Developing Graphic Messages for Vaping Prevention Among Black and Latino Adolescents: Participatory Research Approach

Background As an important transition stage in human development, adolescence is a critical window for vaping prevention. There is a substantial gap in communication research on vaping prevention among racial and ethnic minority groups. Their representation is essential to develop, implement, and disseminate innovative and effective interventions for vaping prevention. Objective The aim of this study is to describe the participatory research (PR) procedures used with Black and Latino adolescents to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate graphic messages for vaping prevention. Methods This PR study used a qualitative, user-centered design method. We conducted a series of focus groups with 16 Black and Latino adolescents to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate graphic messages for vaping prevention. The biobehavioral model of nicotine addiction provided a framework for the development of the graphic messages. Participants met 4 times to provide iterative feedback on the graphic messages until they reached a consensus on overall quality and content. Results At baseline, the participants’ mean age was 15.4 years (SD 1.4). Of the participants, 50% (8/16) were female, 88% (14/16) were heterosexual, 56% (9/16) were Black/African American, and 44% (7/16) were Hispanic/Latino. A total of 12 of the 16 participants (75%) chose to participate in the English sessions. Participants decided to create four types of graphic messages: (1) financial reward, (2) health reward, (3) social norms, and (4) self-efficacy. Meeting 4 times with the 4 groups provided sufficient opportunities for iterative feedback on the graphic messages to reach a consensus on overall quality and content. Conclusions It is feasible and practical to build PR among Black and Latino adolescents focused on vaping prevention. Adolescents added innovation and creativity to the development of culturally and linguistically appropriate graphic messages for vaping prevention. Appropriate staffing, funding, and approaches are key for successful PR efforts among Black and Latino adolescents. Future research is needed to evaluate the impact of the graphic messages on vaping prevention.

Beam Formation and Vernier Steering Off of a Rough Surface

Wavefront shaping can refocus light after it reflects from an optically rough surface. One proposed use case of this effect is in indirect imaging; if any rough surface could be turned into an illumination source, objects out of the direct line of sight could be illuminated. In this paper, we demonstrate the superior performance of a genetic algorithm compared to other iterative feedback-based wavefront shaping algorithms in achieving reflective inverse diffusion for a focal plane system. Next, the ability to control the pointing direction of the refocused beam with high precision over a narrow angular range is demonstrated, though the challenge of increasing the overall scanning range of the refocused beam remains. The method of beam steering demonstrated in this paper could act as a vernier adjustment to a coarse adjustment offered by another method.

Iterative feedback control based on frequency response model for a six-degree-of-freedom micro-vibration platform

In this article, a six-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) micro-vibration platform (6-MVP) based on the Gough–Stewart configuration is designed to reproduce the 6-DOF micro-vibration that occurs at the installation surfaces of sensitive space-based instruments such as large space optical loads and laser communications equipment. The platform’s dynamic model is simplified because of the small displacement characteristics of micro-vibrations. By considering the multifrequency line spectrum characteristics of micro-vibrations and the parameter uncertainties, an iterative feedback control strategy based on a frequency response model is designed, and the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy is verified by performing integrated simulations. Finally, micro-vibration experiments are performed with a 10 kg load on the platform. The results of these micro-vibration experiments show that after several iterations, the amplitude control errors are less than 3% and the phase control errors are less than 1°. The control strategy presented in this article offers the advantages of a simple algorithm and high precision and it can also be used to control other similar micro-vibration platforms.