178 research outputs found
Usability and Psychosocial Impact of Decision Support to Increase Sexual Health Education in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities
Despite sexual and reproductive health disparities, few evidence-based sexual health education programs exist for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth, with even fewer tools available to assist AI/AN communities in adopting, implementing, and maintaining such programs. iCHAMPSS (Choosing And Maintaining effective Programs for Sex education in Schools) is a theory- and web-based decision-support-system designed to address dissemination barriers and increase the reach and fidelity of evidence-based programs (EBPs), specifically sexual health education programs. To investigate the potential of iCHAMPSS in AI/AN communities, we pilot-tested iCHAMPSS with adult stakeholders (N = 36) from agencies across the country that serve AI/AN communities. Stakeholders were recruited to review selected iCHAMPSS tools over two weeks in spring 2016. Pre- and post-surveys were administered to assess usability constructs, short-term psychosocial outcomes, and perceived feasibility. Data were analyzed using descriptive and non-parametric statistics. iCHAMPSS was perceived as acceptable, easy to use, credible, appealing, more helpful than current resources, and impactful of EBP adoption, implementation, and maintenance. Conversely, using iCHAMPSS significantly increased participantsâ perceived barriers to adopting an EBP (p = 0.01). Overall, AI/AN stakeholders responded positively to iCHAMPSS, indicating the potential for adaptation to support the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based sexual health education in AI/AN communities
A major QTL controls susceptibility to spinal curvature in the curveback guppy
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Understanding the genetic basis of heritable spinal curvature would benefit medicine and aquaculture. Heritable spinal curvature among otherwise healthy children (<it>i.e. </it>Idiopathic Scoliosis and Scheuermann kyphosis) accounts for more than 80% of all spinal curvatures and imposes a substantial healthcare cost through bracing, hospitalizations, surgery, and chronic back pain. In aquaculture, the prevalence of heritable spinal curvature can reach as high as 80% of a stock, and thus imposes a substantial cost through production losses. The genetic basis of heritable spinal curvature is unknown and so the objective of this work is to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting heritable spinal curvature in the <it>curveback </it>guppy. Prior work with <it>curveback </it>has demonstrated phenotypic parallels to human idiopathic-type scoliosis, suggesting shared biological pathways for the deformity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A major effect QTL that acts in a recessive manner and accounts for curve susceptibility was detected in an initial mapping cross on LG 14. In a second cross, we confirmed this susceptibility locus and fine mapped it to a 5 cM region that explains 82.6% of the total phenotypic variance.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We identify a major QTL that controls susceptibility to curvature. This locus contains over 100 genes, including MTNR1B, a candidate gene for human idiopathic scoliosis. The identification of genes associated with heritable spinal curvature in the <it>curveback </it>guppy has the potential to elucidate the biological basis of spinal curvature among humans and economically important teleosts.</p
The ICL/Stockline Disaster: An Independent Report on Working Conditions Prior to the Explosion
Native IYG: Improving Psychosocial Protective Factors for HIV/STI and Teen Pregnancy Prevention among Youth in American Indian/Alaska Native Communities
Background: Few HIV/STI and pregnancy prevention programs for youth in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities have been rigorously evaluated despite sexual health disparities in this population. This study reports the evaluation of a culturally adapted Internet-based HIV/STI and pregnancy prevention program for AI/AN youth, Native Itâs Your Game (Native IYG).
Methods: A randomized study was conducted with 523 youth (12 to 14 years old), recruited from 25 tribal sites in Alaska, Arizona, and the Pacific Northwest. Participants were surveyed at baseline and upon completion of treatment or comparison interventions. Multivariable linear regression models were used to assess impact on short term psychosocial determinants of sexual initiation.
Results: A sample of 402 intervention (n=290) and comparison (n=112) youth completed the post-intervention survey (76.9% retention) from 1 to 462 days post-baseline (mean = 114, SD = ¹96.67). Participants were 55.5% female, mean age of 13.0 (¹ 0.97) years with 86.1% self-reporting as AI/AN. Reasons not to have sex, STI knowledge, condom knowledge, condom availability self-efficacy, and condom use self-efficacy were significantly impacted (all P ⤠.01). Limitations included variability in intervention exposure and time between data collection time points.
