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Author(s): Tania Maria Caballero [sup.1] [sup.5] , Laura Bou Delgado [sup.1] [sup.5] [sup.6] , Linxuan Wu [sup.1] [sup.2] , Krishna Upadhya [sup.1] [sup.7] , Sara B. Johnson [sup.1] [sup.3] [sup.4] [...], Objectives To characterize contraceptive method use and satisfaction among Spanish-speaking Latina immigrants who attend their child&apos;s well care visit. Methods Spanish-speaking women whose youngest child was [less than or equal to] 4 years old completed an orally-administered Spanish-language survey in a pediatric clinic (N = 194). Survey items were based on previously published contraceptive use assessments among diverse populations. We used chi-square and Fisher exact test to describe maternal characteristics by contraceptive method effectiveness categories: Tier 1, most effective methods (hormonal implant, intrauterine device, tubal ligation, and vasectomy); Tier 2, very effective methods (hormonal injection, oral contraceptive pill, hormonal patch, and hormonal ring); Tier 3, effective methods (condoms), and no method. Results 34% of women were using a Tier 1 method, 40% were using a Tier 2 method, and 17% had unmet contraceptive need (no pregnancy intention, no birth control); 84% were satisfied with their current method and 82% of women were uninsured. Tier 2 method or no method users were more likely than women using a Tier 1 method to have children < 9 months old (X.sup.2 (6, N = 190) = 20.4, p = .002). Conclusions Latina immigrants with young children who attend their child&apos;s pediatric visit are mostly using effective contraceptives and are satisfied with their method. A culturally supportive medical home and access to no-cost long-acting reversible contraceptives through a temporary private grant likely contributed to high contraceptive use and satisfaction in our study. Describing maternal contraceptive use among Latina immigrant mothers can inform future equitable, culturally tailored, approaches to pediatric maternal contraceptive need screening.

Author(s): Carolyn J. Reuland [sup.1] , Sashini K. Godage [sup.2] , Linxuan Wu [sup.3] , Doris Valenzuela-Araujo [sup.4] , José Dominguez Cortez [sup.5] , Sarah Polk [sup.5] , Lisa Ross [...], Introduction Development of mHealth interventions to address health disparities for Latino children in immigrant families requires understanding access to and use of information and communication technology. Methods We examined access to information and communication technology and use of common applications/programs by low-income immigrant Latino parents of infants to inform development of mHealth interventions for this population. Latino immigrant parents reported technology use and access of common applications/software via survey. Results Of the 157 participants, we found nearly all parents owned a smartphone and that 60% accessed the internet only via their smartphone. Around one-quarter of participants had access to unlimited data. Frequent use of text messaging was common, but frequent email use was less common. Less than 10% of participants frequently used health-oriented applications. Discussion Our findings suggest that mHealth interventions that use data, email, or an application interface may not have the intended reach or effectiveness among low-income immigrant Latino parents. Consideration of these findings is important in guiding the development of future mHealth programs for the low-income Latino population. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02647814).

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Background: Despite high oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake among young heterosexual cisgender women, early discontinuation is frequent. It is unclear whether this aligns with potential HIV exposure. Methods: Young women aged 16–25 years and ≥1 of their male partners were enrolled in separate but linked longitudinal HIV PrEP studies in Kampala, Uganda, from 2018 to 2021. Data on sexual behavior, PrEP use, sexually transmitted disease positivity, and Y chromosome DNA (Yc DNA; a marker for condomless sex) were collected at enrollment and quarterly visits. Potential HIV exposure was defined as one of the following in the past 3 months: any sexually transmitted disease, detection of Yc DNA, condomless vaginal sex, or multiple sex partners. Alignment between potential HIV exposure and PrEP use by participants was examined using generalized estimating equation (GEE) regression. Results: Eighty-eight young women (median age = 20.6 years, interquartile range 19.5–22.0) and 124 male partners (median age = 23.5 years, interquartile range 21.0–26.0) were included. Women and men were dispensed PrEP in 66.9% and 60.5% of their first linked visits, respectively. PrEP dispensation was more common when women or men self-reported condomless vaginal sex and multiple sex partners or when women had Yc DNA detected in vaginal swabs. Men's self-report of multiple partners (adjusted prevalence ratio = 1.56, P = 0.012) and the detection of Yc DNA (adjusted prevalence ratio = 1.52, P = 0.040) were significantly associated with women's PrEP dispensation. Conclusions: Women and their male partners may align their PrEP use with their HIV risk behaviors, providing some reassurance that PrEP discontinuation in young people often aligns with sexual behavior. Greater attention to measurement of and mismatches in PrEP discontinuation and potential HIV