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With rates of tobacco use among youth in the United States on the rise, further analysis of disproportionately impacted populations, like Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders (NHPIs), is needed. NHPIs face a unique set of challenges compared to other ethnic minorities that contribute to their health disparities from tobacco use. This systematic literature review investigated empirical studies published between 2010-2020 on tobacco use among NHPI youth and young adults. Using comprehensive literature search engines and focused author searches of tobacco researchers in NHPI communities, 7,208 article abstracts were extracted for potential inclusion. Explicit inclusionary and exclusionary criteria were used to identify peer-reviewed articles related to tobacco use correlates and interventions for NHPI youth populations. A total of 17 articles met our criteria for inclusion in this study. Community influences, peer pressure, social status, variety of flavors, craving, and stimulation were correlates found in smoking and vaping for NHPI youth. There were also few published tobacco use prevention and intervention studies focused specifically on NHPI youth. Our study addresses the needs of an under-researched population that is heavily affected by the adverse consequences of short-term and long-term use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Additional research should focus on developing effective and culturally relevant interventions to reduce NHPI health disparities.

While criminology has long recognized the impact of gender on crime, many criminological theories continue to measure sex rather than socially constructed gender identities. Research has also struggled to directly compare these measures within a theoretical context. This study examines the impact of sex and gender identity variables using the framework of General Strain Theory. A total of 1,457 college students were surveyed on measures of General Strain Theory, biological sex, gender identity, and a range of deviant behaviors. Findings indicate that gender identity produced a stronger predictive model of deviance than biological sex, and suggest a means for research to account for gender when studying deviance.

This study evaluated a 4-week program to increase the time families spent engaging in outdoor activity. Parents were provided strategies to increase family outdoor activity and locations to be active. Sixteen families completed the program. Duration and number of family outdoor activity bouts per week, type of activities, locations, and family member attendance were measured using logs. Pre/post surveys were conducted to determine the usefulness of providing educational resources and maps. Compared to baseline (216.1±127.3 min/week), family outdoor activity for weeks 1 (316.1±180.2 min/week), 2 (351.1±209.1 min/week), and 4 (317.5±186.8 min/week) were significantly greater at follow-up. At follow-up, parents reported increased regular exercise and encouragement for their child to be active. Children reported adults engaged in physical activity with them and increased transportation to places to be active. This novel program increased family outdoor activity levels and contributes to limited resear...

A faculty team of two psychiatric nurse practitioners, an exercise physiologist, a registered dietician and a pharmacist developed the 8-week Recovery-Based Interprofessional Distance Education (RIDE) rotation for graduate students in the four disciplines. Organizing the RIDE rotation around the recovery model ensured an emphasis upon optimal health and quality of life. RIDE faculty engaged in project planning for several months before the RIDE rotation was offered to students. In this paper, we describe details of the 8-week program. Our next step will be to analyze student feedback and de-identified evaluation data from the first student cohort.

Background: The use of mobile phones for physical activity (PA) promotion and assessment represents an attractive research area because this technology is characterized by a widespread reach and dynamic features. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of mobile phone–based approaches for encouraging and assessing PA. Methods: Eligible studies were identified through a search of PubMed and PsycINFO and required to address the usability of mobile phones for PA promotion and/or measurement, be written in English, and be published in a peer-reviewed journal between 2010 and 2013. Results: Fifty-two studies were included in this review. The use of mobile phones for PA promotion, assessment, and both promotion and assessment were addressed by 27, 19, and 6 studies, respectively. Out of 26 studies that reported a PA behavior change outcome, 13 observed favorable PA changes, 3 found mixed results, and 10 found no improvements. Ten studies examined the validity of mobile phones for P...

