Alcohol Consumption In Relation To Stroke In A Multi-Ethnic Study Population

Background: Stroke accounts for a much larger percentage of deaths in Hawai`i than in the rest of the United States, and Native Hawaiians experience stroke ten years younger than their Caucasian counterparts. Although the exact reason for this disparity is unclear, the high prevalence of alcohol consumption, along with other factors, has raised concerns. Methods: The objective of this thesis is to assess the relationship between alcohol consumption and stroke in the Kohala Health Research Project, a multi-ethnic cross-sectional study of Hawai`I residents conducted during 1995-2000. Alcohol consumption was defined as binary (yes vs. no) and categorical (nondrinkers, moderate drinkers, and heavy drinkers), and stroke risk was classified using adaptations of the National Stroke Association\u27s scorecard. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to adjust for a variety of demographic, behavioral, psychosocial, and medical factors, and a backwards function was used to arrive at a final model. Results: Alcohol consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke among the 910 subjects [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.6, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.4-0.8]. Compared with non-drinkers, moderate drinkers had a significantly lower risk of stroke (adjusted OR = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3-0.7), while heavy drinkers did not appear to have a significantly different risk of stroke (adjusted OR = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.5-1.4). A higher level of education was also associated with a lower risk of stroke, whereas older individuals and ethnic minorities (Native Hawaiians and Japanese) had high risks of stroke. Conclusion: Alcohol consumption, especially moderate amounts of alcohol consumption, was associated with a lower risk of stroke in this multi-ethnic population. Given the cross-sectional design of the study, a temporal relationship could not be established. Prospective cohort studies are needed to further examine the relationship between alcohol consumption and stroke risk

Using Data Visualization and Data Science to Explore Self-efficacy in the Classroom and Academic Mindset by Grouping Demographic Variables

This study explored the effects of students’ demographic characteristics on the outcome variable students’ Self-efficacy on classroom tasks (SE) using data visualization and data science techniques, which aims to discover the pattern in the data. Grouping variables included students’ self-reports of their gender (Male vs Female) and cultural identification. Data was drawn from five elementary schools (n=1986 students) and two middle schools (n=1257 students) in one suburban school district in the south-western U.S. School contextual variables included socio-economic status (operationalized as percent enrollment Free and Reduced Meal Plan) and school level (elementary vs middle school). Main effect variables explored included Individual Mindset (IM), Belonging in the classroom, and Relevance of classroom tasks. JMP Pro 15 and SPSS 26 were used to perform the analyses. Teachers can learn the methods and use the results of this study to improve their understanding of their students in diverse populations. Teacher skills in developing student self-efficacy promote student motivation leading to improved outcomes. Keywords: self-efficacy, classroom culture, demographic influences, data visualization, socio-economic status, elementary and middle school, gender, teaching online DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-24-01 Publication date:August 31st 202

Characterizing Biogeochemical Shifts in Two Salix Caroliniana Michx. Encroached Freshwater Subtropical Marshes

Shrub encroachment is a common disturbance in wetlands, but little is known about how shrub encroachment impacts functions such as carbon (C) storage and nitrogen (N) cycling. The objective of this thesis was to identify differences in physiochemical properties (within soil, water and leaf tissue) and biogeochemical processes (soil respiration, enzyme activity, litter decomposition, and N cycling) in two subtropical freshwater marshes encroached by coastal plain willow (Salix caroliniana Michx.). Two study regions (Moccasin Island and Lake Apopka) were selected because of their location in the St. John\u27s River watershed and their unique histories and hydroperiod, allowing for an investigation of how synonymous the effects of willow-encroachment are across sites. A stratified random sampling design was employed in each region, identifying three plot types: willow ( \u3e 80 % willow aboveground coverage), adjacent marsh ( \u3e 80% herbaceous aboveground coverage and \u3c 1 m from willows), and control marsh ( \u3e 80% herbaceous aboveground coverage and \u3e 10 m from willows) plots. Triplicate soil samples were collected in each plot in the wet and dry seasons of 2017 and analyzed for physiochemical properties (bulk density, moisture, nutrient content) and used in laboratory assays to measure soil respiration, enzyme activity, and potential N mineralization and denitrification rates. Leaf tissue was collected from the dominant vegetation in each plot and analyzed for nutrient content (total C, lignin-C, and total N). Short-term litter decay rate was determined using a litter-bag field experiment. Bioavailable N and dissolved organic C (DOC) concentrations were determined from surface and porewater collected from the center of each plot. In Moccasin Island, lower decomposition rates and greater denitrification, potential N mineralization, and soil C and N content were detected in willow and adjacent marsh plots, suggesting greater C storage and N cycling in willow-encroached marshes compared to non-encroached control marshes in Moccasin Island. Conversely, soil C and N content was lowest in willow plots in Lake Apopka. Decomposition and microbial activity (enzyme activity and respiration) were lowest in willow dominated areas and correlated to soil nutrient concentrations. In both regions, microbial compositional changes (gene copy number) were detected between plot types, mainly in bacteria (β-proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes) for Moccasin Island and archaea and fungi abundance in Lake Apopka. Ultimately, willow plots in both regions had greater lignin-C content and short-term litter C storage. Greater bioavailable N was also observed in adjacent and/or willow plots in both regions. However, soil C storage and N cycling differences were not synonymous between the two regions. Future studies of willow effects will need to look at multiple sites or risk making inaccurate generalizations. From the findings from this study, wetland processes can be altered in willow-encroached marshes and this data can help land managers decide where to allocate resources based on valued ecosystem services

