Search

To describe Latino beliefs about AIDS (SIDA), Latino adults were sampled at two U.S. sites (Connecticut and Texas) and two international sites (Mexico and Guatemala). A 125-item questionnaire covered risk factors, symptoms, treatments, and sequellae of AIDS. The cultural consensus model was used to determine the cultural beliefs for each sample. Responses from 161 people indicated that a single set of beliefs was present at each site and that beliefs were shared across sites. Comparison of answers between samples indicated high agreement (p < .0007). The proportion of shared beliefs, however, decreased significantly between samples: .68 in Connecticut, .60 in Texas, .51 in Mexico, and .41 in Guatemala (p < .05). The proportion of positive answers similarly decreased from Connecticut to Guatemala (p < .001). Beliefs were stronger and more detailed in the higher prevalence areas. Furthermore, Latino beliefs tended to converge on biomedical beliefs about the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multisite study funded through the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Office of Research on Minority Health was conducted in 1996 to determine the HIV/AIDS prevention needs of Native American out-of-treatment drug users. In an effort to recommend directions for HIV/AIDS prevention programming, one component of this study entailed conducting a series of focus groups at each of four sites: Anchorage, Alaska; Denver, Colorado; Flagstaff, Arizona; and Tucson, Arizona. While some site differences were noted, several consistent thematic findings were revealed across all locations. Specifically, focus group members strongly recommended directly involving key members of the Native American community in conducting outreach and intervention activities, involving Native people as the sources of information, and utilizing local and tribally relevant forms of delivering the message. Other consistent themes included getting messages to smaller communities to prevent the potential 'annihilation' of tribes, educating youth, and linking alcohol prevention education to HIV/AIDS education. Findings from this study support the idea that future HIV/AIDS prevention programs must take into account subgroup and individual level differences among Native American drug users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1990, researchers and health care professionals joined with members of several southwestern Native American communities to form an HIV/AIDS and substance abuse prevention partnership. Culturally sensitive approaches to theory-based interventions were developed into highly replicable, structured, school-based and community-based intervention programs. Process evaluations indicated high levels of program acceptance and fidelity. Outcome evaluations demonstrated significant positive preventive intervention effects among participants. This article reports how NAPPASA school prevention curricula were developed and discusses three critical processes in developing these successful curricula: 1) selection of integrative theory to address the multi-dimensional antecedents of HIV/AIDS and substance abuse among Native Americans, 2) use of ethnographic methodology to obtain intensive input from target groups and community members to ensure cultural and developmental sensitivity in the curriculum, and 3) use of process and outcome evaluations of pilot and field trials to develop an optimal curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Based on the threat posed by the Asian longhorned beetle ( Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky), many countries including the United States have adopted policies of eradication. The eradication of infestations that cover hundreds of square kilometers can require multiple visual surveys of millions of individual trees. At these scales, eradication may take several decades and span multiple beetle generations. During this period the infestation of new trees adds spatially-explicit risk to the landscape while surveys and the removal of infested trees reduce it., Methods: To track dynamic risk on the landscape we have developed the Asian Longhorned Beetle Hazard Management and Monitoring Tool. The geospatial tool combines data documenting; the locations, levels of infestation, and dates of detection of infested trees; the locations, methods, and timing of survey and host removal activities; and a reconstruction of beetle movement within the infested landscape to generate annual spatial estimates of infestation risk based on the combination of beetle dispersal and survey and host removal activities., Results: The analyses of three eradication programs highlight similar patterns in risk through time with risk peaking at the time infestations are detected and declining as management activities slow beetle spread and reduce risk through surveys. However, the results also highlight differences in risk reduction among the eradication programs associated with differences in beetle dispersal among infestations and the size of the infested landscape, highlighting the importance of applying local information to structure eradication programs., Discussion: The Asian Longhorned Beetle Hazard Management and Monitoring Tool provides a quantitative repeatable approach to tracking changes in infestation risk using local beetle behavior and management efforts. In addition to this, the tool may provide a structure to optimize eradication efforts by allowing managers to estimate expected risk reduction based on proposed survey and host removal strategies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Trotter, Ryan, Chandler and Pfister.)

Background: Disease control relies on pathogen identification and understanding reservoirs. Staphylococcus aureus infection prevention is based upon decades of research on colonization and infection, but diminishing returns from mitigation efforts suggest significant knowledge gaps. Existing knowledge and mitigation protocols are founded upon culture-based detection, with almost no information about pathogen quantities., Methods: We used culture and a quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay on samples from 3 body sites to characterize colonization more comprehensively than previous studies by describing both prevalence and pathogen quantity., Results: We show a much higher overall prevalence (65.9%) than previously documented, with higher quantities and prevalence associated with the nares, non-Hispanic males (86.9%), and correlating with colonization in other body sites. These results suggest that research and clinical practices likely misclassify over half of colonized persons, limiting mitigation measures and their impact., Conclusions: This work begins the process of rebuilding foundational knowledge of S aureus carriage with more accurate and wholistic approaches., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. All authors: No reported conflicts of interest. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Asymptomatic carriage of Staphylococcus aureus is a major risk factor for subsequent clinical infection. Diminishing returns from mitigation efforts emphasize the need to better understand colonization, spread, and transmission of this opportunistic pathogen. While contact with other people presents opportunities for pathogen exposure and transmission, diversity of social connections may be protective against pathogens such as the common cold. This study examined whether social relationship resources, including the amount and diversity of social contacts, are associated with S. aureus colonization. Participants were community members (N = 443; 68% Hispanic) in naturally occurring social groups in southwestern Arizona. Four types of social relationships and loneliness were assessed, and samples from the skin, nose and throat were obtained to ascertain S. aureus colonization. Overall S. aureus prevalence was 64.8%. Neither the amount nor the diversity of social contacts were associated with S. aureus colonization. The concurrent validity of the social relationship assessments was supported by their moderate intercorrelations and by their positive association with self-rated health. The results suggest that the association of social network diversity and susceptibility to the common cold does not extend to S. aureus colonization. Conversely, colonization prevalence was not higher among those with more social contacts. The latter pattern suggests that social transmission may be relatively infrequent or that more intimate forms of social interaction may drive transmission and colonization resulting in high community prevalence of S. aureus colonization. These data inform communicable disease control efforts., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Barger et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

