Novel strategy: Identifying new markers for demyelination in diabetic distal symmetrical polyneuropathy.

Objective: To develop a novel strategy for identifying acquired demyelination in diabetic distal symmetrical polyneuropathy (DSP). Background: Motor nerve conduction velocity (CV) slowing in diabetic DSP exceeds expectations for pure axonal loss thus implicating superimposed acquired demyelination. Methods: After establishing demyelination confidence intervals by regression analysis of nerve conduction data from chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), we prospectively studied CV slowing in 90 diabetic DSP patients with and without at least one motor nerve exhibiting CV slowing (groups A and B) into the demyelination range by American Academy of Neurology (AAN) criteria respectively and 95 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. Simultaneously, secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) activity was assessed in both diabetic groups and 46 healthy controls. Results: No ALS patient exhibited CV slowing in more than two motor nerves based on AAN criteria or the confidence intervals. Group A demonstrated a significantly higher percentage of patients as compared to group B fulfilling the above criteria, with an additional criterion of at least one motor nerve exhibiting CV slowing in the demyelinating range and a corresponding F response in the demyelinating range by AAN criteria (70.3 % vs. 1.9 %; p < 0.0001). Urine sPLA2 activity was increased significantly in diabetic groups as compared to healthy controls (942.9 ± 978.0 vs. 591.6 ± 390.2 pmol/min/ml, p < 0.05), and in group A compared to Group B (1328.3 ± 1274.2 vs. 673.8 ± 576.9 pmol/min/ml, p < 0.01). More patients with elevated sPLA2 activity and more than 2 motor nerves with CV slowing in the AAN or the confidence intervals were identified in group A as compared to group B (35.1 % vs. 5.7 %, p < 0.001). Furthermore, 13.5 % of patients in diabetic DSP Group A, and no patients in diabetic DSP Group B, fulfilled an additional criterion of more than one motor nerve with CV slowing into the demyelinating range with its corresponding F response into the demyelinating range by AAN criteria. Conclusion: A combination of regression analysis of electrodiagnostic data and a urine biological marker of systemic inflammation identifies a subgroup of diabetic DSP with superimposed acquired demyelination that may respond favorably to immunomodulatory therapy.

Evidence-Based Interventions for High Blood Pressure and Glycemic Control Among Illinois Health Systems.

INTRODUCTION: Evidence-based interventions (referral, team-based care, self-management, and self-monitoring) for chronic disease management are well documented and widely used by Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). However, how these interventions are implemented varies substantially. METHODS: The Illinois Health Information Systems Survey was deployed to 49 FQHCs. Responses were grouped into 4 distinct policies, systems, and processes (P/S/P) categories: internal policies/workflows, huddles (brief meetings), electronic health record alerts/tracking tools, and case manager/coordinator interaction. Responses were then direct-matched to the 2016 Health Resources and Services and Administration Uniform Data System clinical quality indicator (QI) percent scores. Descriptive statistics were generated and level of significance (P < .05) was tested for hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: The total number of P/S/Ps in place for hypertension ranged from 0 to 13 (mean, 6.9) and 0 to 8 for diabetes (mean, 5.1). Meeting or exceeding the national mean QI percent score for controlled blood pressure (62.4%) was significant among FQHCs with 9 or more P/S/Ps compared with those with 8 or fewer P/S/Ps. A positive association in clinical QI percent score was found among organizations that had 3 or more P/S/Ps (for all 4 intervention areas), although none were significant. CONCLUSION: An assessment of the types of P/S/Ps used to implement evidence-based interventions for hypertension and diabetes management is a first in Illinois. Initial results support some relationship between the number of P/S/Ps implemented and clinical QI percent score for both hypertension and diabetes.

The misdiagnosis of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome in a VA population.

