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Lack of knowledge regarding HPV vaccination and unwillingness to undergo vaccination contribute to low rates of HPV vaccination within urban populations. Community-based educational sessions successfully teach the link between HPV and various cancers, provide information regarding the risks and benefits of vaccination, and increase participants' willingness to vaccinate their children against HPV. Attitudes regarding government involvement in health programs are resistant to change.

Texas contains the southwestern range edge of Macrochelys temminckii (Alligator Snapping Turtle), but there is relatively little published information on this species within the state. To document its range and assess temporal changes in its distribution and demography, we sampled 23 sites from 1999 to 2001. We then resurveyed 22 of these sites and sampled 29 additional sites in 2020-2021. Detection outcomes were consistent between 18 of the 22 resurveyed sites. Sex ratios and body-size distributions were similar across surveys. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) was lower in areas with trotlines, corroborating known interactions between turtles and fishing gear. Patterns in CPUE indicate Gulf of Mexico-draining watersheds are important systems for the species, while CPUE was lower in Mississippi-draining watersheds.

Objectives: Determine if hypopharyngeal surgery for obstructive sleep apnea is associated with significant morbidity in the early postoperative period. Methods: Medical records review and retrospective telephone survey of patients who underwent hypopharyngeal surgery for obstructive sleep apnea between November 2012 and September 2013 at a tertiary care facility. Results: Twenty-two patients underwent hypopharyngeal surgery for obstructive sleep apnea. No patient experienced intraoperative complications, postoperative O2 desaturation <90%, prolonged admission for inadequate pain control, pulmonary edema, or airway compromise requiring re-intubation. Postoperative complications included 1 episode of nasal hemorrhage, 1 infection requiring hospitalization, and 1 episode of dehydration treated with IV fluids. Twenty-five percent of patients experienced some degree of postoperative dysphonia, and 87.5% of patients experienced postoperative dysphagia. The average rating for postoperative pharyngeal pain was 3.5 by week 3 and 1.75 by week 4. Most patients described decreased snoring (93.75%), improved feeling of overall health (75%), and increased daytime energy (62.5%). All patients undergoing hypopharyngeal airway surgery were discharged within 23 hours. Conclusions: Hypopharyngeal surgery is a safe and well-tolerated procedure for the treatment of OSA. Our findings suggest that hypopharyngeal surgery may be performed on an outpatient basis.