Washington Area Research Articles

Forecasting cattle depredation risk by recolonizing gray wolves

Minimizing wolf‐livestock conflicts requires identifying conditions placing livestock at risk and focusing adaptive management at a local scale. Gray wolves Canis lupus began recolonizing Washington in 2008. We used generalized linear mixed models to investigate characteristics of wolf pack territories in Idaho and Montana from 1991–2008 (n = 137) and predict cattle Bos taurus depredation risk for current and probable wolf‐occupied areas in Washington. Cattle depredation risk increased with cattle abundance and if the pack depredated cattle the previous year. When models were applied to wolf pack territories in Washington from 2008–2016 (n = 43), 3 of 7 (43%) depredating pack territory/years were predicted at ≥61% depredation risk. During the summer grazing season (1 May – 31 October) when most cattle depredations (97%; n = 34) occurred in Washington, cattle east of the Cascade Mountains were often on grazing allotments whereas cattle west of the Cascade Mountains were located on small, private farms. Thus, relative cattle abundance per grazing allotment and county likely represented cattle depredation risk east and west of the Cascade Mountains, respectively. County‐wide and allotment cattle abundance forecasted 10.3% and 1.4% of probable wolf‐occupied areas at ≥ 61% cattle depredation risk, respectively. These risk models and maps provide locations for federal and state wildlife managers to focus depredation prevention measures and a template for future analyses as wolves continue to recolonize Washington.

Band‐tailed pigeon use of supplemental mineral

ABSTRACTBand‐tailed pigeons (Patagioenas fasciata) congregate at and use mineral sites (mineralized water or soil) throughout their range; however, information needed to interpret counts of pigeons at these sites and make inference to population abundance and distribution is lacking despite current monitoring efforts. Our objectives were to determine if we could create a mineral site used by band‐tailed pigeons; test whether pigeons seek supplemental sodium, calcium, or both; describe the pattern of pigeon use of mineral sites seasonally and within days by individual birds; and evaluate implications of precipitation, fog, temperature, and mineral concentration on pigeon visitation patterns. We attracted hundreds of pigeons/day to a created mineral site that offered sodium, calcium, or both in a forested area in southwestern Washington, USA where we captured and applied passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags to 771 pigeons and monitored mineral use during 2010–2014. When offered paired sodium and calcium stations, pigeons near exclusively consumed sodium, and pigeons continued to use the created mineral site for 3 years when calcium was not available. Pigeons visited sodium stations on average once every 12 days during June through early October; reducing available sodium concentration from 3,500 ppm to 1,000 ppm had no significant effect on visitation rates. Counts of pigeons at mineral sites varied with precipitation, sex, and time of season; consequently, comparison of pigeon counts among mineral sites can be biased if not accounting for these factors. Our results show that pigeons can be attracted to mineral stations, and that counts at mineral sites and stations allow opportunities for population monitoring. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Cougar response to a gradient of human development

AbstractHuman populations continue to increase and transform Earth's ecosystems. For large carnivores, human development reduces habitat abundance, alters predator–prey dynamics, and increases the risk of mortality, which may threaten the viability of many populations. To investigate how the cougar (Puma concolor) responds to a gradient of human development in four areas in Washington, USA, we used utilization distributions, county tax parcel data, Weibull modeling analysis, and multiple comparison techniques. Cougars used wildland areas the majority of the time (79% ± 2%, n = 112 cougars), with use decreasing as housing densities increased. When present in human‐developed areas in eastern Washington, 99% of the habitat that cougars used had housing densities ≤76.5 residences/km2, which was <846.0 residences/km2 observed in western Washington (P < 0.01). Cougars used areas in western Washington with greater housing density likely because of the clustered nature of housing developments, the connectivity with greenbelts and forested corridors, and security cover of dense maritime vegetation. Our findings suggest a consistent, albeit nuanced response by cougars to human development that may be used by wildlife managers, landscape planners, and environmental educators to guide and enhance their efforts to minimize the impacts of human development on cougars and reduce the potential for conflicts with people. Our model may also provide guidance for thresholds of human development for other adaptable large carnivores.

