The Knowledge Level of Female University Students about Human Papillomavirus

Awareness and knowledge of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) remains a serious health issue, and an area for continued research. In this study, a survey of female undergraduates at ECU found that while respondents were aware of HPV, there were troubling deficits in their knowledge of it. Vaccination against HPV was not widespread among the respondents. These findings suggest the continued need to educate young women about the risks of HPV. In a 2001 report, the Population Reference Bureau branded the human papillomavirus as a “hidden epidemic� (PRB, 2001). The virus, commonly known as HPV, is the most common sexually transmitted infection. Although the body’s immune system can combat HPV in many cases, there are many other cases of virus causing in genital warts and various cancers (CDC, 2015). That includes cervical cancer in women. The overarching goal of this study was to take an updated look at the levels of HPV awareness and knowledge among college females. The role of educational attainment in awareness and knowledge is of specific interest, particularly given the link between HPV and cervical cancer. Data was gathered through a Web-based survey distributed to female undergraduates at East Carolina University, a southeastern public university. The survey instrument adopted awareness and knowledge questions from the literature, and it collected demographic variables such as age and race/ethnicity. This study asked the following research questions: Research Question 1: What is the level of awareness of HPV among college females? Research Question 2: What is their knowledge level about it? Research Question 3: What percentage of college females been vaccinated against HPV

Technical study of the constraints associated with long distance transport to high value markets

This report presents the findings of a study to identify the main technical constraints associated with long distance transport of Indian horticultural produce to high value markets. The work was undertaken as part of the project 'Development of a strategy for CPHP research to support small farmer access to high value markets for horticultural products (India)', (ZBOlOl), funded by DFID's (formerly the UK Government's Overseas Development Administration) RNRRS Crop Post-harvest Programme development funding

Elucidating the genetic basis of antioxidant status in lettuce (Lactuca sativa).

A diet rich in phytonutrients from fruit and vegetables has been acknowledged to afford protection against a range of human diseases, but many of the most popular vegetables are low in phytonutrients. Wild relatives of crops may contain allelic variation for genes determining the concentrations of these beneficial phytonutrients, and therefore understanding the genetic basis of this variation is important for breeding efforts to enhance nutritional quality. In this study, lettuce recombinant inbred lines, generated from a cross between wild and cultivated lettuce (Lactuca serriola and Lactuca sativa, respectively), were analysed for antioxidant (AO) potential and important phytonutrients including carotenoids, chlorophyll and phenolic compounds. When grown in two environments, 96 quantitative trait loci (QTL) were identified for these nutritional traits: 4 for AO potential, 2 for carotenoid content, 3 for total chlorophyll content and 87 for individual phenolic compounds (two per compound on average). Most often, the L. serriola alleles conferred an increase in total AOs and metabolites. Candidate genes underlying these QTL were identified by BLASTn searches; in several cases, these had functions suggesting involvement in phytonutrient biosynthetic pathways. Analysis of a QTL on linkage group 3, which accounted for >30% of the variation in AO potential, revealed several candidate genes encoding multiple MYB transcription factors which regulate flavonoid biosynthesis and flavanone 3-hydroxylase, an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of the flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol, which are known to have powerful AO activity. Follow-up quantitative RT-PCR of these candidates revealed that 5 out of 10 genes investigated were significantly differentially expressed between the wild and cultivated parents, providing further evidence of their potential involvement in determining the contrasting phenotypes. These results offer exciting opportunities to improve the nutritional content and health benefits of lettuce through marker-assisted breeding

Influence of iodide ingestion on nitrate metabolism and blood pressure following short-term dietary nitrate supplementation in healthy normotensive adults