AIMS: The complexity of Interstitial Cystitis/bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS) has led to a great deal of uncertainty around the diagnosis and prevalence of the condition. Under the hypothesis that IC/BPS is frequently misdiagnosed, we sought to assess the accuracy of the ICD-9/ICD-10 code for IC/BPS using a national data set. METHODS: Using the Veterans Affairs Informatics and Computing Infrastructure, we identified a random sample of 100 patients with an ICD-9/ICD-10 diagnosis of IC/BPS (595.1/N30.10) by querying all living patients in the Veterans Affairs (VA) system. We purposely sampled men and women equally to better understand gender-specific practice patterns. Patients were considered a correct IC/BPS diagnosis if they had two visits complaining of bladder-centric pain in the absence of positive urine culture at least 6 weeks apart. Patients were considered not to have IC/BPS if they had a history of pelvic radiation, systemic chemotherapy, metastatic cancer, or bladder cancer. RESULTS: Of the 100 patients, 48 were female and 52 were male. Five had prior radiation, one had active cancer, and 10 had bladder cancer (all male), and an additional fifteen had insufficient records. Of the remaining 69 patients, 43% did not have IC/BPS. Of these patients who did not have IC/BPS, 43% complained only of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms, which was more common in women (63%) than men (21%), P = .003. CONCLUSIONS: In our small sample from a nationwide VA system, results indicate that IC/BPS has a high misdiagnosis rate. These findings shed light on the gender-specific diagnostic complexity of IC/BPS.

Efficient localization of a native metal ion within a protein by Cu2+-based EPR distance measurements.

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) based distance measurements have been exploited to measure protein-protein docking, protein-DNA interactions, substrate binding and metal coordination sites. Here, we use EPR to locate a native paramagnetic metal binding site in a protein with less than 2 Å resolution. We employ a rigid Cu2+ binding motif, the double histidine (dHis) motif, in conjunction with double electron electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy. Specifically, we utilize a multilateration approach to elucidate the native Cu2+ binding site in the immunoglobulin binding domain of protein G. Notably, multilateration performed with the dHis motif required only the minimum number of four distance constraints, whereas comparable studies using flexible nitroxide-based spin labels require many more for similar precision. This methodology demonstrates a significant increase in the efficiency of structural determinations via EPR distance measurements using the dHis motif.

Prevalence of Five Health-Related Behaviors for Chronic Disease Prevention Among Sexual and Gender Minority Adults - 25 U.S. States and Guam, 2016.

In recent decades, public health awareness of health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations has increased (1). Healthy People 2020 included objectives to improve health of LGBT persons.† Five key health-related behaviors were found to be likely associated with reduced all-cause mortality: never smoking, performing regular physical activity, consuming no or moderate amounts of alcohol, having a normal body weight, and obtaining sufficient sleep daily (2). CDC estimated these five health-related behaviors among adults aged ≥21 years by sexual orientation and transgender status using data from the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) in 25 U.S. states and Guam. Patterns of these five health-related behaviors varied by sexual orientation among men and women, and among transgender adults. Lesbian and bisexual women were less likely to engage in all five health-related behaviors than were heterosexual women (5.4% and 6.9%, respectively, versus 10.6%). Compared with cisgender§ adults, male-to-female transgender adults were less likely to engage in any two of five health-related behaviors (12.3% versus 18.6%). Male-to-female transgender adults, however, were more likely to engage in any three of five health-related behaviors than were female-to-male transgender adults (47.2% versus 28.2%). The number of health-related behaviors did not differ between gay or bisexual men and heterosexual men. Continued efforts are needed to target LGBT populations for overall well-being, including strategies for health promotion and engagement in health-related behaviors.

Relationship between sleep duration and self-reported health-related quality of life among US adults with or without major chronic diseases, 2014.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the association between sleep duration and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among adults with or without chronic conditions. METHODS: Using the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we analyzed self-reported data from adult respondents aged ≥18 years with (n=277,757, unhealthy group) and without (n=172,052. healthy group) reported history of any of nine chronic conditions (coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, depression, chronic kidney disease). Multivariable logistic regressions were separately constructed to assess the associations between sleep duration and four self-reported HRQOL measures after adjustment for sociodemographics, leisure-time physical activity, body mass index, and smoking status among unhealthy and healthy adults. RESULTS: The prevalence of poor/fair health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, frequent activity limitation, and short sleep duration was 27.9%, 19.3%, 17.0%, 13.6%, and 38.3% in the unhealthy group and 6.9%, 4.0%, 5.3%, 2.1%, and 31.0% in the healthy group, respectively. U-shaped relationships of sleep duration to all four HRQOL indicators were observed among the unhealthy group and to poor/fair health, frequent mental distress, and frequent activity limitation among the healthy group. The relationships further varied by sex, age, race/ethnicity, and BMI category among the healthy group. CONCLUSIONS: Relationships between extreme sleep duration and HRQOLs were observed among both healthy and unhealthy groups. These results can help inform public awareness campaigns and physician-counseling regarding the importance of sleep for mental health and well-being.