Facilitators of and Barriers to Gastric Cancer Screening Among Korean Americans.

Gastric cancer is the most highly prevalent cancer among Korean Americans, occurring at a higher rate than among other Asian Americans and non-Latino Whites. However, little is known about the culturally specific barriers to gastric cancer screening among Korean Americans. The aim of this study was to explore facilitators of and barriers to gastric cancer screening among Korean Americans. In this qualitative focus group study, a convenience sample of 50 Korean Americans aged 21 to 75 years was recruited from the Puget Sound area of Washington with the assistance of Korean churches. Five focus groups of 6 to 8 and 1 focus group of 13 were conducted in a church, a café, and an apartment community center. The focus group discussions lasted approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour. Directed content analysis was used to analyze the data. Facilitators included exposure to Korean media, history and prevalence of gastric problems, perceptions concerning positive aspects of the healthcare system in South Korea, physician recommendations, technology, and church health fair. Barriers included a lack of knowledge, finance/lack of health insurance, fear of test results, perceptions of an inconvenient American healthcare system, a lack of knowledge of American healthcare providers on culturally related health risks, a dislike of medical procedures, and no preventive measures. Sociocultural facilitators and barriers add new knowledge in a field with scarce information available. The study findings lay the groundwork for developing culturally relevant interventions that enhance healthcare providers' awareness while empowering Korean Americans to prevent gastric cancer.

Piloting a mobile health intervention to increase physical activity for adolescents with ADHD.

Physical activity (PA) reduces symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); interventions to increase PA may improve functioning and health for adolescents with ADHD. Mobile health (mHealth) technology and social media constitute promising interactive modalities for engaging adolescents—who are at highest risk for ADHD treatment drop-out—in interventions to increase PA. The current pilot study evaluated feasibility and acceptability of an innovative intervention incorporating an mHealth-linked wearable activity tracker (Fitbit Flex) and a Facebook group to increase PA among adolescents with ADHD. 11 adolescents diagnosed with ADHD (age 14–18, m = 15.5; 54% female) participated in a 4-week trial utilizing the Fitbit Flex in conjunction with (1) weekly personalized step count goals (2) social support through a Facebook group and (3) daily text messages about PA. The study took place in the greater Seattle, Washington area in the fall of 2015. Adolescents completed online surveys twice per week to rate their ADHD symptoms and positive and negative mood states, and parents rated adolescent ADHD symptoms weekly.Participants were adherent to the study protocol and acceptability of the intervention was high. Linear mixed models indicated that participants significantly increased their average weekly steps over the course of the study and demonstrated improvements in both adolescent and parent-reported ADHD Inattentive symptoms.Results indicate that this mHealth intervention is engaging and promising for increasing PA among adolescents with ADHD, and warrant further study. Implications for improving ADHD symptoms and overall functioning for this undertreated population are discussed.

Natural areas as a basis for assessing ecosystem vulnerability to climate change

AbstractThere are more than 580 natural areas in Oregon and Washington managed by 20 federal, state, local, and private agencies and organizations. This natural areas network is unparalleled in its representation of the diverse ecosystems found in the Pacific Northwest, and could prove useful for monitoring long‐term ecological responses to climate change. Our objectives were to (1) evaluate potential effects of climate change on these natural areas and (2) develop strategies for selecting and prioritizing sites for long‐term monitoring. Bioclimatic and Random Forest modeling were used to identify subsets of natural areas to prioritize for long‐term monitoring efforts based on the current and projected (2020s, 2050s, 2080s) outputs from 13 future climate models. Projection consensus suggest some of the largest effects of climate change on natural areas may be the result of a substantial range increase in suitable climate for warmer‐adapted forest types coupled with a reduction in habitat for cooler‐adapted forest types. We identify four strategies that could be used for prioritizing sites and help manage and protect biodiversity in the Pacific Northwest, especially given uncertainty over climate change effects.

