Pubic Lice (Pthirus pubis): History, Biology and Treatment vs. Knowledge and Beliefs of US College Students

Pubic lice (Pthirus pubis) maintain a worldwide parasitic population infesting two to over 10 percent of human populations, continuing a presence that has been constant since early evidence 10,000 years ago. Outbreaks in the 1970s have been recorded, but incomplete records preclude description of a definitive population cycle. Current levels of infestation in a US college student population were investigated in this study. Knowledge and opinions of students were also recorded in an online survey administered to college students taking a basic health course at a mid-sized East Coast University. In a group of 817 students, 35 reported experience with pubic lice or other STD infection. Knowledge, beliefs, and treatment attitudes were examined for the 782 students who did not have experience with either pubic lice or STD infection. These students deemed antibiotics as a viable treatment for pubic lice infestation. They also indicated negative attitudes toward the use of pesticide crèmes, which are the most useful prescription. Symptoms and transmission myths in student answers are described. Publisher's version available at: http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/6/2

Structural Properties of the Caenorhabditis elegans Neuronal Network

Despite recent interest in reconstructing neuronal networks, complete wiring diagrams on the level of individual synapses remain scarce and the insights into function they can provide remain unclear. Even for Caenorhabditis elegans, whose neuronal network is relatively small and stereotypical from animal to animal, published wiring diagrams are neither accurate nor complete and self-consistent. Using materials from White et al. and new electron micrographs we assemble whole, self-consistent gap junction and chemical synapse networks of hermaphrodite C. elegans. We propose a method to visualize the wiring diagram, which reflects network signal flow. We calculate statistical and topological properties of the network, such as degree distributions, synaptic multiplicities, and small-world properties, that help in understanding network signal propagation. We identify neurons that may play central roles in information processing and network motifs that could serve as functional modules of the network. We explore propagation of neuronal activity in response to sensory or artificial stimulation using linear systems theory and find several activity patterns that could serve as substrates of previously described behaviors. Finally, we analyze the interaction between the gap junction and the chemical synapse networks. Since several statistical properties of the C. elegans network, such as multiplicity and motif distributions are similar to those found in mammalian neocortex, they likely point to general principles of neuronal networks. The wiring diagram reported here can help in understanding the mechanistic basis of behavior by generating predictions about future experiments involving genetic perturbations, laser ablations, or monitoring propagation of neuronal activity in response to stimulation

SEAD Virtual Archive: Building a Federation of Institutional Repositories for Long Term Data Preservation

Major research universities are grappling with their response to the deluge of scientific data emerging through research by their faculty. Many are looking to their libraries and the institutional repository as a solution. Scientific data introduces substantial challenges that the document-based institutional repository may not be suited to deal with. The Sustainable Environment - Actionable Data (SEAD) Virtual Archive specifically addresses the challenges of “long tail” scientific data. In this paper, we propose requirements, policy and architecture to support not only the preservation of scientific data today using institutional repositories, but also its rich access and use into the future

Prenatal to Grade 3 Alignment Initiative

The purpose of this project is to create stronger connections between elementary schools & providers of early childhood care/education programs; and between schools & parents of young children in 10 grantee communities across Oregon. The evaluation team developed data collection tools and is currently providing data collection and utilization training and technical assistance, and conducting systems evaluation data collection and analysis

Quantum control without access to the controlling interaction

In our model a fixed Hamiltonian acts on the joint Hilbert space of a quantum system and its controller. We show under which conditions measurements, state preparations, and unitary implementations on the system can be performed by quantum operations on the controller only. It turns out that a measurement of the observable A and an implementation of the one-parameter group exp(iAr) can be performed by almost the same sequence of control operations. Furthermore measurement procedures for A+B, for (AB+BA), and for i[A,B] can be constructed from measurements of A and B. This shows that the algebraic structure of the set of observables can be explained by the Lie group structure of the unitary evolutions on the joint Hilbert space of the measuring device and the measured system. A spin chain model with nearest neighborhood coupling shows that the border line between controller and system can be shifted consistently.Comment: 10 pages, Revte

