Predictors of Readiness to Quit Among a Diverse Sample of Sexual Minority Male Smokers

ABSTRACT Introduction: Readiness to quit smoking - a pattern of attitudes, intentions, and behaviors that reflect a likelihood of engaging in cessation activities—is a useful heuristic for understanding smoking disparities based on sexual orientation. This study examined demographic, tobacco-use patterns, psychosocial and cognitive factors associated with readiness to quit among gay and bisexual male smokers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted as part of a larger Tobacco Elimination and Control Collaboration (Q-TECC) initiative in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Readiness to quit was measured by a composite score created from four variables (motivation to quit, importance of quitting, plan to quit, and confidence in quitting) (alpha=.87, M=3.42, SD=.96, range 1-5). Results: The sexual minority smokers in the sample (N=208; M=33 years) were racially/ethnically diverse. Latino men had significantly lower levels of readiness to quit compared to African American and White men. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to explore the relative contributions of sociodemographic, tobacco-use patterns, psychosocial and cognitive factors on Readiness to Quit. In the final model, the following variables were associated with readiness to quit scores: Latino ethnicity, fewer quit attempts, positive expectancies for the beneficial effects of smoking, and lower perceived importance of smoking as an important LGBT health issue. None of the psychosocial factors were associated with readiness to quit. Discussion: Readiness to quit scores were largely predicted by modifiable attitudes, behaviors, and expectancies. Study findings have implications for improving outreach and awareness and for the development of effective treatment approaches

The main drivers of methane emissions differ in the growing and flooded fallow seasons in Mediterranean rice fields

Purpose To assess 1) the cumulative greenhouse gas emissions –GHG- and global warming potential (methane – CH4- and nitrous oxide) from rice fields in the growing and fallow seasons, and 2) the environmental and agronomic drivers of CH4 emissions, and their relative capacity to explain CH4 variation. Methods A two-year multisite field experiment covering the agronomic and environmental variability of a rice growing area in NE Iberian Peninsula was conducted with monthly samplings of GHG and monitoring of both environmental and agronomic factors. Information-theoretic framework analysis was used to assess the relative contribution of the environmental and agronomic variables on methane emissions. Results Two thirds of the CH4 is emitted in the fallow season. Edaphic factors exert more influence during the growing season whereas agronomic factors have a higher impact in the fallow. The implications of these findings on the design of improved mitigation options rice are discussed. Conclusions Soils with higher soil sulphate concentration, bulk density and clay content emit less CH4 in growing season. In the fallow season, the rates of both straw input and nitrogen fertilization stimulate CH4 emissions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Identification of the Cis-Acting Elements and Trans-Acting Factors That Mediate Cell-Specific and Thyroid Hormone Stimulation of Growth Hormone Gene Expression

This chapter reviews the physical and biological properties of thyroid hormone receptors and the relationship of the receptor to the avian erythroblastosis virus (AEV) v-erbA gene. The properties of thyroid hormone nuclear receptors derived from studies using GHi and GC cells are described in the chapter. The thyroid hormone receptor is related to the avian erythroblastosis virus v-erbA gene. The AEV—a defective leukemia retrovirus—induces sarcomas and erythroblastosis in vivo and induces the transformation of fibroblasts and erythroblasts to neoplastic phenotypes in vitro. The chapter also reviews the studies in which the rat growth hormone gene was used as a model to identify cis-acting DNA sequences and transacting regulatory proteins that are essential for cell-specific expression and transcriptional stimulation of the gene by the thyroid hormone. The thyroid hormone regulates the growth hormone gene expression at the transcriptional level. A detailed functional and protein-DNA footprint analysis of the elements that are involved in mediating thyroid hormone and cell-specific basal expression of the gene is also presented in the chapter.Peer reviewe

Proceedings of the 3rd Biennial Conference of the Society for Implementation Research Collaboration (SIRC) 2015: advancing efficient methodologies through community partnerships and team science

