Media Gender Bias in the 1984 and 2008 Vice Presidential Elections

Media coverage in political campaigns helps shape public opinion and can be a factor in people determining how to vote. Thus, bias evident in the coverage of political candidates should be a concern for a society which values fair elections. In the 2008 general election, for the first time in 24 years, a woman was on a major party ticket. The treatment of female candidates historically has been sexist. To understand the media coverage of Sarah Palin I chose to look at editorials in The New York Times. I compared her editorial references to Joe Biden’s in The Times. Then, to better understand the 2008 coverage and the treatment of gender in political campaigns, I analyzed the 1984 election. I read the editorials about Geraldine Ferraro and George Bush Sr. I looked specifically at the number of editorials which covered the candidates and how they were framed by The Times in those editorials. As a result of this research I found that the women were treated differently from the male candidates. They received substantially more coverage and were framed by their gender. The implication of these differences is that the women will have a more difficult time getting elected

The Effects of Anthropometry and Angiogenesis on Breast Cancer Etiology

Factors such as mammographic breast density and angiogenesis may be related to breast cancer development, though numerous questions about the etiologic mechanisms remain. Percent density is positively associated with breast cancer risk, yet is negatively associated with another breast cancer risk factor, body mass index (BMI). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a primary regulator of angiogenesis, yet its relationship to breast cancer risk is unclear. We evaluated the longitudinal association between BMI and breast density in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) Mammographic Density Substudy (N=834). Using adjusted random intercept models, changes in BMI were not associated with changes in dense breast area (Beta=-0.0105, p=0.34), but were strongly negatively associated with changes in percent density (Beta=-1.18, p<0.001). Thus, effects of changes in anthropometry on percent breast density may reflect effects on non-dense tissue, rather than on the dense tissue where cancers arise. Breast density was measured from routine screening mammograms which were not timed with SWAN visits. We developed a method to align the off-schedule mammogram data to the study visit times using linear interpolation with multiple imputation. Our method was shown to be valid, with an average bias for dense breast area of 0.11 cm2. In the random intercept models, use of a simple matching algorithm to estimate breast density produced different (Beta=-0.0155, p=0.04), and likely incorrect, results. Our linear interpolation with multiple imputations method may be applicable to other longitudinal datasets with important data collected off-schedule. In a separate case-control study, the Mammograms and Masses Study (MAMS), we evaluated the association between serum VEGF levels and breast cancer (N=407). Geometric mean VEGF levels were higher among cases (331.4 pg/mL) than controls (291.4 pg/mL; p=0.21). In a multivariable logistic regression model, VEGF greater than or equal to 314.2 pg/mL was positively associated with breast cancer (odds ratio 1.37, 95% confidence interval 0.88-2.12), albeit non-significantly. Higher levels of VEGF may increase breast cancer risk. We have identified roles for anthropometry and angiogenesis in breast carcinogenesis. Enhancing knowledge of breast cancer etiology is a significant contribution to public health and may lead to improved opportunities for prevention or early detection

Supraglacial and englacial particle-ice interaction in dirty ice conditions

Particles can modify the thermodynamic behaviour of ice in response to insolation. Ice with surface particles is defined as ‘debris-covered’ or ‘dirty’ ice, depending on whether a continuous or discontinuous layer is present, respectively. The behaviour of dirty ice has not been extensively researched, although these ice conditions are common. Improving our understanding of discontinuous particle-ice interaction can aid forecasting of ice changes in a warming world. Laboratory experiments were designed to address knowledge gaps in the behaviour of: (1) particle properties (thermal conductivity, albedo, density, and diameter) on influencing particle-ice interaction using control particles, such as plastics (e.g. polystyrene) and metals (e.g. brass and chrome steel); (2) volcanic particles (e.g. basaltic scoria and rhyolitic pumice) in dirty ice conditions; and (3) microplastic particles (e.g. polyethylene and polypropylene) in dirty ice conditions. Particle-ice interaction under analogue insolation (80 W LED) was studied in conditions analogous to the supraglacial and englacial environment, at scales ranging from individual particles to a scattering of particles, all with a diameter Results demonstrated that dirty ice conditions are significant for glacier ablation, with a range of particle-ice behaviours observed: (1) sinking particles created melt channels within ice; (2) floating particles created surface meltwater ponds with surface tension effects facilitating particle redistribution processes; (3) particles utilised pre-existing internal ice structures (e.g. vein networks) as ablation pathways; and (4) volcanic particle fragmentation. These were controlled by the thermal state of ice, and particle properties. The englacial environment was additionally found to be significant for ablation. The laboratory behaviour of volcanic and microplastic particles compared well with behaviours estimated through systematic investigation of particle properties, suggesting that the fate of particles within ice can be mapped through assessment of particle properties

