Condoms are more effective when applied by males: a study of young black males in the United States

PurposeTo determine, among a sample of young black male (YBM), whether female application of male condoms for penile–vaginal intercourse would be associated with higher or lower rates of breakage or slippage. A secondary aim was to investigate if higher rates of breakage or slippage were associated with increased odds of acquiring chlamydia and/or gonorrhea.MethodsA cross-sectional study of 412 YBM, aged 15 to 23 years, was conducted in three US cities located in the Southern United States.ResultsAmong YBM reporting frequent female application of condoms, 43.5% reported one or more instance of breakage or slippage, compared with those reporting less frequent female application (27.2%, P = .003). Among YBM reporting one or more event of breakage or slippage, 25.4% tested positive for chlamydia and/or gonorrhea. In contrast, among those not reporting breakage or slippage, 17.2% tested positive (P = .047).ConclusionsFindings suggest that educational and behavioral interventions should seek to improve young women's skills relative to condom application and use. Further studies could also investigate whether intervention efforts should encourage some YBM to be responsible for their own condom application

A theory-based approach to understanding condom errors and problems reported by men attending an STI clinic

The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2008 Springer VerlagWe employed the information–motivation–behavioral skills (IMB) model to guide an investigation of correlates for correct condom use among 278 adult (18–35 years old) male clients attending a sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic. An anonymous questionnaire aided by a CD-recording of the questions was administered. Linear Structural Relations Program was used to conduct path analyses of the hypothesized IMB model. Parameter estimates showed that while information did not directly affect behavioral skills, it did have a direct (negative) effect on condom use errors. Motivation had a significant direct (positive) effect on behavioral skills and a significant indirect (positive) effect on condom use errors through behavioral skills. Behavioral skills had a direct (negative) effect on condom use errors. Among men attending a public STI clinic, these findings suggest brief, clinic-based, safer sex programs for men who have sex with women should incorporate activities to convey correct condom use information, instill motivation to use condoms correctly, and directly enhance men’s behavioral skills for correct use of condoms

Overview of the Space Launch System Ascent Aeroacoustic Environment Test Program

Characterization of accurate flight vehicle unsteady aerodynamics is critical for component and secondary structure vibroacoustic design. The Aerosciences Branch at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center has conducted a test at the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) Unitary Plan Wind Tunnels (UPWT) to determine such ascent aeroacoustic environments for the Space Launch System (SLS). Surface static pressure measurements were also collected to aid in determination of local environments for venting, CFD substantiation, and calibration of the flush air data system located on the launch abort system. Additionally, this test supported a NASA Engineering and Safety Center study of alternate booster nose caps. Testing occurred during two test campaigns: August - September 2013 and December 2013 - January 2014. Four primary model configurations were tested for ascent aeroacoustic environment definition. The SLS Block 1 vehicle was represented by a 2.5% full stack model and a 4% truncated model. Preliminary Block 1B payload and manned configurations were also tested, using 2.5% full stack and 4% truncated models respectively. This test utilized the 11 x 11 foot transonic and 9 x 7 foot supersonic tunnel sections at the ARC UPWT to collect data from Mach 0.7 through 2.5 at various total angles of attack. SLS Block 1 design environments were developed primarily using these data. SLS Block 1B preliminary environments have also been prepared using these data. This paper discusses the test and analysis methodology utilized, with a focus on the unsteady data collection and processing

Condom-Associated Erection Problems: A Study of High-Risk Young Black Males Residing in the Southern United States

Previous research indicates that young men may experience condom-associated erection loss and that these problems may lead to inconsistent or incomplete condom use. The primary aim of this study was to assess, using a retrospective recall period of 2 months, correlates of condom-associated erection problems among young Black men attending sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics. Data were collected in clinics treating patients with STIs in three southern U.S. cities. Males 15 to 23 years of age who identified as Black/African American and reported recent (past 2 months) condom use were eligible. A total of 494 men participated. Nineteen percent reported that condom-associated erection problems during condom application occurred at least once, and 17.8% indicated erection difficulties occurred during sexual intercourse at least once in the past 2 months. Multivariate analyses identified that condom-associated erection problems were associated with reports of sex with more than one partner during the recall period, reported problems with condom fit and feel, lower motivation to use condoms, and attempts at condom application before having a full erection. Findings suggest that clinic interventions should address possible condom-associated erection problems among young Black men who are at risk of STIs. Encouraging men who may be vulnerable to erection loss when condoms are used to allow sufficient time for sexual arousal to build may be an effective strategy

The Effect of Single-Leg Stance on Dancer and Control Group Static Balance

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(2): 110-120, 2016. The purpose of this study was to compare kinetic differences of static balance between female dancers (D) with at least seven years of dance experience and female non-dancers (ND) who were typical college students. Participants were tested in single-leg stance. Both the dominant leg (DL) and non-dominant leg (NDL) were tested with the participants shod (S) and barefoot (BF). Kinetic variables (vertical, medio-lateral [ML], antero-posterior [AP] maximum ground reaction forces (GRF), and center of pressure (COP) ML and AP) were measured by a Bertec force platform at 1000 Hz with participants S and BF. Each subject’s stance was measured over 3 x 30-second intervals. No significant differences (p≥0.05) existed between groups for height, body mass, or age. Significant differences existed between groups for balance time, AP GRF in both BF and S conditions for both DL and NDL, and ML GRF in BF NDL and S DL and NDL conditions. D and ND in BF and S conditions with DL and NDL static stance demonstrate different AP and ML GRF when balancing over a 30-second time interval. Data may suggest that ND are more prone to lose their balance. Further investigation is warranted to understand whether individuals in the rehabilitative field and athletic populations can use dance therapy for injury prevention and rehabilitation