It is well documented that the majority of adults, children and families in need of evidence-based behavioral health interventionsi do not receive them [1, 2] and that few robust empirically supported methods for implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) exist. The Society for Implementation Research Collaboration (SIRC) represents a burgeoning effort to advance the innovation and rigor of implementation research and is uniquely focused on bringing together researchers and stakeholders committed to evaluating the implementation of complex evidence-based behavioral health interventions. Through its diverse activities and membership, SIRC aims to foster the promise of implementation research to better serve the behavioral health needs of the population by identifying rigorous, relevant, and efficient strategies that successfully transfer scientific evidence to clinical knowledge for use in real world settings [3]. SIRC began as a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded conference series in 2010 (previously titled the “Seattle Implementation Research Conference”; $150,000 USD for 3 conferences in 2011, 2013, and 2015) with the recognition that there were multiple researchers and stakeholdersi working in parallel on innovative implementation science projects in behavioral health, but that formal channels for communicating and collaborating with one another were relatively unavailable. There was a significant need for a forum within which implementation researchers and stakeholders could learn from one another, refine approaches to science and practice, and develop an implementation research agenda using common measures, methods, and research principles to improve both the frequency and quality with which behavioral health treatment implementation is evaluated. SIRC’s membership growth is a testament to this identified need with more than 1000 members from 2011 to the present.ii SIRC’s primary objectives are to: (1) foster communication and collaboration across diverse groups, including implementation researchers, intermediariesi, as well as community stakeholders (SIRC uses the term “EBP champions” for these groups) – and to do so across multiple career levels (e.g., students, early career faculty, established investigators); and (2) enhance and disseminate rigorous measures and methodologies for implementing EBPs and evaluating EBP implementation efforts. These objectives are well aligned with Glasgow and colleagues’ [4] five core tenets deemed critical for advancing implementation science: collaboration, efficiency and speed, rigor and relevance, improved capacity, and cumulative knowledge. SIRC advances these objectives and tenets through in-person conferences, which bring together multidisciplinary implementation researchers and those implementing evidence-based behavioral health interventions in the community to share their work and create professional connections and collaborations

Instrument Adaptation, Modification, and Validation for Cultural Beliefs About Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Korean Americans.

BackgroundStudies on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening among Korean Americans (KAs) lack culturally sensitive, reliable, and validated belief scales.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to adapt, modify, and validate instruments measuring cultural beliefs (physical space, health temporal orientation, personal control, colon cancer fatalism, and health fatalism) about CRC screening in KAs.MethodsIn phase I, instrument adaptation and modification (translation from English into Korean, individual interviews using cognitive interviewing, and expert reviews) were used to make existing cultural beliefs instruments culturally appropriate for KAs. In phase II, instrument validation (pilot test and cross-sectional survey) was used to examine the psychometric properties of the instrument among 202 KAs.ResultsConstruct validity and reliability of the final Korean version of the instruments were examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and internal consistency reliability. Exploratory factor analysis using all of the cultural beliefs items resulted in 5 factors accounting for 46.55% of the variance. Factor loadings were greater than 0.40 for most items to be added to the scales reflecting Korean cultural perspectives. Cronbach's αs for all the cultural beliefs subscales were greater than .70.ConclusionsFindings from this study show that KAs have unique cultural beliefs that should be reflected in the instruments used for CRC screening research with this population.Implications for practiceThe revised instrument could be useful in accurately measuring cultural beliefs among KAs and in developing culturally sensitive interventions to increase CRC screening behaviors among KAs

Instrument Adaptation, Modification, and Validation for Cultural Beliefs About Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Korean Americans.

BackgroundStudies on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening among Korean Americans (KAs) lack culturally sensitive, reliable, and validated belief scales.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to adapt, modify, and validate instruments measuring cultural beliefs (physical space, health temporal orientation, personal control, colon cancer fatalism, and health fatalism) about CRC screening in KAs.MethodsIn phase I, instrument adaptation and modification (translation from English into Korean, individual interviews using cognitive interviewing, and expert reviews) were used to make existing cultural beliefs instruments culturally appropriate for KAs. In phase II, instrument validation (pilot test and cross-sectional survey) was used to examine the psychometric properties of the instrument among 202 KAs.ResultsConstruct validity and reliability of the final Korean version of the instruments were examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and internal consistency reliability. Exploratory factor analysis using all of the cultural beliefs items resulted in 5 factors accounting for 46.55% of the variance. Factor loadings were greater than 0.40 for most items to be added to the scales reflecting Korean cultural perspectives. Cronbach's αs for all the cultural beliefs subscales were greater than .70.ConclusionsFindings from this study show that KAs have unique cultural beliefs that should be reflected in the instruments used for CRC screening research with this population.Implications for practiceThe revised instrument could be useful in accurately measuring cultural beliefs among KAs and in developing culturally sensitive interventions to increase CRC screening behaviors among KAs

