Indoor radon concentration represents an important public health challenge, for simple and inexpensive measurement devices and methods, suitable for large-scale indoors radon measurements, are ...required. Nuclear Track Methodology, by using a closed-end cup device as a radon chamber is an attractive option for such large-scale indoor radon measurements. A comparative analysis of the detection efficiency of four different (one commercial and 3 specially designed) passive closed-end cup devices for the measurement of indoor radon concentrations is presented. CR-39 (Lantrack®) polycarbonate was the detector material. The four devices were simultaneously exposed to a mean radon concentration of 860 ± 60 Bq m−3 inside a closed room for periods of one, two and three months. An AlphaGUARD® radon monitoring system was used to continuously monitor the radon concentration within the room. The chemical etching and reading procedures were carried out following a well-established protocol for indoor radon surveys. The detection efficiency and the exposure-time-response relationship of each of the devices were determined.
► Low cost Nuclear Track detectors systems. ► Reliable indoor radon measurements. ► Long term assessment of home radiation levels. ► Large scale indoor radon measurements.
Summary
The Arabic‐speaking region suffers from insufficient levels of physical activity (PA). Assessing the effectiveness of PA interventions presents a scientifically evaluated method to reduce and ...prevent the current high burden of noncommunicable diseases affecting this region. This review examined implemented PA interventions and corresponding measured health outcomes in this region. The review was limited to studies prior to January 2020 using nine electronic academic databases. Only intervention‐focused articles incorporating PA as the primary intervention or as a component of a multibehavioural intervention were included. Thirty‐nine PA intervention studies were identified. Published PA interventions were implemented among 50% of the countries in the region. Seventy percent of the studies were conducted in the Gulf region and 25% in North Africa. A third of the studies was designed for children and adolescents. Accordingly, 40% of interventions were for patients living with comorbidities. Seventy percent of the studies included PA as part of a multidisciplinary intervention. Most studies included body mass index as an outcome parameter. Significant improvement (P < .05) in measured health outcomes was seen in 97% of studies. Thorough analysis includes social and culturally congruent aspects of the PA interventions and discussion of resultant health outcomes. This information furthers the understanding of effective PA interventions that can be adapted to target sedentary lifestyle behaviours in this region.
This article reviews current knowledge on the innate and acquired immune responses in human Taenia solium neurocysticercosis, highlighting the conditions that appear to be favourable for the survival ...or destruction of the parasite and for the benefit or injury to its host.
Domestic wastewater, when collected and evaluated appropriately, can provide valuable health-related information for a community. As a relatively unbiased and non-invasive approach, wastewater ...surveillance may complement current practices towards mitigating risks and protecting population health. Spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, wastewater programs are now widely implemented to monitor viral infection trends in sewersheds and inform public health decision-making. This review summarizes recent developments in wastewater-based epidemiology for detecting and monitoring communicable infectious diseases, dissemination of antimicrobial resistance, and illicit drug consumption. Wastewater surveillance, a quickly advancing Frontier in environmental science, is becoming a new tool to enhance public health, improve disease prevention, and respond to future epidemics and pandemics.
Advancing health equity requires innovative patient education approaches for adapting English-language evidence-based interventions (EBIs) to resonate with multicultural, multilingual audiences.
...Examine the benefit, functionality, and practical considerations of transcreation (translation + cultural adaptation) as a critical and salient learner-centric process for developing a Spanish-language intervention (photonovella + video): Un examen sencillo para un colon saludable (A simple test for a healthy colon).
We involved patients/community members in a participatory reflective process, from problem identification to intervention design, development, delivery, and impact measurement.
A community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach involving formative research plus systematic iterative pretesting and learner verification checks augmented by a community advisory board guided the transcreation processes.
Data collected using a learner-centric approach effectively produced a new Spanish-language EBI and substantiated the value of co-learner/co-design methods. Learner-centric methods identified cultural nuances that were treated as knowledge and integrated into the intervention materials and study design. Pilot testing of the intervention among Latinos receiving care at community clinics demonstrated improved initial colorectal cancer screening uptake, awareness, and perceived susceptibility.
Inherent in the transcreation process was learner involvement that informed essential modification and adaptation of the materials. The transcreation methods led to the development of a culturally salient intervention that maintained theoretical integrity and message intent as well as behavioral activation. Findings have broad implications for the creation and transfer of EBIs to new audiences for greater adoption, engagement, and ‘reach’ of interventions.
Transcreation aligns with a growing paradigm shift in health communication science that brings to light the beneficial effect that construction and application of cultural knowledge has on patient education toward health equity.
•Transcreation is a learner centric communication approach that integrates cultural nuances as knowledge into interventions.•Expanding the reach of evidence-based cancer screening messages for Latinos is an important step to advance health equity.•Participatory techniques help identify and incorporate people’s everyday realities and personify the transcreation approach.
•Health Literacy in African Americans is understudied.•52% of participants are at risk for low health literacy.•Participant’s health literacy is associated with gender, unemployment, ...income.•Participant’s health literacy is associated with religious beliefs.•Cancer screening interventions should incorporate patient’s health literacy.
Individuals with limited health literacy often experience suboptimal health outcomes. This study examined the frequency of limited health literacy and demographic and psychosocial factors associated with limited health literacy in a sample of older Black Americans.
