Title: Allergies: As American as Apple Pie?
Category: Health News
Created: 4/29/2013 4:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 4/30/2013 12:00:00 AM

Title: Steep Rise in Suicides Among Middle-Aged Americans, CDC Says
Category: Health News
Created: 5/2/2013 12:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 5/3/2013 12:00:00 AM

Title: 4 in 10 Americans Breathe Unhealthy Air: Report
Category: Health News
Created: 4/29/2015 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/30/2015 12:00:00 AM

Title: Most Americans Turn to Prayer for Healing, Survey Finds
Category: Health News
Created: 4/22/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/25/2016 12:00:00 AM

Title: Americans Getting Adequate Water Daily, CDC Finds
Category: Health News
Created: 4/26/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2016 12:00:00 AM

Title: 1 in 3 Americans May Have Had Warning Stroke Without Knowing It
Category: Health News
Created: 5/1/2017 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/2/2017 12:00:00 AM

Title: Life Expectancy Goes Up for Black Americans
Category: Health News
Created: 5/2/2017 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/3/2017 12:00:00 AM

Title: Americans Uneasy With Push to Repeal Obamacare: HealthDay/Harris Poll
Category: Health News
Created: 5/4/2017 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/4/2017 12:00:00 AM

Title: House to Vote Thursday on Amended Bill to Repeal and Replace Obamacare
Category: Health News
Created: 5/4/2017 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/4/2017 12:00:00 AM

Title: How to Tame Morning Chaos
Category: Health News
Created: 4/30/2019 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/30/2019 12:00:00 AM

Title: AHA News: Director John Singleton's Fatal Stroke Spotlights Black Americans' Hypertension Risk
Category: Health News
Created: 5/2/2019 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/2/2019 12:00:00 AM

Title: Most Americans Hit Hard by Medical Bills
Category: Health News
Created: 5/2/2019 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/2/2019 12:00:00 AM

Title: A Heart-Healthy Prescription for America's Food System
Category: Health News
Created: 5/2/2019 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/3/2019 12:00:00 AM

Title: There Aren't Enough Coronavirus Test Kits to Safely Reopen America, Experts Warn
Category: Health News
Created: 4/27/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Costs Would Keep 1 in 7 Americans From Seeking COVID-19 Treatment
Category: Health News
Created: 4/28/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/29/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Pandemic Delaying Medical Care of Older Americans
Category: Health News
Created: 4/30/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/30/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Many Americans in the Dark About Eye Health
Category: Health News
Created: 1/26/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 1/27/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Rising Number of Older Americans at Risk of Vision Loss
Category: Health News
Created: 3/12/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 3/13/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: During Droughts, Many Poor Americans Will Lack Clean Tap Water: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 4/30/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/1/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Americans' Cholesterol Levels Decline: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 11/12/2019 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 11/13/2019 12:00:00 AM

Title: Fewer Americans Have High Cholesterol
Category: Health News
Created: 4/22/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/23/2020 12:00:00 AM

KoreaMed Synapse, a digital archive and reference linking platform of Korean medical journals, is now using NCBI’s new PubReader presentation style to display their full-text journal articles. KoreaMed’s database of 122 journals now includes a blue ‘PubReader’ icon for each full-text article. NCBI launched PubReader in December 2012 as a convenient new way to view full-text articles in PubMed Central on desktops as well as tablets and mobile devices. In tandem with the launch, NCBI made the code used to create PubReader freely available on GitHub.

Title: AHA News: Being an African American 'Superwoman' Might Come With a Price
Category: Health News
Created: 2/11/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/12/2020 12:00:00 AM

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), the most common sarcoma, is characterized by KIT protein overexpression, and tumors are frequently driven by oncogenic KIT mutations. Targeted inhibition of KIT revolutionized GIST therapy and ushered in the era of precision medicine for the treatment of solid malignancies. Here, we present the first use of a KIT-specific DNA aptamer for targeted labeling of GIST. We found that an anti-KIT DNA aptamer bound cells in a KIT-dependent manner and was highly specific for GIST cell labeling in vitro. Functionally, the KIT aptamer bound extracellular KIT in a manner similar to KIT mAb staining, and was trafficked intracellularly in vitro. The KIT aptamer bound dissociated primary human GIST cells in a mutation agnostic manner such that tumors with KIT and PDGFRA mutations were labeled. In addition, the KIT aptamer specifically labeled intact human GIST tissue ex vivo, as well as peritoneal xenografts in mice with high sensitivity. These results represent the first use of an aptamer-based method for targeted detection of GIST in vitro and in vivo.