Heptamer Peptide Disassembles Native Amyloid in Human Plasma Through Heat Shock Protein 70.

Proteostasis, which includes the repair and disposal of misfolded proteins, depends, in part, on the activity of heat shock proteins (HSPs), a well-known class of chaperone molecules. When this process fails, abnormally folded proteins may accumulate in cells, tissues, and blood. These species are a hallmark of protein aggregation diseases, but also amass during aging, often in the absence of an identified clinical disorder. We report that a neuroprotective cyclic heptapeptide, CHEC-7, which has been applied systemically as a therapeutic in animal neurodegeneration models, disrupts such aggregates and inhibits amyloidogenesis when added in nanomolar concentrations to human plasma. This effect includes aggregates of amyloid beta (Aß1-40, 1-42), prominent features of Alzheimer's disease pathology. The activity of endogenous HSP70, a recently discovered target of the peptide, is required as demonstrated by both antibody blocking and application of pifithrin-µ, an HSP70 inhibitor. CHEC-7 is the first high-affinity compound to stimulate HSP70's disaggregase activity and therefore enable this endogenous mechanism in a human systemic environment, increasing the likelihood of a convenient therapy for protein aggregate disease, including age-related failures of protein repair.

Urban-Rural County and State Differences in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - United States, 2015.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) accounts for the majority of deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases, the third leading cause of death in the United States in 2015 and the fourth leading cause in 2016.* Major risk factors include tobacco exposure, occupational and environmental exposures, respiratory infections, and genetics.† State variations in COPD outcomes (1) suggest that it might be more common in states with large rural areas. To assess urban-rural variations in COPD prevalence, hospitalizations, and mortality; obtain county-level estimates; and update state-level variations in COPD measures, CDC analyzed 2015 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), Medicare hospital records, and death certificate data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS). Overall, 15.5 million adults aged ≥18 years (5.9% age-adjusted prevalence) reported ever receiving a diagnosis of COPD; there were approximately 335,000 Medicare hospitalizations (11.5 per 1,000 Medicare enrollees aged ≥65 years) and 150,350 deaths in which COPD was listed as the underlying cause for persons of all ages (40.3 per 100,000 population). COPD prevalence, Medicare hospitalizations, and deaths were significantly higher among persons living in rural areas than among those living in micropolitan or metropolitan areas. Among seven states in the highest quartile for all three measures, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and West Virginia were also in the upper quartile (≥18%) for rural residents. Overcoming barriers to prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, and management of COPD with primary care provider education, Internet access, physical activity and self-management programs, and improved access to pulmonary rehabilitation and oxygen therapy are needed to improve quality of life and reduce COPD mortality.

Vital Signs: Racial Disparities in Age-Specific Mortality Among Blacks or African Americans - United States, 1999-2015.

BACKGROUND: Although the overall life expectancy at birth has increased for both blacks and whites and the gap between these populations has narrowed, disparities in life expectancy and the leading causes of death for blacks compared with whites in the United States remain substantial. Understanding how factors that influence these disparities vary across the life span might enhance the targeting of appropriate interventions. METHODS: Trends during 1999-2015 in mortality rates for the leading causes of death were examined by black and white race and age group. Multiple 2014 and 2015 national data sources were analyzed to compare blacks with whites in selected age groups by sociodemographic characteristics, self-reported health behaviors, health-related quality of life indicators, use of health services, and chronic conditions. RESULTS: During 1999-2015, age-adjusted death rates decreased significantly in both populations, with rates declining more sharply among blacks for most leading causes of death. Thus, the disparity gap in all-cause mortality rates narrowed from 33% in 1999 to 16% in 2015. However, during 2015, blacks still had higher death rates than whites for all-cause mortality in all groups aged <65 years. Compared with whites, blacks in age groups <65 years had higher levels of some self-reported risk factors and chronic diseases and mortality from cardiovascular diseases and cancer, diseases that are most common among persons aged ≥65 years. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE: To continue to reduce the gap in health disparities, these findings suggest an ongoing need for universal and targeted interventions that address the leading causes of deaths among blacks (especially cardiovascular disease and cancer and their risk factors) across the life span and create equal opportunities for health.