Uptake of inorganic nitrate (NO3−) into the salivary circulation is a rate-limiting step for dietary NO3− metabolism in mammals. It has been suggested that salivary NO3− uptake occurs in competition with inorganic iodide (I−). Therefore, this study tested the hypothesis that I− supplementation would interfere with NO3− metabolism and blunt blood pressure reductions after dietary NO3− supplementation. Nine healthy adults (4 male, mean ± SD, age 20 ± 1 yr) reported to the laboratory for initial baseline assessment (control) and following six day supplementation periods with 140 mL·day−1 NO3−-rich beetroot juice (8.4 mmol NO3−·day−1) and 198 mg potassium gluconate·day−1 (nitrate), and 140 mL·day−1 NO3−-rich beetroot juice and 450 μg potassium iodide·day−1 (nitrate + iodide) in a randomized, cross-over experiment. Salivary [I−] was higher in the nitrate + iodide compared to the control and NIT trials (P 0.05). Systolic blood pressure was lower than control (112 ± 13 mmHg) in the nitrate (106 ± 13 mmHg) and nitrate + iodide (106 ± 11 mmHg) trials (P 0.05). In conclusion, co-ingesting NO3− and I− perturbed salivary NO3− uptake, but the increase in salivary and plasma [NO2−] and the lowering of blood pressure were similar compared to NO3− ingestion alone. Therefore, increased dietary I− intake, which is recommended in several countries worldwide as an initiative to offset hypothyroidism, does not appear to compromise the blood pressure reduction afforded by increased dietary NO3− intake

Protocols for an Aboriginal-led, Multi-methods Study of the Role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers, Practitioners and Liaison Officers in Quality Acute Health Care

ObjectivesAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers/Practitioners and Liaison Officers play an important, often critical role providing advocacy and cultural and emotional support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. The main goals of this research are to explore i) how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers/Practitioners and Liaison Officers are integrated in the routine delivery of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in hospital, and ii) how the role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers/Practitioners and Liaison Officers facilitates quality health outcomes. MethodsThis study is being conducted in three different hospitals using a multi-method approach including: yarning and Dadirri, patient journey mapping, survey and semi-structured interviews. Ethics approval has been provided from four ethics committees covering the three project sites in Australia (Adelaide, South Australia; Sydney, New South Wales and Alice Springs, Northern Territory). SignificanceThis study uses innovative methodology founded on the privileging of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges to collect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and understand patient journeys within acute health care systems. This project is led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers and guided by the Project Steering Committee comprised of stakeholders. ImplicationsThere is limited research that explores quality acute care processes and the integration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers/Practitioners work within health care teams. This research will make a valuable contribution to understanding how hospital services can achieve quality acute health care experiences for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

Consumer Trust

© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Archived with permission of the publisher. SAGE material is not to be used for commercial MOOCs or any other commercial purposes without permission.In the past two decades, food industries in developed countries have experienced increasing numbers of food scares that have resulted in increased consumer concerns about the safety of food. Concerns about the safety and quality of food have become one of the most prominent issues about food. Media coverage of incidents around food safety and the increased attention to food scares internationally (e.g., bovine spongiform encephalopathy, genetic modification, pesticides, Salmonella, Listeria) have raised public concerns around food safety. As a result of food scares and food safety issues, as well as resulting media stories, there has been a decline in trust in the food supply and production. This decline in trust has led to decreased demands in the foods in question and the purchase of foods from associated companies. For example, within Western Europe, there has been a growing public unease about the health and safety of modern food production. Food-related scares have dominated the news media and have led to the erosion of public trust as well as increasing consumer confusion about food safety and diet issues. In addition, the increase in information from the media regarding what to eat, and where to eat, differs according to the “expert” in question. The results have been a decline in the authority of experts generally. This entry examines the conceptualization and scope of trust in food. The entry begins with a look at reasons for the decline in consumers’ trust in the quality and safety of the food they eat

