The Value of Authority Control in a Next Generation OPAC

This white paper, based upon the final report of the University of Michigan Library Authority Control Working Group, submitted March 30, 2011, demonstrates that, within an environment of a single, Google-like search box, results are far more accurate with controlled headings.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/110677/5/AuthorityControl2011.pd

Bias in the Workplace: Consistent Evidence of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination 1998-2008

This article summarizes social science data published during the past decade documenting discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in employment. Over the last ten years, many researchers have conducted studies to find out whether LGBT people face sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace. These studies include surveys of LGBT individuals\u27 workplace experiences, wage comparisons between lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) and heterosexual persons, analyses of discrimination complaints filed with administrative agencies, and testing studies and controlled experiments

Bias in the workplace: consistent evidence of sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination 1998-2008.

Executive Summary Over the last ten years, many researchers have conducted studies to find out whether lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ("LGBT") people face sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace. These studies include surveys of LGBT individuals' workplace experiences, wage comparisons between LGB and heterosexual persons, analyses of discrimination complaints filed with administrative agencies, and testing studies and controlled experiments. This report summarizes findings from these studies. When surveyed, 16% to 68% of LGBT people report experiencing employment discrimination. Studies conducted from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s revealed that 16% to 68% of LGB respondents reported experiencing employment discrimination at some point in their lives. Since the mid-1990s, an additional fifteen studies found that 15% to 43% of LGB respondents experienced discrimination in the workplace. When asked more specific questions about the type of discrimination experienced, LGB respondents reported the following experiences that were related to their sexual orientation: 8%-17% were fired or denied employment, 10%-28% were denied a promotion or given negative performance evaluations, 7%-41% were verbally/physically abused or had their workplace vandalized, and 10%-19% reported receiving unequal pay or benefits. Fifteen to 57% of transgender people also report experiencing employment discrimination. When transgender individuals were surveyed separately, they reported similar or higher levels of employment discrimination. In six studies conducted between 1996 and 2006, 20% to 57% of transgender respondents reported having experienced employment discrimination at some point in their life. More specifically, 13%-56% were fired, 13%-47% were denied employment, 22%-31% were harassed, and 19% were denied a promotion based on their gender identity. When surveyed, many heterosexual co-workers report witnessing sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace. A small number of researchers have also asked heterosexuals whether they have witnessed discrimination against their LGB peers. These studies revealed that 12% to 30% of respondents in certain occupations, such as the legal profession, have witnessed antigay discrimination in employment. In states that currently prohibit sexual orientation discrimination, LGB people file complaints of employment discrimination at similar rates to women and racial minorities. Individual complaints of discrimination filed with government agencies provide another measure of perceived discrimination. The General Accounting Office (or "GAO", now known as the Government Accountability Office) collected the number of complaints filed in states that outlaw sexual orientation discrimination and found that 1% of all discrimination complaints related to sexual orientation. However, comparisons of data from ten states show that the rate of sexual orientation discrimination complaints per GLB person is 3 per 10,000, which is roughly equivalent to gender-based discrimination complaints. Gender v. Sexual Orientation Raw Data Population-Adjusted Data Gay men earn 10% to 32% less than similarly qualified heterosexual men. A wage or income gap between LGB people and heterosexual people with the same job and personal characteristics provides another indicator of sexual orientation discrimination. A growing number of studies using data from the National Health and Social Life Survey ("NHSLS"), the General Social Survey ("GSS"), the United States Census, and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey ("NHANES III") show that gay men earn 10% to 32% less than otherwise similar heterosexual men. The findings for lesbians, however, are less clear. In some studies they earn more than heterosexual women but less than heterosexual or gay men. Transgender people report high rates of unemployment and very low earnings. While no detailed wage and income analyses of the transgender population have been conducted to date, convenience samples of the transgender population find that 6%-60% of respondents report being unemployed, and 22-64% of the employed population earns less than $25,000 per year. Controlled experiments reveal sexual orientation discrimination in workplace settings. In controlled experiments, researchers manufacture scenarios that allow comparisons of the treatment of LGB people with treatment of heterosexuals. Seven out of eight studies using controlled experiments related to employment and public accommodation find evidence of sexual orientation discrimination. Despite the variations in methodology, context, and time period in the studies reviewed in this report, our review of the evidence demonstrates one disturbing and consistent pattern: sexual orientation-based and gender identity discrimination is a common occurrence in many workplaces across the country. Bias in the Workplace: Consistent Evidence of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination Over the last ten years, academic researchers in economics, sociology, psychology, and other social sciences have conducted research to find out whether lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ("LGBT") people face employment discrimination. Government and community organizations have also conducted such research. With increasing frequency, policymakers at the federal, state, and local level are considering the rates of employment discrimination as they consider laws that would ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In this report we summarize the findings of research about employment discrimination against LGBT people from four different kinds of studies. Surveys of LGBT people's experiences with workplace discrimination These studies routinely show that considerable numbers of LGBT people believe they have been discriminated against in the workplace. These studies also show that heterosexuals perceive discrimination against their LGB peers. Because these studies tend to focus on particular occupations, population groups, or geographic areas, the rates of perceived discrimination vary considerably across their findings. Analyses of employment discrimination complaints filed with government agencies Thus far, there has been one published study on the number of sexual orientation discrimination complaints filed with government agencies. Although the raw number of complaints is small, the rate of complaints per 10,000 LGB people is comparable to the rate of sex discrimination complaints per 10,000 women. Analyses of wage differentials between LGBT and heterosexual persons Employment discrimination often translates into lower earnings. Wage analyses consistently show that gay men earn 10% to 32% less than heterosexual men. The findings on lesbians' earnings are less consistent. While less data is available about the incomes of transgender people in comparison with non-transgender people, a number of surveys have found high unemployment rates and low income levels for transgender people. Controlled experiments A new and expanding line of research involves experiments that control conditions to test whether LGB people experience differences in treatment when compared with identical heterosexual people. These studies find that LGB and heterosexual persons are subject to disparate treatment. The remainder of this report describes the studies' methods and findings. The methodologies used and contexts studied vary considerably and limit our ability to generalize findings to all locations, occupations, or economic contexts. Also, the limitations of the methods mean that we cannot say how likely a LGBT person would be to experience employment discrimination. Despite these caveats, the review does demonstrate a consistent pattern: there is ample evidence that sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination against LGBT people occurs in many workplaces across the country