Analysis of Nitroxide-Based Distance Measurements in Cell Extracts and in Cells by Pulsed ESR Spectroscopy.

Measurements of distances in cells by pulsed ESR spectroscopy afford tremendous opportunities to study proteins in native environments that are irreproducible in vitro. However, the in-cell environment is harsh towards the typical nitroxide radicals used in double electron-electron resonance (DEER) experiments. A systematic examination is performed on the loss of the DEER signal, including contributions from nitroxide decay and nitroxide side-chain cleavage. In addition, the possibility of extending the lifetime of the nitroxide radical by use of an oxidizing agent is investigated. Using this oxidizing agent, DEER distance measurements are performed on doubly nitroxide-labeled GB1, the immunoglobulin-binding domain of protein G, at varying incubation times in the cellular environment. It is found that, by comparison of the loss of DEER signal to the loss of the CW spectrum, cleavage of the nitroxide side chain contributes to the loss of DEER signal, which is significantly greater in cells than in cell extracts. Finally, local spin concentrations are monitored at varying incubation times to show the time required for molecular diffusion of a small globular protein within the cellular milieu.

Health-Related Behaviors by Urban-Rural County Classification - United States, 2013.

PROBLEM/CONDITION: Persons living in rural areas are recognized as a health disparity population because the prevalence of disease and rate of premature death are higher than for the overall population of the United States. Surveillance data about health-related behaviors are rarely reported by urban-rural status, which makes comparisons difficult among persons living in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties. REPORTING PERIOD: 2013. DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is an ongoing, state-based, random-digit-dialed landline- and cellular-telephone survey of noninstitutionalized adults aged ≥18 years residing in the United States. BRFSS collects data on health-risk behaviors, chronic diseases and conditions, access to health care, and use of preventive health services related to the leading causes of death and disability. BRFSS data were analyzed for 398,208 adults aged ≥18 years to estimate the prevalence of five self-reported health-related behaviors (sufficient sleep, current nonsmoking, nondrinking or moderate drinking, maintaining normal body weight, and meeting aerobic leisure time physical activity recommendations) by urban-rural status. For this report, rural is defined as the noncore counties described in the 2013 National Center for Health Statistics Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties. RESULTS: Approximately one third of U.S. adults practice at least four of these five behaviors. Compared with adults living in the four types of metropolitan counties (large central metropolitan, large fringe metropolitan, medium metropolitan, and small metropolitan), adults living in the two types of nonmetropolitan counties (micropolitan and noncore) did not differ in the prevalence of sufficient sleep; had higher prevalence of nondrinking or moderate drinking; and had lower prevalence of current nonsmoking, maintaining normal body weight, and meeting aerobic leisure time physical activity recommendations. The overall age-adjusted prevalence of reporting at least four of the five health-related behaviors was 30.4%. The prevalence among the estimated 13.3 million adults living in noncore counties was lower (27.0%) than among those in micropolitan counties (28.8%), small metropolitan counties (29.5%), medium metropolitan counties (30.5%), large fringe metropolitan counties (30.2%), and large metropolitan centers (31.7%). INTERPRETATION: This is the first report of the prevalence of these five health-related behaviors for the six urban-rural categories. Nonmetropolitan counties have lower prevalence of three and clustering of at least four health-related behaviors that are associated with the leading chronic disease causes of death. Prevalence of sufficient sleep was consistently low and did not differ by urban-rural status. PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION: Chronic disease prevention efforts focus on improving the communities, schools, worksites, and health systems in which persons live, learn, work, and play. Evidence-based strategies to improve health-related behaviors in the population of the United States can be used to reach the Healthy People 2020 objectives for these five self-reported health-related behaviors (sufficient sleep, current nonsmoking, nondrinking or moderate drinking, maintaining normal body weight, and meeting aerobic leisure time physical activity recommendations). These findings suggest an ongoing need to increase public awareness and public education, particularly in rural counties where prevalence of these health-related behaviors is lowest.