As one of the Research Centers for Minority Institutions (RCMI), the Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative (SHERC) worked over the first five-year period of funding to foster the advancement of Early Stage Investigators, enhance the quality of health disparities research, and increase institution research capacity in basic Biomedical, Behavioral, and/or Clinical research; all priorities of RCMIs. In year 4, the Technical Assistance Group-Service Center (TAG-SC) was created to help achieve these goals. The TAG-SC provides one-on-one investigator project development support, including research design, data capture, and analysis. Successful implementation of the TAG-SC was tracked using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap), a secure, web-based software platform allowing for immediate tracking and evaluation processes. In the first two years, 86 tickets were submitted through the REDCap system for methodological support by TAG-SC experts (faculty and staff) for assistance with health-equity related research, primarily SHERC and externally funded Social/Behavioral research projects. The TAG-SC increased the research capacity for investigators, especially within the SHERC. In this manuscript, we describe the methods used to create the TAG-SC and the REDCap tracking system and lessons learned, which can help other RCMIs interested in creating a similar service center offering an innovative way to build methodological infrastructure.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Program fosters the development and implementation of innovative research aimed at improving minority health and reducing or eliminating health disparities. Currently, there are 21 RCMI Specialized (U54) Centers that share the same framework, comprising four required core components, namely the Administrative, Research Infrastructure, Investigator Development, and Community Engagement Cores. The Research Infrastructure Core (RIC) is fundamentally important for biomedical and health disparities research as a critical function domain. This paper aims to assess the research resources and services provided and evaluate the best practices in research resources management and networking across the RCMI Consortium. We conducted a REDCap-based survey and collected responses from 57 RIC Directors and Co-Directors from 98 core leaders. Our findings indicated that the RIC facilities across the 21 RCMI Centers provide access to major research equipment and are managed by experienced faculty and staff who provide expert consultative and technical services. However, several impediments to RIC facilities operation and management have been identified, and these are currently being addressed through implementation of cost-effective strategies and best practices of laboratory management and operation.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, health care provision changed rapidly and funding became available to assess pandemic-related policy change. Research activities, however, were limited to contactless, online delivery. It was clear early on that some elements of online rapid ethnography were feasible and effective, while others would not approach traditional ethnographic depth. We conducted an online Rapid Assessment, Response, and Evaluation (RARE) project from August 2020 to September 2021 to understand how COVID-19 policy impacted people who use drugs. Our interdisciplinary research team conducted online ethnographic interviews and focus groups with 45 providers and community stakeholders, and 19 clients from rural and urban areas throughout Arizona. In addition, 26 webinars, online trainings, and virtual conferences focused on opioid policy and medication for opioid use disorders (MOUD) were opportunities to observe conversations among providers and program representatives about how best to implement policy changes, how to reach people in recovery, and what aspects of the changes should carry forward into better all-around opioid services in the future. Our RARE project was successful in collecting a range of providers' perspectives on both rural and urban implementation of take-home MOUDs as well as a wide view of national conversations, but client perspectives were limited to those who were not impacted by the policies and continued to attend in-person daily clinic visits. We describe challenges to online rapid ethnography and how online research may have allowed for an in-depth, but incomplete picture of how policy changes during COVID-19 policy affected people with opioid use disorders., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Eaves, Trotter, Marquez, Negron, Doerry, Mensah, Compton-Gore, Lanzetta, Kruithoff, Dykman and Baldwin.)

Staphylococcus aureus exists as a pathogen and commensal. Individuals with asymptomatic carriage serve as a reservoir for transmission and are at increased risk of infecting themselves. In order to characterize the genomic diversity of S. aureus circulating in the community, we sequenced 166 genomes collected from individuals in Yuma, AZ.

The hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae Adelges tsugae Annand) poses a serious threat to hemlocks in eastern North America, and ongoing research is focused on the identification and development of biological controls to protect and manage hemlock resources. Three predators native to the Pacific Northwest of North America that have been the focus of much research are Leucopis argenticollis (Zetterstedt), Leucopis piniperda (Malloch) (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae), and Laricobius nigrinus (Fender) (Coleoptera: Derodontidae). This study addresses the knowledge gap of adult Leucopis spp. emergence patterns, with comparisons to the timing of larval La. nigrinus drop for pupation. Adult Leucopis spp. emergence was observed in the lab from field-collected, adelgid-infested foliage from Washington state in 2019 and 2020. Adult Leucopis spp. were collected daily as they emerged from foliage collections and identified to species using morphological features; a subset was validated using DNA barcoding. Accumulated heating degree days were calculated to compare a standardized emergence timing across collections made at different locations and temperature regimes. The abundance of the two Leucopis spp. and of the combined Leucopis spp. and La. nigrinus varied among sites and years, and no species was consistently more abundant than the other. Evaluations of seasonal emergence trends of the three species determine the predator complex behaves in a temporally stratified and predictable way. Emergence of adult Le. argenticollis was observed first, followed by La. nigrinus larval drop, with Le. piniperda emerging at the end of larval drop, and finally a second emergence of Le. argenticollis., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

