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BackgroundSexually transmitted infections (STIs) are on the rise in the United States, and adolescent girls (15-19 years old) are more susceptible to acquiring STIs than their male peers. The co-occurrence of alcohol use and sexual risk taking contribute significantly to STI acquisition. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions are ideally suited for our target population and have demonstrated increases in STI testing in young people, as well as reductions in alcohol use. ObjectiveThis pilot study used both qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the views of adolescent girls (age range 15-19 years old; 74.6%, 279/374 white) on the desired qualities and content of an mHealth app for sexual health. MethodsWe conducted nine 60-min in-depth interviews (IDIs) to gather information and identify themes of sexual health and alcohol use, and we tested the feasibility of using a two-week social media campaign to collect survey information regarding sexual health risk in adolescent girls. ResultsWe iteratively coded IDIs and identified major themes around pressure of alcohol use, lack of STI knowledge, male pressure to not use condoms, and pregnancy as a worse outcome than STIs. Results from the web-based survey on risky health behaviors, which was completed by 367 participants, support the use of a sexual health app designed for girls. ConclusionsFuture work will integrate these themes to inform the development of a culturally sensitive mHealth app to prevent STIs among adolescent girls.

Centrifugation is a major unit operation in chemical and biotechnology industries. Here we present a simple, hands-on laboratory experiment to teach the basic principles of centrifugation and to explore the shear effects of centrifugation using bacterial cells as model particles. This experiment provides training in the use of a bench-top centrifuge, handling of bacterial cells, and data analysis. Advanced pedagogical elements in this experiment include team skills coaching and the use of electronic lab notebooks. Several cognitive conflicts presented by centrifugation data fosters critical thinking and stimulates learning by prompting students to look beyond immediately apparent conclusions.

A study analyzed the speeches made by UK government spokespeople during press conferences from March 3, 2020, to February 21, 2022, to assess whether they effectively communicated the specific symptoms of COVID-19 that required public action. The study found that only 22.8% of press conferences mentioned the specific symptoms, and this mainly occurred at the beginning of the pandemic. When analyzing individual speeches, only 8.9% mentioned at least one specific symptom. The study concludes that government spokespeople rarely described the specific symptoms that the public needed to be aware of, and in future outbreaks, it is important to convey these basic facts to enable the public to take appropriate action when symptomatic. [Extracted from the article]

Human-induced land-use change has resulted in substantial loss and degradation of habitat for forest-dwelling wildlife. The moor macaque Macaca maura , an Endangered primate endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia, has been observed in a wide array of habitats, including heavily modified areas, but little is known about the quality of these habitats. Here we compared the habitat quality of two areas occupied by moor macaque populations: a previously human-modified karst forest now located within a national park and a heavily modified forest located in an unprotected area. We assessed habitat quality by measuring specific indicators of potential food availability derived from vegetation data and quantified the nutritional environment based on macronutrient analysis of fruit samples collected at the two sites. Although the species richness, diversity and overall stem density of macaque food trees were greater in the protected area forest, total basal area and mean diameter at breast height were greater in the heavily modified forest. Mean metabolizable energy concentrations of fruits eaten by macaques were similar between forests, as were the proportions of protein, lipids and total non-structural carbohydrates. These results provide further support for the notion that heavily modified habitats should not be overlooked for their potential conservation value. To further augment their value, conservation efforts should focus on forest restoration, specifically the planting of fast-growing species that are utilized by both wildlife and people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, Bridget Terry Long and Erin Riley argue that in recent years, U.S. financial aid policy has shifted its emphasis from expanding college access for low-income students toward defraying the costs for middle- and upper-income families. They explain how loans, merit-based aid, and education tax breaks are increasingly replacing need-based aid and discuss how the declining role of grants may disproportionately disadvantage students already underrepresented in higher education. They document the rise in students' unmet financial needs over the past decade, showing that low-income students and students of color are especially likely to face substantial unmet need even after taking into account all available grants and loans, as well as family contributions. In response to these trends, the authors call for a greater emphasis on need-based aid, especially grants, to reduce the role of cost as a barrier to college access. (Contains 3 tables and 18 endnotes.)

Research initiatives targeting Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) are beneficial to students, communities, and faculty, but they often struggle due to the young nature of the institutions and their research support offices. Moreover, larger federal institutions and 1862 land grant institutions are not aware of the history and operational constraints of TCUs. Nonetheless, the rewards of strengthening research initiatives outweigh the challenges and these opportunities should continue to be pursued (Mortensen et al., 2001). The goal of this paper is to present two case studies where strengthening initiatives have been implemented at Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) to improve research capacity.

In China, with the rapid economic development and improvement of living standards over the past few decades, the household living environment has shifted dramatically. The aim of the present study is to assess the impact of home environment factors on respiratory symptoms and asthma in Chinese children. Investigators analyzed data collected in the 25 districts from the seven Northeastern cities to examine health effects on respiratory symptoms and asthma in 31,049 children aged 2-14 years. Factor analysis was used to reduce 33 children's lifestyle and household variables to six new 'factor' variables. The multiple indicators multiple causes approach was used to examine the relationship between indoor air pollution and respiratory health status, controlling for covariates. Factor analyses generated six factor variables of potential household risk factors from an original list of 33 variables. The respiratory symptoms and asthma were significantly associated with the recent home renovation factor (estimate = 0.076, p < 0.001), pet ownership factor (estimate = 0.095, p < 0.001), environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure factor (estimate = 0.181, p < 0.001) and PVC-flooring factor (estimate = 0.031, p = 0.007). Home ventilation factor was not related to any respiratory condition (estimate = 0.028, p = 0.074). Independent respiratory health effects existed for multiple household environmental factors recent home renovation, pet ownership, ETS, and PVC-flooring. Keywords Factor analysis * MIMIC modeling * Respiratory condition * Indoor air environment, Introduction In many developed countries, the rising trends in the prevalence of allergic diseases appear to have leveled off, or even reversed. Contrary to the pattern in developed countries, the [...]