Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att skapa ökad förståelsen för medias roll i den successiva etableringen och "normaliseringen" av HPV-vaccinet i Sverige. Studien ämnar också skapa ökad förståelse för vilka ideologiska krafter som genomsyrar de texter som studeras och hur de ideologiska idéerna etableras genom nyhetsberättelserna. Metod: Kritisk diskursanalys på artiklar ur svenska tidningar. Slutsatser: Analysresultatet visar på att medietexter etablerar och normaliserar HPV-vaccinet i dagens samhälle. Detta görs bland att genom en felaktig benämning på HPV-vaccinet som cancervaccin och etablerar genom personifierade exempel och ”expertuttalanden” en normaliserade föreställningen om vaccinets kontext i samhället. Innehållet i nyhetsberättelserna har även förändrats med tiden; där de tidiga texterna som behandlar vaccinet hade en mer kritisk hållning till vaccinet gentemot de nyare nyhetsberättelserna. Resultatet påvisar även att nyhetsberättelserna konstruerar föreställningar om risker, individualism och konsumtion.

<p>This project is predicated on the ability of the boranophosphate modification of siRNA to increase its therapeutic applicability for gene silencing in in vitro and in vivo systems. It has been shown that the boranophosphate (BH3-PO3) can overcome many of the limitations that are traditionally found when using RNAi, namely nuclease stability. The synthesis of siRNA modified with 5'-(alpha-P-borano)-nucleoside triphosphates (NTP) analogs alone and in combination with 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro nucleoside triphosphate analogs were performed and optimized. It was found that normal RNA transcriptions showed the highest yield with higher NTP concentrations and shorter incubation times. Boranophosphate modified RNA and 2'F/borano modified RNA transcription yield was optimal at lower NTP concentrations and extended incubations. The boranophosphate NTPs and RNA were characterized with high performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance, indicating successful synthesis of NTPalphaB and 2'F NTPs. PAGE and mass spectrometry analysis were performed to ensure full-length transcription of the modified siRNA molecules. The effects of these modifications were explored with respect to the biophysical properties of the modified homoduplex and heteroduplex siRNA. The techniques used in this work included hybridization affinity assays (melting temperature), secondary structure determination (circular dichroism), nuclease stability assays, and assessment of the lipophilicity of the modified siRNA by determining partition coefficients. </p><p>Modification of siRNA with boranophosphate and 2'fluoro/borano modified NTPs appears to have caused the homoduplexes and heteroduplexes to adopt a more B form-like helix that had lower Tm compared to unmodified RNA. The stability of the siRNA transcript to enzymatic hydrolysis by Exonuclease T was on the order of 2'fluoro/borano> normal = boranophosphate. Boranophosphate modification increased the stability of the transcript to enzymatic hydrolysis by the endonuclease RNase A, compared to both normal and 2' fluoro modified siRNA. Overall, the 2' fluoro/borano modified siRNA showed the greatest biological stability. Modification of the siRNA with increasing percentages of boranophosphates resulted in increasing lipophilicity of the molecule up to 60-fold, compared to both normal and 2' fluoro RNA. </p><p>A method to site-specifically modify the boranophosphate siRNA using T4 RNA ligase was also investigated. Finally, the siRNA in this work was tested in several in vitro systems, yielding promising results for the usage of boranophosphate siRNA for use against human viruses and cancers. It was shown that in for in vitro systems for human papillomavirus gene expression (HeLa, SiHa, and W12E) and luciferase expression (B16F10 cells), boranophosphate modified siRNA can specifically downregulate gene expression, and in the case of human papillomavirus, can downregulate cell growth.</p> / Dissertation

Hispanic immigrants constitute the largest and fastest growing groups of minorities in the United States. According to the 2010 Census, there are 50.5 million Hispanics in the United States, making up 16.3% of the total population (Passel, Cohn & Lopez, 2011). Furthermore, the state of Florida is home to 4,223,806 Hispanics (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). Because the Hispanic population continues to grow, it is important to study their sexual health behaviors because diseases linked to risky sexual behaviors account for approximately 20,000 U.S. deaths each year, and are linked to a number of adverse reproductive outcomes (Abraido-Lanza, Chao, & Florez, 2005; Hussey, Hallfors, Waller, Iritani, Halpern & Bauer, 2006; Mokdad, Marks, Stroup & Geberding, 2004). Much of the research on risky sexual behaviors has included women of Mexican, Cuban and Puerto Rican descent (Weiss & Tillman, 2009). Therefore, to fill a gap in the current research further investigations should be conducted among other Latin subgroups such as Colombians. Conducting studies of Colombian women will contribute to the relatively unknown attitudes, beliefs and values towards sex and sexual high-risk behaviors of South American women. This study systematically examines literature in order to build a conceptual model, which will explain the sexual behaviors of Colombian women. The study will provide a survey instrument to be used in future research.