Bacterial Populations Associated with Smokeless Tobacco Products.

It is estimated that there 8 million users of smokeless tobacco products (STPs) in the United States; however, there are limited data on microbial populations that exist within these products. The current study was undertaken to better understand the potential microbiological risks associated with STP use and provide a baseline microbiological profile of STPs. Several bacterial species were identified that are of possible concern due to their potential to cause opportunistic infections. In addition, some species have abilities to reduce nitrates to nitrites, which may be an important step in the formation of carcinogenic tobacco-specific N'-nitrosamines. Overall, this report provides a microbiological baseline to help fill knowledge gaps related to the microbiological risks of STPs and to inform potential regulations regarding the manufacture and testing of STPs.

Evaluating Ancient Whale Exploitation on the Northern Oregon Coast Through Ancient DNA and Zooarchaeological Analysis

ABSTRACTWhales have long been an important part of Pacific Northwest Coast human subsistence and lifeways. Native peoples on the Oregon Coast were not known to hunt whales, but a humpback whale phalange with an embedded bone harpoon at the Par-Tee site (35CLT20) and ethnographic accounts raised the possibility of opportunistic whale hunting. We analyzed a suite of whale remains from Par-Tee and performed ancient DNA-based species identifications on 30 specimens. The assemblage includes gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus, 60.7% of the assemblage), humpbacks (Megaptera novaeangliae, 32.1%), minkes (Balaenoptera acutorostrata, 3.6%), and orcas (Orcinus orca, 3.6%). While the species composition is similar to those found in archaeological deposits from systematic whaling areas in Washington and Vancouver Island, bone modification patterns and element representation reveal important differences. Our analysis demonstrates that whales were likely a supplementary part of human subsistence at Par-Tee and, while opportunistic whale hunting likely occurred, it may have been secondary to scavenging and utilization of beached and/or drift whales.

Relaxed Stark Law Means More Flexibility in 2016

Medicare has relaxed some requirements of the Stark Law through its 2016 fee schedule and created new exceptions for compensation arrangements under the statute. The changes make it easier to recruit nonphysician employees, share rental space, and operate on expired contracts without fear of violating the law. “These rules show the government was seeking to give some flexibility in the area of Stark procedure or technical issues,” said Julie E. Kass, JD, a Washington area health law attorney who specializes in Stark and antikickback laws. “I think what [the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] was seeing, and the kinds of issues being disclosed, weren’t things that were going to raise the risk of fraud or Julie E. Kass, JD abuse to the program. Recognizing that, they wanted to make sure there weren’t unnecessary concerns about these, or unnecessary [efforts].” What should y ou know about the Stark Law modifications? Ms. Kass and Philadelphia-based health law attorney Karl A. Thallner Jr., Esq., discussed the latest changes in a recent interview.

Reduction in Needle Sharing Among Seattle-Area Injection Drug Users Across 4 Surveys, 1994-2013.

We evaluated time trends in sharing needles and other injection equipment from 1994 to 2013 among injection drug users in the Seattle, Washington area. We combined data from 4 sources: the Risk Activity Variables, Epidemiology, and Network (RAVEN) study, recruited from institutional settings; the Kiwi study, recruited from jails; National HIV Behavioral Surveillance system (NHBS) surveys, which used respondent-driven sampling; and surveys at needle-exchange sites. Levels of needle sharing were higher in the earlier studies: RAVEN, 1994 to 1997 (43%) and Kiwi, 1998 to 2002 (61%). In the NHBS surveys, the initial level of 44% in 2005 declined to 31% in the period 2009 to 2012. Across needle-exchange surveys (2009-2013) the level was 21%. There was a parallel reduction in sharing other injection equipment. These trends persisted after control for sociodemographic and risk-associated variables. There was a contemporaneous increase in the number of needles distributed by local needle exchanges and a decline in the number of reported HIV cases among injection drug users. The apparent long-term reduction in sharing injection equipment suggests substantial success in public health efforts to reduce the sharing of injection equipment.

