Demographic Factors Associated with Condom Use in 18-24 Year Olds For Two States, 1998 and 2000/2001

Despite knowledge about the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), young adults continue to participate in sexual risk behaviors such as unprotected sexual intercourse. This study examines factors that influence condom use in adults aged 18-24 years in the United States. Using secondary data from the 1998, 2000, and 2001 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to assess the factors influencing condom use stratified by gender and study year. A p-value of \u3c0.05 and 95% confidence intervals were used to determine statistical significance throughout all analysis performed. Univariate analysis found that increased age and being male were associated with increased odds of condom use. Multivariate analysis stratified by study year found that in 1998 increased age and unemployment was associated with increased odds of condom use. In 2000/2001, increased age was the only factor associated with increased odds of condom use. Being female was associated with decreased odds of condom use in that study year. When stratified by gender, only increased age was associated with increased condom use. The study results suggest that the factors influencing condom use vary between gender and year. Since different factors impact condom use for each gender, the interventions designed to increase condom use must be centered on those factors. Since age was one of the consistent factors positively associated with condom use, interventions must begin earlier to affect the decision-making processes of young adults

Alignment of Epidemiology Practice and Academic Competencies through Effective Collaboration

Background: Online learning has recently garnered increased attention as technology use in the classroom grows. However, most of the published approaches regarding this topic in postgraduate education centers on clinical environments. Models of partnerships between applied public health agencies and academic centers to produce mutually beneficial online learning opportunities for graduate-level public health courses have not been explored in the literature. Methods: East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) partnered to build three online, asynchronous epidemiology modules for an interdisciplinary audience of graduate students. The goals of the modules were to (1) introduce students to a public health issue, (2) provide students with hands-on learning about data and information available through TDH, and (3) allow students to connect theory to practice by having them create a product for use by TDH. TDH created topic-specific modules that would be used within the infectious disease, chronic disease, and cancer epidemiology courses, and piloted during the 2015–2016 academic term. Results: Conference calls between the two institutions occurred in the spring and the summer of 2015. Two of the three epidemiology modules were presented to ETSU staff for critique and edits at an in-person meeting during the summer. The methods of delivery for each section within a module varied from recorded webinar format to self-guided instruction. One module utilized available learning tools provided by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, while the other module was constructed entirely using TDH data. Both modules included various exercises and assignments to be conducted in class and as homework and concluded with the student being asked to construct a learning product as a final project. The ETSU–TDH team decided that this learning product would be provided back to TDH for possible future use. Discussion: The innovative partnership between a state government agency and an academic institution has demonstrated the need for such collaborations in public health. Understanding how applied public health practice would utilize what is learned in the classroom and preparing students for real-world application may be the missing link between theory and practice

CONVERSION ATTRIBUTION BASED ON VIEWABLE IMPRESSIONS

Viewable View Through Conversion (vVTC) are introduced in this publication. vVTC is a way to attribute view-through conversion events back to the impressions that deserve credit for them. vVTC may measure viewability for each impression and attribute conversions to impressions based in part on the measured viewability of each impression. In some implementations, vVTC considers only viewable impressions for attribution

Determination of White Spotting in Dogs: An Investigation of Candidate Genes

In dogs, white spotting is of interest because in some cases of extreme white spotting, in which a dog is nearly entirely white, dogs may also have health disorders including blindness and deafness. Nine candidate genes were tested for association with spotting in dogs, including SOX-10, MCOLN3, EDN3, KITLG, PAX3, MITF, ASIP, ADAMTS20, and SNAI1. These genes were either ruled out (SOX-10, MCOLN3, EDN3, KITLG, PAX3), were not useful in the families in this study (ASIP, ADAMTS20, SNAI1), or studied further (MITF). A genetic mutation called a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the microphthalmiaassociated transcription factor gene (MITF) was discovered and genetic tests were designed to classify the dogs (Beagle crosses and Newfoundlands) into their different genotypes (the combination of alleles located on paired chromosomes that determines a specific characteristic or trait). Studies showed an association between the genotypes and the observed white spotting in the dogs’ coat color. Results suggest that MITF may predict spotting in these breeds

Gene Associations with Country Ham Quality, Quantity and Color Traits

The demand for country hams or dry-cured hams has been on the rise in recent years in the U.S., which provides a new market for pork producers. In this study, three genes involved in the regulation of fatty acid synthesis and antioxidative enzyme transcription were investigated for associations with country ham quality, quantity, and color traits. These processes are import for meat quality. Differences in the animals’ genetic sequence, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected in each gene and association analyzes were performed. Several significant associations were found and include, but are not limited to, cured weight, ham yield, moisture and salt percentage. The findings in this study provide evidence that pigs carrying favorable variants of these genes could be selected for use in improvements in country ham production

SREBP pathway genes as candidate markers in country ham production

Country hams are dry-cured products from the Southeastern region of the USA. This high value product requires quality fresh meat to avoid later processing problems. The marker SREBF1 is a transcription factor involved in the regulation of fatty acid synthesis and antioxidative enzyme transcription. The SREBF1 gene and its regulators, SCAP and MBTPS1, were investigated for associations with several meat quality traits in country hams. After single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) identification, PCR-RFLP tests were designed for one polymorphism in each of the three investigated genes. Meat quality and physical traits were collected on 299 fresh hams. Significant associations were found with ham yield (MBTPS1, PSREBF1xMBTPS1, PMBTPS1, PSREBF1x MBTPS1, PSREBF1, PMBTPS1, PSREBF1xMBTPS1, PSCAPxMBTPS1, PSREBF1xSCAP, PSREBF1, SCAP and MBTPS1 are associated with some country ham quality traits. Breeders could use these gene tests to improve their animals, which would in turn improve country ham processing and other desired production goals