Detection of Microcystin-Producing Cyanobacteria in Missisquoi Bay, Quebec, Canada, Using Quantitative PCR▿

Toxic cyanobacterial blooms, as well as their increasing global occurrence, pose a serious threat to public health, domestic animals, and livestock. In Missisquoi Bay, Lake Champlain, public health advisories have been issued from 2001 to 2009, and local microcystin concentrations found in the lake water regularly exceeded the Canadian drinking water guideline of 1.5 μg liter−1. A quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) approach was developed for the detection of blooms formed by microcystin-producing cyanobacteria. Primers were designed for the β-ketoacyl synthase (mcyDKS) and the first dehydratase domain (mcyDDH) of the mcyD gene, involved in microcystin synthesis. The Q-PCR method was used to track the toxigenic cyanobacteria in Missisquoi Bay during the summers of 2006 and 2007. Two toxic bloom events were detected in 2006: more than 6.5 × 104 copies of the mcyDKS gene ml−1 were detected in August, and an average of 4.0 × 104 copies ml−1 were detected in September, when microcystin concentrations were more than 4 μg liter−1 and approximately 2 μg liter−1, respectively. Gene copy numbers and total microcystin concentrations (determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]) were highly correlated in the littoral (r = 0.93, P < 0.001) and the pelagic station (r = 0.87, P < 0.001) in 2006. In contrast to the situation in 2006, a cyanobacterial bloom occurred only in late summer-early fall of 2007, reaching only 3 × 102 mcyDKS copies ml−1, while the microcystin concentration was barely detectable. The Q-PCR method allowed the detection of microcystin-producing cyanobacteria when toxins and toxigenic cyanobacterial abundance were still below the limit of detection by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and microscopy. Toxin gene copy numbers grew exponentially at a steady rate over a period of 7 weeks. Onshore winds selected for cells with a higher cell quota of microcystin. This technique could be an effective approach for the routine monitoring of the most at-risk water bodies

Mental health and suicidality among racially/ethnically diverse sexual minority youths

Objectives. We examined the relationships among sexual minority status, sex, and mental health and suicidality, in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of adolescents.Methods. Using pooled data from 2005 and 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys within 14 jurisdictions, we used hierarchical linear modeling to examine 6 mental health outcomes across 6 racial/ethnic groups, intersecting with sexual minority status and sex. Based on an omnibus measure of sexual minority status, there were 6245 sexual minority adolescents in the current study. The total sample was n = 72 691.Results. Compared with heterosexual peers, sexual minorities reported higher odds of feeling sad; suicidal ideation, planning and attempts; suicide attempt treated by a doctor or nurse, and self-harm. Among sexual minorities, compared with White youths, Asian and Black youths had lower odds of many outcomes, whereas American Native/Pacific Islander, Latino, and Multiracial youths had higher odds.Conclusions. Although in general, sexual minority youths were at heightened risk for suicidal outcomes, risk varied based on sex and on race/ethnicity. More research is needed to better understand the manner in which sex and race/ethnicity intersect among sexual minorities to influence risk and protective factors, and ultimately, mental health outcomes

Mental health and suicidality among racially/ethnically diverse sexual minority youths

Objectives. We examined the relationships among sexual minority status, sex, and mental health and suicidality, in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of adolescents.Methods. Using pooled data from 2005 and 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys within 14 jurisdictions, we used hierarchical linear modeling to examine 6 mental health outcomes across 6 racial/ethnic groups, intersecting with sexual minority status and sex. Based on an omnibus measure of sexual minority status, there were 6245 sexual minority adolescents in the current study. The total sample was n = 72 691.Results. Compared with heterosexual peers, sexual minorities reported higher odds of feeling sad; suicidal ideation, planning and attempts; suicide attempt treated by a doctor or nurse, and self-harm. Among sexual minorities, compared with White youths, Asian and Black youths had lower odds of many outcomes, whereas American Native/Pacific Islander, Latino, and Multiracial youths had higher odds.Conclusions. Although in general, sexual minority youths were at heightened risk for suicidal outcomes, risk varied based on sex and on race/ethnicity. More research is needed to better understand the manner in which sex and race/ethnicity intersect among sexual minorities to influence risk and protective factors, and ultimately, mental health outcomes