Privatization and Prisons

Privatization means increased governmental reliance on the private sector, rather than on government agencies, to satisfy the needs of society. Since the word was first used in 1969,\u27 privatization has gained broad recognition and widespread acceptance, and,in recent years, a major trend toward privatization has developed in the United States and abroad. The reasons for this trend are both pragmatic and ideological. Pragmatists advocate privatization because it offers a more efficient way to provide goods and services. Ideological opponents of big government support privatization be-cause it reduces the role of government. Privatization is therefore an important movement in East and West, in developing and developed countries, in communist and capitalist nations. It has taken root even in China and the Soviet Union.Privatization in the United States has taken a different form than it has in other countries. Outside the United States, in both developing and developed countries, the principal form of privatization is denationalization-the divestment of state-owned enterprises (SOEs). In the United States, which has relatively few SOEs, state and local governments are implementing privatization primarily through contracting and, to a lesser degree, vouchers,franchises, free-market arrangements, and voluntary efforts. Contracting, however, is the primary method governments use to privatize prisons

Disaster-Resilient Control Plane Design and Mapping in Software-Defined Networks

Communication networks, such as core optical networks, heavily depend on their physical infrastructure, and hence they are vulnerable to man-made disasters, such as Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) or Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) attacks, as well as to natural disasters. Large-scale disasters may cause huge data loss and connectivity disruption in these networks. As our dependence on network services increases, the need for novel survivability methods to mitigate the effects of disasters on communication networks becomes a major concern. Software-Defined Networking (SDN), by centralizing control logic and separating it from physical equipment, facilitates network programmability and opens up new ways to design disaster-resilient networks. On the other hand, to fully exploit the potential of SDN, along with data-plane survivability, we also need to design the control plane to be resilient enough to survive network failures caused by disasters. Several distributed SDN controller architectures have been proposed to mitigate the risks of overload and failure, but they are optimized for limited faults without addressing the extent of large-scale disaster failures. For disaster resiliency of the control plane, we propose to design it as a virtual network, which can be solved using Virtual Network Mapping techniques. We select appropriate mapping of the controllers over the physical network such that the connectivity among the controllers (controller-to-controller) and between the switches to the controllers (switch-to-controllers) is not compromised by physical infrastructure failures caused by disasters. We formally model this disaster-aware control-plane design and mapping problem, and demonstrate a significant reduction in the disruption of controller-to-controller and switch-to-controller communication channels using our approach.Comment: 6 page

Effects of L-Carnitine on Growth of Individually Cultured Cladoceran, Moina micrura

The cladoceran, Moina micrura, is a potential alternative live food for fish larvae. The effects of L-carnitine enrichment on first reproduction age, population density, and growth rate in M. micrura were determined. The cladocerans were enriched at 10 levels of L-carnitine (0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100, 500, 1000, and 1500 mg/l) dissolved in 30 ml Chlorella vulgaris culture medium for 17 days. The first reproduction age was stimulated by the supplemental L-carnitine. The population density was highest in the 1 mg/l treatment. The highest population growth rate was obtained in the 10 mg/l treatment, but it did not differ from the growth rate in the 0.1, 1, or 100 mg/l treatments. Consequently, the optimum L-carnitine concentration for M. micrura is 1 mg/l. Results suggest that L-carnitine can be a positive factor in enhancing the use of M. micrura as an alternative live food for fish larvae

Experimental signatures of low energy gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking

The experimental signatures for gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking are presented. The phenomenology associated with this class of models is distinctive since the gravitino is naturally the LSP. The next lightest supersymmetric particle (NLSP) can be a gaugino, Higgsino, or right handed slepton. Decay of the NLSP to its partner plus the LSP proceeds through the Goldstino component of the gravitino. For a significant range of parameters this decay can take place within the detector, and can be measured as a displaced vertex or kink in a charged particle track. In the case that the NLSP is mostly gaugino, we identify the discovery modes as e^+e^- \rightarrow \gamma \gamma + \Emiss, and p \bar{p} \rightarrow l^+ l^- \gamma \gamma + \EmissT. If the NLSP is a right handed slepton the discovery modes are e^+ e^- \rightarrow l^+ l^- + \Emiss and p \bar{p} \rightarrow l^+ l^- + \EmissT. An NLSP which is mostly Higgsino is also considered. Finally, these theories can contain scalar particles which mediate sub-millimeter range coherent forces of gravitational strength

Implementation costs of a multi-component program to increase human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in a network of pediatric clinics

Introduction: HPV vaccination is both a clinically and cost-effective way to prevent HPV-related cancers. Increased focus on preventing HPV infection and HPV-related cancers has motivated development of strategies to increase adolescent vaccination rates. This analysis estimates the average cost associated with implementing programs aimed at increasing HPV vaccination from the perspective of the clinic decision makers. As providers and healthcare organizations consider vaccination initiatives, it is important for them to understand the costs associated with implementing these programs. Methods: Healthcare provider assessment and feedback, reminders, and education; and parent education/reminder strategies were implemented in a large pediatric clinic network between October 2015 and February 2018 to improve HPV vaccination rates. A micro-costing method was used in 2018 to prospectively estimate program implementation costs with the clinic as the unit of analysis. A sensitivity analysis assessed the effects of variability in levels of participation. Results: Assessment and feedback reports and provider education were implemented among 51 clinics at average per clinic cost of $786 and$368 respectively. Electronic vaccination reminders were delivered to providers and parents at a per clinic cost of $824. The parent education implementation cost was$2,126 per clinic. Conclusion: The four complimentary HPV evidence-based strategies were delivered at a total cost of $157,534 or$4,749 per clinic, including staff training and participant recruitment, reaching 155,000 HPV vaccine eligible adolescents