We aimed to estimate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity among a sample of individuals incarcerated in an Arizona county jail and compare prevalence estimates to a matched non-institutionalized population. From 2017-2018, individuals housed at a county jail completed a cross-sectional health survey. We estimated the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, overweight/obesity, cigarette smoking, binge drinking, and self-reported health among individuals incarcerated. We compared prevalence estimates of cardiovascular risk factors to a matched sample of 2017-2018 NHANES participants. Overall, 35.9%, 7.7%, and 17.8% of individuals incarcerated in jail self-reported hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol, respectively. Of individuals incarcerated, 59.6% were overweight or obese and 36.8% self-reported fair or poor general health. Over half of individuals incarcerated reported ever smoking cigarettes (72.3%) and binge drinking (60.7%). Compared to a matched sample of NHANES participants, individuals incarcerated in jail had a statistically higher prevalence of cigarette smoking and binge drinking. Screening of cardiovascular risk factors and providing preventive measures and interventions, such as healthy eating, physical activity, or pharmacological adherence interventions, while individuals are incarcerated may contribute to the prevention and management of cardiovascular risk factors and, eventually, cardiovascular disease.

Purpose: To characterize the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and substance use among people incarcerated in a county jail., Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire was administered to 199 individuals incarcerated in a Southwest county jail as part of a social-epidemiological exploration of converging co-morbidities in incarcerated populations. Among 96 participants with complete ACEs data, the authors determined associations between individual ACEs items and a summative score with methamphetamine (meth), heroin, other opiates, and cocaine use and binge drinking in the 30 days prior to incarceration using logistic regression., Findings: People who self-reported use of methamphetamine, heroin, other opiates, or cocaine in the 30 days prior to incarceration had higher average ACEs scores. Methamphetamine use was significantly associated with living with anyone who served time in a correctional facility and with someone trying to make them touch sexually. Opiate use was significantly associated with living with anyone who was depressed, mentally ill, or suicidal; living with anyone who used illegal street drugs or misused prescription medications; and if an adult touched them sexually. Binge drinking was significantly associated with having lived with someone who was a problem drinker or alcoholic., Originality: Significant associations between methamphetamine use and opiate use and specific adverse childhood experiences suggest important entry points for improving jail and community programming., Social Implications: Our findings point to a need for research to understand differences between methamphetamine use and opiate use in relation to particular adverse experiences during childhood, and a need for tailored intervention for people incarcerated in jail.

Background: This study used a community-engaged approach to examine associations between environmental contaminants and health outcomes among residents of Yuma, Arizona. Our team conducted a process evaluation to assess scientific rigor and adherence to community engagement principles., Objective: Our evaluation focused on four dimensions of community-based participatory research: 1) context, 2) group dynamics, 3) intervention and research, and 4) outcomes., Methods: Interviews were conducted with key informants from community partner organizations. Thematic analysis was used to evaluate community partners' experiences with our collaborative process., Lessons Learned: Community partners reported collaborating to establish research goals, recruit participants, collect data, plan analyses, and formulate dissemination strategies. Training needs, roles, and expectations of community partners varied based on available resources, prior research experience, and perceived research challenges., Conclusions: Leveraging community-engaged principles for studies of environmental contamination can expedite recruitment efforts and stimulate action to improve health outcomes.

This study was carried out to evaluate hypotheses generated by fundamental cause theory regarding the socioeconomic status (SES) gradient in colonization with Staphylococcus aureus among Hispanic and non-Hispanic adults living in a border community. Participants ( n  = 613) recruited in naturally occurring small groups at public and private sites throughout Yuma County, AZ, completed a sociodemographic survey and swabbed their palms, noses, and throats to sample microbial flora. Positive S. aureus colonization among non-Hispanic white participants was nominally higher (39.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 32.4 to 46.1%) than that in Hispanics (31.3%; 95% CI = 26.4 to 36.8%), but there was no education gradient for the sample overall (incidence rate ratio = 1.00; 95% CI = 0.90 to 1.12) or within each ethnic group separately. The education gradient between Hispanic and non-Hispanic whites was statistically equivalent. Results were consistent when home ownership was used as the SES indicator. These data show that S. aureus colonization is not linked to two different SES indicators or Hispanic ethnicity. S. aureus colonization may be considered a less preventable health risk that is outside the influence of SES-based resources. IMPORTANCE Unlike some types of S. aureus infections, S. aureus colonization is not associated with ethnicity or educational attainment and thus may be outside the influence of socioeconomic status-based resources typically mobilized to avoid or mitigate preventable health risks. This assessment of a clinically silent risk that usually precedes infections may illustrate a boundary of fundamental cause theory., (Copyright © 2020 Barger et al.)