Assessing the cost of global biodiversity and conservation knowledge

Knowledge products comprise assessments of authoritative information supported by stan-dards, governance, quality control, data, tools, and capacity building mechanisms. Considerable resources are dedicated to developing and maintaining knowledge productsfor biodiversity conservation, and they are widely used to inform policy and advise decisionmakers and practitioners. However, the financial cost of delivering this information is largelyundocumented. We evaluated the costs and funding sources for developing and maintain-ing four global biodiversity and conservation knowledge products: The IUCN Red List ofThreatened Species, the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems, Protected Planet, and the WorldDatabase of Key Biodiversity Areas. These are secondary data sets, built on primary datacollected by extensive networks of expert contributors worldwide. We estimate that US$160million (range: US$116–204 million), plus 293 person-years of volunteer time (range: 278–308 person-years) valued at US$14 million (range US$12–16 million), were invested inthese four knowledge products between 1979 and 2013. More than half of this financingwas provided through philanthropy, and nearly three-quarters was spent on personnelcosts. The estimated annual cost of maintaining data and platforms for three of these knowl-edge products (excluding the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems for which annual costs were notpossible to estimate for 2013) is US$6.5 million in total (range: US$6.2–6.7 million). We esti-mated that an additional US$114 million will be needed to reach pre-defined baselines ofdata coverage for all the four knowledge products, and that once achieved, annual mainte-nance costs will be approximately US$12 million. These costs are much lower than those tomaintain many other, similarly important, global knowledge products. Ensuring that biodi-versity and conservation knowledge products are sufficiently up to date, comprehensiveand accurate is fundamental to inform decision-making for biodiversity conservation andsustainable development. Thus, the development and implementation of plans for sustain-able long-term financing for them is critical

Moderate and heavy metabolic stress interval training improve arterial stiffness and heart rate dynamics in humans

Traditional continuous aerobic exercise training attenuates age-related increases of arterial stiffness, however, training studies have not determined whether metabolic stress impacts these favourable effects. Twenty untrained healthy participants (n = 11 heavy metabolic stress interval training, n = 9 moderate metabolic stress interval training) completed 6 weeks of moderate or heavy intensity interval training matched for total work and exercise duration. Carotid artery stiffness, blood pressure contour analysis, and linear and non-linear heart rate variability were assessed before and following training. Overall, carotid arterial stiffness was reduced (p  0.05). This study demonstrates the effectiveness of interval training at improving arterial stiffness and autonomic function, however, the metabolic stress was not a mediator of this effect. In addition, these changes were also independent of improvements in aerobic capacity, which were only induced by training that involved a high metabolic stress

Quietly sharing the load? The role of school psychologists in enabling teacher resilience

Teacher resilience is associated with positive student outcomes and plays an important role in teacher retention and well-being. School ecologies can enable the resilience of teachers, with prior research illustrating the importance of supportive colleagues, strong leadership, and positive school culture. There is limited research, however, exploring the role of school psychologists in supporting or enabling teacher resilience. Using data from experienced Australian school psychologists and teachers, this exploratory qualitative study examines the role of school psychologists in enabling teacher resilience. Findings show that school psychologists directly and indirectly support teacher resilience, although teachers perceive school psychologists’ main role as work with individual students. Issues pertaining to variations in access and particular roles of school psychologists are discussed. Although further research is needed to clarify and promote the role of school psychologists, this study points to them potentially playing an important role in school ecologies that enable teacher resilience

PPARγ Controls Dectin-1 Expression Required for Host Antifungal Defense against Candida albicans

We recently showed that IL-13 or peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) ligands attenuate Candida albicans colonization of the gastrointestinal tract. Here, using a macrophage-specific Dectin-1 deficient mice model, we demonstrate that Dectin-1 is essential to control fungal gastrointestinal infection by PPARγ ligands. We also show that the phagocytosis of yeast and the release of reactive oxygen intermediates in response to Candida albicans challenge are impaired in macrophages from Dectin-1 deficient mice treated with PPARγ ligands or IL-13. Although the Mannose Receptor is not sufficient to trigger antifungal functions during the alternative activation of macrophages, our data establish the involvement of the Mannose Receptor in the initial recognition of non-opsonized Candida albicans by macrophages. We also demonstrate for the first time that the modulation of Dectin-1 expression by IL-13 involves the PPARγ signaling pathway. These findings are consistent with a crucial role for PPARγ in the alternative activation of macrophages by Th2 cytokines. Altogether these data suggest that PPARγ ligands may be of therapeutic value in esophageal and gastrointestinal candidiasis in patients severely immunocompromised or with metabolic diseases in whom the prevalence of candidiasis is considerable