Conclusions: Native IYG demonstrated efficacy to impact short-term psychosocial determinants of sexual behavior in a sample of predominantly AI/AN middle school youth
Marine-derived quorum-sensing inhibitory activities enhance the antibacterial efficacy of tobramycin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Bacterial epiphytes isolated from marine eukaryotes were screened for the production of quorum sensing inhibitory compounds (QSIs). Marine isolate KS8, identified as a Pseudoalteromonas sp., was found to display strong quorum sensing inhibitory (QSI) activity against acyl homoserine lactone (AHL)-based reporter strains Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472 and CV026. KS8 supernatant significantly reduced biofilm biomass during biofilm formation (-63%) and in pre-established, mature P. aeruginosa PAO1 biofilms (-33%). KS8 supernatant also caused a 0.97-log reduction (-89%) and a 2-log reduction (-99%) in PAO1 biofilm viable counts in the biofilm formation assay and the biofilm eradication assay respectively. The crude organic extract of KS8 had a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2 mg/mL against PAO1 but no minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was observed over the concentration range tested (MBC > 16 mg/mL). Sub-MIC concentrations (1 mg/mL) of KS8 crude organic extract significantly reduced the quorum sensing (QS)-dependent production of both pyoverdin and pyocyanin in P. aeruginosa PAO1 without affecting growth. A combinatorial approach using tobramycin and the crude organic extract at 1 mg/mL against planktonic P. aeruginosa PAO1 was found to increase the efficacy of tobramycin ten-fold, decreasing the MIC from 0.75 to 0.075 Âľg/mL. These data support the validity of approaches combining conventional antibiotic therapy with non-antibiotic compounds to improve the efficacy of current treatments
The Healthy Native Youth Implementation toolbox: Using Implementation Mapping to adapt an Online Decision Support System to Promote Culturally-Relevant Sexual Health Education For american indian and alaska Native Youth
BACKGROUND: American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth experience serious disparities in sexual and reproductive health, including the highest teen birth rate among racial/ethnic groups, and disproportionate rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI), including HIV. A growing number of evidence-based programs (EBPs) that integrate the strengths and cultural teachings of Native communities exist. Yet, multiple factors, including lack of trained personnel, limited resources, and geographic isolation, may hinder their adoption and implementation. Innovative implementation strategies that facilitate the adoption and implementation of sexual health EBPs in Native communities may help reduce these disparities.
METHODS: We applied Implementation Mapping, a systematic planning framework that utilizes theory, empirical evidence, and community input, to adapt a theory-based, online decision support system, iCHAMPSS (CHoosing And Maintaining Effective Programs for Sex Education in Schools), to support underlying dissemination and implementation processes unique to Native communities. We used an iterative design process, incorporating input from Native practitioners and academicians, to ensure that the adapted decision support system reflects cultural identification, community values, and experiences.
RESULTS: Grounded in diffusion of innovations, organizational stage theory, and social cognitive theory, the
CONCLUSION: There is a continued need to design, test, and evaluate D&I strategies that are relevant to Native communities. Th
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Analysis of Abrupt Transitions in Ecological Systems
The occurrence and causes of abrupt transitions, thresholds, or regime shifts between ecosystem states are of great concern and the likelihood of such transitions is increasing for many ecological systems. General understanding of abrupt transitions has been advanced by theory, but hindered by the lack of a common, accessible, and data-driven approach to characterizing them. We apply such an approach to 30â60 years of data on environmental drivers, biological responses, and associated evidence from pelagic ocean, coastal benthic, polar marine, and semi-arid grassland ecosystems. Our analyses revealed one case in which the response (krill abundance) linearly tracked abrupt changes in the driver (Pacific Decadal Oscillation), but abrupt transitions detected in the three other cases (sea cucumber abundance, penguin abundance, and black grama grass production) exhibited hysteretic relationships with drivers (wave intensity, sea-ice duration, and amounts of monsoonal rainfall, respectively) through a variety of response mechanisms. The use of a common approach across these case studies illustrates that: the utility of leading indicators is often limited and can depend on the abruptness of a transition relative to the lifespan of responsive organisms and observation intervals; information on spatiotemporal context is useful for comparing transitions; and ancillary information from associated experiments and observations aids interpretation of response-driver relationships. The understanding of abrupt transitions offered by this approach provides information that can be used to manage state changes and underscores the utility of long-term observations in multiple sentinel sites across a variety of ecosystems.Organismic and Evolutionary Biolog
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A structural study of hcp and liquid iron under shock compression up to 275 GPa
We combine nanosecond laser shock compression with \emph{in-situ} picosecond
X-ray diffraction to provide structural data on iron up to 275 GPa. We
constrain the extent of hcp-liquid coexistence, the onset of total melt, and
the structure within the liquid phase. Our results indicate that iron, under
shock compression, melts completely by 258(8) GPa. A coordination number
analysis indicates that iron is a simple liquid at these pressure-temperature
conditions. We also perform texture analysis between the ambient
body-centered-cubic (bcc) , and the hexagonal-closed-packed (hcp)
high-pressure phase. We rule out the Rong-Dunlop orientation
relationship (OR) between the and phases. However, we
cannot distinguish between three other closely related ORs: Burger's,
Mao-Bassett-Takahashi, and Potter's OR. The solid-liquid coexistence region is
constrained from a melt onset pressure of 225(3) GPa from previously published
sound speed measurements and full melt (246.5(1.8)-258(8) GPa) from X-ray
diffraction measurements, with an associated maximum latent heat of melting of
623 J/g. This value is lower than recently reported theoretical estimates and
suggests that the contribution to the earth's geodynamo energy budget from heat
release due to freezing of the inner core is smaller than previously thought.
Melt pressures for these nanosecond shock experiments are consistent with gas
gun shock experiments that last for microseconds, indicating that the melt
transition occurs rapidly
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