Commonly used model teeth are so far uniform in color and hardness. There is no discrimination between enamel and dentin part of a tooth. This condition makes it difficult to train a preparation technique, which is adapted to real tooth substance. The aim of this study was to design and establish a 3D printed tooth with different layers for enamel and dentin for education in crown preparation. A printable tooth with different layers for enamel and dentin was designed, and all 38 fourth-year dental students in the first clinical course in prosthodontics and 30 experienced dentists were trained during a voluntary hands-on course in 2019. Prior to the study, the students had used standard model teeth and real-teeth models in their preclinical education. They had experience in caries removal and preparation on real patients. The perceived benefits of the 3D printed tooth were evaluated by a questionnaire. All individuals in both groups completed the questionnaire, for a 100% response rate. The results showed that the printed tooth was given an overall mean grade of 2.3 (students) and 2.0 (experts) on a scale from 1=excellent to 5=poor. The difference in hardness between the dentin and enamel layer was given a mean of 2.4 (students and experts) and the difference in color a 1.7 (students) and 1.8 (experts). The tooth model with the prepared tooth illustrating an ideal preparation was graded 1.6 (students and experts). In this study, the students had the opportunity to learn a correct crown preparation on a printed tooth with different material properties for enamel and dentin. The learning effect with this tooth model was rated as good on the questionnaire by both students and expert dentists.

ABSTRACT

Obesity and associated metabolic disorders are worldwide public health issues. The gut microbiota plays a key role in the pathophysiology of diet-induced obesity. Glycerol monolaurate (GML) is a widely consumed food emulsifier with antibacterial properties. Here, we explore the anti-obesity effect of GML (1,600 mg/kg of body weight) in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. HFD-fed mice were treated with 1,600 mg/kg GML. Integrated microbiome, metabolome, and transcriptome analyses were used to systematically investigate the metabolic effects of GML, and antibiotic treatment was used to assess the effects of GML on the gut microbiota. Our data indicated that GML significantly reduced body weight and visceral fat deposition, improved hyperlipidemia and hepatic lipid metabolism, and ameliorated glucose homeostasis and inflammation in HFD-fed mice. Importantly, GML modulated HFD-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis and selectively increased the abundance of Bifidobacterium pseudolongum. Antibiotic treatment abolished all the GML-mediated metabolic improvements. A multiomics (microbiome, metabolome, and transcriptome) association study showed that GML significantly modulated glycerophospholipid metabolism, and the abundance of Bifidobacterium pseudolongum strongly correlated with the metabolites and genes that participated in glycerophospholipid metabolism. Our results indicated that GML may be provided for obesity prevention by targeting the gut microbiota and regulating glycerophospholipid metabolism.

Purpose of review

Diverse adverse events have been associated with administration of glatiramer acetate (GA), mainly local reactions at the injection site. Other, less frequent generalized reactions include isolated postinjection reactions and anaphylaxis, which may lead to discontinuation of GA.

Surgical procedures are performed in the United States in a wide variety of clinical settings and with variation in clinical outcomes. In May 2012, the Task Force for Children’s Surgical Care, an ad hoc multidisciplinary group comprising physicians representing specialties relevant to pediatric perioperative care, was convened to generate recommendations to optimize the delivery of children’s surgical care. This group generated a white paper detailing the consensus opinions of the involved experts. Following these initial recommendations, the American College of Surgeons (ACS), Children’s Hospital Association, and Task Force for Children’s Surgical Care, with input from all related perioperative specialties, developed and published specific and detailed resource and quality standards designed to improve children’s surgical care (https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/childrens-surgery/childrens-surgery-verification). In 2015, with the endorsement of the American Academy of Pediatrics (https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/135/6/e1538), the ACS established a pilot verification program. In January 2017, after completion of the pilot program, the ACS Children’s Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program was officially launched. Verified sites are listed on the program Web site at https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/childrens-surgery/childrens-surgery-verification/centers, and more than 150 are interested in verification. This report provides an update on the ACS Children’s Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program as it continues to evolve.