Racial/ethnic disparities in self-reported short sleep duration among US-born and foreign-born adults.

OBJECTIVE: Racial/ethnic health disparities are infrequently considered by nativity status in the United States, although the immigrant population has practically doubled since 1990. We investigated the modifying role of nativity status (US- vs. foreign-born) on racial/ethnic disparities in short sleep duration (<7 h), which has serious health consequences. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data from 23,505 US-born and 4,326 foreign-born adults aged ≥ 18 years from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey and multivariable log-linear regression were used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) for reporting short sleep duration and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: After controlling for sociodemographic covariates, short sleep was more prevalent among blacks (PR 1.29, 95% CI: 1.21-1.37), Hispanics (PR 1.18, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.29), and Asians (PR 1.37, 95% CI: 1.16-1.61) than whites among US-born adults. Short sleep was more prevalent among blacks (PR 1.71, 95% CI: 1.38, 2.13) and Asians (PR 1.23, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.47) than whites among the foreign-born. CONCLUSION: Among both US- and foreign-born adults, blacks and Asians had a higher likelihood of short sleep compared to whites. US-born Hispanics, but not foreign-born Hispanics, had a higher likelihood than their white counterparts. Future research should aim to uncover mechanisms underlying these disparities.

Clustering of Five Health-Related Behaviors for Chronic Disease Prevention Among Adults, United States, 2013.

INTRODUCTION: Five key health-related behaviors for chronic disease prevention are never smoking, getting regular physical activity, consuming no alcohol or only moderate amounts, maintaining a normal body weight, and obtaining daily sufficient sleep. The objective of this study was to estimate the clustering of these 5 health-related behaviors among adults aged 21 years or older in each state and the District of Columbia and to assess geographic variation in clustering. METHODS: We used data from the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to assess the clustering of the 5 behaviors among 395,343 BRFSS respondents aged 21 years or older. The 5 behaviors were defined as currently not smoking cigarettes, meeting the aerobic physical activity recommendation, consuming no alcohol or only moderate amounts, maintaining a normal body mass index (BMI), and sleeping at least 7 hours per 24-hour period. Prevalence of having 4 or 5 of these behaviors, by state, was also examined. RESULTS: Among US adults, 81.6% were current nonsmokers, 63.9% obtained 7 hours or more sleep per day, 63.1% reported moderate or no alcohol consumption, 50.4% met physical activity recommendations, and 32.5% had a normal BMI. Only 1.4% of respondents engaged in none of the 5 behaviors; 8.4%, 1 behavior; 24.3%, 2 behaviors; 35.4%, 3 behaviors; and 24.3%, 4 behaviors; only 6.3% reported engaging in all 5 behaviors. The highest prevalence of engaging in 4 or 5 behaviors was clustered in the Pacific and Rocky Mountain states. Lowest prevalence was in the southern states and along the Ohio River. CONCLUSION: Additional efforts are needed to increase the proportion of the population that engages in all 5 health-related behaviors and to eliminate geographic variation. Collaborative efforts in health care systems, communities, work sites, and schools can promote all 5 behaviors and produce population-wide changes, especially among the socioeconomically disadvantaged.

Rotameric preferences of a protein spin label at edge-strand ß-sheet sites.

Protein spin labeling to yield the nitroxide-based R1 side chain is a powerful method to measure protein dynamics and structure by electron spin resonance. However, R1 measurements are complicated by the flexibility of the side chain. While analysis approaches for solvent-exposed α-helical environment have been developed to partially account for flexibility, similar work in ß-sheets is lacking. The goal of this study is to provide the first essential steps for understanding the conformational preferences of R1 within edge ß-strands using X-ray crystallography and double electron electron resonance (DEER) distance measurements. Crystal structures yielded seven rotamers for a non-hydrogen-bonded site and three rotamers for a hydrogen-bonded site. The observed rotamers indicate contextual differences in R1 conformational preferences compared to other solvent-exposed environments. For the DEER measurements, each strand site was paired with the same α-helical site elsewhere on the protein. The most probable distance observed by DEER is rationalized based on the rotamers observed in the crystal structure. Additionally, the appropriateness of common molecular modeling methods that account for R1 conformational preferences are assessed for the ß-sheet environment. These results show that interpretation of R1 behavior in ß-sheets is difficult and indicate further development is needed for these computational methods to correctly relate DEER distances to protein structure at edge ß-strand sites.