Space Launch System Booster Separation Aerodynamic Testing in the NASA Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel

A wind-tunnel investigation of a 0.009 scale model of the Space Launch System (SLS) was conducted in the NASA Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel to characterize the aerodynamics of the core and solid rocket boosters (SRBs) during booster separation. High-pressure air was used to simulate plumes from the booster separation motors (BSMs) located on the nose and aft skirt of the SRBs. Force and moment data were acquired on the core and SRBs. These data were used to corroborate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations that were used in developing a booster separation database. The SRBs could be remotely positioned in the x-, y-, and z-direction relative to the core. Data were acquired continuously while the SRBs were moved in the axial direction. The primary parameters varied during the test were: core pitch angle; SRB pitch and yaw angles; SRB nose x-, y-, and z-position relative to the core; and BSM plenum pressure. The test was conducted at a free-stream Mach number of 4.25 and a unit Reynolds number of 1.5 million per foot

Aerodynamic Tests of the Space Launch System for Database Development

The Aerosciences Branch (EV33) at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has been responsible for a series of wind tunnel tests on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Space Launch System (SLS) vehicles. The primary purpose of these tests was to obtain aerodynamic data during the ascent phase and establish databases that can be used by the Guidance, Navigation, and Mission Analysis Branch (EV42) for trajectory simulations. The paper describes the test particulars regarding models and measurements and the facilities used, as well as database preparations

Original Article

本研究の目的は,健康な小児ががんや白血病といった病名からどのようなイメージを抱くのか,自分が大きな病気になったとしたら,病名や治療などについて教えて欲しいと思っているのかを明らかにすることである。千葉県内の小中高校に通っている小学校5年生から高校3年生までの児童生徒1964名から得られたアンケートの回答を,統計ソフトSPSSにて分析を行い以下の結果を得た。1.健康な小児が抱くがんのイメージは,「死ぬ・治らない」「重い・危険・苦しい」といった悲観的なのものが多く,全体の約65%を占めていた。「聞いたことがない・わからない」と答えたものもおり全体の約15%であり,どの学年でも同様の傾向であった。2.健康な小児が抱く白血病のイメージは「病態や特徴について」「原因や治療について」といったものが,全体の約38%を占めていた。「聞いたことがない・わからない」と答えたものは全体の約33%を占め,小学生では半数以上が「聞いたことがない・わからない」と答えていた。3.自分が病気になったときにされる説明については小学生の80%,中学生の85%,高校生の91%が真実を伝えられることを求めていた。その理由として自分の知る権利,治療に前向きに取り組めるといった姿勢の向上,知らないことが不安になる,残された命を有意義に悔いのないように過ごしたいといったものがあげられていた。The purposes of this study were to identify the images of healthy children on cancer and leukemia, and the way of thinking of truth telling with disease. The number of subjects were 1964. They belonged to between the fifth grade of primary school and the third year in high school. They answered someitem-questionnaire, and the answers were analyzed using SPSS. The results were as follows: 1. Sixty-five percent of the images of cancer were pessimistic, like death or incurable and serious or painful . About fifteen percent were having no images. 2. Thirty-eight percent of the images of leukemia were the feature and the cause or the treatment . About thirty-three percent were having no images. 3. Truth telling was desired by eighty percent of students of primary schools, eighty-five percent of junior high schools and ninety-one percent of a high school. The reasons were the rights to know , to be patient with treatments , to become more anxious without truth telling , and to live the remaining days without regrets

Overview of the Space Launch System Ascent Aeroacoustic Environment Test Program

No abstract availabl

Replicating Single-Cycle Adenovirus Vectors Generate Amplified Influenza Vaccine Responses

Head-to-head comparisons of conventional influenza vaccines with ade- novirus (Ad) gene-based vaccines demonstrated that these viral vectors can mediate more potent protection against influenza virus infection in animal models. In most cases, Ad vaccines are engineered to be replication-defective (RD-Ad) vectors. In contrast, replication-competent Ad (RC-Ad) vaccines are markedly more potent but risk causing adenovirus diseases in vaccine recipients and health care workers. To harness antigen gene replication but avoid production of infectious virions, we de- veloped “single-cycle” adenovirus (SC-Ad) vectors. Previous work demonstrated that SC-Ads amplify transgene expression 100-fold and produce markedly stronger and more persistent immune responses than RD-Ad vectors in Syrian hamsters and rhe- sus macaques. To test them as potential vaccines, we engineered RD and SC ver- sions of adenovirus serotype 6 (Ad6) to express the hemagglutinin (HA) gene from influenza A/PR/8/34 virus. We show here that it takes approximately 33 times less SC-Ad6 than RD-Ad6 to produce equal amounts of HA antigen in vitro. SC-Ad pro- duced markedly higher HA binding and hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) titers than RD-Ad in Syrian hamsters. SC-Ad-vaccinated cotton rats had markedly lower influ- enza titers than RD-Ad-vaccinated animals after challenge with influenza A/PR/8/34 virus. These data suggest that SC-Ads may be more potent vaccine platforms than conventional RD-Ad vectors and may have utility as “needle-free” mucosal vaccines