exposure is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated hair tenofovir (TFV) concentrations as an adherence metric for HIV preexposure prophylaxis during pregnancy and postpartum and compared hair levels with TFV-diphosphate levels in dried blood spots (DBSs). Overall 152 hair samples from 102 women and 36 hair-DBS paired samples from 29 women were collected from a subset of women in a cluster-randomized trial. Having a partner with HIV was associated with higher hair TFV levels (P <.001). Hair TFV concentrations were strongly correlated with DBS TFV-diphosphate levels (r = 0.76, P <.001), indicating hair as a promising cumulative adherence metric for perinatal preexposure prophylaxis assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION African adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) have had HIV incidence rates of 4% in recent HIV prevention research cohorts [1?3]. Oral tenofovir?based pre?exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) confers >90% protection [...], : Introduction: HIV incidence remains high among African adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). The primary objective of this study is to assess pre?exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) initiation, use, persistence and HIV acquisition among African AGYW offered PrEP in order to inform PrEP scale?up. Methods: POWER was a prospective implementation science evaluation of PrEP delivery for sexually active HIV?negative AGYW ages 16?25 in family planning clinics in Kisumu, Kenya and youth and primary healthcare clinics in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. Follow?up visits occurred at month 1 and quarterly for up to 36 months. PrEP users were defined based on the month 1 refill. PrEP persistence through month 6 was assessed using Kaplan?Meier survival analysis among AGYW with a month 1 visit, defining non?persistence as an ?15 day gap in PrEP availability for daily dosing. PrEP execution was evaluated in a subset with PrEP supply from the prior visit sufficient for daily dosing by measuring blood tenofovir diphosphate (TFV?DP) levels. Results: From June 2017 to September 2020, 2550 AGYW were enrolled (1000 in Kisumu, 787 in Cape Town and 763 in Johannesburg). Median age was 21 years, 66% had a sexual partner of unknown HIV status, and 29% had chlamydia and 10% gonorrhoea. Overall, 2397 (94%) initiated PrEP and 749 (31%) had a refill at 1 month. Of AGYW who could reach 6 months of post?PrEP initiation follow?up, 128/646 (20%) persisted with PrEP for 6 months and an additional 92/646 (14%) had a gap and restarted PrEP. TFV?DP levels indicated that 47% (91/193) took an average of ?4 doses/week. Sixteen HIV seroconversions were observed (incidence 2.2 per 100 person?years, 95% CI 1.2, 3.5); 13 (81%) seroconverters either did not have PrEP dispensed in the study interval prior to seroconversion or TFV?DP levels indicated Conclusions: In this study of PrEP integration with primary care and reproductive health services for African AGYW, demand for PrEP was high. Although PrEP use decreased in the first months, an important fraction used PrEP through 6 months. Strategies are needed to simplify PrEP delivery, support adherence and offer long?acting PrEP options to improve persistence and HIV protection.

Simple Summary: Tetrabromobisphenol A, which has been found in water, sediment, soil, household dust, human tissues, and even human milk, possesses apparent negative impacts on development and growth, increases oxidative stress, and disrupts the endocrine system. In the present study, we found that TBBPA affected the gut microbiota and intestinal health in the regenerated intestine of Apostichopus japonicus. TBBPA exposure reduced the enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde and the total of antioxidant capacity. The alpha diversity indices and the relative abundance of gut microbiota decreased after TBBPA exposure. We also found that TBBPA exposure affected lipid metabolism via the PPAR signaling pathway during the process of intestinal regeneration in A. japonicus via transcriptome sequencing, suggesting that TBBPA exposure can affect the composition and function of gut microbiota and intestinal health in the regenerated intestine of A. japonicus. Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), a commonly utilized brominated flame retardant, is found in many types of abiotic and biotic matrices. TBBPA can increase oxidative stress, disrupt the endocrine system, cause neurodevelopmental disorders and activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors to modulate lipid deposits in aquatic animals. However, the toxic mechanism of TBBPA on the gut microbiota and intestinal health remains unclear. Apostichopus japonicus is an ideal model for studying the relationship between environmental contaminants and intestinal health due to its unique capacity for evisceration and quickly regenerated intestine. In the present study, we investigated the toxic mechanism of TBBPA on the gut microbiota and intestinal health in the regenerated intestine of A. japonicus. The results show that TBBPA exposure decreased the health of the regenerated intestine and the enzymatic activities, alpha diversity indices, and the relative abundance of the gut microbiota. Transcriptome analysis shows that TBBPA exposure affected lipid metabolism via the PPAR signaling pathway during the process of intestinal regeneration in