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The purpose of this article is to provide a qualitative review of the published research on the Scales for Assessing Emotional Disturbance-3: Screener noting the psychometric properties and overall findings. Results from 10 studies were reviewed and summarized. Across the studies, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and inter-rater agreement were satisfactory. Unidimensionality of the tests scores was supported, and several studies reported only trivial degrees of bias across racial/ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. Diagnostic utility was acceptable as were convergent relations with other measures of psychopathology. Social validity was also satisfactory. This review indicates that the psychometric properties of the scores from the Screener meet acceptable professional standards and supports its use in school-based programs to identify at-risk students.

The objective of this study was to assess the measurement invariance of items from the Emotional and Behavioral Screener (EBS) across racial and ethnic groups and assess the impact of differential item functioning (DIF) on test scores from the EBS. Participants were 4,856 first-grade students (49% female) who were diverse with regard to race and ethnicity (45% African American, 41% Hispanic/Latino, and 14% Caucasian). Classroom teachers rated each student on the EBS during the fall semester screening window. Item response theory modeling was combined with ordinal regression to investigate the presence and impact of differential item functioning across 3 race and ethnicity groups. The findings suggest that items from the EBS exhibit small to negligible levels of DIF, and the limited DIF that was present does not significantly impact overall scores. Researchers and practitioners can have confidence that scores from the EBS are relatively unaffected by test bias when measuring the emotional and behavioral risk of young students from African American, Hispanic/Latino, or Caucasian backgrounds.

Purpose: This paper aims to provide evidence on the role study tours play in expanding student cultural capital via increased confidence in international travel. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, survey data from individuals who participated in a study tour experience offered by a Florida-based university are analyzed for the assessment of cultural capital acquisition across select demographic types. Results are derived for paired difference tests as well as differences in population means. Findings: Findings indicate that students participating in study tours did, in fact, gain confidence in engaging in international travel, especially so for first-time passport users and female participants. Research limitations/implications: The study was limited because of the size of the sample population. It is likely that significant relationships via other demographic cohorts will unfold as program participation increases. Practical implications: Study tours represent a viable pathway for the acquisition of cultural capital. Social implications: Study tours present a unique means of providing students a first-hand global experience, and when marketed to a non-traditional student population, offer opportunities for acquisition of cultural and social capital that could not be achieved through non-experiential means. Originality/value: The results of this study show that the study tour experience enriched the cultural capital of student participants through an increase in confidence associated with traveling abroad. The benefits of the study tour were widespread, as virtually, all population groups analyzed tended to gain confidence in traveling abroad, even those who had prior experience traveling internationally. This paper also suggests future pathways for research based on other demographic cohorts.

The "Preschool Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale" (PreBERS) is a standardized, norm-referenced instrument that assesses emotional and behavioral strengths of preschool children. This study investigated whether the PreBERS four-factor structure (i.e., emotional regulation, school readiness, social confidence, and family involvement) could be replicated with an early childhood special education (ECSE) sample of children. Teachers who participated in the study rated a total of 1,103 preschool children with disabilities. Confirmatory factor analysis determined the extent to which the ECSE data fit the original four-factor PreBERS structure identified with the national normative sample. Results indicated that the four-factor structure demonstrated an acceptable fit with the ECSE sample. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