Solvent and thermal stability, and pH kinetics, of proline-specific dipeptidyl peptidase IV-like enzyme from bovine serum

Proline-specific dipeptidyl peptidase-like (DPP IV; EC 3.4.14.5) activity in bovine serum has attracted little attention despite its ready availability and the paucity of useful proline-cleaving enzymes. Bovine serum DPP IV-like peptidase is very tolerant of organic solvents, particularly acetonitrile: upon incubation for 1 h at room temperature in 70% acetonitrile, 47% dimethylformamide, 54% DMSO and 33% tetrahydrofuran (v/v concentrations) followed by dilution into the standard assay mixture, the enzyme retained half of its aqueous activity. As for thermal performance in aqueous buffer, its relative activity increased up to 50 ◦C. Upon thermoinactivation at 71 ◦C, pH 8.0 (samples removed periodically, cooled on ice, then assayed under optimal conditions), residual activities over short times fit a first-order decay with a k-value of 0.071±0.0034 min−1. Over longer times, residual activities fit to a double exponential decay with k1 and k2 values of 0.218±0.025 min−1 (46±4% of overall decay) and 0.040±0.002 min−1 (54±4% of overall decay), respectively. The enzyme’s solvent and thermal tolerances suggest that it may have potential for use as a biocatalyst in industry. Kinetic analysis with the fluorogenic substrate Gly-Pro-7-aminomethylcoumarin over a range of pH values indicated two pK values at 6.18±0.07 and at 9.70±0.50. We ascribe the lower value to the active site histidine; the higher may be due to the active site serine or to a free amino group in the substrate

Early observed transient prostate-specific antigen elevations on a pilot study of external beam radiation therapy and fractionated MRI guided High Dose Rate brachytherapy boost

PURPOSE: To report early observation of transient PSA elevations on this pilot study of external beam radiation therapy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy boost. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven patients with intermediate-risk and high-risk localized prostate cancer received MRI guided HDR brachytherapy (10.5 Gy each fraction) before and after a course of external beam radiotherapy (46 Gy). Two patients continued on hormones during follow-up and were censored for this analysis. Four patients discontinued hormone therapy after RT. Five patients did not receive hormones. PSA bounce is defined as a rise in PSA values with a subsequent fall below the nadir value or to below 20% of the maximum PSA level. Six previously published definitions of biochemical failure to distinguish true failure from were tested: definition 1, rise >0.2 ng/mL; definition 2, rise >0.4 ng/mL; definition 3, rise >35% of previous value; definition 4, ASTRO defined guidelines, definition 5 nadir + 2 ng/ml, and definition 6, nadir + 3 ng/ml. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 24 months (range 18–36 mo). During follow-up, the incidence of transient PSA elevation was: 55% for definition 1, 44% for definition 2, 55% for definition 3, 33% for definition 4, 11% for definition 5, and 11% for definition 6. CONCLUSION: We observed a substantial incidence of transient elevations in PSA following combined external beam radiation and HDR brachytherapy for prostate cancer. Such elevations seem to be self-limited and should not trigger initiation of salvage therapies. No definition of failure was completely predictive

Beneficial effects of replacing diet beverages with water on type 2 diabetic obese women following a hypo-energetic diet: a randomized, 24-week clinical trial

