This paper presents reflections on mentorship from scientists and mentors of the National Institute on Aging (NIA)-funded Carolina Center on Alzheimer’s Disease and Minority Research (CCADMR). Using ...a network approach to mentoring, this program aims to increase the pipeline of underrepresented minority (URM) scientists studying Alzheimer’s disease (AD) disparities. Six mentors and five scientists participated in interviews. Thematic analysis identified recurring themes; transcripts of mentors and scientists were compared. Most common thematic categories identified by mentors included experience interacting with scientists, goals as a mentor, recruitment of underrepresented minorities, scientists’ challenges, and programmatic qualities. The most mentioned categories by scientists were challenges, seminars, working with mentors, career development, and project experience. The CCADMR will use findings to enhance the experience and training methods for future grant years. Results can benefit other training programs focused on aging and AD.
In the United States, a disproportionate number of unintended pregnancies occur among African Americans, particularly those in their later teenage years and early 20s. Mobile technology is becoming ...more ubiquitous as a method for health promotion; however, relatively little research has been done with this population to determine their perspectives about unintended pregnancy, the potential of successfully using mobile technology to prevent unintended pregnancy, and the content of such programs.
The purpose of this study was to obtain the perspectives of African American emerging adults about unintended pregnancy and the use of mobile technology to reduce unintended pregnancy rates.
Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 83 African Americans, aged 18-21 years. Data were analyzed using an open coding process. Emergent codes were then added as needed, and themes and subthemes were identified.
Participants cited the social environment and lack of education as primary reasons for disproportionate rates of unintended pregnancy. They noted that unintended pregnancy is an important issue and that they desire more sexual health information. They enthusiastically supported mobile technology as a means to communicate unintended pregnancy prevention programming and offered many suggestions for program content, look, and feel.
Young and emerging adult African Americans want and need sexual health resources, and a mobile-based platform could be widely accepted and address needs to lower disproportionate rates of unintended pregnancy. An essential next step is to use these findings to inform the development of a mobile-based unintended pregnancy prevention and sexual health program prototype to determine feasibility.
Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) are at the forefront of the United States (US) public health agenda due to their tremendous human and financial burden. Further, disproportionately ...high ADRD rates among racial/ethnic minorities require incorporating the unique perspectives of racially and ethnically diverse scientists, which will necessitate diversifying the scientific workforce that investigates disparities in aging. The purpose of this paper is to describe the training and mentorship initiatives of the National Institute on Aging (NIA)-funded Carolina Center on Alzheimer's Disease and Minority Research, emphasizing lessons learned from our engagement with underrepresented minority and minoritized (URM) Scientists. We highlight three aims of the Center's training and mentorship component: (1) Fund pilot projects for URM Scientists conducting research on sociocultural, behavioral, and environmental factors that influence ADRD-related health disparities; (2) Provide mentorship to build the research capacity of Center Scientists; and (3) Offer research education in Health Disparities and Minority Aging Research to Center Scientists and interested researchers at all partner institutions. Our experience may be a practical resource for others developing interdisciplinary training programs to increase the pipeline of URM Scientists conducting ADRD research.
IntroductionImmune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune condition that may cause thrombocytopenia-related bleeding. Current first-line ITP treatment is with high-dose corticosteroids but frequent ...side effects, heterogeneous responses and high relapse rates are significant problems with only 20% remaining in sustained remission with this approach. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is often used as the next treatment with efficacy in 50%–80% of patients and good tolerability but can take up to 2 months to work.ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that MMF combined with corticosteroid is a more effective first-line treatment for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) than current standard of corticosteroid alone.Methods and analysisDesignMulticentre, UK-based, open-label, randomised controlled trial.SettingHaematology departments in secondary care.ParticipantsWe plan to recruit 120 patients >16 years old with a diagnosis of ITP and a platelet count <30x109/L who require first-line treatment. Patients will be followed up for a minimum of 12 months following randomisation.Primary outcomeTime from randomisation to treatment failure defined as platelets <30x109/L and a need for second-line treatment.Secondary outcomesSide effects, bleeding events, remission rates, time to relapse, time to next therapy, cumulative corticosteroid dose, rescue therapy, splenectomy, socioeconomic costs, patient-reported outcomes (quality of life, fatigue, impact of bleeding, care costs).AnalysisThe sample size of 120 achieves a 91.5% power to detect a doubling of the median time to treatment failure from 5 to 10 months. This will be expressed as an HR with 95% CI, median time to event if more than 50% have had an event and illustrated with Kaplan-Meier curves. Cost-effectiveness will be based on the first 12 months from diagnosis.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval from NRES Committee South West (IRAS number 225959). EudraCT Number: 2017-001171-23. Results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration number NCT03156452
We present a new determination of the nonsinglet structure function ${\mathit{F}}_{2}^{\mathit{p}}$ - ${\mathit{F}}_{2}^{\mathit{n}}$ at ${\mathit{Q}}^{2}$=4 ${\mathrm{GeV}}^{2}$ using recently ...measured values of ${\mathit{F}}_{2}^{\mathit{d}}$ and ${\mathit{F}}_{2}^{\mathit{n}}$/${\mathit{F}}_{2}^{\mathit{p}}$. A new evaluation of the Gottfried sum is given, which remains below the simple quark-parton model value of 1/3.