Parts of the Southwestern United States report arsenic levels in water resources that are above the United States Environmental Protection Agency's current drinking water limits. Prolonged exposure to arsenic through food and drinking water can contribute to significant health problems including cancer, developmental effects, cardiovascular disease, neurotoxicity, and diabetes. In order to understand exposure risks, water sampling and testing has been conducted throughout Arizona. This information is available to the public through often non-overlapping databases that are difficult to access and in impracticable formats. The current study utilized a systemic compilation of online databases to compile a spreadsheet containing over 33,000 water samples. The reported arsenic concentrations from these databases were collected from 1990-2017. Using ArcGIS software, these data were converted into a map shapefile and overlaid onto a map of Arizona. This visual representation shows that arsenic levels in surface and ground water exceed the United States Environmental Protection Agency's drinking water limits for many sites in several counties in Arizona, and there is an underrepresentation of sampling in several tribal jurisdictions. This information is useful for water managers and private well owners throughout the State for determining safe drinking water sources and limiting exposure to arsenic.

Successful integration of health care in rural and underserved communities requires attention to power structures, trust, and disciplinary boundaries that inhibit team-based integration of behavioral and primary health care. This paper reports on perceived successes and ongoing challenges of integrating primary and behavioral health care from the perspectives of providers, community leaders, and community members. Data collection consisted of semi-structured qualitative interviews and focus groups conducted as part of a regional health equity assessment in northern Arizona. The authors explore barriers and successes in integrating health care in rural clinics using the perspective of a social ecological framework and the mediating role of culture. Differing expectations, differing professional areas, and interpersonal interactions were primary factors challenging movement toward integrated health care. Results suggest that providers and policymakers working toward health care integration should consider culture and interpersonal interaction as dynamic mediators, particularly in underserved and rural health care contexts.

Objectives. To estimate the association between race/ethnicity and drug- and alcohol-related arrest outcomes. Methods. We used multinomial logistic regression and general estimating equations to estimate the association between race/ethnicity and arrest outcomes in 36 073 drug- and alcohol-related arrests obtained from administrative records in a Southwest US county from 2009 to 2018. Results were stratified by charge type. Results. Among misdemeanor drug- and alcohol-related arrests, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.60; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.32, 3.90), Latino (AOR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.35, 1.73), and Black persons (AOR = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.05, 1.55) were more likely than White persons to be booked into jail as opposed to cited and released. AI/AN (AOR = 10.77; 95% CI = 9.40, 12.35), Latino (AOR = 2.63; 95% CI = 2.12, 3.28), and Black persons (AOR = 1.84; 95% CI = 1.19, 2.84) also were more likely than White persons to be convicted and serve time for their misdemeanor charges. Results were similar for felony drug- and alcohol-related arrests aggregated and stratified. Conclusions. Our results suggest that race/ethnicity is associated with outcomes in drug-related arrests and that overrepresentation of racial/ethnic minorities in the criminal justice system cannot be attributed to greater use of drugs and alcohol in general.

This special issue of Practicing Anthropology presents multidisciplinary and multisectoral views of a community engaged health disparities project titled "Health Disparities in Jail Populations: Converging Epidemics of Infectious Disease, Chronic Illness, Behavioral Health, and Substance Abuse." The overall project incorporated traditional anthropological mixed-methods approaches with theory and methods from informatics, epidemiology, genomics, evolutionary and computational biology, community engagement, and applied/translational science.

Background: Each year, 9 million individuals cycle in and out of jails. The under-characterization of incarceration as an exposure poses substantial challenges to understanding how varying levels of exposure to jail may affect health. Thus, we characterized levels of jail incarceration including recidivism, number of incarcerations, total and average number of days incarcerated, and time to reincarceration., Methods: We created a cohort of 75,203 individuals incarcerated at the Coconino County Detention Facility in Flagstaff, Arizona, from 2001 to 2018 from jail intake and release records., Results: The median number of incarcerations during the study period was one (interquartile range [IQR] = 1-2). Forty percent of individuals had >1 incarceration. The median length of stay for first observed incarcerations was 1 day (IQR = 0-5). The median total days incarcerated was 3 (IQR = 1-23). Average length of stay increased by number of incarcerations. By 18 months, 27% of our sample had been reincarcerated., Conclusion: Characteristics of jail incarceration have been largely left out of public health research. A better understanding of jail incarcerations can help design analyses to assess health outcomes of individuals incarcerated in jail. Our study is an early step in shaping an understanding of jail incarceration as an exposure for future epidemiologic research. See video abstract at, http://links.lww.com/EDE/B536.

The environmental health status of jail populations in the United States constitutes a significant public health threat for prisoners and the general population. The ecology of jails creates a dynamic condition in relation to general population health due to the concentrated potential exposure to infectious diseases, difficult access to treatment for chronic health conditions, interruption in continuity of care for serious behavioral health conditions, as well as on-going issues for the prevention and treatment of substance abuse disorders. This paper reports on elements of a cross-sectional survey embedded in a parent project, "Health Disparities in Jail Populations." The overall project includes a comprehensive secondary data analysis of the health status of county jail populations, along with primary data collection that includes a cross-sectional health and health care services survey of incarcerated individuals, coupled with collection of biological samples to investigate infectious disease characteristics of a county jail population. This paper reports on the primary results of the survey data collection that indicate that this is a population with complex and interacting co-morbidities, as well as significant health disparities compared to the general population.