Simple Summary: Management of hepatocellular carcinoma is a rapidly evolving field, with atezolizumab-bevacizumab recently becoming standard of care after showing survival benefit over sorafenib. However, all clinical trials evaluating drugs approved in the second line setting, such as cabozantinib, have been evaluated following progression on sorafenib, not immunotherapy. We sought to determine if cabozantinib is a viable option for patients after progression on immunotherapy. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients seen at our institution who had disease progression on immunotherapy and subsequently received cabozantinib, reporting patient survival and tolerance of treatment. We found that patients had a median progression free survival of 2.1 months and median overall survival of 7.7 months, and most patients had a manageable side effect profile, suggesting that cabozantinib is a viable treatment option following progression on immunotherapy. (1) Background: Cabozantinib, a multikinase inhibitor, is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following progression on sorafenib. Recently, atezolizumab plus bevacizumab has been approved in the first line setting for advanced HCC and has become the new standard of care. Whether cabozantinib improves outcomes following progression on immunotherapy remains unknown. We describe the clinical outcomes following treatment with immunotherapy in patients with advanced HCC who received cabozantinib. (2) Methods: We conducted a multicentric, retrospective analysis of patients with advanced HCC diagnosed between 2010–2021 at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida who received cabozantinib. Median overall survival and progression free survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Adverse events were determined using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE). (3). Results: We identified 26 patients with advanced HCC who received cabozantinib following progression on immunotherapy. Median progression free survival on cabozantinib therapy was 2.1 months (95% CI: 1.3–3.9) and median overall survival from time of cabozantinib initiation was 7.7 months (95% CI: 5.3–14.9). (4) Conclusion: The optimal sequencing of therapy for patients with advanced HCC following progression on immunotherapy remains unknown. Our study demonstrates that patients may benefit from treatment with cabozantinib following progression on immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1950s Florida underwent major social-economic and political changes between the competing clash of new economic development pressures vs. old White reactionary resistance to voting and civil rights for local African-Americans, who had been marred by a long history of discrimination in the nation and state. This essay examines the political life of Brailey Odham who ran for Governor of Florida and who, despite a Southern cultural background, evolved in his support of Black civil rights. Odham can be considered a "progressive-populist" and the first "New South" politicians who fought to eliminate the "Old South" rural and racist domination of Florida state politics, to democratize the political system and to increase public participation among African-Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Diagnosis of and treatment for breast cancer (BCa) may require psychological adaptation and often involve heightened distress. Several types of social support positively relate to psychological adaptation to BCa, and negative support is associated with poorer adaptation. Although Hispanic women report greater distress than non-Hispanic White (NHW) women after diagnosis of BCa, no studies have examined ethnic differences in types of social support received from varying sources after surgery for BCa. Design. Hispanic (N = 61) and NHW (N = 150) women diagnosed with early-stage BCa self-reported emotional, informational, instrumental, and negative support from five sources. Ethnic differences in levels of social support were compared using multiple regression analysis. Results. When controlling for age, income, days since surgery, and stage of disease in multivariable models there were no ethnic differences in levels ofemotionalsupport from any source. Hispanic women reported greaterinformationalsupport from adult women family members and children and male adult family members than did NHW women.Instrumentalsupport from adult women family members was also greater among Hispanic than NHW women. Hispanic women reported highernegativesupport from husbands/partners and from children and male adult family members. When the number of years in the USA was controlled, Hispanic women showed greaterinformationalsupport from adult women family members, children and male adult family members, and friends.Instrumentalsupport from adult women family members remained greater in Hispanic women, butnegativesupport no longer differed. Conclusion. Family is a greater source of informational and instrumental support for Hispanic than NHW women. Hispanic women reported higher negative support from male sources than did NHW women. Level of support from different sources may also depend on time spent in the USA. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether patterns and sources of social support shift over the course of BCa treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Black women are traditionally underserved in all aspects of cancer care. This disparity is particularly evident in the area of psychosocial interventions where there are few programs designed to specifically meet the needs of Black breast cancer survivors. Cognitive-behavioral stress management intervention (CBSM) has been shown to facilitate adjustment to cancer. Recently, this intervention model has been adapted for Black women who have recently completed treatment for breast cancer. We outline the components of the CBSM intervention, the steps we took to adapt the intervention to meet the needs of Black women (Project CARE) and discuss the preliminary findings regarding acceptability and retention of participants in this novel study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Features a loss-grief inventory in the treatment of ninety-eight substance abusers in a public outpatient treatment facility in Florida. Categories of losses; Unresolved loss-grief issues related to relapse.