Participants (n = 330) enrolled in a community-based intervention to promote colorectal cancer (CRC) screening completed baseline surveys assessing health literacy with the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine, Revised (REALM-R) test, CRC awareness, cancer fatalism, Preventive Health Model (PHM) constructs, and demographics.
Approximately 52% of participants had limited health literacy, the REALM-R score was 5.4 (SD = 2.7). Univariable correlates of limited health literacy were gender, employment, income, prior screening, cancer fatalism, CRC awareness, and PHM constructs (religious beliefs, salience/coherence, perceived susceptibility). Multivariable correlates of limited health literacy were male gender (OR = 2.3, CI = 1.4–3.8), unable to work (OR = 2.8, CI = 1.3–6.1), lower household income (OR = 3.0, CI = 1.6, 5.5), and higher PHM religious beliefs (OR = 1.1, CI = 1.0–1.2).
Limited health literacy was associated with multiple complex factors. Interventions should incorporate patient health literacy and low-literacy materials that can be delivered through multiple channels.
Future studies are needed to understand the role of health literacy in an individual’s health behavior and the provision of effective healthcare.
The ability of bovine embryos to develop to the blastocyst stage and to implant and generate healthy offspring depends greatly on the competence of the oocyte. Oocyte competence is attributed to its ...close communication with the follicular environment and to its capacity to synthesize and store substantial amounts of messenger RNA. Higher developmental competence of bovine oocytes has been associated with both the expression of a cohort of developmental genes and the concentration of sex steroids in the follicular fluid. The aim of this study was to identify differences in the expression of FST in cumulus cells and OCT-4 and MATER in oocytes and the influence of the follicular progesterone and follicular estrogen concentration on the competence of bovine oocytes retrieved 30 minutes or 4 hours after slaughter. Cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) were left in postmortem ovaries for 30 minutes (group I) or 4 hours (group II) at 30 °C. Aspirated oocytes were then subjected to IVM, IVF, and IVC or were evaluated for MATER and OCT-4 messenger RNA abundance by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Total RNA was isolated from pools of 100 oocytes for each experimental replicate. Progesterone and estradiol concentration in follicular fluid was evaluated by immunoassay using an IMMULITE 2000 analyzer. Three repeats of in vitro embryo production were performed with a total of 455 (group I) and 470 (group II) COCs. There were no significant differences between the cleavage rates (72 hours postinsemination hpi) between both groups (63.5% vs. 69.1%). However, blastocyst (168 hpi) and hatching (216 hpi) rates were higher (P < 0.05) in group II compared with those of group I (21.3% vs. 30.7% and 27.6% vs. 51.5%, respectively). Group II oocytes exhibited the highest MATER and OCT-4 abundance (P < 0.05). Follicular estradiol concentration was not different between both the groups, whereas the progesterone concentration was lower (P ≤ 0.05) in group II follicles. These results indicate that retrieving COCs 4 hours after slaughter could increase bovine in vitro developmental competence, which is linked to higher levels of oocyte MATER and OCT-4 transcripts and lower follicular progesterone concentration. Moreover, the results of the present study contribute to the identification of factors involved in the developmental competence of immature oocytes.
Abstract
Despite established benefits, colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is underutilized among Latinos/Hispanics. We conducted a pilot 2-arm randomized controlled trial evaluating efficacy of two ...intervention conditions on CRC screening uptake among Latinos receiving care in community clinics. Participants (N = 76) were aged 50–75, most were foreign-born, preferred to receive their health information in Spanish, and not up-to-date with CRC screening. Participants were randomized to either a culturally linguistically targeted Spanish-language fotonovela booklet and DVD intervention plus fecal immunochemical test FIT (the LCARES, Latinos Colorectal Cancer Awareness, Research, Education and Screening intervention group); or a non-targeted intervention that included a standard Spanish-language booklet plus FIT (comparison group). Measures assessed socio-demographic variables, health literacy, CRC screening behavior, awareness and beliefs. Overall, FIT uptake was 87%, exceeding the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable’s goal of 80% by 2018. The LCARES intervention group had higher FIT uptake than did the comparison group (90% versus 83%), albeit not statistically significant (P = 0.379). The LCARES intervention group was associated with greater increases in CRC awareness (P = 0.046) and susceptibility (P = 0.013). In contrast, cancer worry increased more in the comparison group (P = 0.045). Providing educational materials and a FIT kit to Spanish-language preferring Latinos receiving care in community clinics is a promising strategy to bolster CRC screening uptake to meet national targets.
Health education and behavior researchers and practitioners often develop, adapt, or adopt surveys/scales to quantify and measure cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and psychosocial characteristics. ...To ensure the integrity of data collected from these scales, it is vital that psychometric properties (i.e., validity and reliability) be assessed. The purpose of this investigation was to (a) determine the frequency with which published articles appearing in health education and behavior journals report the psychometric properties of the scales/subscales employed and (b) outline the methods used to determine the reliability and validity of the scores produced. The results reported herein are based on a final sample of 967 published articles, spanning seven prominent health education and behavior journals between 2007 and 2010. Of the 967 articles examined, an exceedingly high percentage failed to report any validity (ranging from 40% to 93%) or reliability (ranging from 35% to 80%) statistics in their articles. For health education/behavior practitioners and researchers to maximize the utility and applicability of their findings, they must evaluate the psychometric properties of the instrument employed, a practice that is currently underrepresented in the literature. By not ensuring the instruments employed in a given study were able to produce accurate and consistent scores, researchers cannot be certain they actually measured the behaviors and/or constructs reported.
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