The way genes contribute to behavior is complicated. Although there are some single genes with large contributions, most behavioral differences are due to small effects from many interacting genes. This makes it hard to identify the genes that cause behavioral differences. Mutagenesis screens in model organisms, selective breeding experiments in animals, comparisons between related populations with different behaviors, and genome-wide association studies in humans are promising and complementary approaches to understanding the heritable aspects of complex behaviors. To connect genes to behaviors requires measuring behavioral differences, locating correlated genetic changes, determining when, where, and how these candidate genes act, and designing causative confirmatory experiments. This area of research has implications from basic discovery science to human mental health.

Human adenoviruses have many attractive features for gene therapy applications. However, the high prevalence of preexisting immunity against these viruses in general populations worldwide has greatly limited their clinical utility. In addition, the most commonly used human adenovirus, human adenovirus subgroup C serotype 5 (HAd5), when systemically administered, triggers systemic inflammation and toxicity, with the liver being the most severely affected organ. Here, we evaluated the utility and safety of a new low-seroprevalence gorilla adenovirus (GAd; GC46) as a gene transfer vector in mice. Biodistribution studies revealed that systemically administered GAd had a selective and robust lung endothelial cell (EC) tropism with minimal vector expression throughout many other organs and tissues. Administration of a high dose of GAd accomplished extensive transgene expression in the lung yet elicited no detectable inflammatory histopathology in this organ. Furthermore, GAd, unlike HAd5, did not exhibit hepatotropism or induce liver inflammatory toxicity in mice, demonstrating the exceptional safety profile of the vector vis-à-vis systemic utility. We further demonstrated that the GAd capsid fiber shared the flexibility of the HAd5 equivalent for permitting genetic modification; GAd with the pan-EC-targeting ligand myeloid cell-binding peptide (MBP) incorporated in the capsid displayed a reduced lung tropism and efficiently retargeted gene expression to vascular beds in other organs.

IMPORTANCE In the aggregate, our mouse studies suggest that GAd is a promising gene therapy vector that utilizes lung ECs as a source of therapeutic payload production and a highly desirable toxicity profile. Further genetic engineering of the GAd capsid holds the promise of in vivo vector tropism modification and targeting.

Endogenous viral elements (EVEs) are found in many eukaryotic genomes. Despite considerable knowledge about genomic elements such as transposons (TEs) and retroviruses, we still lack information about nonretroviral EVEs. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have a highly repetitive genome that is covered with EVEs. Here, we identified 129 nonretroviral EVEs in the AaegL5 version of the A. aegypti genome. These EVEs were significantly associated with TEs and preferentially located in repeat-rich clusters within intergenic regions. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis showed that most EVEs generated transcripts although only around 1.4% were sense RNAs. The majority of EVE transcription was antisense and correlated with the generation of EVE-derived small RNAs. A single genomic cluster of EVEs located in a 143 kb repetitive region in chromosome 2 contributed with 42% of antisense transcription and 45% of small RNAs derived from viral elements. This region was enriched for TE-EVE hybrids organized in the same coding strand. These generated a single long antisense transcript that correlated with the generation of phased primary PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). The putative promoter of this region had a conserved binding site for the transcription factor Cubitus interruptus, a key regulator of the flamenco locus in Drosophila melanogaster. Here, we have identified a single unidirectional piRNA cluster in the A. aegypti genome that is the major source of EVE transcription fueling the generation of antisense small RNAs in mosquitoes. We propose that this region is a flamenco-like locus in A. aegypti due to its relatedness to the major unidirectional piRNA cluster in Drosophila melanogaster.

Glycine riboswitches utilize both single- and tandem-aptamer architectures. In the tandem system, the relative contribution of each aptamer toward gene regulation is not well understood. To dissect these contributions, the effects of 684 single mutants of a tandem ON switch from Bacillus subtilis were characterized for the wild-type construct and binding site mutations that selectively restrict ligand binding to either the first or second aptamer. Despite the structural symmetry of tandem aptamers, the response to these mutations was frequently asymmetrical. Mutations in the first aptamer often significantly weakened the K_1/2, while several mutations in the second aptamer improved the amplitude. These results demonstrate that this ON switch favors ligand binding to the first aptamer. This is in contrast to the tandem OFF switch variant from Vibrio cholerae, which was previously shown to have preferential binding to its second aptamer. A bioinformatic analysis of tandem glycine riboswitches revealed that the two binding pockets are differentially conserved between ON and OFF switches. Altogether, this indicates that tandem ON switch variants preferentially utilize binding to the first aptamer to promote helical switching, while OFF switch variants favor binding to the second aptamer. The data set also revealed a cooperative glycine response when both binding pockets were maximally stabilized with three GC base pairs. This indicates a cooperative response may sometimes be obfuscated by a difference in the affinities of the two aptamers. This conditional cooperativity provides an additional layer of tunability to tandem glycine riboswitches that adds to their versatility as genetic switches.