A. japonicus, suggesting that TBBPA exposure can affect the composition and function of the gut microbiota and intestinal health in the regenerated intestine of A. japonicus. These results provide a basis for further research on the potential toxicity of TBBPA to the intestinal health in animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although several regulators associated with purple traits in rice have been identified, the genetic basis of the purple sheath remains unclear. In the present study, F2-1 and F2-2 populations were constructed using purple sheath (H93S) and green sheath (R1173 and YHSM), respectively. In order to identify QTL loci in purple sheaths, BSA analyses were performed on the two F2 populations. A crucial QTL for purple sheath was identified, tentatively named qPLSr6, and was located in the 4.61 Mb to 6.03 Mb region of chromosome 6. Combined with expression pattern analysis of candidate genes, LOC_Os06g10350 (OsC1PLSr) was suggested as a candidate gene. The homozygous mutant KO-1 and KO-2 created through CRISPR/Cas9 editing, lost their purple leaf sheath. The RT-PCR revealed that OsC1PLSr, anthocyanin synthase (ANS), diflavonol-4-reductase (DFR), flavanone-3-hydroxylase (F3H), and flavanone-3′-hydroxylase (F3′H) expression levels were dramatically down-regulated in the mutants. The yeast report system indicated that the 145–272 aa region at the C-terminal of OsC1PLSr is a positive transcriptional activation domain. The results indicated that OsC1PLSr synthesized anthocyanins by regulating the expression of ANS, DFR, F3H, and F3′H. This study provides new insights into the genetic basis of the purple sheath. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Telomere dysfunction has been reported to be directly involved in carcinogenesis owing to chromosomal instability and immortalization; however, the clinicopathological significance of telomeres remains controversial. We have shown that telomere shortening occurs in normal-appearing duct cells at initiation and then continues during the progression of pancreatic cancer. In this study, we determined the clinicopathological and prognostic value of telomere length (TL) in cancer progression. Methods TL in both cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) was analyzed by high-throughput quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization using a previously reported cohort comprising 1434 cases of adenocarcinoma (ADC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), adenosquamous carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which are known cancers with a statistically significantly low incidence of alternative lengthening of telomeres. Cases were divided into 2 groups as follows: longer and shorter telomeres, according to the median TL of cancer cells and CAFs. The statistical significance of TL in cancer cells and CAFs on clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis was analyzed. Results There was a close association between TL in cancer cells and CAFs. Longer telomeres in cancer cells and CAFs were associated with aggressive features such as advanced stage, high mitosis score and nuclear score, poorly differentiated cancer, and desmoplastic stroma in ADC. Furthermore, a longer TL was an independent prognostic factor for ADC, SCC, and RCC. Conclusions Longer telomeres are associated with worse prognosis in ADC, SCC, and RCC. Thus, TL is a novel biomarker for the diagnosis of aggressive cancers with poor prognoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Human immunodeficiency virus pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) clinical guidelines recommend men who have sex with men (MSM) PrEP users be screened biannually for syphilis and gonorrhea/chlamydia at all anatomic sites. We sought to determine the proportion screened and positive by STI and anatomic site at PrEP initiation and PrEP-care visits and patient-level characteristics associated with screening among MSM PrEP users in Baltimore City, Maryland. Methods Medical records among MSM initiating PrEP between 30 September 2015 and 31 March 2018 were abstracted. STI screening (syphilis and gonorrhea/chlamydia at all anatomic sites) and positivity at PrEP visits ≤12 months following initiation were calculated. Poisson regression with cluster robust SEs was used to assess associations with STI screening. Results Among 290 MSM initiating PrEP, 43.1% (n = 125) were screened per guidelines at PrEP initiation; 79.3% (230), 69.3% (201), 55.9% (162), and 69.3% (201) were screened for syphilis, urogenital, rectal, and oropharyngeal gonorrhea/chlamydia, respectively. Positivity among those screened was syphilis, 7.8% (n = 18/230); gonorrhea, 5.0% urogenital (10/201), 11.1% rectal (18/162), and 7.5% oropharyngeal (15/201); chlamydia, 5.0% urogenital (10/201), 11.7% rectal (19/162), and 1.5% oropharyngeal (3/201). Reported anal and oral sex (vs neither) was independently associated with STI screening (aPR, 2.11; 1.05–4.27) at PrEP initiation. At biannual PrEP-care visits, STI screening was lower and syphilis and rectal gonorrhea/chlamydia positivity was higher. Conclusions Observed STI screening levels and disease burden suggest the effectiveness of STI screening in PrEP care for STI prevention may be limited. Our results suggest providers may be offering screening based on sexual practices; clarification of STI screening guidelines for PrEP users is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]