Religiosity and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Latina Adolescents: Trends from 1995 to 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine trends in the influence of religiosity on sexual activity of Latina adolescents in the United States from 1995 to 2008 and to determine if differences existed between the Mexican American and other Latina groups. Methods: The sample comprised the subset of unmarried, 15–21-year-old (mean 17 years) Latina female respondents in the 1995 (n=267), 2002 (n=306), and 2006–2008 (n=400) National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) datasets. Associations between religiosity (importance of religion and service attendance) and history of ever having sex, number of sex partners, and age of sexual debut were investigated. Results: Less than one half of Latinas in 1995 (44%) and in 2006–2008 (44%) reported that religion was very important to them, whereas in 2002, 50% reported it was important. Only in 1995 did Latinas who viewed religion as very important have a significantly lower level of sexual initiation. In 1995 and in 2006–2008, Latinas who held religion as very important had significantly fewer partners. In all three cohorts, the higher religious importance group had higher virgin survival rates. Across cohorts, approximately one third of respondents reported frequent religious attendance. In all cohorts, frequent attenders were less likely to have had sex, had fewer partners, and had older age at sexual debut. The survival rate as virgins for Mexican origin Latinas was higher in 1995 and 2002 compared to non-Mexican Latinas but was almost the same in 2006–2008. Conclusions: Religiosity had a protective association with sexual activity among Latina adolescents. The association of importance of religion with sexual activity has diminished from 1995 to 2008, however, whereas the importance of service attendance has remained stable. The influence of religion was more apparent among the Latinas of Mexican origin, but this greater influence also diminished by 2006–2008

Adherence to Recommendations for Follow-up to Abnormal Pap Tests

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether timely adherence rates differ by race among women with abnormal Pap tests participating in a cost-free or reduced-cost program. METHODS: Eligible subjects included women aged 47-64 years who received a referral for follow-up care after an abnormal Pap test from 1999 to 2002 in South Carolina (n=330). Adherence was measured as days to receipt of follow-up care after an abnormal Pap test. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to estimate risk factors associated with time to adherence within 60 and 365 days by race. RESULTS: African-American and non-Hispanic white women had similar adherence to follow-up. Among white women, those with high-grade lesions were less likely to adhere in a timely manner relative to those with low-grade lesions (hazard ratio 0.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.4-1.0). For African-American women, rural residence (hazard ratio: 0.5, 95% CI 0.2-0.9) and history of abnormal Pap tests (hazard ratio 0.6, 95% CI 0.3-1.0) were associated with decreased adherence, whereas less education (hazard ratio 2.3, 95% CI 1.3-3.9) was associated with increased adherence. CONCLUSION: Adherence rates do not differ by race. However, risk factors for adherence within race are variable. Interventions tailored to the differential needs of racial and ethnic groups may prove effective toward increasing timely adherence rates. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I

Flexible synthesis of cationic peptide-porphyrin derivatives for light-triggered drug delivery and photodynamic therapy

Efficient syntheses of cell-penetrating peptide-porphyrin conjugates are described using a variety of bioconjugation chemistries. This provides a flexible means to convert essentially hydrophobic tetrapyrolle photosensitisers into amphiphilic derivatives which are well-suited for use in light-triggered drug delivery by photochemical internalisation (PCI) and targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT)

Pioglitazone Attenuates Cystic Burden in the PCK Rodent Model of Polycystic Kidney Disease

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a genetic disorder characterized by growth of fluid-filled cysts predominately in kidney tubules and liver bile ducts. Currently, the clinical management of PKD is limited to cyst aspiration, surgical resection or organ transplantation. Based on an observation that PPARγ agonists such as pioglitazone and rosiglitazone decrease mRNA levels of a Cl− transport protein, CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator), and the Cl− secretory response to vasopressin in cultured renal cells, it is hypothesized that PPARγ agonists will inhibit cyst growth. The current studies show that a 7- or 14-week pioglitazone feeding regimen inhibits renal and hepatic bile duct cyst growth in the PCK rat, a rodent model orthologous to human PKD. These studies provide proof of concept for the mechanism of action of the PPARγ agonists and suggest that this class of drugs may be effective in controlling both renal and hepatic cyst growth and fibrosis in PKD

What’s Sex (Composition) Got to Do with It? The Importance of Sex Composition of Gangs for Female and Male Members’ Offending and Victimization

Sex composition of groups has been theorized in organizational sociology and found in prior work to structure female and male members’ behaviors and experiences. Peer group and gang literature similarly finds that the sex gap in offending varies across groups of differing sex ratios. Drawing on this and other research linking gang membership, offending, and victimization, we examine whether sex composition of gangs is linked to sex differences in offending in this sample, further assess whether sex composition similarly structures females’ and males’ victimization experiences, and if so, why. Self-report data from gang members in a multi-site, longitudinal study of 3,820 youths are employed. Results support previous findings about variations in member delinquency by both sex and sex composition of the gang and also indicate parallel variations in members’ victimization. These results are further considered within the context of facilitating effects such as gender dynamics, gang characteristics, and normative orientation

Quasars as standard candles III. Validation of a new sample for cosmological studies

