1,986 research outputs found
The Role of Canids in Ritual and Domestic Contexts: New Ancient DNA Insights from Complex Hunter-Gatherer Sites in Prehistoric Central California
This study explores the interrelationship between the genus Canis and hunterâgatherers through a case study of prehistoric Native Americans in the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento Delta area. A distinctive aspect of the region\u27s prehistoric record is the interment of canids, variously classified as coyotes, dogs, and wolves. Since these species are difficult to distinguish based solely on morphology, ancient DNA analysis was employed to distinguish species. The DNA study results, the first on canids from archaeological sites in California, are entirely represented by domesticated dogs (including both interments and disarticulated samples from midden deposits). These results, buttressed by stable isotope analyses, provide new insight into the complex interrelationship between humans and canids in both ritual and prosaic contexts, and reveal a more prominent role for dogs than previously envisioned
Inequality and Procedural Justice in Social Dilemmas
This study investigates the influence of resource inequality and the fairness
of the allocation procedure of unequal resources on cooperative behavior in
social dilemmas. We propose a simple formal behavioral model that incorporates
conflicting selfish and social motivations. This model allows us to predict how
inequality influences cooperative behavior. Allocation of resources is manipulated
by three treatments that vary in terms of procedural justice: allocating resources
randomly, based on merit, and based on ascription. As predicted, procedural
justice influences cooperation significantly. Moreover, gender is found to be an
important factor interacting with the association between procedural justice and
cooperative behavior.
INTEGRAL/IBIS search for e-e+ annihilation radiation from the Galactic Center Region
Electron-positron annihilation radiation from the Galactic Center region has
been detected since the seventies, but its astrophysical origin is still a
topic of a scientific debate. We have analyzed data of the gamma-ray imager
IBIS/ISGRI onboard of ESA's INTEGRAL platform in the ee line.
During the first year of the missions Galactic Center Deep Exposure no evidence
for point sources at 511 keV has been found in the ISGRI data; the
upper limit for resolved single point sources is estimated to be .Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures; Cospar 2004. To be published in: Advances in
Space Researc
Long-Term X-ray Monitoring of 1E 1740.7-2942 and GRS 1758-258
We report on long-term observations of the Galactic-bulge black hole
candidates 1E 1740.7-2942 and GRS 1758-258 with the Rossi X-Ray Timing
Explorer. 1E 1740.7-2942 has been observed 77 times and GRS 1758-258 has been
observed 82 times over the past 1000 days. The flux of each object has varied
by no more than a factor of 2.5 during this period, and the indices of the
energy spectra have varied by no more than 0.4. The power spectra are similar
to other black-hole candidates: flat-topped noise, breaking to a power law.
Each object has exhibited a brightening that lasted for several months, and we
have a found a time lag between the photon power-law index and the count rate.
In both sources, the spectrum is softest during the decline from the
brightening. This behavior can be understood in the context of thin-disk and
advection-dominated accretion flows coexisting over a wide range of radii, with
the implication that both sources have low-mass companions and accrete via
Roche-lobe overflow.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa
The Gamma-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (GRIS): A new balloon-borne experiment for gamma-ray line astronomy
High resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy is a relatively new field that holds great promise for further understanding of high energy astrophysical processes. When the high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer (GRSE) was removed from the GRO payload, a balloon program was initiated to permit continued development and improvement of instrumentation in this field, as well as continued scientific observations. The Gamma-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (GRIS) is one of the experiments selected as part of this program. The instrument contains a number of new and innovative features that are expected to produce a significant improvement in source location accuracy and sensitivity over previous balloon and satellite experiments
Designing a System for Patients Controlling Providersâ Access to their Electronic Health Records: Organizational and Technical Challenges
BACKGROUND
Electronic health records (EHRs) are proliferating, and financial incentives encourage their use. Applying Fair Information Practice principles to EHRs necessitates balancing patientsâ rights to control their personal information with providersâ data needs to deliver safe, high-quality care. We describe the technical and organizational challenges faced in capturing patientsâ preferences for patient-controlled EHR access and applying those preferences to an existing EHR.
METHODS
We established an online system for capturing patientsâ preferences for who could view their EHRs (listing all participating clinic providers individually and categoricallyâphysicians, nurses, other staff) and what data to redact (none, all, or by specific categories of sensitive data or patient age). We then modified existing data-viewing software serving a state-wide health information exchange and a large urban health system and its primary care clinics to allow patientsâ preferences to guide data displays to providers.
RESULTS
Patients could allow or restrict data displays to all clinicians and staff in a demonstration primary care clinic, categories of providers (physicians, nurses, others), or individual providers. They could also restrict access to all EHR data or any or all of five categories of sensitive data (mental and reproductive health, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, and substance abuse) and for specific patient ages. The EHR viewer displayed data via reports, data flowsheets, and coded and free text data displayed by Google-like searches. Unless patients recorded restrictions, by default all requested data were displayed to all providers. Data patients wanted restricted were not displayed, with no indication they were redacted. Technical barriers prevented redacting restricted information in free textnotes. The program allowed providers to hit a âBreak the Glassâ button to override patientsâ restrictions, recording the date, time, and next screen viewed. Establishing patient-control over EHR data displays was complex and required ethical, clinical, database, and programming expertise and difficult choices to overcome technical and health system constraints.
CONCLUSIONS
Assessing patientsâ preferences for access to their EHRs and applying them in clinical practice requires wide-ranging technical, clinical, and bioethical expertise, to make tough choices to overcome significant technical and organization challenges
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