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between fasting serum leptin and adiponectin levels with bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition in pre-menopausal, middle-aged Hispanic and Caucasian women.Participants' (68 Hispanic and 36 Caucasian) BMD and bone mineral content were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and body density was measured by hydrodensitometry. Serum leptin was determined by enzyme immunoassay and adiponectin by ELISA.Hispanic women had significantly higher leptin, BMD, and fat mass (FM), and lower adiponectin than Caucasian women. There was no significant correlation between leptin and BMD for Hispanic or Caucasian women; adiponectin was inversely correlated with BMD in Caucasian women only (p = 0.01). In both Hispanic and Caucasian women, lean body mass and adiponectin best explained the variance in BMD (r(2) = 0.25, p0.001).These data demonstrate no significant relationship between leptin and BMD of pre-menopausal, middle-aged Hispanic and Caucasian women, and a significant inverse relationship between adiponectin and BMD in Caucasian women. The role of adipocytokines in the regulation of BMD remains inconclusive and may vary across ethnic groups.

Phenotypic variation stems from both genetic and epigenetic differences between individuals. In order to elucidate how phenotypes are determined, it is necessary to understand the forces that generate variation in genome sequence as well as its epigenetic state. In both contexts, transposable elements (TEs) may play an important role. It is well established that TE activity is a major generator of genetic variation, but recent research also suggests that TEs contribute to epigenetic variation. Stochastic epigenetic silencing of some TE insertions in mice has been shown to cause phenotypic variability between individuals. However, the prevalence of this phenomenon has never been evaluated. Here, we use 18 insertions of a mouse Endogenous Retrovirus (ERV) family, the Early Transposons (ETns), to detect insertion-dependent determinants of DNA methylation levels and variability between both cells and individuals. We show that the structure and age of insertions influence methylation levels and variability, resulting in a subgroup of loci that displays unexpectedly high variability in methylation and suggesting stochastic events during methylation establishment. Despite variation in methylation according to the age and structure of each locus, homologous CpG sites show similar tendencies in methylation levels across loci, emphasizing the role of the insertion's sequence in methylation determination. Our results show that differences in methylation of ETns between individuals is not a sporadic phenomenon and support the hypothesis that ERVs contribute to phenotypic variability through their stochastic silencing.

Examined in this article is wheter it is ethical for health educators to try to change the health behaviors of people who are informed about the risks of engaging in an unhealthy behavior, have the skills and confidence to change the behavior, but nevertheless choose not to change. Questions are raised about whether interventions for such precontemplators are manipulative and incompatible with the ethical principle of individual autonomy and whether health educators who attempt to change the behaviors of these precontemplators violate the Code of Ethics for the Health Education Profession. The article concludes with the argument that health educators violate the Code of Ethics if they knowingly subject informed, efficacious people who have decided not to change to interventions designed to promote change.

This study was designed to quantify indices of spirituality, the directing health dimension, which affects health and life satisfaction. Because college marks a time when life patterns are established, a college population was chosen. A cohort of 524 Northeastern U.S. college students completed the 48-item Life Attitude Profile–Revised in the fall semester 2002. Overall, results revealed that these students demonstrated a moderate degree of spirituality, with women indicating a higher measure of spirituality than men. Also, women in this study were found to have clearer goals and a keener sense about why they are “here.” Men, on the other hand, were less satisfied with life, suggesting that they were searching for their identities. These findings imply that health educators may need to help students, particularly men, search for and enhance their degree of spirituality so that they may be healthier and establish positive life patterns for adulthood. A “spiritual norming” campaign may be helpful f...

Spirituality is increasingly a topic of interest in America's workplaces. This article describes the impetus for deliberate inclusion of spirituality in worksite settings. Some existing spirituality initiatives used by employees and employers across America are highlighted and a four-component (convey, care, coach, and create) worksite spirituality leadership model, Spirituality@Work.Health, is presented for interested health educators who desire to become leaders in worksite spirituality.