The establishment of non-native species is commonly described as occurring in three phases: arrival, establishment, and dispersal. Both arrival and dispersal by the Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky), a xylophagous Cerambycid native to China and the Korean peninsula, has been documented for multiple locations in both North America and Europe, however the transitional phase, establishment, is not well understood for this species due to the need to rapidly remove populations to prevent dispersal and assist eradication, and the evident variation in the behavior of populations. Here we describe the dynamics of an establishment event for the Asian longhorned beetle in a small, isolated population within the regulated quarantine zone near Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. These data were collected during an opportunity afforded by logistical limits on the Cooperative Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradication Program administered by state, federal, and local government partners. Seventy-one infested red maple (Acer rubrum) trees and 456 interspersed un-infested trees were surveyed in an isolated, recently established population within a ~0.29 ha stand in a suburban wetland conservation area in which nearly 90% of the trees were host species, and nearly 80% were Acer rubrum. Tree-ring analyses show that within this establishing population, Asian longhorned beetles initially infested one or two A. rubrum, before moving through the stand to infest additional A. rubrum based not on distance or direction, but on tree size, with infestation biased towards trees with larger trunk diameters. Survey data from the larger landscape suggest this population may have generated long-distance dispersers (~1400 m), and that these dispersal events occurred before the originally infested host trees were fully exploited by the beetle. The distribution and intensity of damage documented in this population suggest dispersal here may have been spatially more rapid and diffuse than in other documented infestations. Dispersal at these larger spatial scales also implies that when beetles move beyond the closed canopy of the stand, the direction of dispersal may be linked to prevailing winds.

Efforts to manage and eradicate invasive species can benefit from an improved understanding of the physiology, biology, and behavior of the target species, and ongoing efforts to eradicate the Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky) highlight the roles this information may play. Here, we present a climate-driven phenology model for A. glabripennis that provides simulated life-tables for populations of individual beetles under variable climatic conditions that takes into account the variable number of instars beetles may undergo as larvae. Phenology parameters in the model are based on a synthesis of published data and studies of A. glabripennis, and the model output was evaluated using a laboratory-reared population maintained under varying temperatures mimicking those typical of Central Park in New York City. The model was stable under variations in population size, simulation length, and the Julian dates used to initiate individual beetles within the population. Comparison of model results with previously published field-based phenology studies in native and invasive populations indicates both this new phenology model, and the previously published heating-degree-day model show good agreement in the prediction of the beginning of the flight season for adults. However, the phenology model described here avoids underpredicting the cumulative emergence of adults through the season, in addition to providing tables of life stages and estimations of voltinism for local populations. This information can play a key role in evaluating risk by predicting the potential for population growth, and may facilitate the optimization of management and eradication efforts., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2016. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.)

Complex community oriented health care prevention and intervention partnerships fail or only partially succeed at alarming rates. In light of the current rapid expansion of critically needed programs targeted at health disparities in minority populations, we have designed and are testing an "logic model plus" evaluation model that combines classic logic model and query based evaluation designs (CDC, NIH, Kellogg Foundation) with advances in community engaged designs derived from industry-university partnership models. These approaches support the application of a "near real time" feedback system (diagnosis and intervention) based on organizational theory, social network theory, and logic model metrics directed at partnership dynamics, combined with logic model metrics., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Native to China and Korea, the Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), is a polyphagous wood-boring pest for which a trapping system would greatly benefit eradication and management programs in both the introduced and native ranges. Over two field seasons, a total of 160 flight intercept panel traps were deployed in Harbin, China, which trapped a total of 65 beetles. In 2012, traps using lures with a 1:1 ratio of the male-produced pheromone components (4-(n-heptyloxy)butanal and 4-(n-heptyloxy)butan-1-ol) designed to release at a rate of 1 or 4 milligram per day per component in conjunction with the plant volatiles (-)-linalool, trans-caryophyllene, and (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol caught significantly more A. glabripennis females than other pheromone release rates, other pheromone ratios, plant volatiles only, and no lure controls. Males were caught primarily in traps baited with plant volatiles only. In 2013, 10× higher release rates of these plant volatiles were tested, and linalool oxide was evaluated as a fourth plant volatile in combination with a 1:1 ratio of the male-produced pheromone components emitted at a rate of 2 milligram per day per component. Significantly more females were trapped using the pheromone with the 10-fold higher three or four plant volatile release rates compared with the plant volatiles only, low four plant volatile + pheromone, and control. Our findings show that the male-produced pheromone in combination with plant volatiles can be used to detect A. glabripennis. Results also indicate that emitters should be monitored during the field season, as release rates fluctuate with environmental conditions and can be strongly influenced by formulation additives.

Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), commonly known as the Asian longhorned beetle, is an invasive wood-boring pest that infests a number of hardwood species and causes considerable economic losses in North America, several countries in Europe, and in its native range in Asia. The success of eradication efforts may depend on early detection of introduced populations; however, detection has been limited to identification of tree damage (oviposition pits and exit holes), and the serendipitous collection of adults, often by members of the public. Here we describe the development, deployment, and evaluation of semiochemical-baited traps in the greater Worcester area in Massachusetts. Over 4 yr of trap evaluation (2009-2012), 1013 intercept panel traps were deployed, 876 of which were baited with three different families of lures. The families included lures exhibiting different rates of release of the male-produced A. glabripennis pheromone, lures with various combinations of plant volatiles, and lures with both the pheromone and plant volatiles combined. Overall, 45 individual beetles were captured in 40 different traps. Beetles were found only in traps with lures. In several cases, trap catches led to the more rapid discovery and management of previously unknown areas of infestation in the Worcester county regulated area. Analysis of the spatial distribution of traps and the known infested trees within the regulated area provides an estimate of the relationship between trap catch and beetle pressure exerted on the traps. Studies continue to optimize lure composition and trap placement.

