Psychosocial Stress and Changes in Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Among Adults with Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Psychosocial stress has been hypothesized to impact renal changes, but this hypothesis has not been adequately tested. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between psychosocial stress and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and to examine other predictors of eGFR changes among persons with diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: Data from a survey conducted in 2005 by a major health maintenance organization located in the southeastern part of the United States, linked to patients’ clinical and pharmacy records (n ¼ 575) from 2005 to 2008, was used. Study participants were working adults aged 25–59 years, diagnosed with DM but without advanced microvascular or macrovascular complications. eGFR was estimated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. A latent psychosocial stress variable was created from five psychosocial stress subscales. Using a growth factor model in a structural equation framework, we estimated the association between psychosocial stress and eGFR while controlling for important covariates. Results: The psychosocial stress variable was not directly associated with eGFR in the final model. Factors found to be associated with changes in eGFR were age, race, insulin use, and mean arterial pressure. Conclusion: Among fairly healthy DM patients, we did not find any evidence of a direct association between psychosocial stress and eGFR changes after controlling for important covariates. Predictors of eGFR change in our population included age, race, insulin use, and mean arterial pressure

Nonequilibrium Green's function theory for transport and gain properties of quantum cascade structures

The transport and gain properties of quantum cascade (QC) structures are investigated using a nonequilibrium Green's function (NGF) theory which includes quantum effects beyond a Boltzmann transport description. In the NGF theory, we include interface roughness, impurity, and electron-phonon scattering processes within a self-consistent Born approximation, and electron-electron scattering in a mean-field approximation. With this theory we obtain a description of the nonequilibrium stationary state of QC structures under an applied bias, and hence we determine transport properties, such as the current-voltage characteristic of these structures. We define two contributions to the current, one contribution driven by the scattering-free part of the Hamiltonian, and the other driven by the scattering Hamiltonian. We find that the dominant part of the current in these structures, in contrast to simple superlattice structures, is governed mainly by the scattering Hamiltonian. In addition, by considering the linear response of the stationary state of the structure to an applied optical field, we determine the linear susceptibility, and hence the gain or absorption spectra of the structure. A comparison of the spectra obtained from the more rigorous NGF theory with simpler models shows that the spectra tend to be offset to higher values in the simpler theories.Comment: 44 pages, 16 figures, appearing in Physical Review B Dec 200

Simulation Study on JLEIC High Energy Bunched Electron Cooling

In the JLab Electron Ion Collider (JLEIC) project the traditional electron cooling technique is used to reduce the ion beam emittance at the booster ring, and to compensate the intrabeam scattering effect and maintain the ion beam emittance during the collision at the collider ring. Different with other electron coolers using DC electron beam, the proposed electron cooler at the JLEIC ion collider ring uses high energy bunched electron beam, provided by an ERL. In this paper, we report some recent simulation study on how the electron cooling rate will be affected by the bunched electron beam properties, such as the correlation between the longitudinal position and momentum, the bunch size, and the Larmor emittance

Adult Willingness to Use Email and Social Media for Peer-to-Peer Cancer Screening Communication: Quantitative Interview Study

BACKGROUND: Adults over age 40 are increasing their use of email and social media, raising interest in use of peer-to-peer Internet-based messaging to promote cancer screening. OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to assess current practices and attitudes toward use of email and other e-communication for peer-to-peer dialogues on cancer screening. METHODS: We conducted in-person interviews with 438 insured adults ages 42-73 in Georgia, Hawaii, and Massachusetts. Participants reported on use of email and other e-communication including social media to discuss with peers routine health topics including breast and colorectal cancer (CRC). We ascertained willingness to share personal CRC screening experiences via conversation, postcard, email, or other e-communication. Health literacy scores were measured. RESULTS: Email had been used by one-third (33.8%, 148/438) to discuss routine health topics, by 14.6% (64/438) to discuss breast cancer screening, and by 12.6% (55/438) to discuss CRC screening. Other e-communication was used to discuss routine health topics (11.6%, 51/438), screening for breast cancer (3.9%, 17/438), and CRC (2.3%, 10/438). In the preceding week, 84.5% (370/438) of participants had used email, 55.9% (245/438) had used e-communication of some type; 44.3% (194/438) text, 32.9% (144/438) Facebook, 12.3% (54/438) instant message, 7.1% (31/438) video chat, and 4.8% (21/438) Twitter. Many participants were willing to share their CRC screening experiences via email (32.4%, 142/438 might be willing; 36.3%, 159/438 very willing) and via other e-communication (15.8%, 69/438 might be willing; 14.4%, 63/438 very willing). Individuals willing to send CRC screening emails scored significantly higher on tests of health literacy compared to those willing to send only postcards (P\u3c.001). CONCLUSIONS: Many adults are willing to use email and e-communication to promote cancer screening to peers. Optimal approaches for encouraging peer-to-peer transmission of accurate and appropriate cancer screening messages must be studied