We present a new catalogue of ~2,400 optically selected quasars with spectroscopic redshifts and X-ray observations from either Chandra or XMM-Newton. The sample can be used to investigate the non-linear relation between the UV and X-ray luminosity of quasars, and to build a Hubble diagram up to redshift z~7.5. We selected sources that are neither reddened by dust in the optical/UV nor obscured by gas in the X-rays, and whose X-ray fluxes are free from flux-limit related biases. After checking for any possible systematics, we confirm, in agreement with our previous works, that (i) the X-ray to UV relation provides distance estimates matching those from supernovae up to z~1.5, and (ii) its slope shows no redshift evolution up to z~5. We provide a full description of the methodology for testing cosmological models, further supporting a trend whereby the Hubble diagram of quasars is well reproduced by the standard flat $\Lambda$CDM model up to z~1.5-2, but strong deviations emerge at higher redshifts. Since we have minimized all non-negligible systematic effects, and proven the stability of the $L_{\rm X}-L_{\rm UV}$ relation at high redshifts, we conclude that an evolution of the expansion rate of the Universe should be considered as a possible explanation for the observed deviation, rather than some systematic (redshift-dependent) effect associated with high-redshift quasars.Comment: 24 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Quasars as standard candles: III. Validation of a new sample for cosmological studies

We present a new catalogue of 3c2400 optically selected quasars with spectroscopic redshifts and X-ray observations from either Chandra or XMM-Newton. The sample can be used to investigate the non-linear relation between the ultraviolet (UV) and X-ray luminosity of quasars as well as to build a Hubble diagram up to a redshift of z 3c 7.5. We selected sources that are neither reddened by dust in the optical and UV nor obscured by gas in the X-rays, and whose X-ray fluxes are free from flux-limit-related biases. After checking for any possible systematics, we confirm, in agreement with our previous works, that the X-ray to UV relation provides distance estimates matching those from supernovae up to z 3c 1.5, and its slope shows no redshift evolution up to z 3c 5. We provide a full description of the methodology for testing cosmological models, further supporting a trend whereby the Hubble diagram of quasars is well reproduced by the standard flat cold dark matter model up to z 3c 1.5-2, but strong deviations emerge at higher redshifts. Since we have minimised all non-negligible systematic effects and proven the stability of the LX - LUV relation at high redshifts, we conclude that an evolution of the expansion rate of the Universe should be considered as a possible explanation for the observed deviation, rather than some systematic (redshift-dependent) effect associated with high-redshift quasars

Multiple Sexual Partners and Condom use among 10 - 19 Year-olds in four Districts in Tanzania: What do we Learn?

Although some studies in Tanzania have addressed the question of sexuality and STIs among adolescents, mostly those aged 15 - 19 years, evidence on how multiple sexual partners influence condom use among 10 - 19 year-olds is limited. This study attempts to bridge this gap by testing a hypothesis that sexual relationships with multiple partners in the age group 10 - 19 years spurs condom use during sex in four districts in Tanzania. Secondary analysis was performed using data from the Adolescents Module of the cross-sectional household survey on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) that was done in Kigoma, Kilombero, Rufiji and Ulanga districts, Tanzania in 2008. A total of 612 adolescents resulting from a random sample of 1200 households participated in this study. Pearson Chi-Square was used as a test of association between multiple sexual partners and condom use. Multivariate logistic regression model was fitted to the data to assess the effect of multiple sexual partners on condom use, having adjusted for potential confounding variables. STATA (10) statistical software was used to carry out this process at 5% two-sided significance level. Of the 612 adolescents interviewed, 23.4% reported being sexually active and 42.0% of these reported having had multiple (> 1) sexual partners in the last 12 months. The overall prevalence of condom use among them was 39.2%. The proportion using a condom at the last sexual intercourse was higher among those who knew that they can get a condom if they want than those who did not. No evidence of association was found between multiple sexual partners and condom use (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.35 - 1.67, P = 0.504). With younger adolescents (10 - 14 years) being a reference, condom use was associated with age group (15 - 19: OR = 3.69, 95% CI = 1.21 - 11.25, P = 0.022) and district of residence (Kigoma: OR = 7.45, 95% CI = 1.79 - 31.06, P = 0.006; Kilombero: OR = 8.89, 95% CI = 2.91 - 27.21, P < 0.001; Ulanga: OR = 5.88, 95% CI = 2.00 - 17.31, P = 0.001), Rufiji being a reference category. No evidence of association was found between multiple sexual partners and condom use among adolescents in the study area. The large proportion of adolescents who engage in sexual activity without using condoms, even those with multiple partners, perpetuates the risk of transmission of HIV infections in the community. Strategies such as sex education and easing access to and making a friendly environment for condom availability are important to address the risky sexual behaviour among adolescents

Slow relaxation in the two dimensional electron plasma under the strong magnetic field

We study slow relaxation processes in the point vortex model for the two-dimensional pure electron plasma under the strong magnetic field. By numerical simulations, it is shown that, from an initial state, the system undergoes the fast relaxation to a quasi-stationary state, and then goes through the slow relaxation to reach a final state. From analysis of simulation data, we find (i) the time scale of the slow relaxation increases linearly to the number of electrons if it is measured by the unit of the bulk rotation time, (ii) during the slow relaxation process, each electron undergoes an superdiffusive motion, and (iii) the superdiffusive motion can be regarded as the Levy flight, whose step size distribution is of the power law. The time scale that each electron diffuses over the system size turns out to be much shorter than that of the slow relaxation, which suggests that the correlation among the superdiffusive trajectories is important in the slow relaxation process.Comment: 11pages, 19 figures. Submitted to J. Phys. Soc. Jp