The effects of habitat, climate, and Barred Owls on long-term demography of Northern Spotted Owls

ABSTRACT Estimates of species' vital rates and an understanding of the factors affecting those parameters over time and space can provide crucial information for management and conservation. We used mark–recapture, reproductive output, and territory occupancy data collected during 1985–2013 to evaluate population processes of Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) in 11 study areas in Washington, Oregon, and northern California, USA. We estimated apparent survival, fecundity, recruitment, rate of population change, and local extinction and colonization rates, and investigated relationships between these parameters and the amount of suitable habitat, local and regional variation in meteorological conditions, and competition with Barred Owls (Strix varia). Data were analyzed for each area separately and in a meta-analysis of all areas combined, following a strict protocol for data collection, preparation, and analysis. We used mixed effects linear models for analyses of fecundity, Cormack-Jolly-...

The relationship between general causality orientation and treatment outcome among marijuana-dependent adults

General causality orientations are motivational styles that are indicative of a person's belief about personal change and their motivation to change. The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether causality orientations were associated with marijuana treatment outcomes in a sample of marijuana-dependent individuals. A total of 74 participants (66% male) were recruited from the Seattle, Washington area and randomly assigned to receive a combination of motivational enhancement and cognitive behavioral therapy or the combination treatment plus additional “check-up” sessions. Follow-up assessments evaluated frequency of use, use-related problems, and marijuana use disorder symptoms through 9months. Causality orientations were relatively stable over time. Posttreatment Autonomy orientations were associated with lower frequency of use and Controlled orientations were associated with a reduction in use, problems, and marijuana use disorder symptoms. Autonomy and Controlled orientations were associated with readiness to change. Results suggest that both autonomous and controlled orientations have implications for response to treatment; perhaps for different reasons. Causality orientations may be a promising avenue of research to predict treatment response and outcome.

Increased harbor porpoise mortality in the Pacific Northwest, USA: understanding when higher levels may be normal.

In 2006, a marked increase in harbor porpoise Phocoena phocoena strandings were reported in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, resulting in the declaration of an unusual mortality event (UME) for Washington and Oregon to facilitate investigation into potential causes. The UME was in place during all of 2006 and 2007, and a total of 114 porpoises stranded during this period. Responders examined 95 porpoises; of these, detailed necropsies were conducted on 75 animals. Here we review the findings related to this event and how these compared to the years immediately before and after the UME. Relatively equal numbers among sexes and age classes were represented, and mortalities were attributed to a variety of specific causes, most of which were categorized as trauma or infectious disease. Continued monitoring of strandings during 4 yr following the UME showed no decrease in occurrence. The lack of a single major cause of mortality or evidence of a significant change or event, combined with high levels of strandings over several post-UME years, demonstrated that this was not an actual mortality event but was likely the result of a combination of factors, including: (1) a growing population of harbor porpoises; (2) expansion of harbor porpoises into previously sparsely populated areas in Washington's inland waters; and (3) a more well established stranding network that resulted in better reporting and response. This finding would not have been possible without the integrated response and investigation undertaken by the stranding network.