How does a drug with a limited safety and efficacy record become an international blockbuster? In June 2006 the FDA approved and recommended a new vaccine directed against 4 types of sexually transmitted human papillomavirus, associated with 70% of cervical cancer cases and 90% of genital wart cases. Branded as a "cervical cancer vaccine" Gardasil has been met with as much fanfare as controversy, and retains blockbuster status in Merck's portfolio. Sold as a cancer risk-reduction method, Gardasil carries its own risks, with startlingly low efficacy and elevated likelihood of serious adverse events (side effects). Through the lens of risk, this dissertation examines Gardasil's popularity in the face of evidence that it is neither as safe nor as effective as advertised. Through three distinct research projects, I identify (a) five sociological factors responsible for Gardasil's success on the heels of Vioxx, one of the biggest drug scandals in history; (b) how amongst healthy vaccinated girls, cervical cancer is experienced as a "risk object," yet when a young woman experiences a serious adverse event that "object of risk" and her "experience of risk" shift toward Gardasil; and (c) that Gardasil is so trusted among young women, that warnings about potential side effects from others made some girls more likely to get vaccinated and have a positive opinion on the vaccine, suggesting that Gardasil benefits from a broader cultural assumption that vaccines are inherently safe and effective. Physicians and pharmaceutical marketing also play an important role. Gardasil is a risk-reduction drug and vaccine purported to treat risk while it simultaneously creates new risk for further health problems in some consumers. This dissertation contributes to sociological literatures on pharmaceuticalization, pharmaceutical pseudoscience, the social construction of risk, research on regulatory agencies, and the sociology of medicine more broadly.

Purpose: To identify barriers to implementing practice recommendations regarding HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccination for male adolescent patients among Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs). Rationale/Background: HPV infection is a source of numerous cancers. More than one-quarter of the HPV-associated cancers in the United States occur in males. The quadrivalent vaccine is approved in young males and is effective in the prevention of genital warts and reducing HPV related cancers yet vaccination rates are low and expected to remain low. Barriers to vaccination exist even after the 2011 recommendation for routine use. Method: Quantitative, surveys. A 22-item instrument was administered to FNPs working in primary care settings. Participants were surveyed regarding financial, logistic, provider, and parental barriers to vaccination among adolescent males. Results: Descriptive analysis at both the item and scale level demonstrated that FNPs report financial barriers as the most significant barrier. The barriers of least concern were provider attitudes. Barriers regarding FNPs' perception of parental attitudes were seen as moderately concerning. Independent samples t-tests showed that FNPs who did not administer the HPV vaccine to male adolescent patients reported having significantly more financing barriers as compared to FNPs who did. Conclusion: Results suggested that financial issues may constrain FNPs' implementation of practice recommendations for the HPV vaccine and that FNPs who did not administer the HPV vaccination to adolescent male patients may be unable to do so due to financial reasons. Perceptions of parental attitudes are also seen as playing a role in preventing male adolescent patients from receiving the HPV vaccine. Efforts to reduce barriers to implementing recommended HPV vaccine practices should focus on lessening the expense of the vaccine for both providers and parents and increasing parental knowledge and understanding of the HPV vaccine for their sons. Definitions: HPV4 is used to reference the quadrivalent and Gardasil® vaccinations; permissive refers to the 2009 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) support of allowing adolescent males aged 9-26 to decide, in collaboration with their health care providers, to vaccinate; recommended is the ACIP's modification from permissive to routine recommendation.