For more than a decade the health education profession has used the seven responsibilities, outlined from the 1978–1988 Role Delineation Project, as the foundation for credentialing, curricular structure in professional preparation programs, and continuing education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which the seven responsibilities and corresponding competencies were addressed in continuing education articles found in the professional literature. The method included using the Health Competency Assessment form to code responsibilities and competencies found in all continuing education articles (n=148) published between 1997 and 2000. The census of articles was found in four peer-reviewed journals and on web sites that published such articles for Certified Health Education Specialists. All articles offered for continuing education contact hours were selected and divided equally among the five researchers to read and evaluate (interrater reliability Pi=0.76 − 0.87). Results...

Hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) can involve large deletions which eliminate the 3' end of the beta-like globin gene cluster and more than 70 kilobases (kb) of flanking DNA. Blot hybridization revealed a DNase I-hypersensitive site extending from 1.1 to 1.4 kb downstream of the HPFH-1 3' deletion endpoint. The site was found in normal fetal and adult nucleated erythroid cells and in two erythroleukemia cell lines but not in nonerythroid cells and tissues. Simian virus 40 core enhancer-like sequences were found nonrandomly distributed within the boundaries of the site, which is contained in a fragment of known enhancer activity (E. A. Feingold and B. G. Forget, Blood, in press). A second hypersensitive site was found 0.5 kb upstream of the HPFH-1 3' deletion endpoint but was not erythroid specific. A third site, most prominent in fetal liver-derived erythroid cells, was found 1 kb upstream of the HPFH-2 deletion endpoint. As predicted by the locations of the deletion endpoints, the first two sites were translocated to within 12 kb of the A gamma gene in erythroid colonies derived from an HPFH-2 heterozygote and in hybrid mouse-human erythroid cells carrying the HPFH-2 deletion chromosome. Further analysis of this region showed that it was DNase I sensitive in erythroid and myeloid cells, indicating that it resides in an open chromatin domain. These observations suggest that alterations of chromatin structure flanking the fetal globin genes may contribute to abnormal gene regulation in deletion-type HPFH.

Much controversy exists today regarding the "salvaging" of high-risk infants. There are many ethical concerns surrounding these children. The advancement of technology has had a profound effect on the treatment of preterm infants or infants with deformities. In this article the authors address selected ethical concerns regarding personhood, autonomy, beneficence, parental authority, quality of life, sanctity of life, and optional, obligatory, and wrong forms of treatment. The article begins with an overview of the history of infanticide as well as the history of neonatal intensive care units. Financial and legal issues are also discussed. In addition, the nurse's role in working with high-risk infants and their families is briefly explored.

Uncertain economic times and job availability are concerns for scores of Americans, including many new health education professionals who seek to enter the workforce. One way to distinguish health education professionals from their competitors to increase the chances of employment is certification. Yet, over the years, some health education professionals have balked at the credential and made comments such as, "Why do I need CHES? I have a graduate degree in health education," "CHES is an entry-level credential, and I am beyond that level; I practice at an advanced level, so CHES means nothing to me," "CHES has not made a difference in my professional life," and, most recently, "Will CPH replace CHES?" This commentary is offered so that health education specialists can make an informed decision regarding the value of the CHES credential, as well as the newly-implemented MCHES credential. Beginning with "Will CPH replace CHES?," it should be noted that the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) credential (first available in 1989), and now the MCHES credential (first available in 2011), and the Certified in Public Health (CPH) credential (first available in 2008) do not validate the same professional skills and abilities. The CHES is focused on specific responsibilities and competencies of health education practitioners, and the CPH is focused on the broader and less specific core knowledge of public health. Only a select number of individuals would qualify for both certifications. Second, the CHES and CPH examinations were not created using the same processes. The CHES and MCHES credentials are based on responsibilities and competencies that have been identified by many of the best health education minds, and verified in practice through scientific means three times (Role Delineation Project of 1985; Competency Update Project [CUP] of 2004; and the 2010 Health Educator Job Analysis [HEJA]). NCHEC and its two professional partners, the Society for Public Health Education and the American Association for Health Education, are committed to continuing the verification process with the next job analysis scheduled for updated results in 2015. The CPH credential has not been verified in practice through rigorous scientific means. Third, the eligibility criteria to sit for the CHES and CPH exams are not the same. (1, 2) The CHES and MCHES certifications require preparation specifically in the Areas of Responsibility of Health Education Specialists, whereas the CPH requires graduation from a CEPH accredited school or program in public health. The MCHES certification, in addition to required professional preparation, requires a minimum of five years of health education experience. To address the value-of-CHES questions from some health education professionals, it seems important to note Helen Cleary's remarks. She wrote, "... a credentialing system is not the total answer to any profession's problems, but it can improve the quality of professional preparation and of professional practice. It can also help a profession organize itself. But none of this is possible unless the profession is willing to work to make it happen." (3(p.iv)) Those sentiments still resonate with many health education specialists who have a commitment to improving the profession. The percentage of persons certified by NCHEC with the CHES credential has grown 523% since the credentialing process began (from the 1,558 chartered in 1989 to 9,700 in 2011). In addition, in 2011, almost 900 health education professionals earned the MCHES credential for the first time. The MCHES certification was developed to document advanced practice in the field of health education and keep the certification relevant to experienced practitioners. For many, earning the MCHES certification will be part of a "career ladder" verifying experience in the field. With all of the milestones over the last 35+ years that have strengthened the health education profession (e. …

