Extrastriatal Dopamine D2/3 Receptor Availability in Alcohol Use Disorder and Individuals at High Risk.

INTRODUCTION: Reduced striatal dopamine D2/3 receptor availability in alcohol use disorder (AUD) has been demonstrated in recent clinical studies and meta-analyses. However, only a limited number of studies investigated extrastriatal D2/3 availability in AUD or in at-risk populations. In line with a dimensional understanding of addiction, extrastriatal dopaminergic neuroadaptations have been suggested to be relevant from a pathobiological perspective. METHODS: We investigated D2/3 receptor availability via 18F-fallypride positron emission tomography applying a region of interest (ROI) approach. We selected ROIs for the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Our sample included 19 healthy controls (low risk [LR]), 19 individuals at high risk (HR) to develop addiction, and 20 recently detoxified AUD patients. RESULTS: We found significantly higher D2/3 receptor availability of HR compared to AUD in the left and right rostral ACC (rACC), as well as in the left ventrolateral PFC (vlPFC). We did not observe a significant difference between AUD and LR. After corrections for multiple comparisons none of the ROIs reached significance throughout the group comparison. The D2/3 receptor availability in the left rACC was inversely correlated with symptom severity assessed with the Alcohol Dependency Scale. DISCUSSION: To our knowledge, the present work is the first study investigating extrastriatal D2/3 receptor availabilities in individuals at HR and patients with AUD. The observation that D2/3 receptor availabilities are highest in HR might suggest that their pathobiology differs from subjects with AUD. Future studies are necessary to clarify the intraindividual course of this biomarker over different disease stages and its possible role as a risk or protective factor.

The GEOHealth Hub for Eastern Africa: Contributions and Lessons Learned.

Externalities, such as air pollution and increased occupational hazards, resulting from global trends in climate change, rapid industrialization, and rapidly increasing populations are raising global concerns about the associated health risks. The Global Environmental and Occupational Health Hub for Eastern Africa was established to address some of these problems at national and regional levels through focused training and applied research that would yield evidence supporting policies and investments to mitigate risks of increasing environmental threats throughout the Eastern African region. Emphasis has been placed on air pollution, a leading risk factor for global mortality, accounting for over 7 million premature deaths or 8.7% of the 2017 global mortality burden. Despite the enormous disease burden that air pollution causes, global investment in air pollution monitoring and research capacity building in low-middle and middle-income countries have been inadequate. This study outlines the activities the Hub has undertaken in planning for and carrying out its initial capacity building and building its primary research programs and identifies central lessons that can inform other large global research partnerships.

Fine particulate pollution concentration in Addis Ababa exceeds the WHO guideline value: Results of 3 years of continuous monitoring and health impact assessment.

Real-time monitoring of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations and assessing the health impact are limited in Ethiopia. The objective of this study is to describe current levels of PM2.5 air pollution in Addis Ababa and examine temporal patterns and to consider the health impact of current PM2.5 exposure levels. METHODS: PM2.5 concentrations were measured using a centrally-located Beta Attenuator Monitor (BAM-1022) for 3 years (1 April 2017 to 31 March 2020), with data downloaded biweekly. Deaths attributable to current PM2.5 concentration levels were estimated using the AirQ+ tool. The daily average was estimated using hourly data. RESULTS: The daily mean (SD) PM2.5 concentration was 42.4 µg/m3 (15.98). Two daily extremes were observed: morning (high) and afternoon (low). Sundays had the lowest PM2.5 concentration, while Mondays to Thursdays saw a continuous increase; Fridays showed the highest concentration. Seasons showed marked variation, with the highest values during the wet season. Concentration spikes reflected periods of intensive fuel combustion. A total of 502 deaths (4.44%) were attributable to current air pollution levels referenced to the 35 µg/m3 WHO interim target annual level and 2,043 (17.7%) at the WHO 10 µg/m3 annual guideline. CONCLUSION: PM2.5 daily levels were 1.7 times higher than the WHO-recommended 24-hour guideline. The current annual mean PM2.5 concentration results in a substantial burden of attributable deaths compared to an annual mean of 10 µg/m3. The high PM2.5 level and its variability across days and seasons calls for citywide interventions to promote clean air.

Integrating human rights into sexual and reproductive health research: moving beyond the rhetoric, what will it take to get us there?

