FIR: A Close Up Look at Butler University’s Faculty-in-Residence Program

This study examined the variety of perspectives of having a Faculty in Residence (FIR) program on campus. The research questions framing the study were as follows: (1) What effects does the FIR program have on faculty and their families? (2) How does having a FIR program on campus affect the dynamic of residence life? (3) In what ways does having a FIR program impact student experience? The study involved interviews with a variety of on-campus personnel including the Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Frank Ross III, University President James Danko, three resident assistants, and one FIR family. Additionally, this study features survey responses from 170 students over the span of four years regarding their interactions with their FIR, Dr. Catherine Pangan. Results overall were similar to previous research using surveys, indicating an overall positive student experience as result of the FIR program. Descriptive results regarding interviews indicated the positive effect that this program has on faculty member professional development and family dynamic and development. Looking at both of these pieces of data, it is clear that the FIR program has positively affected all parties involved

Bicycling for Transportation at Georgia State University: Findings and Recommendations for the Georgia State University Bike Plan

INTRODUCTION: Bicycling is a form of physical activity that can be used for transportation as a motor vehicle alternative. Bicycling has become a popular transportation method on university campuses. AIM: The aim of this capstone is to illustrate student residential demographics and bike count trend data, evaluate the Georgia State University Touch the Earth Bike Share program, and generate recommendations for the Georgia State University Bicycle Plan. The overall goal is to increase bicycling at Georgia State University and improve the health of the Georgia State University population. METHODS: Multiple methods were used in this capstone. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) found the geographic location of student respondents’ residence. During the bike counts, data were collected on the age and gender of the bicyclists, and the total number of bikes at each intersection. The counts were conducted in two-hour increments on the same day during the morning and afternoon. Data was collected in the Fall 2009, Spring 2012, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, and Spring 2015 semesters. Lastly, during the Fall 2014 semester, an evaluation of the Touch the Earth Bike Share program was conducted using the Post Bike Rental Evaluation form to analyze the characteristics, use, and suggested improvements to the program. RESULTS: The results showed the geographic census tracts of the target student population, the age, gender, and total bike counts during the morning and afternoon bike counts by location over semesters. The Touch the Earth evaluation disclosed the participants’ demographics, use of the rental bikes, and suggested improvements for recommendations to enhance the Touch the Earth Bike Share program. DISCUSSION: Using the four components of the General Model of health program planning, an intervention was laid out with recommendations about alternative transportation, revitalizing Turner Field, and improvements and expansion suggestions to the Touch the Earth Bike Share program to increase bicycling on campus. CONCLUSION: The findings and recommendations found in this capstone provide empirical support vital to the Georgia State University Bike Plan and the creation of a superior bicycle friendly campus

Demographic and Psychosocial Correlates of Mobile Phone Ownership and Usage among Youth Living in the Slums of Kampala, Uganda

Introduction: The use of mobile phones and other technology for improving health through research and practice is growing quickly, in particular in areas with difficult-to-reach population or where the research infrastructure is less developed. In Sub-Saharan Africa, there appears to be a dramatic increase in mobile phone ownership and new initiatives that capitalize on this technology to support health promotion campaigns to change behavior and to increase health literacy. However, the extent to which difficult-to-reach youth in the slums of Kampala may own and use mobile phones has not been reported despite the burden of injuries, substance use, and HIV that they face. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of mobile phone ownership and use in this high-risk population and to identify psychosocial characteristics that may differentiate those owning and using a phone from those who do not. Methods: We conducted secondary analyses of the Kampala Youth Survey (N¼457). Data collection took place in 2011, and the survey was designed to quantify high-risk behaviors in a convenience sample of urban youth living on the streets or in the slums, 14–24 years of age, who were participating in a Uganda Youth Development Link drop-in center for disadvantaged street youth. We computed chisquare analyses to determine any significant differences in psychosocial characteristics based on phone ownership and use. Results: Overall, 46.9% of youth reported owning a mobile phone and ownership did not vary by sex but was more common among youth older than 18 years of age. Mobile phone ownership was also more common among those who reported taking care of themselves at night, who reported current drug use and who reported trading sex for money, food or other things.Conclusion: Given that nearly half of the youth own and use phones daily, new research is needed to determine next steps for mobile health (mhealth), including the feasibility of using mobile phones for data collection and interventions with this hard-to-reach population. Moreover, this technology may also be suitable for injury-specific research given that there were few differences with respect to injuryrelated variables in mobile phone ownership and usage. [West J Emerg Med. 2014;15(5):600–603.