Multi-scale assessment of metal contamination in residential soil and soil fauna: A case study in the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan region, USA

This study examined the distribution of metals in residential soils from the scale of a residential yard to a metropolitan area by comparing residences along an urbanization gradient in the Baltimore–Washington area, USA. In addition, earthworms and terrestrial isopods were sampled from residential yards to measure body burdens of metals. Soil metal concentrations from lawns and planting bed (road, foundation, and yard) patches were compared (1) among land-use types (inner urban, outer urban, suburban, and rural); (2) between pre- and post-1940 built residential structures; and (3) among yard patch types. Lawn soil concentrations of As, Cd, and Pb varied statistically among the land-use types. Differences between inner urban and rural lawn soils varied almost eight-fold for Pb, three-fold for Cd, and more than two-fold for As. Bed patches exhibited a slightly stronger relationship than lawns across the urbanization gradient. A similar relationship was shown for pre- and post-1940 structures with older having higher concentrations than post-1940 structures. Earthworm body burdens were statistically correlated with soil Pb, while isopod burdens exhibited a significant relationship with soil As, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn. A post-hoc analysis with bird blood Pb data that was available for the residences, showed a significant relationship with earthworm Pb body burdens. This study suggests that despite policy efforts to reduce metal emissions, contamination of soil persists in urban residences at levels that have health implications for people and wildlife living in the Baltimore–Washington, DC area.

Gallery Chronicle

Gallery Chronicle Leann Davis Alspaugh (bio) The Spanish Journey: El Greco in the National Gallery of Art( November 2, 2014–February 16, 2015) and Washington-Area Collections—A 400th Anniversary Celebration(National Gallery of Art through February 16, 2015). El Greco (1541–1614) knew the value of his work and was not afraid to go to court to prove his point. In 1606, he was embroiled in a court battle disputing the low valuation of his work for the chapel at the Hospital of Charity in Illescas, Spain. True, he had missed the deadline for completion by several months and made some unapproved design changes. In addition, he inserted several recognizable faces dressed in contemporary attire at the edges of the central painting of Mary as the Virgin of Charity. While this practice was not all that unusual, the hospital’s brotherhood rightly pointed out that including leading citizens’ portraits drew attention away from what was supposed to be an image honoring the Virgin. El Greco, however, wished to make an additional point to the court. He lobbied, successfully as it turned out, to avoid paying taxes on his fees, arguing for painting as a liberal art. For the first time in Spain, painting was officially recognized as an art form on a higher plane than the mechanical [End Page 438]or technical arts. The architect Leon Battista Alberti and the painter Masaccio, among others, had already written of art and individuality in the fifteenth century, but that had been in the very heart of Renaissance Italy. While Toledo, where El Greco had been established since 1577, was a social and political center, it was also dominated by the conservative forces of the Catholic Counter-Reformation. By importing this novel view of art to Spain, El Greco spread the idea of painting’s increasingly humanistic role; when he brought this idea to the attention of the court, he established a legal basis for the recognition of originality and artistic creativity. In one stroke, so to speak, El Greco demonstrated that art might represent a patron’s ideas as well as those of the artist. (It also meant, of course, that the artist would be responsible for these ideas.) El Greco’s sense of self worth was not inconsiderable—after all, this was the same man who had approached Pope Pius V in Rome with an offer to paint over Michelangelo’s highly controversial Last Judgment. (The story goes that El Greco ended up fleeing Rome for Toledo when his Roman peers learned of his hubris.) But El Greco’s attempt to establish painting as part of the artes liberales, or arts worthy of free people, contributed to a new understanding of the worth of the individual in the creative process. As we come off of a year of exhibitions marking the 400th anniversary of El Greco’s death, we are reminded not only of his singular influence on modern art, but also his legacy as an artist convinced of the moral certainty of his own creativity. El Greco in the National Gallery and Washington Area Collections: A 400th Anniversary Celebrationcollects eleven El Greco works in a single gallery. It is a rare privilege to be able to see works from almost every period of the artist’s life, including such masterpieces as Laocoönand Saint Martin and the Beggar. In the case of the latter, the exhibition also includes a smaller copy made in El Greco’s workshop, offering an instructive opportunity for comparison. Christ Cleansing the Temple(National Gallery, probably before 1570) is distinctly Venetian in palette and composition and shows the influence of Titian under whom El Greco studied in Venice. El Greco is accomplished but uneven in this ambitious scene, taken from Mark 11:15–17, juggling a densely packed frieze of figures with a complex architectural background and a welter of Christian symbols presented as genre details. El Greco may have chosen this theme because it was uncommon—but still sanctioned by the Council of Trent as a suitable representation of the purification of the church. A multitude of focal points tempts the eye, but the genre details, a trick El Greco picked up...