Background. In August 1988 we investigated a multistate outbreak of hepatitis A caused by Panama City, Florida, raw oysters. Methods. Cases of hepatitis A (HA) with onset in July-August 1988 were identified among persons who ate seafoods harvested in the coastal waters of Panama City, Florida. We conducted a case-control study, using eating companions of case-patients, and calculated attack rate (AR) per 1000 dozen raw oysters served. Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique were performed on samples of raw shellfish obtained from Panama City coastal waters. Results. Sixty-one case-patients were identified in five states: Alabama (23), Georgia (18), Florida (18), Tennessee (1), and Hawaii (1). We found an increased risk of HA for raw oyster eaters (odds ratio = 24.0; 95% confidence interval = 5.4-215.0; P < .001). The AR of HA in seafood establishments was 1.9/1000 dozen raw oysters served. The EIA and PCR revealed HA virus antigen and nucleic acid in oysters from both unapproved and approved oyster beds, in confiscated illegally harvested oysters, and in scallops from an approved area. Conclusions. The monitoring of coastal waters and the enforcement of shellfish harvesting regulations were not adequate to protect raw oyster consumers. More emphasis should be placed on increasing public awareness of health hazards associated with eating raw shellfish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti is a public health concern in the USA, especially in the wake of emergent diseases such as Zika and chikungunya. Aedes aegypti populations dwindled after the invasion of Aedes albopictus in the 1980s and many populations were extirpated. However, in some areas Ae. aegypti persisted in small populations and there are reports of recent resurgences of Ae. aegypti in Florida, Louisiana, Nevada and California. We assessed the population genetic structure of Ae. aegypti in Florida and Georgia, which has concomitant consequences related to mosquito dispersal, pesticide resistance and vectorial capacity. Methods: We collected Ae. aegypti across Florida and in Georgia using ovitraps. We hatched the eggs and reared them to adults, and after sacrifice we extracted their DNA. We then probed each individual for variation in 6 microsatellite markers, which we used to address population genetic characteristics. Results: We collected Ae. aegypti and genotyped seven Florida populations and one Georgia population using microsatellite markers. We found evidence of isolation by distance model of gene flow supported by driving distance among cities within Florida and two theoretic genetic clusters. Conclusions: Significant genetic structure between some populations with substantial gene flow between geographically distant cities suggests regional genetic structuring of Ae. aegypti in Florida. This study provides information on the genetic exchange between populations of Ae. aegypti in the southeastern USA and suggests potential routes of spread of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informs on ratification of a four-year contract covering 18,500 employees at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida., represented by the Service Trades Council. Details of the settlement, including health-care options, job security, wages and greater cross-utilization of employees.

Discusses the activities during the 20th Convention of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffers, Warehousemen and Helpers of America on July 4-9, 1971 at Miami Beach, Florida. Election of national officers; Amendment of the union's constitution; Formulation of policy.

The Mole Cricket Biological Control Program (MCBCP) is a compelling example of successfully managing alien invasive pests that warrants formal analysis and documentation of its effectiveness and benefits relative to costs for cattlemen in the southeastern U.S. Three biological control agents that parasitize the short-winged mole cricket, Neoscapteriscus abbreviatus (Scudder); tawny mole cricket, Neoscapteriscus vicinus (Scudder); and southern mole cricket, Neoscapteriscus borellii (Giglio-Tos) (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) were imported from the origin of the pests in South America, tested for non-target affects, and distributed widely in Florida. Larra bicolor F. (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae), a parasitoid of large nymph and adult mole crickets, was collected in Bolivia and established in Florida in 1988–89, and later in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Another parasitoid of large mole crickets, Ormia depleta (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tachinidae), was introduced several times from Brazil during the early 1980s and released extensively. An entomopathogenic nematode discovered in Uruguay, Steinernema scapterisci (Nematoda: Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) reproduces within adult mole crickets, building up large populations that infect additional mole crickets and ultimately creates an epidemic. This very effective biological control agent was applied to pastures, turf farms, golf courses, athletic fields, and other mole cricket habitats across Florida after in vitro culture was developed and a commercial product, “Nematac® S,” became available. During the 34 years of the MCBCP (1979–2012), about $8.7 million was spent on faculty salaries and operating costs and the overall annual savings in control costs was estimated to be $13.6 million; a first year benefit-cost ratio of 1.6:1. Applying a 3% social discount rate (perpetual benefit), the MCBCP will save cattle producers $453 million for a long-term benefit-cost ratio of 52:1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outlines the three-year labor contract for 4,200 workers represented by System Council U-4 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers at Florida Power & Light Co. The `early-out' option; Signing bonus; Health care benefits; Enhancement of workers' empowerment; Stricter alcohol and drug policies; Also, an agreement between Electrical Workers and the Salt River Project in Arizona.

Summarizes a 30-month collective bargaining agreement between GTE Florida and Local 824 of the Electrical Workers (IBEW). Wage increases; Health care benefits; Pensions; Commentary on a one-year labor contract between the Commonwealth Edison Co. and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers System Council U-25.