The Inheritance of Black Poverty: Technical Paper

This report confirms the stark differences in upward earnings mobility for black men compared to both black women and whites. It also confirms that black women, despite their solid earnings mobility, have very low family income mobility. The report then estimates the impact of racial differences in marriage rates by simulating higher marriage rates among black women: like Race and Economic Opportunity in the United States: An Intergenerational Perspective" by Raj Chetty, Nathaniel Hendren, Maggie Jones, and Sonya Porter, we find no significant effects

The cardiovascular actions of the isopropyl ester and other synthetic derivatives of palmitoyl carnitine

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:DX185523 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Twenty years of PWV measurements in the Chajnantor Area

Context. Interest in the use of the Chajnantor area for millimeter and submillimeter astronomy is increasing because of its excellent atmospheric conditions. Knowing the general site annual variability in precipitable water vapor (PWV) can contribute to the planning of new observatories in the area. Aims. We seek to create a 20-year atmospheric database (1997 - 2017) for the Chajnantor area in northern Chile using a single common physical unit, PWV.We plan to extract weather relations between the Chajnantor Plateau and the summit of Cerro Chajnantor to evaluate potential sensitivity improvements for telescopes fielded in the higher site. We aim to validate the use of submillimeter tippers to be used at other sites and use the PWV database to detect a potential signature for local climate change over 20 years. Methods. We revised our method to convert from submillimeter tipper opacity to PWV. We now include the ground temperature as an input parameter to the conversion scheme and, therefore, achieve a higher conversion accuracy. Results.We found a decrease in the measured PWV at the summit of Cerro Chajnantor with respect to the plateau of 28%. In addition, we found a PWV difference of 1:9% with only 27 m of altitude difference between two sites in the Chajnantor Plateau: the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) and the Cosmic Background Imager (CBI) near the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) center. This difference is possibly due to local topographic conditions that favor the discrepancy in PWV. The scale height for the plateau was extracted from the measurements of the plateau and the Cerro Chajnantor summit, giving a value of 1537 m. Considering the results obtained in this work from the long-term study, we do not see evidence of PWV trends in the 20-year period of the analysis that would suggest climate change in such a timescale.Comment: 10 pages, 14 figures, 4 table

Train Like an Astronaut Educational Outreach

In an effort to reduce the incidence of childhood obesity, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), capitalizing on the theme of human spaceflight developed two educational outreach programs for children ages 8-12. To motivate young "fit explorers," the Train Like an Astronaut National (TLA) program and the Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut International Fitness Challenge (MX) were created. Based on the astronauts' physical training, these programs consist of activities developed by educators and experts in the areas of space life sciences and fitness. These Activities address components of physical fitness. The educational content hopes to promote students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. At the national level, in partnership with First Lady Michelle Obama's Let?s Move! Initiative, the TLA program consists of 10 physical and 2 educational activities. The program encourages families, schools, and communities to work collaboratively in order to reinforce in children and their families the importance of healthy lifestyle habits In contrast, the MX challenge is a cooperative outreach program involving numerous space agencies and other international partner institutions. During the six-week period, teams of students from around the world are challenged to improve their physical fitness and collectively accumulate points by completing 18 core activities. During the 2011 pilot year, a t otal of 137 teams and more than 4,000 students from 12 countries participated in the event. MX will be implemented within 24 countries during the 2012 challenge. It is projected that 7,000 children will "train like an astronaut"

Variability and performance of NHS England's 'reason to reside' criteria in predicting hospital discharge in acute hospitals in England:a retrospective, observational cohort study