Tumor cells can spread to distant sites through their ability to switch between mesenchymal and amoeboid (bleb-based) migration. Because of this difference, inhibitors of metastasis must account for each migration mode. However, the role of vimentin in amoeboid migration has not been determined. Because amoeboid leader bleb–based migration (LBBM) occurs in confined spaces and vimentin is known to strongly influence cell-mechanical properties, we hypothesized that a flexible vimentin network is required for fast amoeboid migration. To this end, here we determined the precise role of the vimentin intermediate filament system in regulating the migration of amoeboid human cancer cells. Vimentin is a classic marker of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and is therefore an ideal target for a metastasis inhibitor. Using a previously developed polydimethylsiloxane slab–based approach to confine cells, RNAi-based vimentin silencing, vimentin overexpression, pharmacological treatments, and measurements of cell stiffness, we found that RNAi-mediated depletion of vimentin increases LBBM by ∼50% compared with control cells and that vimentin overexpression and simvastatin-induced vimentin bundling inhibit fast amoeboid migration and proliferation. Importantly, these effects were independent of changes in actomyosin contractility. Our results indicate that a flexible vimentin intermediate filament network promotes LBBM of amoeboid cancer cells in confined environments and that vimentin bundling perturbs cell-mechanical properties and inhibits the invasive properties of cancer cells.

Assembled α-synuclein in nerve cells and glial cells is the defining pathological feature of neurodegenerative diseases called synucleinopathies. Seeds of α-synuclein can induce the assembly of monomeric protein. Here, we used sucrose gradient centrifugation and transiently transfected HEK 293T cells to identify the species of α-synuclein from the brains of homozygous, symptomatic mice transgenic for human mutant A53T α-synuclein (line M83) that seed aggregation. The most potent fractions contained Sarkosyl-insoluble assemblies enriched in filaments. We also analyzed six cases of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), one case of familial PD, and six cases of multiple system atrophy (MSA) for their ability to induce α-synuclein aggregation. The MSA samples were more potent than those of idiopathic PD in seeding aggregation. We found that following sucrose gradient centrifugation, the most seed-competent fractions from PD and MSA brains are those that contain Sarkosyl-insoluble α-synuclein. The fractions differed between PD and MSA, consistent with the presence of distinct conformers of assembled α-synuclein in these different samples. We conclude that α-synuclein filaments are the main driving force for amplification and propagation of pathology in synucleinopathies.

Kainate and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors are two major, closely related receptor subtypes in the glutamate ion channel family. Excessive activities of these receptors have been implicated in a number of central nervous system diseases. Designing potent and selective antagonists of these receptors, especially of kainate receptors, is useful for developing potential treatment strategies for these neurological diseases. Here, we report on two RNA aptamers designed to individually inhibit kainate and AMPA receptors. To improve the biostability of these aptamers, we also chemically modified these aptamers by substituting their 2'-OH group with 2'-fluorine. These 2'-fluoro aptamers, FB9s-b and FB9s-r, were markedly resistant to RNase-catalyzed degradation, with a half-life of ∼5 days in rat cerebrospinal fluid or serum-containing medium. Furthermore, FB9s-r blocked AMPA receptor activity. Aptamer FB9s-b selectively inhibited GluK1 and GluK2 kainate receptor subunits, and also GluK1/GluK5 and GluK2/GluK5 heteromeric kainate receptors with equal potency. This inhibitory profile makes FB9s-b a powerful template for developing tool molecules and drug candidates for treatment of neurological diseases involving excessive activities of the GluK1 and GluK2 subunits.

Objective

To determine whether serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) levels are associated with recent MRI activity in patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).