Network Reliability and Resilience of Rapid Transit Systems

The recent increase in demand and transportation security highlights the importance of the public transit system in the United States. This study explores how potential failures on nodal disruptions affect transit system flows and examines the change in the reliability of transit systems with a case study of the Greater Metropolitan Area of Washington, DC. For methodology, we employ network reliability and system flow loss and assess the criticality of stations under a variety of simulated nodal disruptions. We evaluate network resilience by identifying the best and worst geographical impact scenarios on networks.

Abstract C13: Use of air monitoring and urine biomarker assays to measure geographic disparities in exposure to VOCs in Washington, DC

Abstract The District of Columbia has one of the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates in the nation in conjunction with significant cancer-related geographic and racial disparities. Increased exposure to environmental carcinogens, such as benzene, in high risk areas of DC is of public health importance and may play a role in these disparities in cancer incidences and mortality rates. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), such as toluene and benzene, are absorbed by the body and undergo metabolism to produce bio-activated (can lead to cancer and other serious health effects) metabolites that are excreted from the body via the urine and/or feces. Air monitoring and urinary biomarker assays are accepted methods for exposure assessment of VOCs but little is known regarding the correlation between the two. In this study we compared the urinary concentrations of hippuric acid and t,t-muconic acid (two known benzene and toluene metabolites, respectively) with indoor and outdoor exposure levels of toluene and benzene in high risk (<1 mile from highway/freeway) and low risk urban areas (>3 miles from the highway/freeway) in Washington, DC. First morning void urine samples were collected from 16 adult residents in high risk areas and 14 adult residents in low risk areas after 72 hours of air monitoring. Urine samples were sent to NMS laboratory and metabolite levels were measured using liquid chromatography/ mass spectrometry. Indoor and outdoor benzene and toluene levels were measured in the same homes over 72 hours using a 3M Organic Vapor Monitor and analyzed using gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC/MS). t,t-muconic acid urinary concentration levels in normal non-exposed individuals has been previously reported at .0001g/l and hippuric acid levels have been reported at <1.4 g/l. In our study participants, mean levels of urinary t,t-muconic and hippuric acid were .0003g/l and .35 g/l, respectively. Toluene levels, as measured by air monitoring, indoors (-0.34, p=0.08) and outdoors (-0.004, p=0.98) were both negatively correlated with urinary hippuric acid levels. A negative correlation was also observed between outdoor benzene levels and t,t-muconic acid (-0.23, p =0.11), however indoor levels showed a positive correlation with the urinary biomarker (0.13, p =0.52). We also observed higher levels of t,t-muconic acid in the high risk residents (87.17g/gCR) compared to low risk residents (59.54 g/gCR; p =0 .56). The positive correlation between indoor benzene levels and urinary t,t-muconic acid levels suggest the presence of additional sources of benzene inside the homes. Though air levels of VOCs are a good indicator of exposure, urinary metabolites may give a more measure of VOC exposure. Although not statistically significant, we observed a disparity in exposure to VOCs in “high risk” versus “low risk” areas in Washington, DC. Citation Format: Ashley Corrin Huderson, Chiranjeev Dash, Lucile Adams-Campbell. Use of air monitoring and urine biomarker assays to measure geographic disparities in exposure to VOCs in Washington, DC. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr C13. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-C13

Long-Term Soil Productivity in Christmas Tree Farms of Oregon and Washington: A Comparative Analysis between First- and Multi-Rotation Plantations

