Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3419/3/3/1057

Immune and Genetic Susceptibility in the Development of Cervical Cancer

Barbara Mora, Felipe M Benavente, Carmen G Ili and Priscilla Brebi

Article Type: Review Article | Publication Updated: June 13, 2016

Cervical cancer is the second most frequent cancer in women worldwide. Although 99.7% of cases are attributed to a previous infection by Human papillomavirus, a small percentage of the infected women progress to cervical cancer, suggesting the existence of different risk factors involved in the development and progression of this pathology. Genetic variability related to the host immune system could play an important role in the defense response to Human papillomavirus and therefore to the proba...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2469-5793/1510033

High Rates of Neurobehavioral Disorder Associated with Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol among African Americans Driven by the Plethora of Liquor Stores in the Community

Carl C Bell

Article Type: Short Communication | Publication Updated: June 03, 2016

This short communication highlights the need to screen for and identify the new DSM-5 proposed criteria of Neurobehavioral Disorders associated with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (ND-PAE). Emerging research has demonstrated that there are populations that at higher risk for this disorder owing to their social circumstances, i.e. the plethora of liquor stores in their community. One point prevalence study found that one low-income African-Americans have rates of ND-PAE at 388/1,000. Over the counter ...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2469-5793/1510032

Identifying Health Literacy in Kansas Using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

Amy K Chesser, Trisha V Melhado, Robert B Hines and Nikki Keene Woods

Article Type: Short Communication | Publication Updated: June 02, 2016

Introduction: Despite the increasing recognition of the importance of health literacy, there is a lack of evidence regarding the use of a brief health literacy assessment for population-based, state-led surveys. The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of adding a health literacy measurement tool to the Kansas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Methods:A cross-sectional research design was used. Health literacy data were extracted from the state-specific module...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3419/3/3/1056

Breast Cancer Screening and Chemoprevention

J Drew Payne, Menfil Orellana-Barrios, Teri Payne, Anita Sultan and Catherine Jones

Article Type: Short Chart Review | Publication Updated: May 31, 2016

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer related death among women in the United States. Breast cancer chemoprevention is a proven way to reduce breast cancer incidence. This article will present a short literature review and an assessment and description of breast cancer screening and chemoprevention in an outpatient internal medicine clinic. Records were reviewed to provide description of the screening in an outpatient internal medicin...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3419/3/3/1055

Second Line and Maintenance Therapy for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer without Driver Mutation: An Evolving Paradigm

Stephanie Brule and Paul Wheatley-Price

Article Type: Review Article | Publication Updated: May 02, 2016

Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer amongst men and women combined, and is responsible for the greatest number of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents about 85% of all lung cancers, and is the umbrella term that includes the most common histological subtypes: adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma. Due to the fact that it is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage or recurs after potentially curative treatment, t...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2474-1353/1510025

Are Synthetic Slings for Stress Urinary Incontinence Safe?

Bela Kudish and Alexander Geoffrey Anderson

Article Type: Commentary | Publication Updated: June 27, 2016

Urinary incontinence affects millions of women worldwide and is as common as hypertension, depression, or diabetes, with the prevalence estimated between 10 and 77%. The urinary incontinence rates vary by race or ethnicity and by age. Among the various types of urinary incontinence, bothersome stress urinary incontinence is reported to occur in 15% of women, arising commonly after a vaginal delivery, with urge urinary incontinence/overactive bladder disease found in 11% and mixed urinary inconti...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2474-1353/1510024

Relationship between Socio Demographic Characteristics and HIV Indicators among Women in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia and Malawi Based on DHS Data

Samuel Kalibala, Erick Oweya and Lyson Phiri

Article Type: Research Article | Publication Updated: June 25, 2016

In sub-Saharan Africa women have disproportionately higher HIV prevalence than men. This is in spite of the wide availability of HIV information, condoms and HIV testing services. UNAIDS has proposed that due to women's fear of stigma and rejection by their partners, women are not able to seek HIV testing and other HIV services. In order to inform targeted programming for women it is important to examine to what extent women in Africa have attained HIV information and positive attitudes and whet...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2474-1353/1510023

Stealth Embolics for Uterine Fibroid Embolization

Alexandre Laurent, Laurence Moine, Laurent Bedouet and Michel Wassef

Article Type: Short Review | Publication Updated: June 15, 2016

Once fibroid ischemia is achieved by the blockade of the uterine arteries with particles, there is no longer the need for these particles which act as permanent foreign bodies in the uterus. They generate inflammation and will compromise the physiological adaptation of the uterine arteries during pregnancy. After having played their role, the particles have to disappear. The time for resorbable biomaterials has come. Promising degradable microspheres are being developed from various biomaterials...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2377-3634/1410063

Hba1c Variability, Absolute Changes in Hba1c, and the Risk of Poor Glycemic Control among Older Adults with Diabetes Enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plans

Dingwei Dai, Susannah Higgins and Natan Szapiro

Article Type: Research Article | Publication Updated: July 01, 2016

Healthcare claims data for all diabetes patients aged 65 years or older and continuously enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans in Independence Blue Cross from 2013 to 2014 and had ≥ 3 HbA1c measurements in the 2013 measurement year (MY). We used patients' zip codes to link to US census data to get socioeconomic status information. Poor glycemic control was identified as the most recent HbA1c level > 9.0% during the MY. HbA1c variability was defined as within-subject standard deviation of Hb...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2377-3634/1410062

The Impact of Energy Drink Consumption on Vascular Endothelial Function

R Matthew Brothers

Article Type: Research Article | Publication Updated: June 07, 2016

Vascular endothelial dysfunction contributes to a variety of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Despite anecdotal reports of adverse cardiovascular and hemodynamic effects of energy drink consumption there has been very little scientific research conducted on this important topic. Furthermore, the limited research available has not yielded consistent results. This study tested the hypothesis that consumption of a commercially available energy drink would have no effect on endothelial functio...