Background: Many college students register each semester for courses, leading to productive careers and fulfilled lives. During this time, the students have to manage many stressors stemming from academic, personal, and, sometimes, work lives. Students, who lack appropriate stress management skills, may find it difficult to balance these responsibilities., Objectives: This study examined stress, coping mechanisms, and gender differences in undergraduate students towards the end of the semester., Design and Method: University students (n = 448) enrolled in three different undergraduate exercise science courses were assessed. Two instruments, the Perceived Stress Scale and Brief Cope, were administered during the twelfth week of the semester, four weeks prior to final exams. T-tests were used to detect gender differences for the stress levels and coping strategies., Results: Overall, females indicated higher levels of stress than their male counterparts. Gender differences were evident in both coping dimensions and individual coping strategies used. Females were found to utilize the emotion-focused coping dimension and endorsed the use of four coping strategies more often than males. These included self-distraction, emotional support, instrumental support, and venting., Conclusions: This research adds to the existing literature by illuminating the level of perceived stress and different coping strategies used by undergraduate female and male students. In turn, students may need educational interventions to develop effective and healthy coping strategies to last a lifetime. Faculty and other university officials may want to highlight and understand these various factors to protect the students' wellbeing in their classes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Many species distribution maps indicate the ranges of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse) overlap in Florida despite the well-documented range reduction of Ae. aegypti. Within the last 30 yr, competitive displacement of Ae. aegypti by Ae. albopictus has resulted in partial spatial segregation of the two species, with Ae. aegypti persisting primarily in urban refugia. We modeled fine-scale distributions of both species, with the goal of capturing the outcome of interspecific competition across space by building habitat suitability maps. We empirically parameterized models by sampling 59 sites in south and central Florida over time and incorporated climatic, landscape, and human population data to identify predictors of habitat suitability for both species. Our results show human density, precipitation, and urban land cover drive Ae. aegypti habitat suitability, compared with exclusively climatic variables driving Ae. albopictus habitat suitability. Remotely sensed variables (macrohabitat) were more predictive than locally collected metrics (microhabitat), although recorded minimum daily temperature showed significant, inverse relationships with both species. We detected minor Aedes habitat segregation; some periurban areas that were highly suitable for Ae. albopictus were unsuitable for Ae. aegypti. Fine-scale empirical models like those presented here have the potential for precise risk assessment and the improvement of operational applications to control container-breeding Aedes mosquitoes., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The mosquito Aedes ( Stegomyia ) aegypti ( L .) is the primary vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses in the United States. Surveillance for adult Ae. aegypti is limited, hindering understanding of the mosquito's seasonal patterns and predictions of areas at elevated risk for autochthonous virus transmission. We developed a simple, intuitive empirical model that uses readily available temperature and humidity variables to predict environmental suitability for low, medium, or high potential abundance of adult Ae. aegypti in a given city 1 month in advance. Potential abundance was correctly predicted in 73% of months in arid Phoenix, AZ (over a 10-year period), and 63% of months in humid Miami, FL (over a 2-year period). The monthly model predictions can be updated daily, weekly, or monthly and thus may be applied to forecast suitable conditions for Ae. aegypti to inform vector-control activities and guide household-level actions to reduce mosquito habitat and human exposure.

Purpose: Recent advances have uncovered therapeutic interventions that might reduce the risk of progression of premalignant diagnoses, such as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) to multiple myeloma (MM). It remains unclear how to best screen populations at risk and how to evaluate the ability of these interventions to reduce disease prevalence and mortality at the population level. To address these questions, we developed a computational modeling framework., Materials and Methods: We used individual-based computational modeling of MGUS incidence and progression across a population of diverse individuals to determine best screening strategies in terms of screening start, intervals, and risk-group specificity. Inputs were life tables, MGUS incidence, and baseline MM survival. We measured MM-specific mortality and MM prevalence after MGUS detection from simulations and mathematic modeling predictions., Results: Our framework is applicable to a wide spectrum of screening and intervention scenarios, including variation of the baseline MGUS to MM progression rate and evolving MGUS, in which progression increases over time. Given the currently available point estimate of progression risk reduction to 61% risk, starting screening at age 55 years and performing follow-up screening every 6 years reduced total MM prevalence by 19%. The same reduction could be achieved with starting screening at age 65 years and performing follow-up screening every 2 years. A 40% progression risk reduction per patient with MGUS per year would reduce MM-specific mortality by 40%. Specifically, screening onset age and screening frequency can change disease prevalence, and progression risk reduction changes both prevalence and disease-specific mortality. Screening would generally be favorable in high-risk individuals., Conclusion: Screening efforts should focus on specifically identified groups with high lifetime risk of MGUS, for which screening benefits can be significant. Screening low-risk individuals with MGUS would require improved preventions.

