Lego bricks and the octet rule: Molecular models for biochemical pathways with plastic, interlocking toy bricks.

The 8 studs on a 2 × 4 Lego brick conveniently represent the outer shell of electrons for carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms. We used Lego bricks to model these atoms, which are then joined together to form molecules by following the Lewis octet rule. A variety of small biological molecules can be modeled in this way, such as most amino acids, fatty acids, glucose, and various intermediate metabolites. Model building with these familiar toys can be a helpful, hands-on exercise for learning-or re-learning-biochemical pathways. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 46(1):54-57, 2018.

Well-Child Care Redesign: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Parent Experiences in the PARENT Trial.

BACKGROUND: Parent-focused Redesign for Encounters, Newborns to Toddlers (PARENT), is a well-child care (WCC) model that has demonstrated effectiveness in improving the receipt of comprehensive WCC services and reducing emergency department utilization for children aged 0 to 3 in low-income communities. PARENT relies on a health educator ("parent coach") to provide WCC services; it utilizes a Web-based previsit prioritization/screening tool (Well-Visit Planner) and an automated text message reminder/education service. We sought to assess intervention feasibility and acceptability among PARENT trial intervention participants. METHODS: Intervention parents completed a survey after a 12-month study period; a 26% random sample of them were invited to participate in a qualitative interview. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the constant comparative method of qualitative analysis; survey responses were analyzed using bivariate methods. RESULTS: A total of 115 intervention participants completed the 12-month survey; 30 completed a qualitative interview. Nearly all intervention participants reported meeting with the coach, found her helpful, and would recommend continuing coach-led well visits (97-99%). Parents built trusting relationships with the coach and viewed her as a distinct and important part of their WCC team. They reported that PARENT well visits more efficiently used in-clinic time and were comprehensive and family centered. Most used the Well-Visit Planner (87%), and found it easy to use (94%); a minority completed it at home before the visit (18%). Sixty-two percent reported using the text message service; most reported it as a helpful source of new information and a reinforcement of information discussed during visits. CONCLUSIONS: A parent coach-led intervention for WCC for young children is a model of WCC delivery that is both acceptable and feasible to parents in a low-income urban population.

Integration of Screening for Syphilis, Hepatitis C, and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections with HIV Testing in a Community-Based HIV Prevention Program in Miami, Florida.

The South Beach AIDS Project (SoBAP) in Miami, Florida, is a nonprofit community-based organization that recently began offering syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea, and hepatitis C screening along with confidential HIV screening to its clients. We retrospectively reviewed data from SoBAP collected from January 2011 to June 2012 to describe the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among persons seeking testing services. Our findings are in line with national data demonstrating that men who have sex with men (MSM) of color are disproportionately affected by STIs, especially Latino MSM. Integrating HIV, STI, and hepatitis C screening in community-based testing programs is feasible and an important means to identify infected persons.