Gender Differences in Diabetes Attitudes and Adherence

This study focused on three questions: Is there a difference in men's and women's diabetes attitudes? Do health professionals give different recommendations to men and women? Is there a difference between men and women in care adherence? A total of 1201 patients with diabetes were surveyed; 65% of these patients were women. Differences in diabetes attitudes (three of seven attiticdes) were most evident between men and women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). No differences were found in the attitudes of men and women with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) using insulin, and only one attitude was different for patients with NIDDM not using insulin. Few differences were observed in the recommendations given by health professionals to men and women. Gender differences in adherence to the components of self-care also were minimal. These findings may indicate that there are many similarities in the reactions of men and women who have been diagnosed with diabetes.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69143/2/10.1177_014572179502100605.pd

Veganism

Narrowly understood, veganism is the practice of excluding all animal products from one’s diet, with the exception of human milk. More broadly, veganism is not only a food ethics, but it encompasses all other areas of life. As defined by the Vegan Society when it became an established charity in the UK in 1979, veganism is best understood as “a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude – as far as is possible and practicable – all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment”. There are two main moral justifications for veganism, both of which rely on a common assumption: that sentience, i.e., the capacity to feel pleasure and pain, is the necessary and sufficient trait to be morally considerable. In what follows, I present these two justifications and a third one which, although less popular, captures some core intuitions among vegans. I then present a challenge faced by veganism and two arguments that reject it as discriminatory, and briefly conclude

A new era of wide-field submillimetre imaging: on-sky performance of SCUBA-2

SCUBA-2 is the largest submillimetre wide-field bolometric camera ever built. This 43 square arc-minute field-of-view instrument operates at two wavelengths (850 and 450 microns) and has been installed on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. SCUBA-2 has been successfully commissioned and operational for general science since October 2011. This paper presents an overview of the on-sky performance of the instrument during and since commissioning in mid-2011. The on-sky noise characteristics and NEPs of the 450 and 850 micron arrays, with average yields of approximately 3400 bolometers at each wavelength, will be shown. The observing modes of the instrument and the on-sky calibration techniques are described. The culmination of these efforts has resulted in a scientifically powerful mapping camera with sensitivities that allow a square degree of sky to be mapped to 10 mJy/beam rms at 850 micron in 2 hours and 60 mJy/beam rms at 450 micron in 5 hours in the best weather.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures.SPIE Conference series 8452, Millimetre, Submillimetre and Far-infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VI 201

HIV Testing in Women: Missed Opportunities

Objective: To investigate opportunities for early human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing on women. Methods: A retrospective cohort study design linked case reports from HIV surveillance to several statewide health-care databases. Medical encounters occurring before the first positive HIV test (missed opportunities) were categorized by diagnosis/procedure codes to distinguish visits that were likely to have prompted an HIV test. Women were categorized as late testers (AIDS diagnosis \u3c 12 months from first HIV test date), non-late testers (no AIDS diagnosis during study period or diagnosis of AIDS \u3e 12 months of HIV diagnosis), of reproductive age (13-44 years old), and not of reproductive age (\u3e 44 years old). Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate risk and its statistical significance. Results: Of 3303 HIV-infected women diagnosed during the study period, 2408 (73%) had missed opportunity visits. Late testers (39%) were more likely to be black than white (aOR 1.48, 95% CI 1.12-1.95), be older (\u3e 44 years old; aOR 7.85, 95% CI 4.49-13.7), and have \u3e 10 missed opportunity visits (aOR 2.17, 95% CI 1.62-2.91). Fifty-four percent of women \u3e 44 years old were also late testers. Women \u3e 44 years old had lower median initial CD4 counts (p 44 years old and Papanicolau smear was ranked fourth for late testers. Conclusions: Feasibility and acceptability of routine HIV testing in nontraditional health-care settings, such as mammography and Papanicolau screenings, should be explored to identify late testers and older (not of reproductive age) HIV-infected women

Cosmic ray tests of the D0 preshower detector

The D0 preshower detector consists of scintillator strips with embedded wavelength-shifting fibers, and a readout using Visible Light Photon Counters. The response to minimum ionizing particles has been tested with cosmic ray muons. We report results on the gain calibration and light-yield distributions. The spatial resolution is investigated taking into account the light sharing between strips, the effects of multiple scattering and various systematic uncertainties. The detection efficiency and noise contamination are also investigated.Comment: 27 pages, 24 figures, submitted to NIM