(2003). Fluorescent Gibbsite from Yunnan Province, China. Rocks & Minerals: Vol. 78, No. 2, pp. 110-111.

We observed striking differences between the tumorigenic colony-forming cells present in the spleens of mice late after infection with the anemia-inducing strain of Friend leukemia virus (strain FV-A) and those present after infection with the polycythemia-inducing strain (strain FV-P). Cells within primary colonies derived from FV-A- and FV-P-transformed cells (CFU-FV-A and CFU-FV-P, respectively) contained hemoglobin and spectrin, indicating that the CFU-FV-A and CFU-FV-P were transformed erythroid progenitor cells. The proportion of cells containing hemoglobin was relatively high (> 25%) in newly isolated cell lines derived from CFU-FV-P colonies, whereas cell lines derived from CFU-FV-A colonies had only low levels (0 to 2%) of hemoglobin-containing cells. A high proportion of the cell lines derived from CFU-FV-A colonies responded to pure erythropoietin and accumulated spectrin and hemoglobin, whereas the cell lines derived from CFU-FV-P colonies did not. A cytogenetic analysis indicated that primary CFU-FV-P colony cells were diploid, whereas chromosomal aberrations were observed in the immediate progeny of CFU-FV-A. The presence of unique chromosomal markers in the majority of the cells within individual colonies derived from CFU-FV-A suggested that these colonies originated from single cells. Finally, leukemic progenitor cells transformed by strain FV-A appeared to have an extensive capacity to self-renew (i.e., form secondary colonies in methylcellulose), whereas a significant proportion of the corresponding cells transformed by strain FV-P did not. In addition, the self-renewal capacity of both CFU-FV-A and CFU-FV-P increased as the disease progressed. From these observations, we propose a model for the multistage nature of Friend disease; this model involves clonal evolution and expansion from a differentiating population with limited proliferative capacity to a population with a high capacity for self-renewal and proliferation.

The author draws on her eighteen years of experience in working with patents in describing the role palted by both commercial and non-commercial sources of patents and documents related to patents. Costs and speed of service are factors considered in evaluating sources.

In recent years, mortgage lenders have encouraged borrowers to choose adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs), and regulators have allowed lenders wide latitude in determining mortgage features. Through analysis of survey data, this paper examines borrower characteristics and attitudes related to the choice between fixed and adjustable rate mortgages, providing information lenders may use to increase homebuyers' willingness to accept ARMs. Results indicate that, while some ARM features are unattractive to almost all potential borrowers, response to other features is affected by age and income expectations. Thus, there is support for maintaining a variety of mortgage features to appeal to different categories of borrowers.