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BackgroundRural Latino children with asthma suffer high rates of uncontrolled asthma symptoms, emergency department visits, and repeat hospitalizations. This vulnerable population must negotiate micro- and macrolevel challenges that impact asthma management, including language barriers, primary care access, parental time off from work, insurance coverage, distance from specialty sites, and documentation status. There are few proven interventions that address asthma management embedded within this unique context. ObjectiveUsing a bio-ecological approach, we will determine the feasibility of a patient-centered collaborative program between rural Latino children with asthma and their families, school-based nursing programs, and primary care providers, facilitated by the use of a smartphone-based mobile app with a Spanish-language interface. We hypothesize that improving communication through a collaborative, patient-centered intervention will improve asthma management, empower the patient and family, decrease outcome disparities, and decrease direct and indirect costs. MethodsThe specific aims of this study include the following: (1) Aim 1: produce and validate a Spanish translation of an existing asthma management app and evaluate its usability with Latino parents of children with asthma, (2) Aim 2: develop and evaluate a triadic, patient-centered asthma intervention preliminary protocol, facilitated by the bilingual mobile app validated in Aim 1, and (3) Aim 3: investigate the feasibility of the patient-centered asthma intervention from Aim 2 using a waiting-list randomized controlled trial (RCT) to investigate the effects of the intervention on school days missed and medication adherence. ResultsMobile app translation, initial usability testing, and app software refinement were completed in 2019. Analysis is in progress. Preliminary protocol testing is underway; we anticipate that the waiting-list RCT, using the refined protocol developed in Aim 2, will commence in fall 2020. ConclusionsTailored, technology-based solutions have the potential to successfully address issues affecting asthma management, including communication barriers, accessibility issues, medication adherence, and suboptimal technological interventions. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04633018; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04633018 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/18977

Objective: Half of new human papilloma virus ( (HPV)) infections occur between the ages of 15 and 24. As preventive measures are underutilized globally; international university students are at particular risk for HPV infection and sequelae. The study aim was to explore HPV knowledge and preventive behaviors in this population. Participants: Eighty-one undergraduate and graduate international university students (49 females, 32 males) at a southeastern university. Methods: Exploratory sequential mixed methods guided by the Health Belief Model. Results: Integrated qualitative/quantitative data revealed four themes mapped to relevant HBM constructs--"Perceived susceptibility to HPV"; "Perceived benefits/Perceived barriers to HPV prevention"; "Cues to Action"; and "Likelihood of Engaging in Health-Promoting Behavior." Over half believed they were not at risk for HPV/sequelae. Only a quarter had received HPV vaccination. Conclusions: International university students represent an important catch-up population for HPV screening/vaccination. Results can be used to design and tailor interventions for this vulnerable population.