Using Intervention Mapping to Develop an Efficacious Multicomponent Systems-Based Intervention to Increase Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination in a Large Urban Pediatric Clinic Network

Background: The CDC recommends HPV vaccine for all adolescents to prevent cervical, anal, oropharyngeal, vaginal, vulvar, and penile cancers, and genital warts. HPV vaccine rates currently fall short of national vaccination goals. Despite evidence-based strategies with demonstrated efficacy to increase HPV vaccination rates, adoption and implementation of these strategies within clinics is lacking. The Adolescent Vaccination Program (AVP) is a multicomponent systems-based intervention designed to implement five evidence-based strategies within primary care pediatric practices. The AVP has demonstrated efficacy in increasing HPV vaccine initiation and completion among adolescents 10-17 years of age. The purpose of this paper is to describe the application of Intervention Mapping (IM) toward the development, implementation, and formative evaluation of the clinic-based AVP prototype. Methods: Intervention Mapping (IM) guided the development of the Adolescent Vaccination Program (AVP). Deliverables comprised: a logic model of the problem (IM Step 1); matrices of behavior change objectives (IM Step 2); a program planning document comprising scope, sequence, theory-based methods, and practical strategies (IM Step 3); functional AVP component prototypes (IM Step 4); and plans for implementation (IM Step 5) and evaluation (IM Step 6). Results: The AVP consists of six evidence-based strategies implemented in a successful sequenced roll-out that (1) established immunization champions in each clinic, (2) disseminated provider assessment and feedback reports with data-informed vaccination goals, (3) provided continued medical and nursing education (with ethics credit) on HPV, HPV vaccination, message bundling, and responding to parent hesitancy, (4) electronic health record cues to providers on patient eligibility, and (5) patient reminders for HPV vaccine initiation and completion. Conclusions: IM provided a logical and systematic approach to developing and evaluating a multicomponent systems-based intervention to increase HPV vaccination rates among adolescents in pediatric clinics

Ecological studies of the surface microlayer of small ponds at the UWM Field Station

The seasonal variation and enrichment of nutrients, pigments, bacteria, fungi and algae in the surface microlayer and subsurface waters were investigated in three ponds at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Field Station, Saukville, Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. Samples were collected intermittently from June, 1978 through October, 1981. Microlayer samples were collected using a glass plate and a screen sampler. All ponds showed dramatic seasonal variations in nutrients, microorganisms and algae in both surface and subsurface waters. The data indicate that physical factors such as adsubble processes, antirain and atmospheric deposition, along with biological factors such as heterotrophic mineralization and autotrophic uptake, play significant roles in causing the enrichment or lack of enrichment of materials within the microlayer. Furthermore, this study suggests that surface microlayers, particularly in shallow environments where algal species are adapted to high light conditions. can be sites of high biological activity

The Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Adolescents During the Covid-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among adolescents has steadily improved over the past several years. However, research conducted to determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted this positive trend in HPV vaccine initiation among racial and ethnic minority adolescents is limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine if the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting changes in the US health-care sector affected the increasing HPV vaccine initiation among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic adolescents aged 13-17 years. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design to examine data from the National Immunization Survey-Teen (2019-2021), logistic regression and moderation analysis were used to model race-specific variations in HPV vaccine initiation (n = 49 031). Two-sided P values of up to .05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Hispanic (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16 to 1.57) and non-Hispanic Black (AOR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.10 to 1.51) adolescents had higher odds of HPV vaccine initiation than did non-Hispanic White adolescents. Additionally, the odds of HPV vaccine initiation were higher in 2021 (AOR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.08 to 1.38) than in 2019. Other variables-age, region, sex, insurance status, and poverty status-were also associated with HPV vaccine initiation. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that during the COVID-19 pandemic, racial and ethnic minorities had higher odds of receiving the HPV vaccine. Therefore, more research of the impact of the pandemic on HPV vaccine initiation among non-Hispanic White and racial and ethnic minority adolescents is needed

Implications of Low Energy Supersymmetry Breaking at the Tevatron

The signatures for low energy supersymmetry breaking at the Tevatron are investigated. It is natural that the lightest standard model superpartner is an electroweak neutralino, which decays to an essentially massless Goldstino and photon, possibly within the detector. In the simplest models of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking, the production of right-handed sleptons, neutralinos, and charginos leads to a pair of hard photons accompanied by leptons and/or jets with missing transverse energy. The relatively hard leptons and softer photons of the single e^+e^- \gamma \gamma + \EmissT event observed by CDF implies this event is best interpreted as arising from left-handed slepton pair production. In this case the rates for l^{\pm} \gamma \gamma + \EmissT and \gamma \gamma + \EmissT are comparable to that for l^+l^- \gamma \gamma + \EmissT.Comment: 18 pages, Latex, tables correcte