Prevalence of Healthy Sleep Duration among Adults--United States, 2014.

To promote optimal health and well-being, adults aged 18-60 years are recommended to sleep at least 7 hours each night (1). Sleeping <7 hours per night is associated with increased risk for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, frequent mental distress, and all-cause mortality (2-4). Insufficient sleep impairs cognitive performance, which can increase the likelihood of motor vehicle and other transportation accidents, industrial accidents, medical errors, and loss of work productivity that could affect the wider community (5). CDC analyzed data from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to determine the prevalence of a healthy sleep duration (≥ 7 hours) among 444,306 adult respondents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. A total of 65.2% of respondents reported a healthy sleep duration; the age-adjusted prevalence of healthy sleep was lower among non-Hispanic blacks, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, and multiracial respondents, compared with non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics, and Asians. State-based estimates of healthy sleep duration prevalence ranged from 56.1% in Hawaii to 71.6% in South Dakota. Geographic clustering of the lowest prevalence of healthy sleep duration was observed in the southeastern United States and in states along the Appalachian Mountains, and the highest prevalence was observed in the Great Plains states. More than one third of U.S. respondents reported typically sleeping <7 hours in a 24-hour period, suggesting an ongoing need for public awareness and public education about sleep health; worksite shift policies that ensure healthy sleep duration for shift workers, particularly medical professionals, emergency response personnel, and transportation industry personnel; and opportunities for health care providers to discuss the importance of healthy sleep duration with patients and address reasons for poor sleep health.

Cigarette Smoking, Tooth Loss, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Findings From the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking and tooth loss are seldom considered concurrently as determinants of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study examines the multiplicative effect of self-reported tooth loss and cigarette smoking on COPD among United States adults aged ≥18 years. METHODS: Data were taken from the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (n = 439,637). Log-linear regression-estimated prevalence ratios (PRs) are reported for the interaction of combinations of tooth loss (0, 1 to 5, 6 to 31, or all) and cigarettes smoking status (never, former, or current) with COPD after adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, educational attainment, employment, health insurance coverage, dental care utilization, and diabetes. RESULTS: Overall, 45.7% respondents reported having ≥1 teeth removed from tooth decay or gum disease, 18.9% reported being current cigarette smokers, and 6.3% reported having COPD. Smoking and tooth loss from tooth decay or gum disease were associated with an increased likelihood of COPD. Compared with never smokers with no teeth removed, all combinations of smoking status categories and tooth loss had a higher likelihood of COPD, with adjusted PRs ranging from 1.5 (never smoker with 1 to 5 teeth removed) to 6.5 (current smoker with all teeth removed) (all P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Tooth loss status significantly modifies the association between cigarette smoking and COPD. An increased understanding of causal mechanisms linking cigarette smoking, oral health, and COPD, particularly the role of tooth loss, infection, and subsequent inflammation, is essential to reduce the burden of COPD. Health providers should counsel their patients about cigarette smoking, preventive dental care, and COPD risk.

The Association between Psychological Distress and Self-Reported Sleep Duration in a Population-Based Sample of Women and Men.

Mental health and sleep are intricately linked. This study characterized associations of psychological distress with short (≤6 hours) and long (≥9 hours) sleep duration among adults aged ≥18 years. 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data (n = 36,859) from Colorado, Minnesota, Nevada, Tennessee, and Washington included the Kessler 6 (K6) scale, which has been psychometrically validated for measuring severe psychological distress (SPD); three specifications were evaluated. Overall, 4.0% of adults reported SPD, 33.9% reported short sleep, and 7.8% reported long sleep. After adjustment, adults with SPD had 1.58 (95% CI: 1.45, 1.72) and 1.39 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.79) times higher probability of reporting short and long sleep duration, respectively. Using an ordinal measure showed a dose-response association with prevalence ratios of 1.00, 1.16, 1.38, 1.67, and 2.11 for short sleep duration. Each additional point added to the K6 scale was associated with 1.08 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.10) and 1.02 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.03) times higher probability of reporting short and long sleep duration, respectively. Some results were statistically different by gender. Any psychological distress, not only SPD, was associated with a higher probability of short sleep duration but not long sleep duration. These findings highlight the need for interventions.