Carbon monoxide (CO) oxidising microorganisms are present in volcanic deposits throughout succession, with levels of vegetation and soil influencing the communities present. Carboxydovores are a subset of CO oxidisers that use CO as an energy source, which raises questions about the physiological and metabolic features that make them more competitive in harsh volcanic ecosystems. To address these questions, samples were taken from volcanic strata formed by eruptions from Calbuco Volcano (Chile) in 2015 (tephra) and 1917 (soil). Two carboxydovore members of the Burkholderiaceae family were isolated for further study to elucidate the benefits of carboxydovory for the survival of these strains in extreme volcanic ecosystems. The isolates were identified as Paraburkholderia terrae COX (isolated from the 2015 tephra) and Cupriavidus str. CV2 (isolated from the 1917 soil). 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that within the family Burkholderiacea, the genus Paraburkholderia dominated the 2015 volcanic deposit with an average relative abundance of 73.81%, whereas in the 1917 volcanic deposit, Cupriavidus accounted for 33.64% (average relative abundance). Both strains oxidise CO across a broad range of concentrations (< 100 ppmv – 10,000 ppmv), and genome sequence analysis revealed a candidate form-I carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH), which is likely to catalyse this process. Each strain oxidised CO specifically at stationary phase but the conditions for induction of CODH expression were distinct. Cupriavidus strain CV2 expressed CODH only when CO was added to cultures (100 ppm), while Pb. terrae COX expressed CODH regardless of supplementary CO addition. Based on comparative metabolic and phylogenetic analyses, Cupriavidus strain CV2 is proposed as a novel species within the genus Cupriavidus with the name Cupriavidus ulmosensis sp. nov. for the type strain CV2T (= NCIMB 15506 T, = CECT 30956 T). This study provides valuable insights into the physiology and metabolism of carboxydovores which colonise volcanic ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Firefighters face many inherent occupational health hazards and increased risk for several cancers, making peak health essential. However, cardiac events and stroke continue as leading causes of on-duty deaths. Healthy diets promote prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancers. While some dietary interventions have been undertaken, sustained improvements have not been observed. Understanding firefighters' occupational influences on dietary behavior is vital for implementation of effective interventions to improve nutrition. Methods: The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) guided this qualitative study. Nine focus groups of firefighters who work 24-hour shifts and one interview with a fire administrator (N = 34) were conducted in 2018 across South Carolina, United States. Findings: Predominant TDF domains of influence for workplace dietary behaviors included social/professional role and identity; social influences; environmental context and resources; knowledge; beliefs about consequences; memory, attention, and decision processes; and emotion. Four emergent themes mapped to TDF domains: "We are family": Firefighters feel a strong identity in their work and with peers; "If you are a firefighter, you've got a second job": Firefighters experience many limitations in personal and workplace resources; "That kills us": Firefighters were knowledgeable about most all occupational health and safety risks except dietary risks; and "You're tired, wore out": Occupational stress influenced nutritional choice making. Conclusions: Firefighters experience many barriers to healthy eating while at work due to unique occupational influences. The findings from this study highlighted specific behavioral domains and barriers to be intervened upon that may increase the likelihood of long-term adoption of healthier dietary practices by firefighters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine rural-urban differences in college students' cardiovascular risk perceptions. Participants: College students in rural (n = 61) and urban (n = 57) Kentucky counties were recruited from November 2012 to May 2014. Methods: This was a secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional study examining rural-urban differences in cardiovascular risk factors. Students rated their risk for developing high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, having a stroke, and gaining excess weight. Chi-square and logistic regression were used for data analysis. Results: Rural students had lower odds of perceived high risk for developing high blood pressure compared to urban students (odds ratio (OR): 0.32, 95% CI: 0.11-0.96) after adjusting for race, sex, and body mass index. This association was not observed after adjusting for healthcare access variables. No other significant differences were observed. Conclusions: Efforts to raise perceived risk for developing hypertension among rural college students may be warranted.

Early adolescent children communicate on smartphones and social media, resulting in online sexual risks and potential adverse health outcomes. This study investigated parents' awareness of early adolescent engagement in online sexual risks on smartphones and social media and the protective practices used to mitigate these risks. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 English-speaking parents of early adolescent children 11–14 years old in North and South Carolina. Data were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach and thematic analysis. Parents expressed awareness of online sexual risks on smartphones and social media and engaged in protective practices to mitigate online risks, including communication and restrictions tailored to accessed content and social connections with unknown individuals online. Professionals can support parents through education targeted to risks and protective measures associated with these online devices and platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Peri-postmenopausal women with the chronic condition polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) remain at cardiometabolic risk and/or subsist with established comorbidity while continuing to manage persistent PCOS signs and symptoms, such as hirsutism. Thus, PCOS transcends the reproductive years, yet there is sparse scientific literature on the peri-postmenopausal years of women with PCOS. Purpose: To explore how peri-postmenopausal women's perceptions about PCOS have changed over the lifespan since their PCOS diagnosis. Methods: A cross-sectional survey with one qualitative question was conducted via Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) among women with PCOS aged ≥ 43 years, who were all recruited from PCOS-specific Facebook pages. Of the 107 women completing the survey, 72 substantively answered the qualitative question. The qualitative responses were analyzed using the steps of reflexive thematic analysis. Themes were interpreted and discussed through the lens of the bioecological conceptual model. Results: Respondents were 47.6 (± 4.1) years of age, primarily White (87.5%), employed full time (65.3%), and married (75%) with children (68%). Four overall themes were identified: 1) dismissal 2) information desert, 3) PCOS experience over the lifespan, and 4) mindset. Conclusion: The study findings illustrated the unique healthcare needs among peri-postmenopausal women with PCOS. Further research is needed to further explore their healthcare concerns and psychosocial needs followed by studies that develop and assess interventions that promote symptom and adaptive coping strategies across their lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the uplift of the Puna Plateau in northwestern Argentina and challenges previous interpretations of its geological history. The authors argue that the field observations and paleoaltimetry analysis used to support significant deformation and uplift in the Miocene are flawed. They suggest that the interpretation of deformation in the Eastern Cordillera does not necessarily require synchronous deformation in the Puna Plateau. The authors emphasize the need for a comprehensive approach that considers all available data and acknowledges uncertainties in order to understand the complex uplift and paleoenvironmental history of the region. [Extracted from the article]