Addressing social determinants of health (SDH) requires multileveled intervention designs. Increasingly, organizations and coalitions face pressure to use evidence-based strategies when seeking to address SDH. Evidence-based strategies, however, must be locally relevant and integrated into existing systems to function efficiently. We propose the incorporation of an effective rapid assessment technique, Rapid Assessment, Response, and Evaluation (RARE), with evidence-based strategies, findings, and recommendations embedded in community-engaged research to increase the likelihood of success in addressing SDH. Our RARE project--a partnership among a community health center, a nonprofit funding agency, and academic faculty researchers--resulted in community- and policy-level interventions for the prevention of childhood obesity in a Southwestern U.S. city.

Three sequential studies were conducted on the interacting effects of exposure to low (5°C) temperature for 0, 7, 28, 56, or 84 d followed by incubation at 10, 15, or 20°C on the egg diapause of Scymnus (Neopullus) camptodromus Yu and Liu (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). This beetle was imported from China as a potential biological control agent for hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae (Annand) (Hemiptera: Adelgidae). Very few eggs laid and held at a constant 15 or 20°C showed any indication of development. Only eggs exposed to temperature combinations of 5 and 10°C had >50% hatch. Highest percent hatch and fastest development occurred when eggs were held at 5°C for 56 or 84 d followed by holding at 10°C. A model estimated the lower threshold for postdiapause development to be 2°C. The effect of temperature on egg hatch was similar at photoperiods of 12:12 and 16:8 (L:D) h, suggesting egg development is not governed by photoperiod or light exposure. Collectively these data indicate that S. camptodromus eggs laid in the spring and summer go through an aestivo-hibernal diapause that is maintained by warm temperatures and that development resumes when temperatures drop, in parallel with the development of hemlock woolly adelgid. This concurrent development allows S. camptodromus eggs to hatch while hemlock woolly adelgid is laying eggs. This synchrony between the development of S. camptodromus eggs and the overwintering adelgid suggest this beetle may be a good candidate for the biological control of the hemlock woolly adelgid.

The hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand) is a small, aphid-like insect native to East Asia and western North America. First documented in the eastern United States in Richmond, VA, in 1951, it has spread to at least 17 states, where it causes increased mortality among both eastern and Carolina hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis Carrière and T. caroliniana Engelmann., respectively). Previous work has suggested low temperatures may limit northward spread of the adelgid. Using recent surveys of A. tsugae mortality across the infested latitudinal gradient of the eastern United States, we show there is a significant positive relationship between minimum winter temperatures and winter survival at the landscape scale. The strength and nature of this relationship, however, varies through time, with absolute minimum winter temperatures explaining almost one half of the tree-level variance in survival in the spring of 2004 but only 9% in 2003. Post hoc analyses of the data suggest the explanatory power of temperature can be improved in ongoing studies by examining seasonal temperature profiles. Previous studies have also suggested adelgid survival may be density dependent, and although these data support this observation, contemporary density is a poor predictor of adelgid survival at the landscape scale. Using landscape estimates of minimum winter temperature, we show two simple methods of estimating landscape-scale adelgid survival rates. Both methods suggest much of the range of T. canadensis in the eastern United States, and the entire range of T. caroliniana falls in areas where winter temperatures will not impose critical limits on A. tsugae populations.

The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on minority communities called for interventions to stem the increase in new HIV infections and identify HIV-positive individuals for referral to care and treatment services. The Rapid Assessment, Response and Evaluation (RARE) project was designed to provide highly affected communities with a tool that would quickly identify conditions that fuel new infections and serve as barriers to HIV-positive individuals getting HIV testing, care, and treatment. RARE brought indigenous community health outreach workers and key community-level stakeholders together to advocate for the transfer of findings into programmatic and policy responses in places where high risk behaviors were practiced. This article describes RARE's qualitative methods that captured the voice of those most affected by the HIV/AIDS threat and identified critical insights and dynamics about factors that lead to HIV infections and those that can move positive individuals into care and treatment.

Understanding the genetic basis to landscape vegetation structure is an important step that will allow us to examine ecological and evolutionary processes at multiple spatial scales. Here for the first time we show that the fractal architecture of a dominant plant on the landscape exhibits high broad-sense heritability and thus has a genetic basis. The fractal architecture of trees is known to influence ecological communities associated with them. In a unidirectional cottonwood-hybridizing complex (Populus angustifolia x P. fremontii) pure and hybrid cottonwoods differed significantly in their fractal architecture, with phenotypic variance among backcross hybrids exceeding that of F1 hybrids and of pure narrowleaf cottonwoods by two-fold. This result provides a crucial link between genes and fractal scaling theory, and places the study of landscape ecology within an evolutionary framework.

Objectives: The US Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Congressional Black Caucus, created a new initiative to address the disproportionate ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis in racial/ethnic minority populations., Methods: This initiative included deploying technical assistance teams through the Office of HIV/AIDS Policy. The teams introduced rapid assessment and response methodologies and trained minority communities in their use., Results: The first 3 eligible cities (Detroit, Miami, and Philadelphia) focused assessments in small geographic areas, using multiple methodologies to obtain data., Conclusions: Data from the first 3 eligible cities provided critical information about changing the dynamics of the HIV/AIDS epidemic at the local level, including program and policy changes and infrastructure redeployment targeted at the most serious social and environmental conditions.