Reliability of administrative data to identify sexually transmitted infections for population health: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes in administrative health data are used to identify cases of disease, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs), for population health research. The purpose of this review is to examine the extant literature on the reliability of ICD codes to correctly identify STIs. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of empirical articles in which ICD codes were validated with respect to their ability to identify cases of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Articles that included sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of ICD codes were the target. In addition to keyword searches in PubMed and Scopus databases, we further examined bibliographies of articles selected for full review to maximise yield. RESULTS: From a total of 1779 articles identified, only two studies measured the reliability of ICD codes to identify cases of STIs. Both articles targeted PID, a serious complication of chlamydia and gonorrhoea. Neither article directly assessed the validity of ICD codes to identify cases of chlamydia, gonorrhoea or syphilis independent of PID. Using ICD codes alone, the positive predictive value for PID was mixed (range: 18%-79%). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: While existing studies have used ICD codes to identify STI cases, their reliability is unclear. Further, available evidence from studies of PID suggests potentially large variation in the accuracy of ICD codes indicating the need for primary studies to evaluate ICD codes for use in STI-related public health research

Polyimides as High Temperature Capacitor Dielectrics

Nearly five decades of effort has focused on identifying and developing new polymer capacitor films for higher-than-ambient temperature applications, but simultaneous demands of processability, dielectric permittivity, thermal conductivity, dielectric breakdown strength, and self-clearing capability limit the number of available materials. Demands on these criteria are even more stringent in growing numbers of applications demanding high power performance. Aromatic polyimides, though not a panacea, are a class of heat-resistant polymers of great interest to researchers as capacitor dielectrics because of good thermal and mechanical stability. In this chapter, the key aspects and advantages of metallized polymer film capacitors are compared to analogous alternative technologies (polymer-film-metal-foil, ceramic, and electrolytic capacitors), followed by a comprehensive review of commercial resin development leading up to recent research on polyimides targeted for operating temperature above 150°C. Finally, this chapter provides a brief discussion on the recent effort on combining computation and synthesis to design polymers with desirable dielectric properties

The impact of universal newborn hearing screening on long-term literacy outcomes: a prospective cohort study

Objective: To determine whether the benefits of universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) seen at age 8?years persist through the second decade.Design: Prospective cohort study of a population sample of children with permanent childhood hearing impairment (PCHI) followed up for 17?years since birth in periods with (or without) UNHS.Setting: Birth cohort of 100?000 in southern England.Participants: 114 teenagers aged 13-19?years, 76 with PCHI and 38 with normal hearing. All had previously their reading assessed aged 6-10?years.Interventions: Birth in periods with and without UNHS; confirmation of PCHI before and after age 9?months.Main outcome measure: Reading comprehension ability. Regression modelling took account of severity of hearing loss, non-verbal ability, maternal education and main language.Results: Confirmation of PCHI by age 9?months was associated with significantly higher mean z-scores for reading comprehension (adjusted mean difference 1.17, 95% CI 0.36 to 1.97) although birth during periods with UNHS was not (adjusted mean difference 0.15, 95% CI -0.75 to 1.06). The gap between the reading comprehension z-scores of teenagers with early compared with late confirmed PCHI had widened at an adjusted mean rate of 0.06 per year (95% CI -0.02 to 0.13) during the 9.2-year mean interval since the previous assessment.Conclusions: The benefit to reading comprehension of confirmation of PCHI by age 9?months increases during the teenage years. This strengthens the case for UNHS programmes that lead to early confirmation of permanent hearing loss

The importance of emotional intelligence and leadership in employability

This paper will explore the importance of emotional intelligence and leadership in relation to the employability issue especially in the Malaysian cultural context.The application of emotional intelligence and leadership in the western countries can be integrated into a model of practice for Malaysia.Experts believe that no matter whether the person is an employer or an employee, there is a need to have capabilities not only in the technical area, but also soft skills such as emotional intelligence and leadership.We will discuss the importance of emotional intelligence and leadership as an added value that will lead to employability especially in the Malaysian cultural context.Some guidelines and suggestions will be given on how to capitalize on this issue to enhance employability among college community students