Cinnamaldehyde (Cin), a bioactive cinnamon essential oil from traditional Chinese medicine herb Cinnamomum cassia, has been reported to have multipharmacological activities including anti-inflammation. However, its role and molecular mechanism of anti-inflammatory activity in musculoskeletal tissues remains unclear. Here, we first investigated the effects and molecular mechanisms of Cin in human synoviocyte cells. Then in vivo therapeutic effect of Cin on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) also studied. Cell Counting Kit ‎CCK-8 assay was performed to evaluate the cell cytotoxicity. Proinflammatory cytokine expression was evaluated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and ELISA. Protein expression was measured by western blotting. The in vivo effect of Cin (75 mg/kg per day) was evaluated in rats with CIA by gavage administration. Disease progression was assessed by clinical scoring, radiographic, and histologic examinations. Cin significantly inhibited interleukin (IL)-1β–induced IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α release from human synoviocyte cells. The molecular analysis revealed that Cin impaired IL-6–induced activation of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), and STAT3 signaling pathway by inhibiting the phosphorylation of JAK2, STAT1, and STAT3, without affecting NF-B pathway. Cin reduced collagen-induced swollen paw volume of arthritic rats. The anti-inflammation effects of Cin were associated with decreased severity of arthritis, joint swelling, and reduced bone erosion and destruction. Furthermore, serum IL-6 level was decreased when Cin administered therapeutically to CIA rats. Cin suppresses IL-1β–induced inflammation in synoviocytes through the JAK/STAT pathway and alleviated collagen-induced arthritis in rats. These data indicated that Cin might be a potential traditional Chinese medicine–derived, disease-modifying, antirheumatic herbal drug.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with overactive bladder (OAB). Detrusor overactivity, a component of OAB, is present in an SCD mouse, but the molecular mechanisms for this condition are not well-defined. We hypothesize that nitric oxide (NO)/ ras homolog gene family (Rho) A/Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) dysregulation is a mechanism for detrusor overactivity and that NO-releasing nanoparticles (NO-nps), a novel NO delivery system, may serve to treat this condition. Male adult SCD transgenic, combined endothelial NO synthases (eNOSs) and neuronal NOS (nNOS) gene-deficient (dNOS^–/–), and wild-type (WT) mice were used. Empty nanoparticle or NO-np was injected into the bladder, followed by cystometric studies. The expression levels of phosphorylated eNOS (Ser-1177), protein kinase B (Akt) (Ser-473), nNOS (Ser-1412), and myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 (MYPT1) (Thr-696) were assessed in the bladder. SCD and dNOS^–/– mice had a greater (P < 0.05) number of voiding and nonvoiding contractions compared with WT mice, and they were normalized by NO-np treatment. eNOS (Ser-1177) and AKT (Ser-473) phosphorylation were decreased (P < 0.05) in the bladder of SCD compared with WT mice and reversed by NO-np. Phosphorylated MYPT1, a marker of the RhoA/ROCK pathway, was increased (P < 0.05) in the bladder of SCD mice compared with WT and reversed by NO-np. nNOS phosphorylation on positive (Ser-1412) regulatory site was decreased (P < 0.05) in the bladder of SCD mice compared with WT and was not affected by NO-np. NO-nps did not affect any of the measured parameters in WT mice. In conclusion, dysregulation of NO and RhoA/ROCK pathways is associated with detrusor overactivity in SCD mice; NO-np reverses these molecular derangements in the bladder and decreases detrusor overactivity.

It is important to identify, assess, and address current barriers to implementation of post-approval changes that are intended to ensure continued (uninterrupted) operations and drive innovation and continual improvement in a maximally efficient, agile, and flexible pharmaceutical manufacturing sector. Leveraging the International Conference for Harmonisation Quality Guideline Q10 provides regulatory relief when it comes to addressing changes related to excipients, specifically excipient supplier's name and address changes, which will ensure a sustainable, reliable global supply and the availability of high quality product to patients through the entire commercial lifecycle of a product without extensive regulatory oversight.

