), Tougaloo College (TC), and the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH). The JHS Undergraduate Training and Education Center (JHSUTEC) at TC was developed to increase the numbers of college-aged African American students entering public health and health-related fields. To achieve this goal, the UTEC designed the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) Scholars program. Methods: JHS Scholars are required to take additional classes and participate in public health and/or biomedical research. The scholars engage in research locally during the academic year. However, many scholars participate in research outside of the Jackson Metropolitan area during the summer. Because of this, national collaborators were needed to act as mentors and hosts. Results: Since the inception of the JHSUTEC, more than 15 collaborations have been formed that have shared resources and student successes. As of May 2018, more than150 students have successfully completed the JHS Scholars program and many have continued into careers in public health, biomedical research, and medicine. Since 2004, JHS scholars have published 29 papers and 15 scholars have received diversity supplements. Conclusion: Collaborative activities and public health partnerships have contributed to the success of the JHSUTEC program and have served as a pathway of entry into STEM fields for minority students.

Capacity-Building for Career Paths in Public Health and Biomedical Research for Undergraduate Minority Students: A Jackson Heart Study Success Model.

OBJECTIVE: This article chronicles the building of individual student capacity as well as faculty and institutional capacity, within the context of a population-based, longitudinal study of African Americans and cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this article is to present preliminary data documenting the results of this approach. DESIGN: The JHS Scholars program is designed, under the organizational structure of the Natural Sciences Division at Tougaloo College, to provide solid preparation in quantitative skills through: good preparation in mathematics and the sciences; a high level of reading comprehension; hands-on learning experiences; and mentoring and counseling to sustain the motivation of the students to pursue further studies. SETTING: This program is on the campus of a private Historically Black College in Mississippi. PARTICIPANTS: The participants in the program are undergraduate students. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data, which included information on major area of study, institution attended, degrees earned and position in the workforce, were analyzed using STATA 14. RESULTS: Of 167 scholars, 46 are currently enrolled, while 118 have graduated. One half have completed graduate or professional programs, including; medicine, public health, pharmacy, nursing, and biomedical science; approximately one-fourth (25.4 %) are enrolled in graduate or professional programs; and nearly one tenth (9.3%) completed graduate degrees in law, education, business or English. CONCLUSIONS: These data could assist other institutions in understanding the career development process that helps underrepresented minority students in higher education to make career choices on a path toward public health, health professions, biomedical research, and related careers.

On the functional significance of juvenile hormone in the accessory sex glands of male Heliothis virescens.

The storage of large quantities of juvenile hormone (JH) in male abdomens is a phenomenon known from some species of moths. Juvenile hormone, stored in male accessory sex glands (ASG), may be transferred to the female during copulation, but the physiological significance of the JH transfer remains unclear. Here, using the moth Heliothis virescens as a model, we show that JH transferred from male to the promiscuous female promotes JH synthesis and egg development in the female. We propose that this explains the functional significance of JH transfer in species that exhibit last male sperm precedence, and that this hormone acts as a bioactive substance which the first male to mate uses for co-opting and regulating the female's gonadotropic mechanisms, thereby ensuring that despite last male sperm precedence he will sire a significant number of viable offspring.

Allatotropin-like peptide in Heliothis virescens: tissue localization and quantification.

The mating-induced increase in juvenile hormone (JH) biosynthesis in Heliothis virescens females may be stimulated by production and/or release of stimulatory neuropeptides such as allatotropins (AT). Although there is evidence that H. virescens allatotropin may be structurally related to Manduca sexta allatotropin (Manse-AT), little is known of its occurrence and distribution in H. virescens. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a monoclonal antibody against Manse-AT was used to quantify concentrations of Manse-AT immunoreactivity in tissue extracts of H. virescens. In mated females, the highest concentrations of Manse-AT-like material occurred in the brain. The ventral nervous system and the accessory glands also contained considerable amounts of Manse-AT-like material, whereas concentrations were very low in ovaries, fat body, and flight muscle. The Manse-AT antibody was used for whole-mount immunocytochemistry to localize Manse-AT-immunoreactivity in the central nervous system. Several groups of Manse-AT-immunoreactive cells were discovered in the brain, subesophageal ganglion, and thoracic and abdominal ganglia of H. virescens females and males. Strong immunoreactivity was detected in axons going through the corpora cardiaca and branching out over the surface of the corpora allata. The presence of Manse-AT-like material in various locations in the central nervous system suggests that these peptides may have other as yet unknown functions. At the posterior margin of the terminal ganglion of males, a group of large immunoreactive cells was observed that was not present in females. Other than that, there were no obvious differences between virgin and mated females or males. The lack of differences in AT distribution in mated and virgin females suggests that mating-induced differences in female JH biosynthesis rates may be caused by changes in cellular response to AT at the level of the CA, rather than by changes in the amounts of AT acting on the CA.

Preparing African Americans for careers in health care: the Jackson Heart Study.

The Jackson Heart Study Undergraduate Training Center (UTC) at Tougaloo College was developed to increase the numbers of African-American students entering public health and health related fields. The UTC includes a scholars program for undergraduate students at Tougaloo College, three four-week programs for high school students called the SLAM (science, language arts, and mathematics) workshops, and an introductory epidemiology course for healthcare professionals and graduate students. The scholars program recruits 12 Tougaloo College freshmen annually for the duration of their undergraduate education. As of the 2005 summer, 512 students have enrolled in the SLAM workshops. The introduction to epidemiology course has provided training for 155 individuals from 1999 to 2004. This paper documents the need for this program based on the conspicuously small proportion of African Americans who are health practitioners in Mississippi. The content and selection process for each program is described, and a summary of the enrollment history, characteristics of the program participants, and their accomplishments is presented. Finally, the methods of program assessment and tracking are discussed.