While few species introduced into a new environment become invasive, those that do provide critical information on ecological mechanisms that determine invasions success and the evolutionary responses that follow invasion. Aedes albopictus (the Asian tiger mosquito) was introduced into the naturalized range of Aedes aegypti (the yellow fever mosquito) in the United States in the mid-1980s, resulting in the displacement of A. aegypti in much of the south-eastern United States. The rapid displacement was likely due to the superior competitive ability of A. albopictus as larvae and asymmetric mating interference competition, in which male A. albopictus mate with and sterilize A. aegypti females, a process called "satyrization." The goal of this study was to examine the genomic responses of a resident species to an invasive species in which the mechanism of character displacement is understood. We used double-digest restriction enzyme DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) to analyse outlier loci between selected and control lines of laboratory-reared A. aegypti females from two populations (Tucson, AZ and Key West, Florida, USA), and individual females classified as either "resisted" or "mated with" A. albopictus males via mating trials of wild-derived females from four populations in Florida. We found significant outlier loci in comparing selected and control lines and between mated and nonmated A. aegypti females in the laboratory and wild-derived populations, respectively. We found overlap in specific outlier loci between different source populations that support consistent genomic signatures of selection within A. aegypti. Our results point to regions of the A. aegypti genome and potential candidate genes that may be involved in mating behaviour, and specifically in avoiding interspecific mating choices., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives/hypothesis: To assess the baseline awareness of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection as a cause of head and neck cancer (HNC) to design improved targeted screening and education efforts., Study Design: Retrospective review of collected survey at a cancer screening event., Methods: This was a screening event at three hospitals and one community center in Miami, Florida. Participants were recruited throughout the Greater Miami area. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographic characteristics of those who were aware of HPV and those who were not. Adjusted odds ratios, odds ratios, and χ 2 tests were used in statistical analysis., Results: A total of 196 women and 112 men were screened across four sites, with 187 participants at hospital-based events and 124 participants at the community-based event. Forty percent of respondents had heard of HPV, and 28.0% identified HPV as a risk factor for HNC. Non-Hispanic and Hispanic respondents were 3.309 and 2.445 times, respectively, more likely than Haitian respondents to have heard of HPV. Women were 2.488 times more likely than men to be aware of HPV. College graduates were 2.268 times more likely than those with less than a college degree to be aware of HPV. Younger respondents were more likely to be aware of HPV. Of those who identified HPV as a risk factor for HNC, 95.4% also correctly identified smoking and 75.9% also correctly identified alcohol as risk factors., Conclusions: Disparities in HPV and HNC awareness were noted between gender, age, education level, and ethnicity., Level of Evidence: NA. Laryngoscope, 128:386-392, 2018., (© 2017 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

The effects of temperature on ectotherm growth have been well documented. How temperature affects foraging behavior is less well explored, and has not been studied in larval mosquitoes. We hypothesized that temperature changes foraging behavior in the aquatic larval phase of the mosquito, Aedes aegypti L. Based on empirical results in other systems, we predicted that foraging effort would increase at higher temperatures in these insects. We tested this prediction over three temperature conditions at two food levels. We measured behaviors by video recording replicated cohorts of fourth-instar mosquitoes and assessing individual behavior and time budgets using an ethogram. We found both food level and temperature had significant impacts on larval foraging behavior, with more time spent actively foraging at low food levels and at low temperatures, and more occurrences of active foraging at both temperature extremes. These results are contrary to some of our predictions, but fit into theoretical responses to temperature based upon dynamic energy budget models., (© The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Caloric restriction has consistently been shown to extend life span and ameliorate aging-related diseases. These effects may be due to diet-induced reactive oxygen species acting to up-regulate sirtuins and related protective pathways, which research suggests may be partially inhibited by dietary anti-oxidant supplementation. Because caloric restriction is not sustainable long term for most humans, we investigated an alternative dietary approach, intermittent fasting (IF), which is proposed to act on similar biological pathways. We hypothesized that a modified IF diet, where participants maintain overall energy balance by alternating between days of fasting (25% of normal caloric intake) and feasting (175% of normal), would increase expression of genes associated with aging and reduce oxidative stress and that these effects would be suppressed by anti-oxidant supplementation. To assess the tolerability of the diet and to explore effects on biological mechanisms related to aging and metabolism, we recruited a cohort of 24 healthy individuals in a double-crossover, double-blinded, randomized clinical trial. Study participants underwent two 3-week treatment periods-IF and IF with anti-oxidant (vitamins C and E) supplementation. We found strict adherence to study-provided diets and that participants found the diet tolerable, with no adverse clinical findings or weight change. We detected a marginal increase (2.7%) in SIRT3 expression due to the IF diet, but no change in expression of other genes or oxidative stress markers analyzed. We also found that IF decreased plasma insulin levels (1.01 μU/mL). Although our study suggests that the IF dieting paradigm is acceptable in healthy individuals, additional research is needed to further assess the potential benefits and risks.