Introduction: The incidence of anal cancer, whose primary cause is human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, has increased in United States (US) men almost three-fold in three decades; however, little is known about the epidemiology of anal HPV, especially in heterosexual men. Furthermore, advancements in knowledge about the epidemiology of anal HPV may be hampered by measurement error in the collection of sexual behavior data. Methods: From two US cities, behavioral data and anal biological specimens were collected from 253 men who acknowledged sexual intercourse with a woman in the previous year. PCR and genotyping were used to assess the presence of HPV DNA. In addition, two HPV questionnaires were assessed for test-retest reliability: the first was a self-administered questionnaire associated with the collection of the biological specimens while the second was a computer-assisted self-interview (CASI) with 1069 men in Brazil, Mexico, and the US. Results: Based on DNA analysis, overall anal HPV prevalence was 24.8% in 222 men who acknowledged no prior sexual intercourse with men. Risk factors independently associated with anal HPV were lifetime number of female sexual partners and frequency of sex with females in the past month. Based on kappa and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), both HPV questionnaires were found to be highly reliable with low refusal rates; however, three discrete measures in the multi-national interview asking for the number of sexual partners had lower reliability. The ICC of these questions increased to greater than or equal to 0.79 when a small number of extreme outliers (less than or equal to 3) were removed. Predictors of unreliable reporting were age and lifetime number of female sexual partners while years of education was inversely associated with unreliable reporting. Discussion: These results suggest anal HPV is common in heterosexual men. Risk factors associated with anal HPV did not explain how HPV was transmitted to the anal region. Both instruments used to collect sexual behavior data were highly reliable including the CASI instrument used in three culturally and linguistically distinct countries; however, caution is warranted with discrete measures that ask participants to report the number of sexual partners.

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection and causes 529.000 cases of cervical cancer every year. Nowadays, there are vaccines available to prevent infection. Knowledge of HPV influence the attitude towards the vaccine and is therefore a factor of accepting the vaccine. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the knowledge of HPV and attitudes towards HPV-vaccine among Thai female university students. Method:  Descriptive and cross-sectional study with quantitative method using a questionnaire. Purposive sampling was used. The sample consisted of students from two different universities in Bangkok, Thailand and out of the 201 students whom filled in the questionnaire, 192 questionnaires were used. Result: There were 64.6% of the participants that had heard of HPV previously. Of these, the most common source of information was health professionals. The HPV-vaccine was known by 42.6% of the participants and 17.4% had taken the vaccination. Over 90% of the participants had a poor or moderate knowledge of HPV. In total, most of the participants in the sample were found to have a positive level of attitude towards the vaccine (72.4%). Almost all participants wanted to know more about HPV and the HPV-vaccine and 88.5% thought it was necessary for them to get the vaccination. Conclusion: As some gaps in knowledge among the participants were shown, the information to young women should be improved and aim to increase the motivation towards the use of preventive methods, such as taking the HPV-vaccine.

Šiame darbe tirta ŽPV infekcijos įtaką nėščiosios organizmo antioksidacinės sistemos būklei bei vertintas vietinio imuniteto atsakas į šią infekciją. Nustatytas tiriamųjų infekuotumas ŽPV; identifikuoti atskirų tipų ŽPV; palygintas tiriamųjų infekuotumas ŽPV tarp pirmojo ir trečiojo nėštumo trimestrų; ištirta antioksidacinės sistemos būklė bei vietinį imunitetą rodančių interleukinų (IL-10 ir IL-12) koncentracijų pokyčiai nėštumo metu priklausomai nuo ŽPV infekcijos. Atsižvelgiant į tai, kad Lietuvoje yra didelis sergamumas gimdos kaklelio vėžiu bei mirtingumas nuo jo, mūsų nustatytas nėščiųjų infekuotumas ŽPV bei identifikuoti ŽPV tipai leido įvertinti infekuotumo ŽPV pokyčius nėštumo metu didelės gimdos kaklelio vėžio rizikos populiacijoje ir sudarė galimybę palyginti gautus duomenis su kitų šalių autorių gautais duomenimis. Įrodyta, kad nėštumo metu moterims vystosi oksidacinis stresas, kurio lygis nepriklauso nuo infekuotumo ŽPV. Nustatyta, kad IL-10 ir IL-12 koncentracijos pokyčiai gimdos kaklelio nuoplovose (vietinis imunitetas) susiję su Th1 ir Th2 limfocitų funkcija ir priklauso nuo infekuotumo ŽPV. / This study analyses the impact of HPV infection for antioxidative state of pregnant woman, and the response of local immunity to this infection. In order to achieve this aim the following goals were: to determine HPV infection in pregnant women; to determine it’s types; to compare infection between first and third trimesters of pregnancy; to study the antioxidative system state during pregnancy due to HPV infection; to study interleukins (IL-10 and IL-12), which show local immunity, concentration changes during pregnancy due to HPV infection. Considering a high morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer in Lithuania, our established HPV infection in pregnant women and identified types of this virus enabled us to determine changed of HPV infection during pregnancy in high risk cervical cancer population. Also there is possibility to compare obtained data with that from authors in other countries. It is established, that women develop oxidative stress during pregnancy, and that its level did not depend on HPV infection. Changes of IL-10 and IL-12 concentrations in cervicovaginal washing fluid (local immunity) are related to Th1 and Th2 lymphocytes function, and depend on HPV infection.

