Validation of the Jamaican maternal sexual role modelling questionnaire / Validación del cuestionario sobre la modelación del rol sexual materno en Jamaica

OBJECTIVE: Urban Jamaican adolescent girls face significant risk for sexually transmitted infections including HIV. Studies from the United States of America have found that parents influence adolescents' sexual risk attitudes and behaviours through parent-child sexual communication and monitoring/ supervision. Data from an ongoing mother-daughter HIV risk reduction intervention study in Kingston, Jamaica identified an additional influence of adolescent girls' sexual risk - maternal sexual role modelling (MSRM). As no reliable and valid questionnaires existed to measure MSRM, one was developed. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Jamaican Maternal Sexual Role Modelling questionnaire. METHOD: Data were collected from 209 Jamaican female adolescents recruited from Kingston, St Andrew and St Catherine parishes. RESULTS: The final 19-item Jamaican MSRM questionnaire was found to have excellent internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.89). Content validity expert ratings and modified kappa statistics were all 1.0. Principal component analysis identified a three-factor structure that accounted for 53.7% of the variance. Greater MSRM scale scores, indicating more positive and protective maternal sexual role modelling, were associated with less sexual experience, lower intentions to have sex, greater intentions to use condoms if having sex and greater condom use self-efficacy among adolescent girls. CONCLUSION: The MSRM scale was found to be a reliable and valid measure of Jamaican adolescent females' perceptions of their mothers' sexual role modelling. Further research is needed to assess the reliability and validity of the instrument with other populations.

OBJETIVO: Las jóvenes adolescentes urbanas de Jamaica, enfrentan un riesgo significativo de infecciones de trasmisión sexual, incluyendo el VIH. Estudios de los Estados Unidos de América han encontrado que los padres influyen en las conductas y actitudes de riesgo sexual de los adolescentes a través de la comunicación entre padres e hijos sobre asuntos de sexo, acompañada de supervisión y monitoreo. Datos obtenidos a partir de un estudio de intervención que se desarrolla actualmente en Kingston, Jamaica, para reducir el riesgo de VIH madre-hija, identificaron una influencia adicional de riesgo sexual entre las adolescentes: la modelación del rol sexual materno (MRSM). Como que no existían cuestionarios válidos y fiables para medir la MRSM, se desarrolló uno a propósito de este trabajo. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar las propiedades psicométricas del cuestionario de la modelación del rol sexual materno jamaicano. MÉTODO: Se recopilaron datos de 209 adolescentes jamaicanas reclutadas en los distritos de Kingston, St Andrew y St Catherine. RESULTADOS: Se halló que el cuestionario final MRSM jamaicano de 19 ítems poseía excelente fiabilidad interna (alfa de Cronbach = 0.89). Las valoraciones (ratings) de los expertos con respecto a la validez del contenido, así como las estadísticas Kappa modificadas, fueron todas 1.0. El análisis del componente principal identificó una estructura de tres factores que daba cuenta del 53.7% de la varianza. Mayores puntuaciones de la escala MRSM, que indicaban una modelación del rol sexual materno más positiva y protectora, estuvieron asociadas con menor experiencia sexual, menos intenciones de tener sexo, más intenciones de usar condón a la hora de mantener relaciones sexuales, y mayor auto-eficacia en el uso de condón entre las adolescentes. CONCLUSIÓN: Se halló que la escala MRSM es fiable y constituye una medida válida de las percepciones que las adolescentes jamaicanas tienen en relación con la modelación del rol sexual de sus madres. Se necesita continuar las investigaciones a fin de evaluar la fiabilidad y validez del instrumento con otras poblaciones.

Process of rock phosphate solubilization by Aspergillus sp PS 104 in soil amended medium.

Aspergillus sp PS 104, a soil isolate had excellent potential to solubilize rock phosphate in vitro. The process was influenced by the presence of various concentrations of local loess (red soil). The simultaneous occurrence, in our experiment, of high levels of solubilized phosphate and synthesized citric acid, together with the lowest reached pH values, confirmed the role of citric acid in the phosphate solubilization mechanism. When the soil was present, phosphate release was better correlated than citrate synthesis with H+ concentration. Changes in soluble phosphate concentration did not follow a sigmoid pattern. The ability of organism to release phosphatase was also studied. An interesting relationship was observed between the two processes of phosphate mobilization: citric acid synthesis and phosphatase production.

Factors associated with emergency department visits due to acute asthma

It is important to identify characteristics related to poor disease control and frequent visits to the emergency department (ED). The objective of the present study was to compare the characteristics of patients attending the adult ED for treatment of asthma exacerbation with those attending an asthma specialist clinic (AC) in the same hospital, and to determine the factors associated with frequent visits to the ED. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of consecutive patients (12 years and older) attending the ED (N = 86) and the AC (N = 86). Significantly more ED patients than AC patients reported ED visits in the past year (95.3 vs 48.8 percent; P < 0.001) and had difficulty performing work (81.4 vs 49.4 percent; P < 0.001. Significantly more AC than ED patents had been treated with inhaled corticosteroids (75.6 vs 18.6 percent; P < 0.001) used to increase or start steroid therapy when an attack was perceived (46.5 vs 20.9 percent; P < 0.001) and correctly used a metered-dose inhaler (50.0 vs 11.6 percent; P < 0.001). The history of hospital admissions (odds ratio, OR, 4.00) and use of inhaled corticosteroids (OR, 0.27) were associated with frequent visits to the ED. In conclusion, ED patients were more likely than AC patients to be dependent on the acute use of the ED, were significantly less knowledgeable about asthma management and were more likely to suffer more severe disease. ED patients should be considered an important target for asthma education. Facilitating the access to ambulatory care facilities might serve to reduce asthma morbidity.

Rhizobia as a biological control agent against soil borne plant pathogenic fungi.

Rhizobia promote the growth of plants either directly through N2 fixation, supply of nutrients, synthesis of phytohormones and solubilization of minerals, or indirectly as a biocontrol agent by inhibiting the growth of pathogens. The biocontrol effect of rhizobia is due to the secretion of secondary metabolites such as antibiotics and HCN. Siderophore production in iron stress conditions provides rhizobia an added advantage, resulting in exclusion of pathogens due to iron starvation.

Epidemiology of paragonimiasis in Korea.

In Korea, soybean-sauce soaked freshwater crabs (kejang) have been a favorite delicacy when eating a bowl of rice. This traditional food has been a main source of human paragonimiasis. Until the late 1960s, human paragonimiasis had been prevalent; at least two million people had contracted the infection as determined by intradermal tests. About 40% of these were egg positive. In the turmoil of the green revolution and industrialization in the 1970s/1980s, ecological damage occurred widely. In many streams, populations of snail and crustacean hosts were reduced to levels almost of extinction. Population reduction of the intermediate hosts was followed by lowered endemicity. Attitudes of people, changed during the period, also reduced chances of paragonimiasis. Survey data in the 1990s indicated that prevalence of human paragonimiasis has lowered to about one 100th of that in the early 1970s. In a referral system, however, about one hundred clinical cases have been diagnosed annually by antibody test (ELISA), undertaken for clinical differentiation from tuberculosis. At least 10% of freshwater crabs sold in local markets are infected with the metacercariae. Paragonimiasis control has benefited in Korea mainly by the untoward effects of water pollution. To place P. westermani infections as enzootic, health education and surveillance systems should have a priority.