To understand climate change, dendrochronologists have used tree ring analyses to reconstruct past climates, as well as ecological processes such as herbivore population dynamics. Such reconstructions, however, have been hindered by a lack of experiments that separate the influences of confounding impacts on tree rings, such as herbivores and the interactions of multiple factors. Our long-term experiments with scale insects on resistant and susceptible pines demonstrate three major points that are important to the application of this commonly used tool. (i) Herbivory reduced tree ring growth by 25-35%. (ii) The impact on ring growth distorted climate reconstruction, resulting in the overestimation of past moisture levels by more than 2-fold. Our data suggest that, if distortion because of herbivory has been a problem in previous reconstructions, estimates of the magnitude of recent climate changes are likely to be conservative. (iii) Our studies support a detectible plant resistance x herbivore x climate interaction in the tree ring record. Because resistance and susceptibility to herbivory are known to be genetically based in many systems, the potential exists to incorporate plant genetics into the field of dendrochronology, where it may be used to screen distortions from the tree ring record.

This study reports on community surveys of 160 representative Latino adults in Hartford, CT, Edinburg, TX, Guadalajara, Mexico; and in rural Guatemala. A 142-item questionnaire covered asthma beliefs and practices (e.g., causes, symptoms, and treatments). The cultural consensus model was used to analyze the agreement among respondents within each sample and to describe beliefs. Beliefs were then compared across the four samples. Analysis of the questionnaire data shows that there was overall consistency or consensus regarding beliefs and practices among individuals at each site (intraculturally) and to a lesser extent across respondents of all four different Latino cultural groups (i.e., interculturally). This pattern of response is indicative of a shared belief system among the four groups with regard to asthma. Within this shared belief system though, there is systematic variation between groups in causes, symptoms, and treatments for asthma. The most widely recognized and shared beliefs concerned causes of asthma. Notable differences were present between samples in terms of differences in beliefs about symptoms and treatments. The biomedical model is shown to be a part of the explanatory model at all sites; in addition to the biomedical model, ethnocultural beliefs such as the humoral ("hot/cold") aspects and the importance of balance are also evident. The Connecticut Puerto Ricans had a greater degree of shared beliefs about asthma than did the other three samples (p < 0.00005). It was concluded that the four Latino groups studied share an overall belief system regarding asthma, including many aspects of the biomedical model of asthma. In addition, traditional Latino ethnomedical beliefs are present, especially concerning the importance of balance in health and illness. Many beliefs and practices are site-specific, and caution should be used when using inclusive terms such as "Hispanic" or "Latino," since there is variation as well as commonality among different ethnic groups with regard to health beliefs and practices.

Chronic herbivory by the stem-boring moth (Dioryctria albovittella) alters the sexual expression of a monoecious tree, pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) by reducing female function and increasing male function. Observations and long-term moth removal experiments show that 55% of susceptible trees can lose all female function. Moth herbivory has little effect on male function in young trees, but has an important effect on older trees, where moth-susceptible trees produced 1.5 times more pollen than moth-resistant trees. Susceptible trees were 6.5 times more likely to exhibit male-only function than either resistant trees or susceptible trees that have had their moths experimentally removed. This herbivore-induced sex change is caused primarily by differential moth attack and the resulting mortality of the shoots that bear female reproductive structures. Moth attack rates were positively correlated with individual stem biomass (female stems >non-reproductive stems >male stems). Moth attack also increased conelet abortion on unattacked shoots, indicating that moths indirectly reduce female function. Moth-induced altering of sexual function is also expressed at the population level. Male function is relatively greater in stands with high moth densities on stressful soils than in stands with few moths. Under certain conditions, sexual selection theory suggests that the negative effects on female function could be overcome with greater investment in male function. Because susceptible trees produce large amounts of pollen and are more abundant than moth-resistant trees, frequency-dependent selection may counteract selection against susceptible genotypes. Plant-herbivore interaction studies typically examine negative impacts of herbivory on female function, but not positive effects on male function. Here we demonstrate that herbivory may have important effects on the evolutionary ecology of pinyon by both promoting male function and depressing female function.

Increased emphasis on community collaboration indicates the need for consensus regarding the definition of community within public health. This study examined whether members of diverse US communities described community in similar ways. To identify strategies to support community collaboration in HIV vaccine trials, qualitative interviews were conducted with 25 African Americans in Durham, NC; 26 gay men in San Francisco, Calif; 25 injection drug users in Philadelphia, Pa; and 42 HIV vaccine researchers across the United States. Verbatim responses to the question "What does the word community mean to you?" were analyzed. Cluster analysis was used to identify similarities in the way community was described. A common definition of community emerged as a group of people with diverse characteristics who are linked by social ties, share common perspectives, and engage in joint action in geographical locations or settings. The participants differed in the emphasis they placed on particular elements of the definition. Community was defined similarly but experienced differently by people with diverse backgrounds. These results parallel similar social science findings and confirm the viability of a common definition for participatory public health.

