Translating new science into the community to promote opportunities for breast and cervical cancer prevention among African American women.

BACKGROUND: New evidence has found breast and cervical cancer risk factors unique to African American women. Thus, there is a significant need to increase their knowledge and understanding of relevant risk factors and the potential protective benefits associated with breast-feeding and HPV vaccination. The National Witness Project is a robust, evidence- and community-based lay health advisor programme that uses group education, navigation and survivor narratives to increase cancer screening among diverse underserved women. METHODS: A multi-phase, community-based participatory research study was conducted across three sites in Buffalo, NY, New York City and Arkansas between October 2016 and January 2017. Pre-/post-test surveys were administered during volunteer trainings and community programmes. An evaluation survey was also administered at the Annual Meeting for Education and Networking. Paired sample t tests were used to compare pre-/post-test survey scores. RESULTS: Trainee survey results showed the overall mean per cent correct pre-/post-test scores were 47.7% (SD: 21.87) and 79.2% (SD: 16.14). Altogether, 31 educational programmes reached 332 community participants. Participants' breast and cervical cancer knowledge scores were significantly higher after the education programme (84.4%) than before (55.3%) with a mean change score of 29% (P ≤ .001). CONCLUSION: This paper reveals the underlying complexities to update the educational curriculum content of a multi-site, community-based outreach organization. The new curriculum significantly improved African American women's knowledge about breast and cervical cancer by 10%-36%, clearly demonstrating that this information was new to them. The need for education programming in African American communities to disseminate cancer prevention and risk information remains high.

Characterization of a thy1.2 GFP transgenic mouse reveals a tissue-specific organization of the spinal dorsal horn.

In this study, transgenic mice in which membrane-linked enhanced green fluorescent protein (mGFP) is expressed from the Thy1.2 promoter were used. In these mice, a subpopulation of small to medium sized DRG neurons double stained for IB4 but not for CGRP. Most of the peripheral terminals traversed the dermis and ramify within the epidermis and form superficial terminals. Within the spinal cord, these afferents terminated exclusively within the substantia gelatinosa (SG). A second fibre type in the skin also expressed mGFP, and formed club-shaped endings towards the bases of hairs. Injury to the sciatic nerve resulted in mGFP loss from the SG ipsilateral to the nerve injury, but also in the corresponding region contralaterally. Together, these findings reveal the specificity of connectivity of a defined subpopulation of DRG sensory neurons innervating the epidermis and this will facilitate analysis of their physiological functions.

Morphology of inhibitory and excitatory interneurons in superficial laminae of the rat dorsal horn.

If we are to stand any chance of understanding the circuitry of the superficial dorsal horn, it is imperative that we can identify which classes of interneuron are excitatory and which are inhibitory. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that there is a correlation between the morphology of an interneuron and its postsynaptic action. We used in vitro slice preparations of the rat spinal cord to characterize and label interneurons in laminae I-III with Neurobiotin. Labelled cells (n = 19) were reconstructed in 3D with Neurolucida and classified according to the scheme proposed by Grudt & Perl (2002). We determined if cells were inhibitory or excitatory by reacting their axon terminals with antibodies to reveal glutamate decrboxylase (for GABAergic cells) or the vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (for glutamatergic cells). All five islet cells retrieved were inhibitory. Of the six vertical (stalked) cells analysed, four were excitatory and, surprisingly, two were inhibitory. It was noted that these inhibitory cells had axonal projections confined to lamina II whereas excitatory vertical cells projected to lamina I and II. Of the remaining neurons, three were radial cells (2 inhibitory, 1 excitatory), two were antennae cells (1 inhibitory, 1 excitatory), one was an inhibitory central cell and the remaining two were unclassifiable excitatory cells. Our hypothesis appears to be correct only for islet cells. Other classes of cells have mixed actions, and in the case of vertical cells, the axonal projection appears to be a more important determinant of postsynaptic action.

Differential uptake of molecules from the circulation and CSF reveals regional and cellular specialisation in CNS detection of homeostatic signals.

The uptake of hydroxystilbamidine (OHSt, FluoroGold equivalent) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), into the hypothalamus, two hours after injections into either the circulation or the cerebrospinal fluid, were compared in adult rats. Following intravenous injection, OHSt was found in astrocytes of the median eminence and medial part of the arcuate nucleus whereas WGA intensely labelled the blood vessels and ependymal cells throughout the hypothalamus. In complete contrast, intracerebroventricular (icv) injection into the lateral ventricle resulted in OHSt uptake by ependymocytes and astrocytes in the area adjacent to the third ventricle, with virtually no uptake in regions taking up this dye following systematic injections, i.e., the median eminence and medial arcuate. Following icv injection WGA labelling was intense in all parts of the ependymal layer of the third ventricle, including the alpha- and beta-tanycytes. Injections into the cisterna magna gave a different pattern of uptake with OHSt being found only in astrocytes in the ventral part of the hypothalamus lateral to the arcuate nucleus whilst WGA uptake was virtually absent. This highlights the regional and cellular specialisation for uptake of molecules from the circulation and CSF. The median eminence and medial arcuate take up molecules from the circulation, with different cell types taking up different molecules. As the CSF flows through the ventricular system, different cells lining the ventricular and subarachnoid spaces take up molecules differentially. Molecules in the CSF appear to be excluded from the median eminence and medial arcuate region.

Spinal dorsal horn neurone targets for nociceptive primary afferents: do single neurone morphological characteristics suggest how nociceptive information is processed at the spinal level.

It has become increasingly clear that nociceptive information is signalled by several anatomically distinct populations of primary afferents that target different populations of neurones in the spinal cord. It is probable that these different systems all give rise to the sensation pain and hence, an understanding of their separate roles and the processes that they employ, may offer ways of selectively targeting pain arising from different causes. The review focuses on what is known of the anatomy of neurones in LI-III of the spinal dorsal horn that are implicated in nociception. The dendritic geometry and synaptic input of the large LI neurones that receive input from primary afferents containing substance P that express neurokinin 1 (NK(1)) receptors suggests that these neurones may monitor the extent of injury rather than the specific localisation of a discrete noxious stimulus. This population of neurones is also critically involved in hyperalgesia. In contrast neurones in LII with the morphology of stalked cells that receive primary afferent input from glomerular synapses may be more suitable for fine discrimination of the exact location of a noxious event such as a sting or parasite attack. The review focuses as far as possible on precisely defined anatomy in the belief that only by understanding these anatomical relationships will we eventually be able to interpret the complex processes occurring in the dorsal horn. The review attempts to be an accessible guide to a sometimes complex and highly specialised literature in this field.