Abstract AIMS: To compare the effect of replacing diet beverages (DBs) with water or continuing to drink DBs in patients with type 2 diabetes during a 24-week weight loss program. The primary endpoint was the effect of intervention on weight over a 24-week period. The main secondary endpoints included anthropometric measurement and glucose and fat metabolism during the 24-week period. METHODS: A total of 81 overweight and obese women with type 2 diabetes, who usually consumed DBs in their diet, were asked to either substitute water for DBs or continue drinking DBs five times per week after lunch for 24 weeks (DBs group) during a weight loss program. RESULTS: Compared with the DBs group, the water group had a greater decrease in weight (water, -6.40 ± 2.42 kg; DBs, -5.25 ± 1.60 kg; P = .006), in BMI (water, -2.49 ± 0.92 kg/m2 ; DBs, -2.06 ± 0.62 kg/m2 ; P = .006), in FPG (water, -1.63 ± 0.54 mmol/L; DBs, -1.29 ± 0.48 mmol/L, P = .005), in fasting insulin (water, -5.71 ± 2.30 m lU/mL; DBs, -4.16 ± 1.74 m lU/mL, P = .011), in HOMA IR (water, -3.20 ± 1.17; DBs, -2.48 ± 0.99, P = 003) and in 2 hour postprandial glucose (water, -1.67 ± 0.62 mmol/L; DBs, -1.35 ± 0.39 mmol/L; P = 0.027) over the 24-week period. However, there was no significant time × group interaction for waist circumference, lipid profiles and HbA1c within both groups over the 24-week period. CONCLUSION: Replacement of DBs with water after the main meal in obese adult women with type 2 diabetes may lead to more weight reduction during a weight loss program

Tumor Microbiome Diversity and Composition Influence Pancreatic Cancer Outcomes

Most patients diagnosed with resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) survive less than 5 years, but a minor subset survives longer. Here, we dissect the role of the tumor microbiota and the immune system in influencing long-term survival. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we analyzed the tumor microbiome composition in PDAC patients with short-term survival (STS) and long-term survival (LTS). We found higher alpha-diversity in the tumor microbiome of LTS patients and identified an intra-tumoral microbiome signature (Pseudoxanthomonas-Streptomyces-Saccharopolyspora-Bacillus clausii) highly predictive of long-term survivorship in both discovery and validation cohorts. Through human-into-mice fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiments from STS, LTS, or control donors, we were able to differentially modulate the tumor microbiome and affect tumor growth as well as tumor immune infiltration. Our study demonstrates that PDAC microbiome composition, which cross-talks to the gut microbiome, influences the host immune response and natural history of the disease. The distinct tumor microbiome from pancreatic cancer long-term survivors can be used to predict PDAC survival in humans, and transfer of long-term survivor gut microbiomes can alter the tumor microbiome and tumor growth in mouse models

Evolution of Asthma Severity in a Cohort of Young Adults: Is There Any Gender Difference?

INTRODUCTION:Little is known about the distribution of asthma severity in men and women in the general population. The objective of our study was to describe asthma severity and change in severity according to gender in a cohort of adult asthmatics METHODS:Subjects with asthma were identified from random samples of the 22 to 44 year-olds from the general population, screened for asthma from 1991 to 1993 in 48 centers from 22 countries and followed-up during 1998-2002, as part of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS). All participants to follow-up with current asthma at baseline were eligible for the analysis. To assess change over the follow-up, asthma severity at the two surveys was defined using standardized data on respiratory symptoms, lung function and medication according to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Guidelines. Another quantitative score (Ronchetti) further considering hospitalizations was also analysed. RESULTS:The study included 685 subjects with asthma followed-up over a mean period of 8.65 yr (min 4.3-max 11.7). At baseline, asthma severity according to GINA was distributed as intermittent: 40.7%, 31.7% as mild persistent, 14% as moderate persistent, and 13.5% as severe persistent. Using the Ronchetti score derived classification, the distribution of asthma severity was 58% mild, (intermittent and mild persistent), 25.8% moderate, and 15.4% severe. Whatever the classification, there was no significant difference in the severity distribution between men and women. There was also no gender difference in the severity distribution among incident cases which developed asthma between the two surveys. Men with moderate-to-severe asthma at baseline were more likely than women to have moderate-to-severe asthma at follow-up. Using GINA, 69.2% of men vs. 53.1% of women (p = 0.09) with moderate-to-severe asthma at baseline were still moderate-to-severe at follow-up. Using Ronchetti score, 53.3% of men vs. 36.2% of women (p = 0.03) with moderate-to-severe asthma at baseline were still moderate-to-severe at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS:There was no gender difference in asthma severity at the two surveys. However, our findings suggest that asthma severity might be less stable in women than in men

Mothers construct fathers: Destabilized patriarchy in La Leche League

This paper examines changing masculine ideals from the point of view of women homemakers through a case study of La Leche League, a maternalist organization dedicated to breastfeeding and mother primacy. We suggest two reasons for studying the League: first, an emerging literature suggests that changing norms are seeping into many such seemingly conservative groups, and second, the League continues to be highly successful among white, middle-class, married women. The paper looks at two aspects of masculinity, examining changes in the League through fieldwork, interviews, and content analysis, and finds that new norms of increased father involvement and decreased rights over women's bodies have both influenced League philosophy. We conclude that while in some respects a measure of the decline of men's patriarchal privileges, the League's changes also may contribute to a “restabilization” of male dominance in a modified, partial form.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43548/1/11133_2004_Article_BF00990071.pd