Objective: To study prospectively social networks and behavior in a group of persons at risk for HIV because of their drug-using and sexual practices, with particular emphasis on the interaction of risks and concomitant network structure., Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted of 228 respondents in Atlanta, Georgia in six inner-city community chains of connected persons, interviewing primary respondents and a sample of their contacts every 6 months for 2 years. Ascertained were: HIV and immunologic status; demographic, medical, and behavioral factors; and the composition of the social, sexual, and drug-using networks., Results: The prevalence of HIV in this group was 13.3% and the incidence density was 1.8% per year. Substantial simultaneity of risk-taking was observed, with a high level of both non-injecting (crack, 82%) and injecting (heroin, cocaine or both, 16 30%) drug use, the exchange of sex or money for drugs by men (approximately 35%) and women (57-71%), and high frequency of same-sex sexual activity by men (9.4%) and women (33%). The intensity of interaction, as measured by network features such as microstructures and concurrency, was significantly greater than that observed in a low prevalence area with little endemic transmission., Conclusion: The traditional hierarchical classification of risk for HIV may impede our understanding of transmission dynamics, which, in the setting of an inner-city population, is characterized by simultaneity of risk-taking, and moderately intense network interactions. The study provides further evidence for the relationship of network structure to transmission dynamics, but highlights the difficulties of using network information for prediction of individual seroconversion.

Quantitative alcohol interviews conducted as part of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Native American Supplement revealed very high rates of alcohol use among American Indian and Alaska Native active crack and injection drug users (IDUs). Of 147 respondents who completed the alcohol questionnaire, 100& percent had drunk alcohol within the past month, almost 42& percent reported that they drank every day, and 50& percent drank until they were drunk one-half of the time or more. Injection drug users (IDUs) demonstrated the highest frequency and quantity of alcohol use in the past 30 days. A significant positive association was also found between crack and alcohol use in the past 48 hours (c(2)=5.30, p<.05). Finally, those claiming more episodes of using alcohol before or during sex, reported significantly more events of unprotected sexual intercourse. Qualitative data from all four sites corroborated these quantitative findings. Many individuals also reported episodes of blacking out while drinking, and learned later that they had had unprotected sex with complete strangers or individuals they would not otherwise accept as partners. Implications of these findings for HIV/AIDS prevention efforts are addressed.

Focus groups and individual structured interviews were conducted in six cities with 98 predominantly street-recruited men who had a recent history of smoking crack or injecting drugs and who reported having had sex with other men (MSM) in the past year. Twenty-six focus groups explored the cultural and social context of participant's drug use and sexual activity and addressed outreach and HIV prevention issues pertinent to this population. Narrative summaries developed from verbatim focus group transcripts identified seven themes: (a) sexual orientation and gender identity; (b) interactions within and between MSM networks; (c) drug use, sexual activity and personal relationships; (d) HIV transmission bridges; (e) preferred HIV information sources; (f) HIV knowledge, prevention practices and risk behaviours; and (g) availability of HIV and drug-related services. Of the 98 MSM drug users, 42% identified publicly as gay or homosexual; 35% identified publicly, but only 21% privately, as heterosexual. A total of 51% had one or more female sex partners in the past year. There was a high frequency of unprotected sex in conjunction with drug use and a distinct preference for having sex when high. For most participants, drug use rather than sexual orientation formed the core of personal identity. Participants reported associating primarily with other drug users, usually MSM, and had limited contact with people who did not use drugs and the mainstream gay community. Participants' sexual and drug-injecting activities were judged to be a bridge for transmission of HIV to both people who used drugs and those who did not.

Objective: To describe Latino beliefs about diabetes and assess heterogeneity in beliefs across different groups., Research Design and Methods: This study comprised a survey of 161 representative Latino adults from four diverse communities: Hartford, Connecticut; Edinburg, Texas; Guadalajara, Mexico; and rural Guatemala. A 130-item questionnaire covered causes symptoms, and treatments for diabetes. Information on demographics and acquaintanceship with someone with diabetes was also collected. The cultural consensus model was used to analyze the variation in responses to determine whether the degree of consistency within and between samples was sufficient to warrant aggregation and description as a single set of beliefs., Results: Homogeneous beliefs were present within each of the four samples. Although variability in responses increased significantly from Connecticut to Guatemala (P < 0.00005), there was significant agreement between samples on the answers (P < 0.0005). Answers tended to be concordant with the biomedical description of diabetes. Greater acculturation, higher educational attainment, and higher diabetes prevalence were associated with greater cultural knowledge about diabetes. In Connecticut, greater knowledge correlated with longer mainland U.S. residency (P < 0.05). In Mexico, those with average educational attainment knew more (P < 0.05). Finally, average knowledge levels were higher in communities with greater diabetes prevalence., Conclusions: The cultural consensus model facilitated assessment of cultural beliefs regarding diabetes and diabetes management. Overall, Latino cultural beliefs about diabetes were concordant with the biomedical model. Variation in responses tended to characterize less knowledge or experience with diabetes and not different beliefs.

This chapter identifies and explores a small number of recently developed advanced ethnographic research methods. There are other techniques that provide an excellent adjunct to standard prevention research efforts, as well. These include the cultural models approach (Price 1987; Quinn and Holland 1987), anthropological decision modeling (Gladwin 1980, 1989; Plattner 1984; Young 1980), the advances in focus group techniques (Morgan 1989), the processes for using ethnographic interviews to create culturally competent survey questionnaires (Converse and Presser 1986), and the uses of systematic direct observations of public behavior. Some of these issues are explored in the references cited above, as well as in other recent articles (e.g., Trotter 1991; Trotter et al. 1995). The number of tools available to ethnographers is growing rapidly, and they promise to greatly increase the capacity to make important contributions to reducing the spread of HIV in human populations.