Background: Elevated perceptions of psychosocial stress and stressful life events are linked to faster disease progression in individuals living with HIV and these associations may be stronger for women from ethnic minority populations. Levels of neurohormones such as oxytocin (OT), cortisol, and norepinephrine (NE) have been shown to influence the effects of psychosocial stress in different populations. Understanding how intrinsic neuroendocrine substances moderate the effects of stressors in minority women living with HIV (WLWH) may pave the way for interventions to improve disease management., Methods: We examined circulating levels of plasma OT as a moderator of the effects of stress on disease status (viral load, CD4+ cell count) in 71 low-income ethnic minority WLWH., Results: At low levels of OT, there was an inverse association between stress and CD4+ cell counts. Counter-intuitively, at high levels of OT there was a positive association between stress and CD4+ cell counts. This pattern was unrelated to women's viral load. Other neuroendocrine hormones known to down-regulate the immune system (cortisol, norepinephrine) did not mediate the effects of OT and stress on immune status., Conclusions: OT may have stress buffering effects on some immune parameters and possibly health status in low income ethnic minority WLWH reporting elevated stress., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The Hispanic Community Health Study (HCHS)/Study of Latinos (SOL) is a multicenter, community-based cohort study of Hispanic/Latino adults in the United States. A diverse participant sample is required that is both representative of the target population and likely to remain engaged throughout follow-up. The choice of sample design, its rationale, and benefits and challenges of design decisions are described in this study., Methods: The study design calls for recruitment and follow-up of a cohort of 16,000 Hispanics/Latinos 18-74 years of age, with 62.5% (10,000) over 44 years of age and adequate subgroup sample sizes to support inference by Hispanic/Latino background. Participants are recruited in community areas surrounding four field centers in the Bronx, Chicago, Miami, and San Diego. A two-stage area probability sample of households is selected with stratification and oversampling incorporated at each stage to provide a broadly diverse sample, offer efficiencies in field operations, and ensure that the target age distribution is obtained., Conclusions: Embedding probability sampling within this traditional, multisite cohort study design enables competing research objectives to be met. However, the use of probability sampling requires developing solutions to some unique challenges in both sample selection and recruitment, as described here., (2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Directly disclosing a positive HIV serostatus to family members can affect psychological and disease status. Perceptions that one is in a supportive family environment may moderate these effects; however, ethnic differences may exist in the support processes of families coping with HIV., Methods: We examined the role of serostatus disclosure to parents, HIV-specific family support, and ethnicity (Latino versus non-Hispanic White) in explaining disease status (HIV Viral Load, CD4+ cell count) in a sample of men living with HIV (MLWH). Men (n=120) reported whether they had disclosed their serostatus to their mothers and fathers, rated their perceptions of HIV-specific social support received from family members, and provided morning peripheral venous blood samples to assess immune function. We also collected psychosocial and urinary neuroendocrine indicators of stress/distress as possible mediator variables., Results: A three-way interaction emerged between serostatus disclosure to mothers, HIV-specific family support, and ethnicity in explaining both viral load and CD4+ cell count. Non-Hispanic White men who had disclosed to mothers and were receiving high family support had a lower viral load and higher CD4+ cell count, but Latino men who had disclosed to mothers and were receiving low family support had a higher viral load. These associations were not accounted for by men's medication adherence, psychological distress, or neuroendocrine hormones. Disclosure to fathers was not related to disease status., Conclusions: The effects of serostatus disclosure on disease status may depend, in part, on ethnic differences in the interpersonal processes of men's close family relationships.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an arbovirus (genus Alphavirus, family Togaviridae) that has recently caused disease outbreaks in the Indian Ocean basin and southern Europe. These outbreaks could be associated with a possible shift in primary vector from Aedes aegypti to Ae. albopictus. To evaluate vector competence differences in possible CHIKV vectors, we evaluated the dose-dependant susceptibility of Florida strains of Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti for infection with a La Réunion island strain of CHIKV. Pledget and water-jacketed membrane feeding systems were also evaluated. We show that both Aedes spp. were susceptible to the highest CHIKV doses, whereas only Ae. albopictus developed disseminated infections after exposure to the two lowest doses. Infection rates for both mosquito species were significantly affected by the bloodmeal delivery method used. This information is important in assessing risk of an outbreak of imported CHIKV in the United States, in determining differences in vectorial capacity of these two vector species, and in evaluating arbovirus delivery methods in the laboratory.