Adolescent dietary patterns are associated with lifestyle family psycho-social factors

Background/ Objectives: Dietary intake during adolescence contributes to lifelong eating habits and the development of early risk factors for disease in adulthood. Few studies have examined the dietary patterns of adolescents and the social and environmental factors that may affect them during this life stage. The present study describes dietary patterns in a cohort of adolescents and examines their associations with socioeconomic factors, as well as parental and adolescent risk factor behaviours. Design: A semi quantitative FFQ was used to assess study adolescents’ usual dietary intake over the previous year. Information was collected on family functioning and various socio economic and risk factor variables via questionnaire. Adolescents visited the clinic for anthropometric measurements. Setting: The Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort Study (Raine Study), Perth, Western Australia. Subjects: Adolescents (n 1631) aged 14 years from a pregnancy cohort study. Results: Factor analysis identified two distinct dietary patterns that differed predominantly in fat and sugar intakes. The ‘Western’ pattern consisted of high intakes of take away foods, soft drinks, confectionery, French fries, refined grains, full fat dairy products and processed meats. The ‘Healthy’’ pattern included high intakes of whole grains, fruit, vegetables, legumes and fish. ANOVA showed that the ‘Western’ dietary pattern was positively associated with greater television viewing and having a parent that smoked, and was inversely associated with family income. The ‘Healthy’’ pattern was positively associated with female gender, greater maternal education, better family functioning and being in a two parent family, and was inversely associated with television viewing. Conclusions: This study suggests that both lifestyle factors and family psycho social environment are related to eating patterns in Australian adolescents

Building the Case for Culturally Specific P-3 Strategies in Oregon: Listening to Voices From the Field

Oregon’s early learning and K-12 systems require transformative changes to address racial disparities in school readiness and success. Prenatal-through-Grade-3 (P-3) initiatives are an innovative way to align, strengthen and expand supports for this goal. Culturally specific organizations (CSOs) are uniquely poised and expertly prepared to meet the needs of communities of color while helping Oregon achieve its goals for reducing disparities in kinder­garten readiness and other educational outcomes. The proposed Early Childhood Equity Fund, which is included in the governor’s recommended 2019 budget, would move Oregon closer to eliminating the opportunity gap in kindergarten readiness and school success by investing in culturally specific early learning and family support programs and allocating more resources to CSOs that are imple­menting school readiness strategies

Measuring the processes of change for increasing blood donation in black adults

Background: Blacks have significantly lower blood donation rates than whites. Many views, experiences, and behaviors associated with blood donation are unique to black culture. Evidence suggests that culturally tailored health promotion programs help with increasing black blood donation. To be effective, tailored interventions should be based on valid and reliable measures. The Transtheoretical Model\u27s (TTM) Processes of Change (POC) construct provides an assessment of participants\u27 covert and overt activities and experiences in blood donation. This study describes development and validation of POC for increasing blood donation tailored to blacks. Student Design and Methods: Cross‐sectional measure development with online survey dissemination was used in 566 blacks in the Northeastern United States. Factor analytic structural modeling procedures were used to examine validity of the POC measure. Blood donation POC were examined in participants representing a range of blood donation history and intentions (nondonors, sometimes donors, regular donors) based on an established algorithm. Results: Confirmatory analyses replicated the theoretically expected structure of POC scales which is a 10‐factor, fully correlated best‐fit model. Expected POC patterns by Stages of Change based on theoretical and empirical predictions were confirmed. The range of effect sizes for 10 POC were η2 = 0.04 to 0.25, indicating that TTM POC are strong strategies in blood donation decision making for blacks and can be applied to interventions to increase blood donation for a minority population. Conclusion: POC measure was internally and externally valid in a sample of blacks. Interventions can utilize the POC measure to guide stage‐matched interventions to encourage use of relevant experiential and behavioral strategies to increase blood donation