The Imprint of Gravitational Waves in Models Dominated by a Dynamical Cosmic Scalar Field

An alternative to the standard cold dark matter model has been recently proposed in which a significant fraction of the energy density of the universe is due to a dynamical scalar field ($Q$) whose effective equation-of-state differs from that of matter, radiation or cosmological constant ($\Lambda$). In this paper, we determine how the Q-component modifies the primordial inflation gravitational wave (tensor metric) contribution to the cosmic microwave background anisotropy and, thereby, one of the key tests of inflation.Comment: 15 pages, 14 figures, revtex, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Structural-Thermal-Optical-Performance (STOP) Model Development and Analysis of a Field-widened Michelson Interferometer

An integrated Structural-Thermal-Optical-Performance (STOP) model was developed for a field-widened Michelson interferometer which is being built and tested for the High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) project at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). The performance of the interferometer is highly sensitive to thermal expansion, changes in refractive index with temperature, temperature gradients, and deformation due to mounting stresses. Hand calculations can only predict system performance for uniform temperature changes, under the assumption that coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch effects are negligible. An integrated STOP model was developed to investigate the effects of design modifications on the performance of the interferometer in detail, including CTE mismatch, and other three- dimensional effects. The model will be used to improve the design for a future spaceflight version of the interferometer. The STOP model was developed using the Comet SimApp'TM' Authoring Workspace which performs automated integration between Pro-Engineer, Thermal Desktop, MSC Nastran'TM', SigFit'TM', Code V'TM', and MATLAB. This is the first flight project for which LaRC has utilized Comet, and it allows a larger trade space to be studied in a shorter time than would be possible in a traditional STOP analysis. This paper describes the development of the STOP model, presents a comparison of STOP results for simple cases with hand calculations, and presents results of the correlation effort to bench-top testing of the interferometer. A trade study conducted with the STOP model which demonstrates a few simple design changes that can improve the performance seen in the lab is also presented

The IGF1 small dog haplotype is derived from Middle Eastern grey wolves

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A selective sweep containing the insulin-like growth factor 1 (<it>IGF1</it>) gene is associated with size variation in domestic dogs. Intron 2 of <it>IGF1 </it>contains a SINE element and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) found in all small dog breeds that is almost entirely absent from large breeds. In this study, we surveyed a large sample of grey wolf populations to better understand the ancestral pattern of variation at <it>IGF1 </it>with a particular focus on the distribution of the small dog haplotype and its relationship to the origin of the dog.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We present DNA sequence data that confirms the absence of the derived small SNP allele in the intron 2 region of <it>IGF1 </it>in a large sample of grey wolves and further establishes the absence of a small dog associated SINE element in all wild canids and most large dog breeds. Grey wolf haplotypes from the Middle East have higher nucleotide diversity suggesting an origin there. Additionally, PCA and phylogenetic analyses suggests a closer kinship of the small domestic dog <it>IGF1 </it>haplotype with those from Middle Eastern grey wolves.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The absence of both the SINE element and SNP allele in grey wolves suggests that the mutation for small body size post-dates the domestication of dogs. However, because all small dogs possess these diagnostic mutations, the mutations likely arose early in the history of domestic dogs. Our results show that the small dog haplotype is closely related to those in Middle Eastern wolves and is consistent with an ancient origin of the small dog haplotype there. Thus, in concordance with past archeological studies, our molecular analysis is consistent with the early evolution of small size in dogs from the Middle East.</p> <p>See associated opinion by Driscoll and Macdonald: <url>http://jbiol.com/content/9/2/10</url></p

Pollution, habitat loss, fishing and climate change as critical threats to penguins