Purpose: Psychosocial research with cancer patients has increasingly recognized that a large proportion report at least some positive changes or aspects of personal growth that occur because of their illness--a construct referred to as benefit finding. Although theory suggests that there may be several domains to benefit finding, measurement instruments such as the Benefit Finding Scale (BFS) are typically considered to be unidimensional., Method: This study compared single and multiple factor models of the BFS using group confirmatory factor analysis in men with prostate cancer (n = 185) and women with breast cancer (n = 115) who were less than 2 years postdiagnosis., Results: In both samples, the multiple-factor model fit the data significantly better than the single-factor model, and factor loadings were equivalent between groups. Men with prostate cancer reported greater Personal Growth benefit finding and women with breast cancer reported greater Social Relationships benefit finding. Differential relationships were observed between BFS factors and sociodemographic and disease-related variables., Conclusion: Results suggest an alternate multidimensional framework for the BFS that may be generalizable across cancer populations. Future research should examine if BFS domains are differentially related to quality-of-life outcomes in both cancer and other medical patients.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has caused recent, large epidemics on islands in the Indian Ocean, raising the possibility of more widespread CHIKV epidemics. Historically, CHIKV has been vectored by Aedes aegypti, but these outbreaks likely also involved Ae. albopictus. To examine the potential for an outbreak of CHIKV in Florida, we determined the susceptibility to CHIKV of F1 Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus from Florida. In addition, we also evaluated two well-characterized laboratory strains (Rockefeller and Lake Charles) of these species. We determined infection and dissemination rates as well as total body titer of mosquitoes 7 days post-exposure (pe) (Ae. albopictus) and 3, 7, and 10 days pe (Ae. aegypti). All mosquito strains were susceptible to both infection and dissemination, with some variation between strains. Our results suggest Florida would be vulnerable to transmission of CHIKV in urban and rural areas where the two vector species occur.

Objectives: To examine the quality of life (QOL) in a sample of men recently treated for localized prostate cancer to determine whether minority men are at greater risk of decrements in QOL and to identify factors that might explain disparities in QOL outcomes., Methods: The relationship between ethnicity and QOL was evaluated in a diverse sample of 204 men (85 non-Hispanic white, 37 African-American, and 82 Hispanic men). We also assessed associations with other factors known to be related to QOL (ie, sociodemographic, medical, and health behavior factors). Hierarchical regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between ethnicity and QOL. Factors that were anticipated to explain the ethnic differences in QOL were then added in stepwise analyses., Results: Ethnic group membership was related to QOL such that minority men had lower QOL than non-Hispanic white men. In subsequent steps, the association between ethnic group membership and QOL was partially mediated by sociodemographic, medical, and health behavior factors, with each factor adding significant incremental variance (5%, 5%, and 17%, respectively). Three variables remained significant in the final model, which explained 37% of the variance in QOL scores: medical comorbidity, physical activity, and sleep functioning., Conclusions: Health behaviors appear to be strongly related to men's QOL after prostate cancer treatment. Intervention studies aimed at improving QOL should include a brief assessment of health behaviors and may want to incorporate intervention components designed to address physical activity and sleep functioning.

The authors tested a structural model that incorporated age, time since diagnosis, social support, coping, and negative mood as predictors of medication adherence and HIV viral load on 188 men and 134 women on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The authors used psychosocial latent factors formed from baseline measures to predict latent factors of adherence, as assessed by electronic monitoring and self-report, and viral load defined by indicators assessed over a 15-month period. Results from the model indicate that greater negative mood and lower social support are related to greater use of avoidance-oriented coping strategies. Use of these coping strategies by patients on HAART is related to poorer medication adherence and, subsequently, higher viral load. This model advances researchers' understanding of the contribution of psychosocial variables in predicting treatment adherence and disease progression in HIV-positive men and women.