Three-dimensional ring current decay model

This work is an extension of a previous ring current decay model. In the previous work, a two-dimensional kinetic model was constructed to study the temporal variations of the equatorially mirroring ring current ions, considering charge exchange and Coulomb drag losses along drift paths in a magnetic dipole field. In this work, particles with arbitrary pitch angle are considered. By bounce averaging the kinetic equation of the phase space density, information along magnetic field lines can be inferred from the equator. The three-dimensional model is used to simulate the recovery phase of a model great magnetic storm, similar to that which occurred in early February 1986. The initial distribution of ring current ions (at the minimum Dst) is extrapolated to all local times from AMPTE/CCE spacecraft observations on the dawnside and duskside of the inner magnetosphere spanning the L value range L = 2.25 to 6.75. Observations by AMPTE/CCE of ring current distributions over subsequent orbits during the storm recovery phase are compared to model outputs. In general, the calculated ion fluxes are consistent with observations, except for H(+) fluxes at tens of keV, which are always overestimated. A newly invented visualization idea, designated as a chromogram, is used to display the spatial and energy dependence of the ring current ion differential flux. Important features of storm time ring current, such as day-night asymmetry during injection and drift hole on the dayside at low energies (less than 10 keV), are manifested in the chromogram representation. The pitch angle distribution is well fit by the function, J(sub o)(1 + Ay(sup n)), where y is sine of the equatorial pitch angle. The evolution of the index n is a combined effect of charge exchange loss and particle drift. At low energies (less than 30 keV), both drift dispersion and charge exchange are important in determining n

A three-dimensional ring current decay model

This work is an extension of a previous ring current decay model. In the previous work, a two-dimensional kinetic model was constructed to study the temporal variations of the equatorially mirroring ring current ions, considering charge exchange and Coulomb drag losses along drift paths in a magnetic dipole field. In this work, particles with arbitrary pitch angle are considered. By bounce averaging the kinetic equation of the phase space density, information along magnetic field lines can be inferred from the equator. The three-dimensional model is used to simulate the recovery phase of a model great magnetic storm, similar to that which occurred in early February 1986. The initial distribution of ring current ions (at the minimum Dst) is extrapolated to all local times from AMPTE/CCE spacecraft observations on the dawn and dusk sides of the inner magnetosphere spanning the L value range L = 2.25 to 6.75. Observations by AMPTE/CCE of ring current distributions over subsequent orbits during the storm recovery phase are compared to model outputs. In general, the calculated ion fluxes are consistent with observations, except for H+ fluxes at tens of keV, which are always over-estimated. A newly-invented visualization idea, designated as a chromogram, is used to display the spatial and energy dependence of the ring current ion differential flux. Important features of storm-time ring current, such as day-night asymmetry during injection and drift hole on the dayside at low energies (less than 10 keV), are manifested in the chromogram representation. The pitch angle distribution is well fit by the function, j(sub o)(1+Ay(exp n)), where y is sine of the equatorial pitch angle. The evolution of the index n is a combined effect of charge exchange loss and particle drift. At low energies (less than 30 keV), both drift dispersion and charge exchange are important in determining n

Reliable and valid NEWS for Chinese seniors: measuring perceived neighborhood attributes related to walking

Background : The effects of the built environment on walking in seniors have not been studied in an Asian context. To examine these effects, valid and reliable measures are needed. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire of perceived neighborhood characteristics related to walking appropriate for Chinese seniors (Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale for Chinese Seniors, NEWS-CS). It was based on the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale - Abbreviated (NEWS-A), a validated measure of perceived built environment developed in the USA for adults. A secondary study aim was to establish the generalizability of the NEWS-A to an Asian high-density urban context and a different age group. Methods : A multidisciplinary panel of experts adapted the original NEWS-A to reflect the built environment of Hong Kong and needs of seniors. The translated instrument was pre-tested on a sample of 50 Chinese-speaking senior residents (65+ years). The final version of the NEWS-CS was interviewer-administered to 484 seniors residing in four selected Hong Kong districts varying in walkability and socio-economic status. Ninety-two participants completed the questionnaire on two separate occasions, 2-3 weeks apart. Test-rest reliability indices were estimated for each item and subscale of the NEWS-CS. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to develop the measurement model of the NEWS-CS and cross-validate that of the NEWS-A. Results : The final version of the NEWS-CS consisted of 14 subscales and four single items (76 items). Test-retest reliability was moderate to good (ICC > 50 or % agreement > 60) except for four items measuring distance to destinations. The originally-proposed measurement models of the NEWS-A and NEWS-CS required 2-3 theoretically-justifiable modifications to fit the data well. Conclusions : The NEWS-CS possesses sufficient levels of reliability and factorial validity to be used for measuring perceived neighborhood environment in Chinese seniors. Further work is needed to assess its construct validity and generalizability to other Asian locations. In general, the measurement model of the original NEWS-A was generalizable to this study context, supporting the feasibility of cross-country and age-group comparisons of the effect of the neighborhood environment on walking using the NEWS-A as a tool to measure the perceived built environment