Neuroimmunomodulation
May 2025
Introduction: The microbiome-gut-brain axis, by modulating bidirectional immune, metabolic, and neural signaling pathways in the host, has emerged as a target for the prevention and treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders. Oral administration of the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG; ATCC 53103) exhibits anti-inflammatory effects, although the precise mechanisms by which LGG benefits host physiology and behavior are not known. The goal of this study was to explore the general effects of LGG on the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteome and a biological signature of anti-inflammatory signaling in the central nervous system (CNS) of undisturbed, adult male rats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Health Information National Trends Survey® (HINTS®) was conceived in 1997 during a multidisciplinary conference focused on risk communication that included attendees representing the fields of psychology, health behavior, health education, public health, clinical medicine, and health journalism. The key recommendation from the conference was for NCI to develop a premiere communication-specific population survey to track health and cancer communication-related phenomena. This led to NCI developing and launching HINTS in 2003.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJCO Oncol Pract
May 2025
Purpose: In 2017, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) funded the Cancer Center Cessation Initiative (C3I) to implement and expand tobacco treatment programs in routine oncology care. Many C3I programs developed specialty care programs staffed by tobacco treatment specialists (TTSs) to deliver evidence-based treatment to adult patients who smoke. People involved in specialty tobacco treatment programs can help to identify implementation strategies and adaptations that may enhance tobacco treatment reach and effectiveness in cancer care and help more patients with cancer quit using tobacco.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFData sharing, the act of making scientific research data available to others, can accelerate innovation and discoveries, and ultimately enhance public health. The National Cancer Institute Implementation Science Centers in Cancer Control convened a diverse group of research scientists, practitioners, and community partners in three interactive workshops (May-June 2022) to identify and discuss factors that must be considered when designing research for equitable data sharing with a specific emphasis on implementation science and social, behavioral, and population health research. This group identified and operationalized a set of seven key considerations for equitable data sharing-conceptualized as an inclusive process that fairly includes the perspectives and priorities of all partners involved in and impacted by data sharing, with consideration of ethics, history, and benefits-that were integrated into a framework.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLiterature on how to address misinformation has rapidly expanded in recent years. The aim of this scoping review was to synthesize the growing published literature on health and science misinformation mitigation interventions. English-language articles published from January 2017 to July 2022 were included.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To examine associations between 1) sociodemographics and 2) trust in health information sources with climate change harm perception.
Methods: Weighted adjusted logistic regression models examined correlates of climate change harm perception (harm vs no harm/don't know) among a nationally representative sample of U.S.
Am J Prev Med
February 2024
Introduction: To reduce tobacco-related health problems, it is critical to reach people who smoke with smoking cessation information and treatment. However, digital communication inequalities may limit access to online information sources.
Methods: Digital device ownership, high-speed internet access, and online health information-seeking were examined among adults reporting current smoking in the Health Information National Trends Survey (n=847).
Background: Cancer patients who receive evidence-based tobacco-dependence treatment are more likely to quit and remain abstinent, but tobacco treatment programs (TTPs) are not consistently offered. In 2017, the U.S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Previous studies have found that tobacco retailers cluster near schools. However, all retail outlets may be located near each other and near schools due to existing infrastructure and zoning policies. We assessed whether tobacco retailers cluster near schools in the United States more than expected when accounting for existing retail locations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe tobacco industry spends the vast majority of their marketing and promotional budget at retail outlets. However, few studies have used publicly available data to examine trends in the number and types of retail establishments where tobacco products are sold. Using the U.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHealth behaviors are critical determinants of the well-being of individuals and populations, and understanding the determinants of these behaviors has been a major focus of research. One important determinant that has received little direct attention in past health research is uncertainty: a complex phenomenon that pertains not only to scientific issues regarding the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, and treatment of health problems, but also to personal issues regarding other important health-related concerns. Here, we make the case for greater attention to uncertainty in health behavior theory and research, and especially to personal uncertainties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClimate change, the greatest threat to human health of our time, has implications for cancer control efforts throughout the cancer care continuum. The direct and indirect impacts of climate change on cancer risk, access to care, and outcomes are numerous and compounding, yet many oncology professionals might not be familiar with the strong connection between climate change and cancer. Thus, to increase awareness of this topic among cancer researchers, practitioners, and other professionals, this commentary discusses the links between climate change and cancer prevention and control, provides examples of adaptation and mitigation efforts, and describes opportunities and resources for future research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The Cancer Center Cessation Initiative (C3I) is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Moonshot Program that supports NCI-designated cancer centers developing tobacco treatment programs for oncology patients who smoke. C3I-funded centers implement evidence-based programs that offer various smoking cessation treatment components (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Prev Med
September 2023
Introduction: This cross-sectional analysis of the 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey (N=3,604) examines the associations of personal values with tobacco and alcohol control policy support, which may inform policy-related communication efforts.
Methods: Respondents selected which of 7 value options they considered most important in their daily life and rated their support for 8 proposed tobacco and alcohol control policies (1=strongly oppose, 5=strongly support). Weighted proportions for each value were described across sociodemographic characteristics, smoking status, and alcohol use.
J Clin Oncol
May 2023
Purpose: Quitting smoking improves patients' clinical outcomes, yet smoking is not commonly addressed as part of cancer care. The Cancer Center Cessation Initiative (C3I) supports National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers to integrate tobacco treatment programs (TTPs) into routine cancer care. C3I centers vary in size, implementation strategies used, and treatment approaches.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMain Objective: There is limited information on how patient outcomes have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study characterizes changes in mortality, intubation, and ICU admission rates during the first 20 months of the pandemic.
Study Design And Methods: University of Wisconsin researchers collected and harmonized electronic health record data from 1.
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev
January 2023
Background: There is mixed evidence about the relations of current versus past cancer with severe COVID-19 outcomes and how they vary by patient and cancer characteristics.
Methods: Electronic health record data of 104,590 adult hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were obtained from 21 United States health systems from February 2020 through September 2021. In-hospital mortality and ICU admission were predicted from current and past cancer diagnoses.
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted cancer screening and treatment delivery, but COVID-19's impact on tobacco cessation treatment for cancer patients who smoke has not been widely explored.
Aims And Methods: We conducted a sequential cross-sectional analysis of data collected from 34 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers participating in NCI's Cancer Center Cessation Initiative (C3I), across three reporting periods: one prior to COVID-19 (January-June 2019) and two during the pandemic (January-June 2020, January-June 2021). Using McNemar's Test of Homogeneity, we assessed changes in services offered and implementation activities over time.
Animal and human studies have shown that exercise prior to nerve injury prevents later chronic pain, but the mechanisms of such preconditioning remain elusive. Given that exercise acutely increases the formation of free radicals, triggering antioxidant compensation, we hypothesized that voluntary running preconditioning would attenuate neuropathic pain by supporting redox homeostasis after sciatic nerve injury in male and female rats. We show that 6 weeks of voluntary wheel running suppresses neuropathic pain development induced by chronic constriction injury across both sexes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Delivering evidence-based tobacco dependence treatment in oncology settings improves smoking abstinence and cancer outcomes. Leadership engagement/buy-in is critical for implementation success, but few studies have defined buy-in or described how to secure buy-in for tobacco treatment programs (TTPs) in cancer care. This study examines buy-in during the establishment of tobacco treatment programs at National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers.
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