OBJECTIVES: NHS England (NHSE) advocates ‘reason to reside’ (R2R) criteria to support discharge planning. The proportion of patients without R2R and their rate of discharge are reported daily by acute hospitals in England. R2R has no interoperable standardised data model (SDM), and its performance has not been validated. We aimed to understand the degree of intercentre and intracentre variation in R2R-related metrics reported to NHSE, define an SDM implemented within a single centre Electronic Health Record to generate an electronic R2R (eR2R) and evaluate its performance in predicting subsequent discharge. DESIGN: Retrospective observational cohort study using routinely collected health data. SETTING: 122 NHS Trusts in England for national reporting and an acute hospital in England for local reporting. PARTICIPANTS: 6 602 706 patient-days were analysed using 3-month national data and 1 039 592 patient-days, using 3-year single centre data. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Variability in R2R-related metrics reported to NHSE. Performance of eR2R in predicting discharge within 24 hours. RESULTS: There were high levels of intracentre and intercentre variability in R2R-related metrics (p<0.0001) but not in eR2R. Informedness of eR2R for discharge within 24 hours was low (J-statistic 0.09–0.12 across three consecutive years). In those remaining in hospital without eR2R, 61.2% met eR2R criteria on subsequent days (76% within 24 hours), most commonly due to increased NEWS2 (21.9%) or intravenous therapy administration (32.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Reported R2R metrics are highly variable between and within acute Trusts in England. Although case-mix or community care provision may account for some variability, the absence of a SDM prevents standardised reporting. Following the development of a SDM in one acute Trust, the variability reduced. However, the performance of eR2R was poor, prone to change even when negative and unable to meaningfully contribute to discharge planning

Caffeinated Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee and Endometrial Cancer Risk: A Prospective Cohort Study among US Postmenopausal Women

There is plausible biological evidence as well as epidemiologic evidence to suggest coffee consumption may lower endometrial cancer risk. We evaluated the associations between self-reported total coffee, caffeinated coffee and decaffeinated coffee, and endometrial cancer risk using the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study Research Materials obtained from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Biological Specimen and Data Repository Coordinating Center. Our primary analyses included 45,696 women and 427 incident endometrial cancer cases, diagnosed over a total of 342,927 person-years of follow-up. We used Cox-proportional hazard models to evaluate coffee consumption and endometrial cancer risk. Overall, we did not find an association between coffee consumption and endometrial cancer risk. Compared to non-daily drinkers (none or <1 cup/day), the multivariable adjusted hazard ratios for women who drank ≥4 cups/day were 0.86 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.63, 1.18) for total coffee, 0.89 (95% CI 0.63, 1.27) for caffeinated coffee, and 0.51 (95% CI 0.25, 1.03) for decaf coffee. In subgroup analyses by body mass index (BMI) there were no associations among normal-weight and overweight women for total coffee and caffeinated coffee. However among obese women, compared to the referent group (none or <1 cup/day), the hazard ratios for women who drank ≥2 cups/day were: 0.72 (95% CI 0.50, 1.04) for total coffee and 0.66 (95% CI 0.45, 0.97) for caffeinated coffee. Hazard ratios for women who drank ≥2 cups/day for decaffeinated coffee drinkers were 0.67 (0.43-1.06), 0.93 (0.55-1.58) and 0.80 (0.49-1.30) for normal, overweight and obese women, respectively. Our study suggests that caffeinated coffee consumption may be associated with lower endometrial cancer risk among obese postmenopausal women, but the association with decaffeinated coffee remains unclear

Effect of the Adapted NASA Mission X International Child Fitness Program on Young Children and their Parents in South Korea

Obesity has become a global epidemic. Childhood obesity is global public health concern including in South Korea where 16.2% of boys and 9.9% of girls are overweight or obese in 2011. Effective and sustainable intervention programs are needed for prevention of childhood obesity. Obesity prevention programs for young children may have a greater intervention effect than in older children. The NASA Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut (MX) program was developed to promote children's exercise and healthy eating by tapping into their excitement for training like an astronaut. This study aimed to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of the adapted NASA MX intervention in promoting PA in young children and in improving parents' related perspectives