Inferring random change point from left-censored longitudinal data by segmented mechanistic nonlinear models, with application in HIV surveillance study

The primary goal of public health efforts to control HIV epidemics is to diagnose and treat people with HIV infection as soon as possible after seroconversion. The timing of initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment after HIV diagnosis is, therefore, a critical population-level indicator that can be used to measure the effectiveness of public health programs and policies at local and national levels. However, population-based data on ART initiation are unavailable because ART initiation and prescription are typically measured indirectly by public health departments (e.g., with viral suppression as a proxy). In this paper, we present a random change-point model to infer the time of ART initiation utilizing routinely reported individual-level HIV viral load from an HIV surveillance system. To deal with the left-censoring and the nonlinear trajectory of viral load data, we formulate a flexible segmented nonlinear mixed effects model and propose a Stochastic version of EM (StEM) algorithm, coupled with a Gibbs sampler for the inference. We apply the method to a random subset of HIV surveillance data to infer the timing of ART initiation since diagnosis and to gain additional insights into the viral load dynamics. Simulation studies are also performed to evaluate the properties of the proposed method

Direct synthesis of mesoporous silica containing cobalt: A new strategy using a cobalt soap as a co-template

A novel approach to incorporate transition metals into porous structures is presented, which makes use of a cobalt soap in combination with the templating agent C16TMABr. An ordered mesoporous silica MCM-41 type material doped with Co is obtained after removal of the organic part by calcination. The a unit cell parameter of the cobalt containing mesoporous matrices is larger than that of pure MCM-41 and increases with the amount of cobalt present in the sample as well as the diameter of the pores. This is not observed when e.g. cobalt acetate is employed instead of the metal soap. The procedure presented establishes a new route for the incorporation of a transition metal into MCM-41 together with a tuning of the porous structure

Cultural norms and behavior regarding vaginal lubrication during sex: Implications for the acceptability of vaginal microbicides for the prevention of HIV/STIs

This paper presents the results of an extensive review of the literature pertaining to the relationship between vaginal lubrication and the acceptability of microbicides, spermicides, and male and female condoms. The review highlights the need for research that better elucidates norms, preferences, and practices regarding lubrication during sex within and across countries. The second part of the report presents the results of the first phase of a qualitative study on lubrication during sex showing that diverse personal and cultural factors shape preferences and practices and may ultimately affect the acceptability of microbicides. The immediate challenge is to provide women with an opportunity for empowerment and self-protection by introducing effective microbicides that are both acceptable to and feasible for use by women and men who are vulnerable to HIV/STIs. However, it is difficult to account for a variety of sexual preferences, practices, and personal and social circumstances in the development of a microbicide; ultimately, several different vaginal microbicides in different formulations will likely be needed to provide a full range of options for women and men from diverse settings

Equidad de Género en las Oportunidades Económicas en América Latina, 1990-2010

This article explores the evolution of gender inequality in economic opportunities in 18 counties in Latin America from 1990 to 2010.  We examine the reduction in poverty and inequality and reaffirm that these are indeed significant economic achievements in Latin America and the Caribbean in this era. Notwithstanding, there is evidence that these benefits have not translated into greater gender quality in economic spheres. We evaluate changes in economic opportunities by gender using the data for employment, unemployment, informalization, wages and poverty, by country and region. Additionally, we examine how variations in these variables are related to different political regimes in place during the decade of the millennium. We find that reductions in gender gaps in employment rates, informalization and urban wages are counterbalanced by increases in gender inequalities in unemployment and poverty.  We also find that social policy has been more important in reducing household income inequality and poverty than policies oriented towards the labour market.Este artículo analiza la evolución de la desigualdad de género en las oportunidades económicas en 18 países latinoamericanos, desde 1990 a 2010.  Examinamos la reducción de la pobreza y de la desigualdad y reafirmamos que son logros económicos significativos en América Latina y el Caribe en esta época. No obstante hay evidencia de que dichos beneficios no se han traducido en una mayor igualdad de género en esferas económicas. Evaluamos cambios en las oportunidades económicas por género mediante un análisis descriptivo de datos de empleo, desempleo, informalización, salarios y pobreza, por país y región. Además, exploramos cómo estas variaciones se relacionan con los diferentes regímenes políticos gobernantes durante la década del milenio. Encontramos que las disminuciones de las brechas de género en las tasas de empleo, la informalización y los salarios urbanos, quedan contrarrestados por incrementos en las desigualdades en el desempleo y la pobreza. También sostenemos que hay evidencia preliminar indicando  que la política social ha sido más importante en la disminución de la desigualdad en el ingreso entre los hogares y en la reducción de la pobreza que las políticas orientadas al mercado laboral

