Characteristics of the Moveable Middle: Opportunities Among Adults Open to COVID-19 Vaccination

Introduction: Focusing on subpopulations that express the intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccination but are unvaccinated may improve the yield of COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Methods: A nationally representative sample of 789,658 U.S. adults aged ≥18 years participated in the National Immunization Survey Adult COVID Module from May 2021 to April 2022. The survey assessed respondents’ COVID-19 vaccination status and intent by demographic characteristics (age, urbanicity, educational attainment, region, insurance, income, and race/ethnicity). This study compared composition and within-group estimates of those who responded that they definitely or probably will get vaccinated or are unsure (moveable middle) from the first and last month of data collection. Results: Because vaccination uptake increased over the study period, the moveable middle declined among persons aged ≥18 years. Adults aged 18–39 years and suburban residents comprised most of the moveable middle in April 2022. Groups with the largest moveable middles in April 2022 included persons with no insurance (10%), those aged 18–29 years (8%), and those with incomes below poverty (8%), followed by non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (7%), non-Hispanic multiple or other race (6%), non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native persons (6%), non-Hispanic Black or African American persons (6%), those with below high school education (6%), those with high school education (5%), and those aged 30–39 years (5%). Conclusions: A sizable percentage of adults open to receiving COVID-19 vaccination remain in several demographic groups. Emphasizing engagement of persons who are unvaccinated in some racial/ethnic groups, aged 18–39 years, without health insurance, or with lower income may reach more persons open to vaccination

A simplified endogenous erythroid colony assay for the investigation of polycythaemia

The in vitro growth of erythroid colonies in the absence of erythropoietin, known as endogenous erythroid colonies (EEC) forms part of the diagnostic criteria for polycythaemia vera (PV). The availability of EEC culture in routine laboratory setting is limited as culture methods are technically demanding, difficult to standardize, expensive and laborious. In this study, we assessed the performance characteristics of a simplified method using ammonium chloride red cell lysis followed by culture on commercially available, batch-tested, methylcellulose media. Seventy-six patients were included; four were secondarily excluded on the basis of culture failure. Of the 14 patients with PV, 13 (93%) were positive for EEC on at least one occasion: 90% (nine of 10) of bone marrow and 67% (six of nine) of peripheral blood specimens were positive. All 30 patients with secondary polycythaemia (n = 12) or apparent polycythaemia (n = 18) were negative for EEC. The incidence of EEC in idiopathic erythrocytosis was 40% (eight of 28); 50% (five of 10) in those who met one of the minor criteria for PV and 17% (three of 18) in those who did not. We conclude that our EEC assay yield results comparable with that of more elaborate methods

Passifloraceae na Serra Negra, Minas Gerais, Brasil

Neste trabalho são apresentadas as espécies de Passifloraceae da Serra Negra, parte da Serra da Mantiqueira localizada no sul da Zona da Mata de Minas Gerais, nas coordenadas 21º58'11"S e 43º53'21"W. A vegetação é representada por um mosaico de campos rupestres e florestas semidecíduas e ombrófilas. A família está representada por 12 espécies pertencentes ao gênero Passiflora: P. alata Curtis, P. amethystina J.C.Mikan, P. campanulata Mast., P. capsularis L., P. edulis Sims, P. haematostigma Mart. ex Mast., P. marginata Mast., P. mediterranea Vell., P. porophylla Vell., P. sidifolia M.Roem., P. speciosa Gardner e uma espécie ainda não identificada, possivelmente tratando-se de um novo táxon. Para reconhecimento das espécies são apresentadas chave de identificação, descrições, ilustrações, distribuição geográfica e comentários taxonômicos das espécies