Cu²âº as an ESR Probe of Protein Structure and Function.

Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy in combination with site-directed spin labeling has been widely used to determine the structure and dynamics of proteins and other biomolecules. The most popular spin label is a nitroxide-based radical which can be attached to a protein via a site-specific reaction with either native cysteines or cysteines engineered into the system via site-directed mutagenesis. Paramagnetic transition metals, including Cu(2+), often serve as cofactors of metalloproteins, and have already been realized as ESR probes to report structural information in these proteins. This chapter summarizes recent methodological development from our laboratory in utilizing Cu(2+) as an ESR spin probe to determine distance information. We focus on detailed experimental procedures, optimized instrumental parameters, and data analysis approaches in order to guide one who is new to the field. Theory and applications of metal ESR have been reviewed in literature and are not the focus of this chapter. A few examples of applications of the methods are listed in the end.

Independent and joint associations of race/ethnicity and educational attainment with sleep-related symptoms in a population-based US sample.

OBJECTIVE: Prior studies have documented disparities in short and long sleep duration, excessive daytime sleepiness, and insomnia by educational attainment and race/ethnicity separately. We examined both independent and interactive effects of these factors with a broader range of sleep indicators in a racially/ethnically diverse sample. METHODS: We analyzed 2012 National Health Interview Survey data from 33,865 adults aged ≥18years. Sleep-related symptomatology included short sleep duration (≤6h), long sleep duration (≥9h), fatigue >3days, excessive daytime sleepiness, and insomnia. Bivariate analyses with chi-square tests and log-linear regression were performed. RESULTS: The overall age-adjusted prevalence was 29.1% for short sleep duration, 8.5% for long sleep duration, 15.1% for fatigue, 12.6% for excessive daytime sleepiness, and 18.8% for insomnia. Educational attainment and race/ethnicity were independently related to the five sleep-related symptoms. Among Whites, the likelihood of most sleep indicators increased as educational attainment decreased; relationships varied for the other racial/ethnic groups. For short sleep duration, the educational attainment-by-race/ethnicity interaction effect was significant for African Americans (p<0.0001), Hispanics (p<0.0001), and Asians (p=0.0233) compared to Whites. For long sleep duration, the interaction was significant for Hispanics only (p=0.0003). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate the importance of examining both educational attainment and race/ethnicity simultaneously to more fully understand disparities in sleep health. Increased understanding of the mechanisms linking sociodemographic factors to sleep health is needed to determine whether policies and programs to increase educational attainment may also reduce these disparities within an increasingly diverse population.

Obstetric emergencies at the United States-Mexico border crossings in El Paso, Texas.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the frequency, characteristics, and patient outcomes for women who accessed Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for obstetric emergencies at the ports of entry (POE) between El Paso, Texas, United States of America, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. METHODS: A descriptive study of women 12-49 years of age for whom an EMS ambulance was called to an El Paso POE location from December 2008-April 2011 was conducted. Women were identified through surveillance of EMS records. EMS and emergency department (ED) records were abstracted for all women through December 2009 and for women with an obstetric emergency through April 2011. For obstetric patients admitted to the hospital, additional prenatal and birth characteristics were collected. Frequencies and proportions were estimated for each variable; differences between residents of the United States and Mexico were tested. RESULTS: During December 2008-December 2009, 47.6% (68/143) of women receiving EMS assistance at an El Paso POE had an obstetric emergency, nearly 20 times the proportion for Texas overall. During December 2008-April 2011, 60.1% (66/109) of obstetric patients with ED records were admitted to hospital and 52 gave birth before discharge. Preterm birth (23.1%; No. = 12), low birth weight (9.6%; No. = 5), birth in transit (7.7%; No. = 4), and postpartum hemorrhage (5.8%; No. = 3) were common; fewer than one-half the women (46.2%; No. = 24) had evidence of prenatal care. CONCLUSIONS: The high proportion of obstetric EMS transports and high prevalence of complications in this population suggest a need for binational risk reduction efforts.