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Background: Latinx adolescents are at increased risk of teen pregnancy. This study evaluates the impact of Re:MIX, a comprehensive sexuality education program cofacilitated by professional health educators paired with young parent educators implemented with primarily Latinx youth in Texas. Methods: A cluster randomized trial was conducted with students in grades 8-10 in 57 classrooms across three schools. Students completed baseline, post-test, and long-term follow-up surveys to determine the impact of the program on behavioral outcomes--sexual experience and unprotected sex--and on mediating factors including intentions, attitudes, knowledge, and self-efficacy related to sexual activity and contraception. Results: Re:MIX was implemented with fidelity and educators were well-received. At post-test, compared to control students, Re:MIX students were more likely to intend to use hormonal or long-acting contraceptive methods if they had sex, had greater reproductive health knowledge, had more confidence in their ability to ask for and give consent, and were more likely to know where to obtain contraception. Most findings were sustained at the long-term follow-up, but there were no impacts on behaviors. Conclusions: The implementation and impact findings highlight the promising approach of pairing young parent educators with experienced health educators for teen pregnancy prevention among Latinx students.

Author(s): Antonio Iudici [sup.1] , Elisa Filosa [sup.1] , Gianpiero Turchi [sup.1] , Elena Faccio [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.5608.b, 0000 0004 1757 3470, Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and [...], Some research teams have investigated the impact of primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) on the quality of life of people diagnosed with them. According to the literature, some variables would play a significant role in the quality of life self-reported by people with PIDs; among these is the presence of a social support network. Therefore, we have chosen to address the issue of PIDs, starting from how the different actors of the social network contribute to generating the experience of those affected by PIDs. In particular, the objective of our research was twofold: to explore the discourses that contribute to building the experience lived by the person with PIDs and to explore ways of managing the disease. The texts collected were analyzed according to the Methodology of Textual Analysis of Computerized Data (MADIT). From the results, it emerges that a person with PIDs describes themselves and is described by others mainly as a patient, and the different aspects of their life are traced back to the pathology. People with PIDs and often their whole support network live the relationship with the disease in a passive way. Thus, the disease is suffered and not managed, for example, by practicing other social roles. We underline the importance of counteracting the admixture of organic pathology and psychological experience and the implementation of interventions that allow people with PIDs to live experiences and practice roles using which a person can be healthy (psychological and relational dimensions), even in the presence of a serious illness (organic dimension).

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To describe the process and epidemiological implications of georeferencing in EpiFloripa Aging samples (2009–2019). METHOD The EpiFloripa Aging Cohort Study sought to investigate and monitor the living and health conditions of the older adult population (≥ 60) of Florianópolis in three study waves (2009/2010, 2013/2014, 2017/2019). With an automatic geocoding tool, the residential addresses were spatialized, allowing to investigate the effect of the georeferencing sample losses regarding 19 variables, evaluated in the three waves. The influence of different neighborhood definitions (census tracts, Euclidean buffers, and buffers across the street network) was examined in the results of seven variables: area, income, residential density, mixed land use, connectivity, health unit count, and public open space count. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated to evaluate the differences between neighborhood definitions according to three variables: contextual income, residential density, and land use diversity. RESULT The losses imposed by geocoding (6%, n = 240) caused no statistically significant difference between the total sample and the geocoded sample. The analysis of the study variables suggests that the geocoding process may have included a higher proportion of participants with better income, education, and living conditions. The correlation coefficients showed little correspondence between measures calculated by the three neighborhood definitions (r = 0.37–0.54). The statistical difference between the variables calculated by buffers and census tracts highlights limitations in their use in the description of geospatial attributes. CONCLUSION Despite the challenges related to geocoding, such as inconsistencies in addresses, adequate correction and verification mechanisms provided a high rate of assignment of geographic coordinates, the findings suggest that adopting buffers, favored by geocoding, represents a potential for spatial epidemiological analyses by improving the representation of environmental attributes and the understanding of health outcomes.

In severe peripheral nerve injuries, nerve conduits (NCs) are good alternatives to autografts/allografts; however, the results the available devices guarantee for are still not fully satisfactory. Herein, differently bioactivated NCs based on the new polymer oxidized polyvinyl alcohol (OxPVA) are compared in a rat model of sciatic nerve neurotmesis (gap: 5 mm; end point: 6 weeks). Thirty Sprague Dawley rats are randomized to 6 groups: Reverse Autograft (RA); Reaxon®; OxPVA; OxPVA + EAK (self-assembling peptide, mechanical incorporation); OxPVA + EAK-YIGSR (mechanical incorporation); OxPVA + Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) (adsorption). Preliminarily, all OxPVA-based devices are comparable with Reaxon® in Sciatic Functional Index score and gait analysis; moreover, all conduits sustain nerve regeneration (S100, β-tubulin) without showing substantial inflammation (CD3, F4/80) evidences. Following morphometric analyses, OxPVA confirms its potential in PNI repair (comparable with Reaxon®) whereas OxPVA + EAK-YIGSR stands out for its myelinated axons total number and density, revealing promising in injury recovery and for future application in clinical practice.

