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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]