Multicenter study of human papillomavirus and the human papillomavirus vaccine: knowledge and attitudes among people of African descent.

OBJECTIVE: To compare knowledge and attitudes of human papillomavirus (HPV) and the vaccine between different cultures of African descent. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 555 African-Americans and Afro-Caribbeans residing in the US and the Bahamas (BHM) was conducted. RESULTS: General knowledge about HPV and the HPV vaccine differed between the two countries significantly. Bahamian respondents were less likely to have higher numbers of correct knowledge answers when compared to Americans (Adjusted Odds Ratio [Adj. OR] 0.47, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.30-0.75). Older age, regardless of location, was also associated with answering fewer questions correctly (Adj. OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.40-0.92). Attitudes related to HPV vaccination were similar between the US and BHM, but nearly 80% of BHM respondents felt that children should not be able to receive the vaccine without parental consent compared to 57% of American respondents. CONCLUSIONS: Grave lack of knowledge, safety and cost concerns, and influence of parental restrictions may negatively impact vaccine uptake among African-American and Afro-Caribbean persons. Interventions to increase the vaccine uptake in the Caribbean must include medical provider and parental involvement. Effective strategies for education and increasing vaccine uptake in BHM are crucial for decreasing cervical cancer burden in the Caribbean.

Knowledge about human papillomavirus and the HPV vaccine--a survey of the general population.

BACKGROUND: The United States (US) Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine with the purpose of reducing the risk of cervical cancers caused by HPV 16 and HPV 18. It is important that the general population be educated about HPV and the HPV vaccine in order to make the appropriate decision whether or not to vaccinate against this virus. Participants from the adult US general population of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and Hampton, Virginia, USA (18+ years old) were surveyed to determine their knowledge about HPV and the HPV vaccine, and to evaluate their perception of the vaccine efficacy and safety. RESULTS: We report herein preliminary data for 202 participants. Fifty-five percent (55%) of the study population was White, 45% Black, and 1% was from other ethnic groups or did not disclose their ethnicity. A large proportion of participants had heard of the human papillomavirus (overall population: 93.6%; Pittsburgh: 95%; Hampton: 90%). Participants of African descent were slightly less aware of HPV than Whites (Black 89% vs. Whites 97%, p > 0.1). Although the majority of participants knew that HPV caused cervical cancer (84%), Whites were more informed than Black participants (91% vs. 73%, p = 0.044). Eighty-seven percent (87%) of participants had heard of the HPV vaccine (Pittsburgh: 92% and Hampton: 74%, p = 0.029); a higher proportion of Whites were aware of the vaccine when compared with Blacks (93% vs. 76%, p = 0.031). However, only 18% of the population knew that the current FDA-approved vaccine protected against genital warts and most cervical cancer (20% of Blacks and 16% of Whites, p > 0.1). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that although the general population might be aware of HPV and the HPV vaccine, knowledge of the benefits of the HPV vaccination may not be apparent. Knowledge of HPV and the HPV vaccine could result in a likely choice of HPV vaccination and would subsequently reduce the incidence of cervical cancer.

Assessment of Physics Quality Assurance in United States Radiotherapy Facilities and Comparison With American College of Radiology Standard for Radiation Oncology Physics for External Beam Therapy.

We have assessed radiation therapy physics quality assurance (QA) elements in the United States and compared the results with the Patterns of Care Study (PCS) Consensus Guidelines for Treatment Planning and the American College of Radiology (ACR) Standard for Radiation Oncology Physics for External Beam Therapy. Data were obtained during PCS site visits to 73 facilities randomly selected from the 1,321 radiation therapy facilities in the United States: 21 academic, 26 hospital, and 26 freestanding. The following is a representative sample of results. The estimated national averages for facilities having QA programs for treatment planning systems, simulators, accelerators, film processors, and blocking systems are 44%, 79%, 94%, 62%, and 55%, respectively. Only 63% of facilities obtain an independent check of their accelerator calibrations from a source outside the facilities obtain an independent check of their accelerator calibrations from a source outside the facility. Twenty-six percent of facilities surveyed did not have in vivo dosimetry capability. These results and others in the study were compared with PCS consensus guidelines and ACR standards, This is the first such study performed in the United States, and the results establish a baseline for future studies. A recommendation for a comprehensive national physics QA study is based on deficiencies found in this study and the implementation of new technologies in radiation therapy.

Formation of Atomically Flat Silver Films on GaAs with a "Silver Mean" Quasi Periodicity

A flat epitaxial silver film on a gallium arsenide [GaAs(110)] surface was synthesized in a two-step process. Deposition of a critical thickness of silver at low temperature led to the formation of a dense nanocluster film. Upon annealing, all atoms rearranged themselves into an atomically flat film. This silver film has a close-packed (111) structure modulated by a "silver mean" quasi-periodic sequence. The ability to grow such epitaxial overlayers of metals on semiconductors enables the testing of theoretical models and provides a connection between metal and semiconductor technologies.