The association between health literacy and cancer-related attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge

Using a multidimensional assessment of health literacy (the Cancer Message Literacy Test-Listening, the Cancer Message Literacy Test-Reading, and the Lipkus Numeracy Scale), the authors assessed a stratified random sample of 1013 insured adults (40-70 years of age). The authors explored whether low health literacy across all 3 domains (n =111) was associated with sets of variables likely to affect engagement in cancer prevention and screening activities: (a) attitudes and behaviors relating to health care encounters and providers, (b) attitudes toward cancer and health, (c) knowledge of cancer screening tests, and (d) attitudes toward health related media and actual media use. Adults with low health literacy were more likely to report avoiding doctor\u27s visits, to have more fatalistic attitudes toward cancer, to be less accurate in identifying the purpose of cancer screening tests, and more likely to avoid information about diseases they did not have. Compared with other participants, those with lower health literacy were more likely to say that they would seek information about cancer prevention or screening from a health care professional and less likely to turn to the Internet first for such information. Those with lower health literacy reported reading on fewer days and using the computer on fewer days than did other participants. The authors assessed the association of low health literacy with colorectal cancer screening in an age-appropriate subgroup for which colorectal cancer screening is recommended. In these insured subjects receiving care in integrated health care delivery systems, those with low health literacy were less likely to be up to date on screening for colorectal cancer, but the difference was not statistically significant

On the growth of nonuniform lattices in pinched negatively curved manifolds

We study the relation between the exponential growth rate of volume in a pinched negatively curved manifold and the critical exponent of its lattices. These objects have a long and interesting story and are closely related to the geometry and the dynamical properties of the geodesic flow of the manifold

Three design heuristics for enhancing the use of video to improve teaching practice

The use of video tools to support teacher learning has become increasingly widespread. While evidence points to the multiple affordances of video to enhance teacher learning, specific design principles that can guide the use of current video-based tools have not been well articulated. With the ultimate goal of developing a framework with shared design heuristics for the use of video to improve teaching practice, this paper describes the design strategies used by four research and development projects concerned with the use of video to support teacher learning in STEM subjects. Based on a review of the literature and inductive analyses of common design features across the four projects, three key design heuristics were identified. We describe the three heuristics including both a discussion of relevant literature and detailed examples of how the heuristics were implemented across the four projects. Altogether, the three design heuristics illustrate various ways to use video as a tool for teacher learning and yield insights that can inform the design of future video-based professional learning experiences

The Association Between Low Health Literacy and Attitudes, Behaviors and Knowledge that Influence Engagement in Cancer Screening and Prevention Activities

Background: Health literacy is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon. While health literacy has historically been measured using instruments that assess reading and numeracy, comprehension of spoken information is also important. The purpose of this study was to identify adults with low health literacy using a multi-dimensional assessment of health literacy and to explore whether low health literacy was associated with variables likely to affect engagement in cancer prevention and screening activities. Methods: A random sample of English speaking adults aged 40-70 were invited to participate from: Kaiser Permanente Georgia, Hawaii, Colorado, and Fallon Community Health Plan Massachusetts. The Cancer Message Literacy Test-Listening, the Cancer Message Literacy Test-Reading, and the Lipkus Numeracy Scale were all used to assess aspects of health literacy. We also assessed self-efficacy, provider trust, and fatalism. Participants self-reported demographic data, health seeking behavior, and media use. Results: Out of 1074 adults, 48% were white, 73% were educated beyond high school, and 53% rated their health as very good or excellent. Compared to others, adults with low health literacy were more likely to avoid physician visits (p \u3c .001), more fatalistic about cancer (p Conclusions: In this population of insured adults, we identified differences among adults with low health literacy which may impact their engagement in cancer prevention and screening activities. These findings have important implications for health care interactions and public health communication. Understanding the reasons for these beliefs and behaviors may suggest ways to target and tailor communication for this vulnerable population