Christmas tree production removes organic matter and associated nutrients from a site and can change soil physical properties, reduce mycorrhizal populations, and result in pesticide over-use/accumulation. These impacts have been implicated in potential field productivity declines. Assessing Christmas tree productivity is complicated by genetics, management, and market forces. We approached the perceived or possible productivity decline by examining soil properties on 22 pairs of sites. Each pair was comprised of an early rotation and late rotation plot with 1 and 3 or more rotations of Christmas trees, respectively. All sites were located on commercial Christmas tree plantations from the major production areas in Washington and Oregon. Chemical properties assessed to 45cm included pH, total C and N, and extractable P, K, Ca, and Mg. Soil physical properties assessed included aggregate stability and soil resistance. In general, we found little impact on soil resources that would impact long term production of Christmas trees. These impacts may have been mitigated by farmers following extension service recommendations. Nitrogen, K, and Ca appeared to be primarily affected by harvesting, but replacement by fertilizer application was probably adequate.

A Multisite Study of the Prevalence of Serious Mental Illness, PTSD, and Substance Use Disorders of Women in Jail

This multisite study aimed to answer the following research questions about women in urban and rural jails. First, what is the current and lifetime prevalence of serious mental illness (major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and psychotic spectrum disorders) of women in jail? Second, what level of impairment is associated with their serious mental illness? Third, what is the proportion of incarcerated women with serious mental illness who also have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a substance use disorder, or both? Participants were 491 women randomly sampled in jails in Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, and the metropolitan area of Washington, D.C. Structured interviews assessed lifetime and 12-month prevalence of disorders and level of impairment. Forty-three percent of participants met lifetime criteria for a serious mental illness, and 32% met 12-month criteria; among the latter, 45% endorsed severe functional impairment. Fifty-three percent met criteria for ever having PTSD. Almost one in three (29%) met criteria for a serious mental illness and PTSD, 38% for a serious mental illness and a co-occurring substance use disorder, and about one in four (26%) for all three in their lifetime. The prevalence of serious mental illness and its co-occurrence with substance use disorders and PTSD in this multisite sample suggest the critical need for comprehensive assessment of mental health at the point of women's entry into the criminal justice system and the necessity for more programs that offer alternatives to incarceration and that can address the complexity of female offenders' treatment needs.

Plasma polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations and immune function in postmenopausal women

BackgroundPolychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure has been associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in several studies, and the immune system is a potential mediator. ObjectivesWe analyzed associations of plasma PCBs with immune function measures. We hypothesized that higher plasma PCB concentrations are associated with lower immune function cross-sectionally, and that increases in PCB concentrations over a one year period are associated with decreases in immune function. MethodsPlasma PCB concentrations and immune function [natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity and PHA-induced T-lymphocyte proliferation (PHA-TLP)] were measured at baseline and one year in 109 postmenopausal overweight women participating in an exercise intervention study in the Seattle, Washington (USA) area. Mixed models, with adjustment for body mass index and other potential confounders, were used to estimate associations of PCBs with immune function cross-sectionally and longitudinally. ResultsAssociations of PCBs with immune function measures differed across groups of PCBs (e.g., medium- and high-chlorinated and dioxin-like [mono-ortho-substituted]) and by the time frame for the comparison (cross-sectional vs. longitudinal). Higher concentrations of medium- and high-chlorinated PCBs were associated with higher PHA-TLP cross-sectionally but not longitudinally. The mean decrease in 0.5µg/mL PHA-TLP/50.0pmol/g-lipid increase in dioxin-like PCBs over one year was 51.6 (95% confidence interval 2.7, 100.5; P=0.039). There was no association between plasma PCBs and NK cytotoxicity. ConclusionsThese results do not provide strong evidence of impaired cellular immunity from PCB exposure. Larger longitudinal studies with greater variability in PCB exposures are needed to further examine temporal associations of PCBs with immune function.