Cumulative human impacts across the world’s oceans are considerable. We therefore examined a single model taxonomic group, the penguins (Spheniscidae), to explore how marine species and communities might be at risk of decline or extinction in the southern hemisphere. We sought to determine the most important threats to penguins and to suggest means to mitigate these threats. Our review has relevance to other taxonomic groups in the southern hemisphere and in northern latitudes, where human impacts are greater. Our review was based on an expert assessment and literature review of all 18 penguin species; 49 scientists contributed to the process. For each penguin species, we considered their range and distribution, population trends, and main anthropogenic threats over the past approximately 250 years. These threats were harvesting adults for oil, skin, and feathers and as bait for crab and rock lobster fisheries; harvesting of eggs; terrestrial habitat degradation; marine pollution; fisheries bycatch and resource competition; environmental variability and climate change; and toxic algal poisoning and disease. Habitat loss, pollution, and fishing, all factors humans can readily mitigate, remain the primary threats for penguin species. Their future resilience to further climate change impacts will almost certainly depend on addressing current threats to existing habitat degradation on land and at sea. We suggest protection of breeding habitat, linked to the designation of appropriately scaled marine reserves, including in the High Seas, will be critical for the future conservation of penguins. However, large-scale conservation zones are not always practical or politically feasible and other ecosystem-based management methods that include spatial zoning, bycatch mitigation, and robust harvest control must be developed to maintain marine biodiversity and ensure that ecosystem functioning is maintained across a variety of scales.Los impactos humanos acumulativos a lo largo de los océanos del planeta son considerables. Por eso examinamos un solo modelo de grupo taxonómico, los pingüinos (Sphenischidae), para explorar cómo las especies y las comunidades marinas pueden estar en riesgo de disminuir o de extinguirse en el hemisferio sur. Buscamos determinar la amenaza más importante para los pingüinos y sugerir métodos para mitigar estas amenazas. Nuestra revisión tiene relevancia para otros grupos taxonómicos en el hemisferio sur y en las latitudes norteñas, donde los impactos humanos son mayores. Nuestra revisión se basó en una evaluación experta y una revisión de literaratura de las 18 especies de pingüinos; 49 científicos contribuyeron al proceso. Para cada especie de pingüino, consideramos su rango y distribución, tendencias poblacionales y las principales amenazas antropogénicas en aproximadamente los últimos 250 años. Estas amenazas fueron la captura de adultos para obtener aceite, piel y plumas y el uso como carnada para la pesca de cangrejos y langostas: la recolección de huevos; la degradación del hábitat terrestre; la contaminación marina; la pesca accesoria y la competencia por recursos; la variabilidad ambiental y el cambio climático; y el envenenamiento por algas tóxicas y enfermedades. La pérdida de hábitat, la contaminación y la pesca, todos factores que los humanos pueden mitigar, siguen siendo las amenazas principales para las especies de pingüinos. Su resiliencia futura a más impactos por cambio climático dependerá certeramente de que nos enfoquemos en las amenazas actuales a la degradación de hábitats existentes en tierra y en el mar. Sugerimos que la protección de hábitats de reproducción, en conjunto con la designación de reservas marinas de escala apropiada, incluyendo alta mar, será crítica para la conservación futura de los pingüinos. Sin embargo, las zonas de conservación a gran escala no son siempre prácticas o políticamente viables, y otros métodos de manejo basados en ecosistemas que incluyen la zonificación espacial, la mitigación de captura accesoria, y el control fuerte de captura deben desarrollarse para mantener la biodiversidad marina y asegurar que el funcionamiento de los ecosistemas se mantenga a lo largo de una variedad de escalas.Fil: Trathan, Phil N.. British Antartic Survey; Reino UnidoFil: Garcia Borboroglu, Jorge Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Boersma, P. Dee. University of Washington; Estados UnidosFil: Bost, Charles André. Centre d´Etudes Biologiques de Chizé; FranciaFil: Crawford, Robert J. M.. Department of Environmental Affairs; SudáfricaFil: Crossin, Glenn T.. Dalhousie University Halifax; CanadáFil: Cuthbert, Richard. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; Reino UnidoFil: Dann, Peter. Phillip Island Nature Parks; AustraliaFil: Davis, Lloyd Spencer. University Of Otago; Nueva ZelandaFil: de la Puente, Santiago. Universidad Cayetano Heredia; PerúFil: Ellenberg, Ursula. University Of Otago; Nueva ZelandaFil: Lynch, Heather J.. Stony Brook University; Estados UnidosFil: Mattern, Thomas. University Of Otago; Nueva ZelandaFil: Pütz, Klemens. Antarctic Research Trust; AlemaniaFil: Seddon, Philip J.. University Of Otago; Nueva ZelandaFil: Trivelpiece, Wayne. Southwest Fisheries Science Center; Estados UnidosFil: Wienecke, Bárbara. Australian Antarctic Division; Australi