Toward resolution of cardiovascular health disparities in African Americans: design and methods of the Jackson Heart Study.

OBJECTIVE: The design, overall methods, and major phenotypes for the all-African-American Jackson Heart Study (JHS) are detailed. METHODS: Participants were enrolled from the three counties that make up the Jackson, Mississippi metropolitan area. Relatives of selected participants were recruited to develop a large, nested family cohort. Participants provided extensive medical and social history, had an array of physical and biochemical measurements and diagnostic procedures, and provided genomic DNA. RESULTS: Data and biologic materials have been collected from 5302 adult African Americans, including 1499 members of 291 families. Participants have a high prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and related disorders. DISCUSSION: The JHS dataset and biologic materials (serum, DNA, and cryopreserved cells) offer a valuable resource for the study of diseases that are of particular importance to African Americans.

Pharmacological analysis of ovarial patency in Heliothis virescens.

The insect oocyte sequesters nutritive proteins during patency, which is facilitated as a result of intercellular spaces occurring between follicular epithelial cells under the influence of juvenile hormone (JH). Patency was analyzed in the moth, Heliothis virescens, using a pharmacological approach, in which we used different JH homologues and chemicals that specifically target elements of two second-messenger pathways in vertebrates, the cAMP-dependent and inositol triphosphate/diacylglycerol signaling pathways. JH I and JH III evoked dose-dependent patency in H. virescens oocyte follicles, which was suppressed by the Na/K-ATPase inhibitor, ouabain. Patency was observed in follicular epithelial cells treated with either protein kinase C activator, PDBu, or protein kinase A activator, 8-Br-cAMP, by itself. The protein kinase C inhibitor, H-7, preferentially suppressed patency evoked by JH III, whereas the protein kinase A inhibitor, H89, preferentially suppressed that evoked by JH I. Additionally, patency was triggered by the adenylate cyclase activator, NKH 477, or peptide Gs-protein activator, cholera toxin, alone. Patency evoked by JH I was suppressed by the adenylate cyclase inhibitor, SQ 22,536, and GPAnt-2, a peptide antagonistic to Gs proteins that stimulates adenylate cyclase. Neither of these latter inhibitors, however, affected JH III-evoked patency. These results suggest that, in the process of patency in H. virescens ovarial follicles, JH I predominantly signals via the cAMP-dependent second messenger system, whereas JH III acts via the inositol triphosphate/diacylglycerol signaling pathway. Moreover, stimulation of patency by cholera toxin alone and inhibition of JH I-evoked patency by GPAnt-2, strongly suggest that JH I acts on the follicular epithelial cells via activation of G-protein, and-possibly-via G(s)-protein coupled receptor.

Regulation of juvenile hormone biosynthesis in Heliothis virescens by Manduca sexta allatotropin.

In Heliothis virescens, reproduction is strictly dependent on juvenile hormone (JH). In females, mating induces a sharp increase in JH titers, which stimulates increased vitellogenin biosynthesis and higher rates of egg production. JH biosynthesis is presumably stimulated by production and/or release of stimulatory neuropeptides such as allatotropins. There is evidence that allatotropin of H. virescens may be structurally related to Manduca sexta allatotropin (Manse-AT). In a radiochemical in vitro assay, synthetic Manse-AT stimulated JH biosynthesis by corpora allata (CA) of virgin H. virescens females in a dose-dependent manner, but had no effect on CA activity in H. virescens males. In females, the CA showed a transient increase in sensitivity to Manse-AT shortly after mating. Several structurally related peptides stimulated CA activity to a similar extent as Manse-AT. Corpora allata activity was stimulated by a Ca2+ ionophore, A23187. A membrane-permeable Ca2+ chelator, BAPTA/AM, antagonized the stimulatory effects of Manse-AT, suggesting that Manse-AT may enhance CA activity by increasing intracellular Ca2+ concentration.

Juvenile hormone catabolism and oviposition in the codling moth, Cydia pomonella, as functions of age, mating status, and hormone treatment.

In vitro catabolism of juvenile hormone (JH) in haemolymph of adult female Cydia pomonella was ascribed mainly to juvenile hormone esterase (JHE) activity. No significant differences were noted between virgin and mated females 0-96 h post-emergence. Changes in JHE activity did not appear dependent upon fluctuations in JH titre; conversely, changes in JHE activity could not explain the changes in JH titres. Maximal JHE activity was recorded at 24 h (331.47 +/- 47.25 pmol/h/microl; 355.93 +/- 36.68 pmol/h/microl, virgin; mated insects, respectively) and preceded the peak in JH titres at 48 h. Topical application of JH II (10 ng-10 microg) or fenoxycarb (50 ng) enhanced JHE activity up to 640 and 56%, respectively. Treatment upon emergence with 10 microg JH II induced enzymic activity for less than 24 h, and when 10 microg JH II or 50 ng fenoxycarb were applied, circulating JH titres returned to control levels within 24 h. Oviposition was highly sensitive to exogenous JH and declined significantly with dosages >100 pg. To allow a degree of oocyte maturation before JH treatment, the hormone was administered at 6, 12, 24, or 48 h post-emergence and/or females were mated. Neither measure "protected" the system; oviposition declined immediately after JH application.