Šiame darbe tirta ŽPV infekcijos įtaką nėščiosios organizmo antioksidacinės sistemos būklei bei vertintas vietinio imuniteto atsakas į šią infekciją. Nustatytas tiriamųjų infekuotumas ŽPV; identifikuoti atskirų tipų ŽPV; palygintas tiriamųjų infekuotumas ŽPV tarp pirmojo ir trečiojo nėštumo trimestrų; ištirta antioksidacinės sistemos būklė bei vietinį imunitetą rodančių interleukinų (IL-10 ir IL-12) koncentracijų pokyčiai nėštumo metu priklausomai nuo ŽPV infekcijos. Atsižvelgiant į tai, kad Lietuvoje yra didelis sergamumas gimdos kaklelio vėžiu bei mirtingumas nuo jo, mūsų nustatytas nėščiųjų infekuotumas ŽPV bei identifikuoti ŽPV tipai leido įvertinti infekuotumo ŽPV pokyčius nėštumo metu didelės gimdos kaklelio vėžio rizikos populiacijoje ir sudarė galimybę palyginti gautus duomenis su kitų šalių autorių gautais duomenimis. Įrodyta, kad nėštumo metu moterims vystosi oksidacinis stresas, kurio lygis nepriklauso nuo infekuotumo ŽPV. Nustatyta, kad IL-10 ir IL-12 koncentracijos pokyčiai gimdos kaklelio nuoplovose (vietinis imunitetas) susiję su Th1 ir Th2 limfocitų funkcija ir priklauso nuo infekuotumo ŽPV. / This study analyses the impact of HPV infection for antioxidative state of pregnant woman, and the response of local immunity to this infection. In order to achieve this aim the following goals were: to determine HPV infection in pregnant women; to determine it’s types; to compare infection between first and third trimesters of pregnancy; to study the antioxidative system state during pregnancy due to HPV infection; to study interleukins (IL-10 and IL-12), which show local immunity, concentration changes during pregnancy due to HPV infection. Considering a high morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer in Lithuania, our established HPV infection in pregnant women and identified types of this virus enabled us to determine changed of HPV infection during pregnancy in high risk cervical cancer population. Also there is possibility to compare obtained data with that from authors in other countries. It is established, that women develop oxidative stress during pregnancy, and that its level did not depend on HPV infection. Changes of IL-10 and IL-12 concentrations in cervicovaginal washing fluid (local immunity) are related to Th1 and Th2 lymphocytes function, and depend on HPV infection.

The current study investigated the relationships between state shame, guilt, and disease knowledge in women recently diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Recent research has indicated that diagnosis of HPV can elicit negative self-directed affect, including persistent experiences of shame. Studies have also shown that knowledge of HPV is low in the general population, even though it is the most common sexually transmitted infection. It is important to understand how shame affects those with HPV because shame is related to a decline in important immune parameters that may be essential in HPV clearance. A sample of young women (ages 18-28) recently diagnosed with HPV were given measures of shame and guilt-proneness, state shame and guilt, depression, impact of diagnosis, and HPV knowledge. A comparison group of women diagnosed with infectious mononucleosis caused by the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) were also given these measures. It was predicted that women diagnosed with HPV would have higher levels of shame and guilt than women diagnosed with EBV. It was also predicted that disease knowledge would moderate negative affect in women with HPV, where increases in HPV knowledge would neutralize feelings of shame and guilt. The results of this study supported the first hypothesis: women with HPV experienced more shame and guilt than women with EBV. Shame largely mediated the relationship between diagnosis of HPV and depression, as well as HPV and distress, but these relationships were not significant for guilt. The hypothesis that disease knowledge would moderate feelings of shame was not supported in this study. Because of the biological and psychological consequences of shameful experiences, research should continue to measure factors that may predict shame after diagnosis of HPV.