The Impact of Demographic Factors and News Exposure of Child Sexual Abuse in the Mass Media Toward Communication Quality of Parents in Providing Sex Education for Children

Many cases of child sexual abuse become media spotlight, such as print media, TV, and online. However, not all the audience watch the news. They are motivated by differences in demographic factors, such as gender, age, education level, and income level. The cases spread in the mass media should be concern of many parents to pay more attention to the patterns of communication as a way of parents to control the safety of their children. Sex education is considered to be an appropriate way to provide sexual knownledge to children who are vulnerable from the damage of sexual crimes. However, not all parents are willing to deliver sex education to their children.This study employed the theory of social categories explain the difference between social categories can affect the audience\u27s response when receiving message from mass media (Rakhmat, 2011) and media functionalist theory that explain how media exposure can affect their communication activities that occur between the audience (Mc Quail, 1972). The population of this study were the parents of SD Negeri Padangsari 02 Semarang, who have child 10-12 years old. Sampling was done by simple random technique with a number of 63 respondents.The first hypothesis test indicate that the demographic factors of the three variables, those are gender, age, and educational level when calculated simultaneously using regression analysis techniques, do not affect the news exposure of child sexual abuse in the mass media. While the variable of income level has an impact to the news exposure of child sexual abuse in mass media with significance value of 0,011. The second hypothesis test prove that the news exposure of child sexual abuse in the mass media affects the communication quality of parents in providing sex education with a significance value of 0,001.Advice can be given from this study is that parents should pay more attention to their way to communicate with children, especially regarding sex education. Sex education can be good when it is given according to the child\u27s age and their understanding level considering the number of cases of sexual abuse is increase as in the media

Blockchain implementation in health care: Protocol for a systematic review

Background: A blockchain is a digitized, decentralized, distributed public ledger that acts as a shared and synchronized database that records cryptocurrency transactions. Despite the shift toward digital platforms enabled by electronic medical records, demonstrating a will to reform the health care sector, health systems face issues including security, interoperability, data fragmentation, timely access to patient data, and silos. The application of health care blockchains could enable data interoperability, enhancement of precision medicine, and reduction in prescription frauds through implementing novel methods in access and patient consent. Objective: To summarize the evidence on the strategies and frameworks utilized to implement blockchains for patient data in health care to ensure privacy and improve interoperability and scalability. It is anticipated this review will assist in the development of recommendations that will assist key stakeholders in health care blockchain implementation, and we predict that the evidence generated will challenge the health care status quo, moving away from more traditional approaches and facilitating decision making of patients, health care providers, and researchers. Methods: A systematic search of MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, ProQuest Technology Collection and Engineering Index will be conducted. Two experienced independent reviewers will conduct titles and abstract screening followed by full-text reading to determine study eligibility. Data will then be extracted onto data extraction forms before using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool to appraise the quality of included randomized studies and the Risk of Bias in nonrandomized studies of Interventions to assess the quality of nonrandomized studies. Data will then be analyzed and synthesized. Results: Database searches will be initiated in September 2018. We expect to complete the review in January 2019. Conclusions: This review will summarize the strategies and frameworks used to implement blockchains in health care to increase data privacy, interoperability, and scalability. This review will also help clarify if the strategies and frameworks required for the operationalization of blockchains in health care ensure the privacy of patient data while enabling efficiency, interoperability, and scalability

Hot topics, urgent priorities, and ensuring success for racial/ethnic minority young investigators in academic pediatrics.

BackgroundThe number of racial/ethnic minority children will exceed the number of white children in the USA by 2018. Although 38% of Americans are minorities, only 12% of pediatricians, 5% of medical-school faculty, and 3% of medical-school professors are minorities. Furthermore, only 5% of all R01 applications for National Institutes of Health grants are from African-American, Latino, and American Indian investigators. Prompted by the persistent lack of diversity in the pediatric and biomedical research workforces, the Academic Pediatric Association Research in Academic Pediatrics Initiative on Diversity (RAPID) was initiated in 2012. RAPID targets applicants who are members of an underrepresented minority group (URM), disabled, or from a socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged background. The program, which consists of both a research project and career and leadership development activities, includes an annual career-development and leadership conference which is open to any resident, fellow, or junior faculty member from an URM, disabled, or disadvantaged background who is interested in a career in academic general pediatrics.MethodsAs part of the annual RAPID conference, a Hot Topic Session is held in which the young investigators spend several hours developing a list of hot topics on the most useful faculty and career-development issues. These hot topics are then posed in the form of six "burning questions" to the RAPID National Advisory Committee (comprised of accomplished, nationally recognized senior investigators who are seasoned mentors), the RAPID Director and Co-Director, and the keynote speaker.Results/conclusionsThe six compelling questions posed by the 10 young investigators-along with the responses of the senior conference leadership-provide a unique resource and "survival guide" for ensuring the academic success and optimal career development of young investigators in academic pediatrics from diverse backgrounds. A rich conversation ensued on the topics addressed, consisting of negotiating for protected research time, career trajectories as academic institutions move away from an emphasis on tenure-track positions, how "non-academic" products fit into career development, racism and discrimination in academic medicine and how to address them, coping with isolation as a minority faculty member, and how best to mentor the next generation of academic physicians