HIV Care Coordination promotes care re-engagement and viral suppression among people who have been out of HIV medical care: an observational effectiveness study using a surveillance-based contemporaneous comparison group

Background Medical care re-engagement is critical to suppressing viral load and preventing HIV transmission, morbidity and mortality, yet few rigorous intervention studies address this outcome. We assessed the effectiveness of a Ryan White Part A-funded HIV Care Coordination Program relative to ‘usual care,’ for short-term care re-engagement and viral suppression among people without recent HIV medical care. Methods The Care Coordination Program was launched in 2009 at 28 hospitals, health centers, and community-based organizations in New York City. Designed for people with HIV (PWH) experiencing or at risk for poor HIV outcomes, the Care Coordination Program provides long-term, comprehensive medical case management utilizing interdisciplinary teams, structured health education and patient navigation. The intervention was implemented as a safety-net services program, without a designated comparison group. To evaluate it retrospectively, we created an observational, matched cohort of clients and controls. Using the HIV surveillance registry, we identified individuals meeting program eligibility criteria from December 1, 2009 to March 31, 2013 and excluded those dying prior to 12 months of follow-up. We then matched clients to controls on baseline status (lacking evidence of viral suppression, consistently suppressed, inconsistently suppressed, or newly diagnosed in the past 12 months), start of follow-up and propensity score. For this analysis, we limited to those out of care at baseline (defined as having no viral load test in the 12 months pre-enrollment) and still residing within jurisdiction (defined as having a viral load or CD4 test reported to local surveillance and dated within the 12-month follow-up period). Using a GEE model with binary error distribution and logit link, we compared odds of care re-engagement (defined as having ≥ 2 laboratory events ≥ 90 days apart) and viral suppression (defined as having HIV RNA ≤ 200 copies/mL on the most recent viral load test) at 12-month follow-up. Results Among 326 individuals out of care at baseline, 87.2% of clients and 48.2% of controls achieved care re-engagement (Odds Ratio: 4.53; 95%CI 2.66, 7.71); 58.3% of clients and 49.3% of controls achieved viral suppression (Odds Ratio: 2.05; 95%CI 1.30, 3.23). Conclusions HIV Care Coordination shows evidence of effectiveness for care and treatment re-engagement

Acceptability of Carraguard, a candidate microbicide and methyl cellulose placebo vaginal gels among HIV-positive women and men in Durban, South Africa

Background and Methods: When on the market, microbicides are likely to be used by individuals who do not know their HIV status. Hence, assessment of safety and acceptability among HIV positive men and women is important. Acceptability of Carraguard, the Population Council's lead microbicide candidate was assessed in a Phase I safety study among healthy HIV-positive sexually abstinent women and men, and sexually active women (20 per group), in Durban, South Africa. Participants were randomized to use Carraguard gel, placebo gel, or no product. All women in the gel arms applied 4 ml gel vaginally every evening for 14 intermenstrual days (women in the sexually active group inserted gel within 1 hour prior to sex on days when sex occurred), and sexually abstinent men applied gel directly to the penis every evening for 7 days. Acceptability was assessed by face-to-face structured questionnaires and semi-structured in-depth interviews with all participants. Gel use questions were applicable to participants in the gel arms only (13 sexually abstinent women, 14 sexually active women, and 13 abstinent men). Results: Overall, 93% of the women liked the study gel (Carraguard or placebo) very much, 4% disliked it somewhat, and 4% were neutral. 15% of men and women disliked the gel's color, smell, or packaging. Most women and men reported never experiencing pain or irritation during or after gel application. Although over two thirds of the women preferred some lubrication during sex, some of the women felt that the gel was frequently too wet. Twenty-one percent of women and 42% of men said they felt covert use of a microbicide would be acceptable. Over 60% of women and men would prefer to use a microbicide alone instead of using it with a condom. Conclusion: Acceptability of Carraguard among HIV-positive women and men in Durban was good. The wetness experienced by the women may be attributed to the delivery of gel volume. The applicator was designed to deliver 4 mls whereas in fact between 4 ml to 5 mls were actually dispensed. Condom migration in the event of a partially effective product is of concern