The integration of human rights principles in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) research is often recognised to be of value. Good examples abound but lack of clarity persists as to what defines rights-inclusive SRH research. To help move the field forward, this article seeks to explore how key stakeholders responsible for funding and supporting rights in SRH research understand the strengths and weaknesses of what is being done and where, and begins to catalogue potential tools and actions for the future. Interviews with a range of key stakeholders including international civil servants, donors and researchers committed to and supportive of integrating rights into SRH research were conducted and analysed. Interviews confirmed important differences in what is understood to be SRH rights-oriented research and what it can accomplish. General barriers include lack of understanding about the importance of rights; lack of clarity as to the best approach to integration; fear of adding more work with little added benefit; as well as the lack of methodological guidance or published research methodologies that integrate rights. Suggestions include the development of a comprehensive checklist for each phase of research from developing a research statement through ultimately to publication; development of training modules and workshops; inclusion of rights in curricula; changes in journal requirements; and agreement among key funding sources to mandate the integration of rights principles in research proposals they receive. As a next step, cataloguing issues and concerns at local levels can help move the integration of human rights in SRH research from rhetoric to reality.

Inclusion of human rights in sexual and reproductive health programming: Facilitators and barriers to implementation.

The need to prioritise those furthest behind is well understood in global health circles, and how human rights norms and standards can help often touted. As rights concerns are particularly recognised in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) programming, as part of a larger exercise, a review was conducted to identify documented barriers and facilitators to implementation. Given the role global guidance plays in implementing rights-based approaches to SRH, UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP) guidelines, tools, recommendations and guidance that include the explicit mention of human rights principles served as the basis for this exercise. This was followed by an extensive review of the literature. Sources reviewed confirmed barriers include not only broad structural, policy and health systems barriers but financial, staffing and time constraints, as well as lack of understanding of concretely how to include human rights in these efforts. Facilitators include the existence of human rights champions, leadership, strong civil society participation, training, and funding made available specifically for implementation. Investment in indicators and documentation sensitive to human rights is warranted in sexual and reproductive health, as well as other health topics, to best serve populations who need them most.

Dopamine D2/3 receptor availability in alcohol use disorder and individuals at high risk: Towards a dimensional approach.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the most common substance use disorder worldwide. Although dopamine-related findings were often observed in AUD, associated neurobiological mechanisms are still poorly understood. Therefore, in the present study, we investigate D2/3 receptor availability in healthy participants, participants at high risk (HR) to develop addiction (not diagnosed with AUD), and AUD patients in a detoxified stage, applying 18 F-fallypride positron emission tomography (18 F-PET). Specifically, D2/3 receptor availability was investigated in (1) 19 low-risk (LR) controls, (2) 19 HR participants, and (3) 20 AUD patients after alcohol detoxification. Quality and severity of addiction were assessed with clinical questionnaires and (neuro)psychological tests. PET data were corrected for age of participants and smoking status. In the dorsal striatum, we observed significant reductions of D2/3 receptor availability in AUD patients compared with LR participants. Further, receptor availability in HR participants was observed to be intermediate between LR and AUD groups (linearly decreasing). Still, in direct comparison, no group difference was observed between LR and HR groups or between HR and AUD groups. Further, the score of the Alcohol Dependence Scale (ADS) was inversely correlated with D2/3 receptor availability in the combined sample. Thus, in line with a dimensional approach, striatal D2/3 receptor availability showed a linear decrease from LR participants to HR participants to AUD patients, which was paralleled by clinical measures. Our study shows that a core neurobiological feature in AUD seems to be detectable in an early, subclinical state, allowing more individualized alcohol prevention programs in the future.

Workplace wellness programming in low-and middle-income countries: a qualitative study of corporate key informants in Mexico and India.

BACKGROUND: A qualitative study of key informant semi-structured interviews were conducted between March and July 2016 in Mexico and India to achieve the following aims: to explore corporations' and stakeholders' views, attitudes and expectations in relation to health, wellness and cancer prevention in two middle-income countries, and to determine options for health professions to advance their approach to workplace wellness programming globally, including identifying return-on-investment incentives for corporations to implement wellness programming. RESULTS: There is an unmet demand for workplace wellness resources that can be used by corporations in an international context. Corporations in India and Mexico are already implementing a range of health-related wellness programs, most often focused on disease prevention and management. A number of companies indicated interest is collecting return on investment data but lacked the knowledge and tools to carry out return-on-investment analyses. There was widespread interest in partnership with international non-governmental organizations (public health organizations) and a strong desire for follow-up among corporations interviewed, particularly in Mexico. CONCLUSIONS: As low-and middle-income countries continue to undergo economic transitions, the workforce and disease burden continue to evolve as well. Evidence suggests a there is a growing need for workplace wellness initiatives in low-and middle-income countries. Results from this study suggest that while corporations in India and Mexico are implementing wellness programming in some capacity, there are three areas where corporations could greatly benefit from assistance in improving wellness programming in the workplace: 1) innovative toolkits for workplace wellness initiatives and technical support for adaptation, 2) assistance with building partnerships to help implement wellness initiatives and build capacity, and 3) tools and training to collect data for surveillance as well as monitoring and evaluation of wellness programs.