ABSTRACTBackground:A home-based record (HBR) is a health document kept by the patient or their caregivers, rather than by the health care facility. HBRs are used in 163 countries, but they have not been implemented universally or consistently. Effective implementation maximizes both health impacts and cost-effectiveness. We sought to examine this research-to-practice gap and delineate the facilitators and barriers to the effective implementation and use of maternal and child health HBRs especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).Methods:Using a framework analysis approach, we created a framework of implementation categories in advance using subject expert inputs. We collected information through 2 streams. First, we screened 69 gray literature documents, of which 18 were included for analysis. Second, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 key informants, each of whom had extensive experience with HBR implementation. We abstracted the relevant data from the documents and interviews into an analytic matrix. The matrix was based on the initial framework and adjusted according to emergent categories from the data.Results:We identified 8 contributors to successful HBR implementation. These include establishing high-level support from the government and ensuring clear communication between all ministries and nongovernmental organizations involved. Choice of appropriate contents within the record was noted as important for alignment with the health system and for end user acceptance, as were the design, its physical durability, and timely redesigns. Logistical considerations, such as covering costs sustainably and arranging printing and distribution, could be potential bottlenecks. Finally, end users' engagement with HBRs depended on how the record was initially introduced to them and how its importance was reinforced over time by those in leadership positions.Conclusions:This framework analysis is the first study to take a more comprehensive and broad approach to the HBR implementation process in LMICs. The findings provide guidance for policy makers, donors, and health care practitioners regarding best implementation practice and effective HBR use, as well as where further research is required.

ABSTRACTBackground:Female sex workers (FSWs) in Cameroon commonly have unmet need for contraception posing a high risk of unintended pregnancy. Unintended pregnancy leads to a range of outcomes, and due to legal restrictions, FSWs often seek unsafe abortions. Aside from the high burden of HIV, little is known about the broader sexual and reproductive health of FSWs in Cameroon.Methods:From December 2015 to October 2016, we recruited FSWs aged ≥18 years through respondent-driven sampling across 5 Cameroonian cities. Cross-sectional data were collected through a behavioral questionnaire. Modified-robust Poisson regression was used to approximate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for TOP and current use of effective nonbarrier contraception.Results:Among 2,255 FSWs (median age 28 years), 57.6% reported history of unintended pregnancy and 40.0% reported prior TOP. In multivariable analysis, TOP history was associated with current nonbarrier contraceptive use (aPR=1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.07, 1.42); ever using emergency contraception (aPR=1.34, 95% CI=1.17, 1.55); >60 clients in the past month (aPR=1.29, 95% CI= 1.07, 1.54) compared to ≤30; inconsistent condom use with clients (aPR=1.17, 95% CI=1.00, 1.37); ever experiencing physical violence (aPR=1.24, 95% CI=1.09, 1.42); and older age. Most (76.5%) women used male condoms for contraception, but only 33.2% reported consistent condom use with all partners. Overall, 26.4% of women reported currently using a nonbarrier contraceptive method, and 6.2% reported using a long-acting method. Previous TOP (aPR=1.41, 95%CI=1.16, 1.72) and ever using emergency contraception (aPR=2.70, 95% CI=2.23, 3.26) were associated with higher nonbarrier contraceptive use. Recent receipt of HIV information (aPR=0.72, 95% CI=0.59, 0.89) and membership in an FSW community-based organization (aPR=0.73, 95% CI=0.57, 0.92) were associated with lower use nonbarrier contraceptive use.Conclusions:Experience of unintended pregnancies and TOP is common among FSWs in Cameroon. Given the low use of nonbarrier contraceptive methods and inconsistent condom use, FSWs are at risk of repeat unintended pregnancies. Improved integration of client-centered, voluntary family planning within community-led HIV services may better support the sexual and reproductive health and human rights of FSWs consistent with the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.

Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased incidence of diabetes, both in humans and in animal models. In addition, an association between vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and diabetes has also been described. However, the involvement of VDR in the development of diabetes, specifically in pancreatic β-cells, has not been elucidated yet. Here, we aimed to study the role of VDR in β-cells in the pathophysiology of diabetes. Our results indicate that Vdr expression was modulated by glucose in healthy islets and decreased in islets from both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes mouse models. In addition, transgenic mice overexpressing VDR in β-cells were protected against streptozotocin-induced diabetes and presented a preserved β-cell mass and a reduction in islet inflammation. Altogether, these results suggest that sustained VDR levels in β-cells may preserve β-cell mass and β-cell function and protect against diabetes.