Background Worldwide hundreds of millions of schistosomiasis patients rely on treatment with a single drug, praziquantel. Therapeutic limitations and the threat of praziquantel resistance underline ...the need to discover and develop next generation drugs. Methodology We studied the antischistosomal properties of the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) malaria box containing 200 diverse drug-like and 200 probe-like compounds with confirmed in vitro activity against Plasmodium falciparum. Compounds were tested against schistosomula and adult Schistosoma mansoni in vitro. Based on in vitro performance, available pharmacokinetic profiles and toxicity data, selected compounds were investigated in vivo. Principal Findings Promising antischistosomal activity (IC50: 1.4-9.5 µM) was observed for 34 compounds against schistosomula. Three compounds presented IC50 values between 0.8 and 1.3 µM against adult S. mansoni. Two promising early leads were identified, namely a N,N'-diarylurea and a 2,3-dianilinoquinoxaline. Treatment of S. mansoni infected mice with a single oral 400 mg/kg dose of these drugs resulted in significant worm burden reductions of 52.5% and 40.8%, respectively. Conclusions/Significance The two candidates identified by investigating the MMV malaria box are characterized by good pharmacokinetic profiles, low cytotoxic potential and easy chemistry and therefore offer an excellent starting point for antischistosomal drug discovery and development.
Introduction: Clinical use of blood has shown the least developed part in the vein-to-vein transfusion chain. This global study was carried out in order to investigate the level of awareness, ...accessibility and utilization of continuous e-learning and education, and quality of blood use among blood prescribing clinicians and nurses. Approach: Descriptive ex post facto survey design. Methods: A total of 264 purposively selected blood prescribing clinicians and nurses from the four Human Development Index (HDI) groups of countries (low, medium, high, and very high) participated in this study. Three research questions were answered, while seven null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Descriptive statistical tools (frequency counts and percentage) were used to analyze demographic backgrounds; inferential statistics – Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (PPMCC) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze hypotheses. Results: Quality of clinical blood use was positively and significantly correlated with the level of awareness (r=0.137; p=0.03; df=262) and accessibility (r=0.184; p=0.01; df=262) to e-continuous learning among clinicians/nurses. There was a significant difference in the levels of awareness (F3,260=53.942, p=0.01), accessibility (F3,260=38.582, p=0.01), and utilization (F3,260=24.858,p=0.01) of continuous e-learning and education among clinicians/nurses based on HDI grouping, particularly between very high and low HDI. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the levels of accessibility (F6,257=6.444, p=0.01) and utilization (F6,257=13.704, p=0.01) of continuous e-learning and education among clinicians based on clinical specialty/department and a significant difference in the quality of clinical blood use based on clinical specialty/department (F6,257=9.677,p=0.01). Conclusion and recommendations: The higher the HDI level the better is the awareness, accessibility, and utilization of continuous education, both through e-learning and conventional in teaching curricula. This has an immediate impact on the quality of clinical care and in particular on supportive hemotherapy and the development of patient blood management systems.
Economics of water resource management Grafton, R Quentin; Kompas, Tom; Brennan, Donna ...
The Australian journal of agricultural and resource economics,
09/2007, Letnik:
51, Številka:
3
Journal Article
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