A pesquisa realizada na área do sítio arqueológico Célia Maria, localizado na região da Bacia do Rio Santo Anastácio (afluente da Bacia do Paraná), Estado de São Paulo, demonstrou uma ocupação Guarani pré-colonial. A cerâmica foi datada por termoluminescência, situando a ocupação em torno de 450±60 anos atrás. Este trabalho traz dados referentes à cerâmica identificada na área do sítio Célia Maria. A partir da análise tecnotipológica da cerâmica, demonstramos a provável sequência dos gestos técnicos para a produção dos artefatos, assim como reconstituímos graficamente a forma de vasos, a partir de fragmentos de bordas. Os dados espaciais dos atributos cerâmicos do sítio Célia Maria foram confrontados com outras pesquisas disponíveis que versaram sobre a presença dos Guarani na Bacia do Paraná e Paranapanema.

Este artigo apresenta alguns resultados da pesquisa realizada com Arqueologia Experimental sobre a tecnologia cerâmica Guarani, da área da Bacia Hidrográfica Inferior do Projeto Paranapanema (ProjPar), especificamente, com o acabamento plástico de superfície externa. Os testes experimentais permitiram avaliar algumas das capacidades cognitivas que envolvem o trabalho do(a) ceramista, bem como demonstrar aspectos da técnica de confecção da cerâmica relacionados com as escolhas dos indivíduos.

This paper reports on the design, implementation, and characterization of a current-mode analog-front-end circuit for capacitance-to-voltage conversion that can be used in connection with a large variety of sensors and actuators in industrial and rehabilitation medicine applications. The circuit is composed by: (i) an oscillator generating a square wave signal whose frequency and pulse width is a function of the value of input capacitance; (ii) a passive low-pass filter that extracts the DC average component of the square wave signal; (iii) a DC-DC amplifier with variable gain ranging from 1 to 1000. The circuit has been designed in the current-mode approach by employing the second-generation current conveyor circuit, and has been implemented by using commercial discrete components as the basic blocks. The circuit allows for gain and sensitivity tunability, offset compensation and regulation, and the capability to manage various ranges of variations of the input capacitance. For a circuit gain of 1000, the measured circuit sensitivity is equal to 167.34 mV/pF with a resolution in terms of capacitance of 5 fF. The implemented circuit has been employed to measure the variations of the capacitance of a McKibben pneumatic muscle associated with the variations of its length that linearly depend on the circuit output voltage. Under step-to-step conditions of movement of the pneumatic muscle, the overall system sensitivity is equal to 70 mV/mm with a standard deviation error of the muscle length variation of 0.008 mm.

Many pigments and dyes are not only valuable molecules in manufacturing, but also environmental pollutants. Stemming from the observation of the slow pace of change taking place to counter the ‘fast fashion’ phenomenon and its environmental consequences, this critical review highlights the importance not only of biotechnological approaches but also of a sustainable leadership to achieve a future-proof fashion industry. Science has been producing sustainable alternatives to counter the issue of dyes, but this is not enough. A change in the business attitude and leadership approach of the organizations that operate in the industry is needed. Only through the successful combination of new technologies and forward-looking decision-making will it be possible to alter the status quo and deal with the multiple environmental challenges that businesses are and will be facing.

Objective: To evaluate intra- and inter-rater reliability, standard error of the measurement (SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC) of the angles obtained with a Postural Assessment Software (SAPO) in older people. Methods: Postural evaluation of 32 older adults was performed using Postural Assessment Software (SAPO). Two raters performed the procedure independently, and one of the raters repeated the process 7 to 10 days later. Reliability was assessed through the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and paired and independent t-tests. SEM and MDC95 values were calculated, and Bland-Altman plots were generated. Results: The inter-rater analysis showed that the raters were not different in any of the angles. Most angles achieved good to excellent inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.34 - 0.81) and intrarater reliability (ICC = 0.33 - 0.88) and were not different between days. The SEM was lower than 10º in most angles. The MDC95 ranged from 2.88º to 18.49º. Bland-Altman analysis indicated that most angles were within the limits of agreement. Overall, angles generated in lateral view had better reliability properties. Conclusion: Postural Assessment Software (SAPO) showed angles with distinct reliability properties in older adults. Angles that reached good to excellent intra- and inter-reliability and exhibited lower variability could be considered for assessing postural changes in older adults. MDC95 values could be used as a reference for indicating changes greater than the variability of the measurement.