Trafficking, Client and Police Violence, Sexual Risk and Mental Health Among Women in the Sex Industry at the Thai-Myanmar Border.

This study describes sex trafficking and associations with violence and health among female migrants in the sex industry in Mae Sot, Thailand. The mixed-methods study included a qualitative interview phase (n = 10), followed by a cross-sectional survey phase (n = 128). Entry via trafficking (force, fraud, or coercion [FFC], or as minors) was prevalent (76.6%), primarily FFC (73.4%). FFC was associated with inconsistent condom use, inability to refuse clients, poor health, and anxiety. Past-year violence was normative including client sexual violence (66.4%), client coercion for condom nonuse (> 95%), and police extortion (56%). Working conditions enabled violence irrespective of mode of entry. Profound unmet needs exist for safety and access to justice irrespective of trafficking history.

Gender Differences in Violence and Other Human Rights Abuses Among Migrant Workers on the Thailand-Myanmar Border.

We describe human rights violations against migrant workers at the Thailand-Myanmar border, and evaluate differences by gender and industry. This mixed methods study pairs key informant interviews ( n = 40) with a cross-sectional quantitative survey of migrant workers from Myanmar ( n = 589) recruited via respondent-driven sampling. Key informants described significant hazards during migration, including deception, theft, and physical and sexual abuse, the latter primarily for women. Quantitative results confirmed prevalent mistreatment and abuse, with significant gender differences, most notably women's disproportionate burden of sexual abuse. Current evidence on the nature of experiences, and significant differences by gender, can position prevention and response programming.

Workplace and security stressors and mental health among migrant workers on the Thailand-Myanmar border.

BACKGROUND: Migrant workers in low-resource settings may experience multiple types of workplace and security-related stressors. This study explores the relationship between these stressors and adverse mental health outcomes, through a study of migrant workers from Myanmar, working in agriculture, factory, and sex industries in and around Mae Sot, Thailand. METHODS: Respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit a total sample of 589 male and female migrants. Trained data collectors administered a survey, which included measures of workplace and security-related stressors, and depression and anxiety symptoms. Multivariate regression models were conducted separately for depression and anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: For male agricultural workers, security stressors (ß = 1.9, p = .001) are associated with an increase in depression symptoms and coercive working conditions are associated with an increase in anxiety symptoms (ß = .8, p = .000). For female agricultural workers, daily hassles and stressors were associated with both depression (ß = 1.5, p = .000) and anxiety (ß = .5, p = .027), and barriers to exit (ß = 3.0, p = .005) and security stressors (ß = .9, p = .010) were significantly associated with increased depression symptoms. In the factory subsample, sexual assault and abuse (depression: ß = 2.7, p = .009; anxiety: ß = 2.8, p = .002) and daily hassles and stressors (depression: ß = .7, p = .007; anxiety: ß = .7, p = .001) were both significantly associated with increased depression and anxiety symptoms for males. Other categories of stressors similarly showed different associations with mental health outcomes between occupational groups, and between male and female migrant workers. CONCLUSION: The differing influences of stressors on mental health between the three occupational groups, and between males and females, indicate the need for targeted and tailored approaches to reduce specific stressors and improve services to address mental health needs. Prevention and response need to recognize the differences in working conditions, vulnerabilities, and needs between occupational groups, and between male and female migrant workers.

Methylenedioxy- and ethylenedioxy-fused indolocarbazoles: potent human topoisomerase I inhibitors and antitumor agents.

The indolo[2,3-a]carbazole alkaloids constitute an important class of natural products with interesting and diverse biological activities. A series of novel ring-fused indolocarbazoles were synthesized and evaluated for inhibition of topoisomerase I-mediated relaxation of supercoiled DNA and in vitro antitumor activity. The derivatives bearing a methylenedioxy or an ethylenedioxy ring fused onto the nonglycosylated indole (1a, 1b) demonstrated more potent anti-topoisomerase I activity. The isopropylenedioxy analogue 1c was approximately half as active as 1a, while the O-dimethoxy analogue 1d and the regioisomers 2a and 2b were essentially devoid of measurable activity, implying that the stacking with the intact DNA strand has been impeded by these compounds due to steric hindrance. The newly synthesized indolocarbazoles were screened against the NCI's 60 tumor cell lines. The order of activity, based on the mean GI50 values, is as follows: 1a > 2a ~ 1d > 1b > MCR-47 > 2b. Though in general the analogues that showed potent activity against topoisomerase I (1a, 1b) also showed potent in vitro inhibition of tumor cell growth, the antitumor activity of the anti-topoisomerase I inactive 1d and 2a were intriguing. COMPARE analyses confirmed that the topoisomerase I is the primary target for 1a and 1b; however, other target(s) or pathway(s) may also be involved, with PLD1 and MERTK suggested. Further investigation of these molecular targets against these indolocarbazoles is warranted.

Synthesis, proapoptotic screening, and structure-activity relationships of novel aza-lupane triterpenoids.

Apoptosis is a highly regulated process by which excessive cells are eliminated in order to maintain normal cell development and tissue homeostasis. Resistance to apoptosis often contributes to failure in cancer prevention and treatment. Apoptotic cell death regulators are considered important targets for discovery and development of new therapeutic agents in oncology research. A class of novel aza-lupane triterpenoids were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for antitumor activity against a panel of cancer cell lines of different histogenic origin and for ability to induce apoptosis. 3,30-Bis(aza) derivatives were identified not only to possess improved cytotoxicity compared to the natural product betulinic acid but also to affect cell death predominantly via apoptosis, whereas the mono(aza) derivatives apparently triggered cell death via different, non-apoptotic pathway(s).

Synthesis and cytotoxicity of 2-cyano-28-hydroxy-lup-1-en-3-ones.

New A-ring modified betulin and dihydrobetulin derivatives possessing the 2-cyano-1-en-3-one moiety were prepared and tested for cytotoxicity in seven cancer cell lines. The most active agent 9a synthesized in this account was further demonstrated to induce apoptosis and to activate caspases in malignant melanoma cells.