Mother to child transmission of hepatitis C virus: prospective study of risk factors and timing of infection in children born to women seronegative for HIV-1

Objective: To determine the risk factors for and timing of vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus in women who are not infected with HIV-1.

Implications of applying widely accepted cholesterol screening and management guidelines to a British adult population: cross sectional study of cardiovascular disease and risk factors

Objective: To compare the implications of four widely used cholesterol screening and treatment guidelines by applying them to a population in the United Kingdom.

A Qualitative Study of Potential Suicide Risk Factors Among Soldiers Transitioning From Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom

Using qualitative methods, this study explored potential risk factors for suicide, as defined by Joiner's Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS), in a population of Soldiers returning from deployment in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). Sixty-eight Soldiers participated in semi-structured interviews during the period of transition from deployment to the garrison environment. These Soldiers were asked about changes in perception of pain, experiences of perceived burdensomeness, and lack of belonging. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed. A phenomenological methodology was employed (Creswell, 2006). In response to questions about perception of pain, Soldiers discussed both positive and negative changes in their experience of physical and emotional pain. When asked about experiences of perceived burdensomeness, Soldiers described changes related to deployment, such as injuries and combat related guilt, as well as changes related to transition from combat, including care seeking, reintegration into family and society, and emotional distancing. Regarding the experience of lack of belonging, Soldiers described difficulties related to the deployment, such as combat injuries, leadership roles, and individual differences, as well as difficulties related to reintegration such as symptoms of emotional numbing and distancing. Findings highlight the potential utility of IPTS in exploring both acute and chronic suicide risk factors associated with deployment and transition, as well as potential treatment strategies that may reduce suicide risk in the population of Soldiers during reintegration.

Social risk factors in Spanish youth and their impact on self-concept construction

This paper presents evidence from a psychosocial framework about the relationship among youth, work, and identity construction. The aims of this research were twofold. The first one was to analyze the working conditions of Spanish youth and their impact on individuals' biographies. The second one was to examine the effect of labor-related variables on construction / change of identity elements in Spanish youth. For this purpose, two research techniques were used: the Delphi method (103 experts sample from several entities and organizations closely related to our topic) and deep interviews (15 interviews with youths classified according to their relationship with the work market). Copyright 2007 by The Spanish Journal of Psychology.

Development of a Household Pharmaceutical Waste Collection Program for Atlanta, Georgia: An Analysis of Risk Factors and Public Awareness with a Comprehensive Collection Plan

Decades of mixed messages from three federal agencies left many Americans unaware of the hazards associated with the indiscriminate disposal of unwanted or expired medicines. For this Capstone project, a systematic review of state and federal regulations was undertaken to determine how these laws obstruct household pharmaceutical waste collection. In addition, a survey of 654 Atlanta residents was conducted to evaluate unwanted medicine disposal habits, awareness of pharmaceutical compounds being detected in drinking water, surface, and ground waters, and willingness to participate in a household pharmaceutical waste collection program. Survey responses were tabulated to provide overall results and by age group, gender, and race. A household pharmaceutical waste collection plan was developed for the city and included as an appendix.

Trends in incidences and risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma and other liver events in HIV and hepatitis C virus co-infected individuals from 2001 to 2014: a multi-cohort study.

BACKGROUND  While liver-related deaths in HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infected individuals have declined over the last decade, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may have increased. We described the epidemiology of HCC and other liver events in a multi-cohort collaboration of HIV/HCV co-infected individuals. METHODS  We studied all HCV antibody-positive adults with HIV in the EuroSIDA Study, the Southern Alberta Clinic Cohort, the Canadian Co-infection Cohort, and the Swiss HIV Cohort Study from 2001 to 2014. We calculated the incidence of HCC and other liver events (defined as liver-related deaths or decompensations, excluding HCC) and used Poisson regression to estimate incidence rate ratios. RESULTS  Our study comprised 7,229 HIV/HCV co-infected individuals (68% male, 90% white). During follow-up, 72 cases of HCC and 375 other liver events occurred, yielding incidence rates of 1.6 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3, 2.0) and 8.6 (95% CI: 7.8, 9.5) cases per 1,000 person-years of follow-up, respectively. The rate of HCC increased 11% per calendar year (95% CI: 4%, 19%) and decreased 4% for other liver events (95% CI: 2%, 7%), but only the latter remained statistically significant after adjustment for potential confounders. High age, cirrhosis, and low current CD4 cell count were associated with a higher incidence of both HCC and other liver events. CONCLUSIONS  In HIV/HCV co-infected individuals, the crude incidence of HCC increased from 2001 to 2014, while other liver events declined. Individuals with cirrhosis or low current CD4 cell count are at highest risk of developing HCC or other liver events.

Contribution of Genetic Background and Clinical Risk Factors to Low-Trauma Fractures in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Positive Persons: The Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

Background.  The impact of human genetic background on low-trauma fracture (LTF) risk has not been evaluated in the context of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and clinical LTF risk factors. Methods.  In the general population, 6 common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associate with LTF through genome-wide association study. Using genome-wide SNP arrays and imputation, we genotyped these SNPs in HIV-positive, white Swiss HIV Cohort Study participants. We included 103 individuals with a first, physician-validated LTF and 206 controls matched on gender, whose duration of observation and whose antiretroviral therapy start dates were similar using incidence density sampling. Analyses of nongenetic LTF risk factors were based on 158 cases and 788 controls. Results.  A genetic risk score built from the 6 LTF-associated SNPs did not associate with LTF risk, in both models including and not including parental hip fracture history. The contribution of clinical LTF risk factors was limited in our dataset. Conclusions.  Genetic LTF markers with a modest effect size in the general population do not improve fracture prediction in persons with HIV, in whom clinical LTF risk factors are prevalent in both cases and controls.

Early identification of risk factors for parental abduction /

Available via the Internet from the NCJRS web site.