Cervical cancer prevention practices through screening and vaccination: A cross-sectional study among Hong Kong Chinese women

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Hong Kong Chinese parental attitudes towards vaccination and associated socio-demographic disparities

Background: Most previous studies on parental attitudes towards vaccination focused on a disease-specific vaccine. In this study we describe general attitudes towards vaccination in Chinese parents and associated socio-demographic disparities. Methods: Data were collected from a random sample of 1996 Hong Kong Chinese parents by telephone interviews (response rate 60%). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed. Results: Most parents believed vaccination to be effective (91.6%) and beneficial (78.7%), though many considered optional vaccines unimportant (39.5%) and unnecessary (62.1%). Demographic characteristics associated with parental negative attitudes to vaccination included being female, born in Hong Kong, married, having fewer children, and children ever experienced vaccination side effects. Lower personal income and religious affiliation were associated with more hesitant attitudes towards optional vaccines. Conclusion: Segments of the population hold significantly negative attitudes towards vaccination and optional vaccines, suggesting a need for targeted efforts on vaccination communication in these groups.postprin

Direct measurement of local oxygen concentration in the bone marrow of live animals

Characterizing how the microenvironment, or niche, regulates stem cell activity is central to understanding stem cell biology and to developing strategies for therapeutic manipulation of stem cells1. Low oxygen tension (hypoxia) is commonly thought to be a shared niche characteristic in maintaining quiescence in multiple stem cell types2–4. However, support for the existence of a hypoxic niche has largely come from indirect evidence such as proteomic analysis5, expression of HIF-1 and related genes6, and staining with surrogate hypoxic markers (e.g. pimonidazole)6–8. Here we perform direct in vivo measurements of local oxygen tension (pO2) in the bone marrow (BM) of live mice. Using two-photon phosphorescence lifetime microscopy (2PLM), we determined the absolute pO2 of the BM to be quite low (<32 mmHg) despite very high vascular density. We further uncovered heterogeneities in local pO2, with the lowest pO2 (~9.9 mmHg, or 1.3%) found in deeper peri-sinusoidal regions. The endosteal region, by contrast, is less hypoxic as it is perfused with small arteries that are often positive for the marker nestin. These pO2 values change dramatically after radiation and chemotherapy, pointing to the role of stress in altering the stem cell metabolic microenvironment

Novel genetic associations for blood pressure identified via gene-alcohol interaction in up to 570K individuals across multiple ancestries

Heavy alcohol consumption is an established risk factor for hypertension; the mechanism by which alcohol consumption impact blood pressure (BP) regulation remains unknown. We hypothesized that a genome-wide association study accounting for gene-alcohol consumption interaction for BP might identify additional BP loci and contribute to the understanding of alcohol-related BP regulation. We conducted a large two-stage investigation incorporating joint testing of main genetic effects and single nucleotide variant (SNV)-alcohol consumption interactions. In Stage 1, genome-wide discovery meta-analyses in approximate to 131 K individuals across several ancestry groups yielded 3,514 SNVs (245 loci) with suggestive evidence of association (P <1.0 x 10(-5)). In Stage 2, these SNVs were tested for independent external replication in individuals across multiple ancestries. We identified and replicated (at Bonferroni correction threshold) five novel BP loci (380 SNVs in 21 genes) and 49 previously reported BP loci (2,159 SNVs in 109 genes) in European ancestry, and in multi-ancestry meta-analyses (P < 5.0 x 10(-8)). For African ancestry samples, we detected 18 potentially novel BP loci (P< 5.0 x 10(-8)) in Stage 1 that warrant further replication. Additionally, correlated meta-analysis identified eight novel BP loci (11 genes). Several genes in these loci (e.g., PINX1, GATA4, BLK, FTO and GABBR2 have been previously reported to be associated with alcohol consumption. These findings provide insights into the role of alcohol consumption in the genetic architecture of hypertension

First detection of Schmallenberg virus RNA in bovine semen, Germany, 2012

In analogy to the related Akabane virus, transmission of Schmallenberg virus (SBV) by contaminated semen has primarily been considered negligible. However, the potential economic consequences for stock-bull breeders prompted the investigation of reliable diagnostic methods for SBV-RNA detection in bovine semen. Twelve extraction methods were compared using a dilution series of SBV-spiked semen as well as serum and medium samples for control. The most promising methods were subsequently used with semen samples obtained in an intensive field study. In total, frozen semen from 95 SBV-seroconverted bulls collected in the field between May and November 2012 were tested for SBV-RNA with an optimised standard operating procedure. The highest diagnostic and analytical sensitivity for the extraction of SBV in semen was found for the Trizol® LS Reagent lysis with or without combined purification of the viral RNA with magnetic beads. A total of 29 of 766 semen batches from 11 of 95 SBV-infected bulls were PCR-positive (Cq-values 26−37). Intermittent virus excretion was observed in 2 of the bulls. SBV-RNA-positive semen was coincidentally detected with early SBV-antibodies in 4 bulls. In bulls that showed seroconversion together with consecutive positive semen batches, SBV-RNA was predominantly found in the seminal cell fraction, while in bulls with single positive results only, SBV-RNA was detected exclusively in the seminal plasma

Silent Localization of Underwater Sensors Using Magnetometers

Sensor localization is a central problem for sensor networks. If the sensor positions are uncertain, the target tracking ability of the sensor network is reduced. Sensor localization in underwater environments is traditionally addressed using acoustic range measurements involving known anchor or surface nodes. We explore the usage of triaxial magnetometers and a friendly vessel with known magnetic dipole to silently localize the sensors. The ferromagnetic field created by the dipole is measured by the magnetometers and is used to localize the sensors. The trajectory of the vessel and the sensor positions are estimated simultaneously using an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). Simulations show that the sensors can be accurately positioned using magnetometers