Background: One of the most common gynecologic conditions among HIV+ women is cervical dysplasia, the precancerous phase of cervical cancer. Therefore, adherence to gynecology visits may be among the most important health care practices for HIV+ women. However, no research has evaluated the psychosocial factors associated with health care practices among HIV+ women at risk for cervical cancer., Purpose: This study examined the relationship between inhibited interpersonal coping style and adherence to primary care and obstetrics/gynecology visits in HIV+ women with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection., Methods: Twenty-eight HIV-1 seropositive Black, non-Hispanic women underwent a psychosocial interview, blood draw, and gynecologic examination. The Millon Behavioral Health Inventory was used to assess coping style. Medical chart review was used to assess adherence to scheduled special immunology clinic visits for 24 months following study entry., Results: Results suggested that greater inhibited coping style significantly predicted greater nonadherence to clinic visits during 1-year (beta = .45, p = .04) and 2-year (beta = .58, p = .02) follow-up, even after controlling for the possible confounding effects of recent depressed mood on adherence. Social support satisfaction did not mediate the relationship between inhibited coping style and nonadherence., Conclusions: These findings suggest that interpersonal coping style assessment may be a useful tool in predicting adherence in HIV+ women with HPV. Future research should assess the effect of psychosocial interventions on coping style, adherence, and cervical dysplasia in HIV+ women with HPV.

One of the most impacted watersheds in the US in terms of pesticide usage is South Florida, which drains through a series of canals into the Florida Everglades and Florida Bay. Single species responses to pesticide exposure are well documented; however, little is known about community level responses to pesticides, especially at lower trophic levels. Microbial assemblages at two sites along the C-111 canal in the Dade County agricultural area in October 1999 (wet season, limited pesticide application) and in February 2000 (dry season, heavy pesticide application) were colonized onto artificial substrates, transported to the laboratory and exposed to atrazine (20 and 200 microg/l), chlorothalonil (2 and 20 microg/l), or endosulfan (1 and 10 microg/l). Structural and functional responses were measured at 24 h and 168 h post-dose. Regardless of site, season or exposure time, the highest atrazine dose (200 microg/l) significantly reduced chlorophyll a, phototrophic carbon assimilation and bacterial biomass, but stimulated heterotrophic bacterial productivity. Chlorophyll a was also significantly reduced by 20 microg/l atrazine (October only). The lowest endosulfan dose (1 microg/l) significantly increased phototrophic carbon assimilation. The highest chlorothalonil dose (20 microg/l) stimulated heterotrophic bacterial productivity (October only). An overall decrease in the number of protist taxa was observed with all pesticide treatments. Atrazine significantly decreased the relative abundance of chlorophytes and chrysophytes and increased the number of diatom and heterotrophic protist taxa. Chlorothalonil significantly increased the relative abundance of diatoms and chlorophytes, while chrysophytes and heterotrophic protists decreased. Endosulfan also significantly reduced diatom abundance, as well as decreasing the number of chrysophyte, cryptophyte and dinoflagellate taxa. Although previous agricultural pesticide exposure was greater at site C than at site E, the microbial assemblages at site C did not exhibit increased resistance to a subsequent dose of the pesticides.

Objective: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women are at risk for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cancer due to impaired immunosurveillance over human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Life stress has been implicated in immune decrements in HIV-infected individuals and therefore may contribute to CIN progression over time. The purpose of this study was to determine whether life stress was associated with progression and/or persistence of squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL), the cytologic diagnosis conferred by Papanicolaou smear, after 1-year follow-up among women co-infected with HIV and HPV., Method: Thirty-two HIV-infected African-American and Caribbean-American women underwent a psychosocial interview, blood draw, colposcopy, and HPV cervical swab at study entry. Using medical chart review, we then abstracted SIL diagnoses at study entry and after 1-year follow-up., Results: Hierarchical logistic regression analysis revealed that higher life stress increased the odds of developing progressive/persistent SIL over 1 year by approximately seven-fold after covarying relevant biological and behavioral control variables., Conclusions: These findings suggest that life stress may constitute an independent risk factor for SIL progression and/or persistence in HIV-infected women. Stress management interventions may decrease risk for SIL progression/persistence in women living with HIV.