Implementing Systematic Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI Data) Collection at an Inpatient Hospital Located in the Southern Region of the United States

Purpose LGBTQ patients experience marginalization and discrimination when seeking healthcare in the Southern Region of the United States. As a result, they experience negative healthcare outcomes. Collecting sexual orientation/gender identity (SOGI data) is vital in decreasing health disparities and improving hospitalized LGBTQ patients’ quality of care. Providers cannot adequately assess health risk factors or deliver culturally competent care without SOGI data knowledge. Aims The aim is to collect SOGI data during intake to implement a standard of care to promote LGBTQ health outcomes and decrease marginalization. Processes To understand how to provide high-quality care to LGBTQ patients, providers receive instruction on the importance of collecting SOGI data and cultural competency training using the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) guideline. After IRB determined the project as not research involving human subjects, SOGI data questions (your current gender identity is and describe your sexual orientation) were added to the EHR demographic health history section. Provider adoption of collecting SOGI data is measured by extracting data from the EHR. Results Results will determine the providers’ responsiveness to implementing SOGI data questions into the EHR. Limitations Provider having a choice of collecting SOGI data, the small sample size of providers, and the project’s location are limitations. Conclusions LGBTQ individuals have more health inequities and face marginalization when accessing healthcare. SOGI data collection is essential for assessing health risk factors, improving health outcomes, and creating a safe and inclusive healthcare environment for LGBTQ patients

АЛГОРИТМЫ ТЕСТИРОВАНИЯ ЦИКЛИЧЕСКИХ СТРУКТУРНЫХ ИЗМЕНЕНИЙ В МОДЕЛЯХ ВЕКТОРНОЙ АВТОРЕГРЕССИИ С ПЕРЕКЛЮЧЕНИЕМ СОСТОЯНИЙ

For vector autoregressive models RS-VARX with cyclic regime switching of states the method of excluding of short-term system state fluctuations is proposed. The method is based on a sequential application of two algorithms, realizing the Bayesian “plug-in” decision rule of point wise classification and a statistical test for expected probability of misclassification. Accuracy of the approach is examined by means of computer simulation experiments.Для векторных авторегрессионных моделей с циклическими переключениями состояний предлагается метод исключения краткосрочных колебаний состояния системы, который основывается на последовательном применении двух алгоритмов, реализующих подстановочное байесовское решающее правило поточечной классификации и статистический критерий проверки гипотезы о значении ожидаемой вероятности ошибки классификации. Результаты компьютерного моделирования демонстрируют работоспособность предлагаемого метода

On Building Economic Development Patterns for Russia and Belorussia on the Basis of LAM-3 Econometric Model

The article deals with the results of econometric model building for Russian and Belorussian economic development using the LAM-3 methodology. LAM-3 is the most recent version of the Long-run Adjustment Model that is used for quarter-to-quarter modeling and forecasting to show the economic development of countries in Eastern Europe. The principles upon the LAM-3 models are built and the problems associated with the model-building processes are discussed. The models are used to depict the Russian and Belorussian economies in transition. The article describes the GIRAF software developed to be used in the LAM-3 series models and to assess the level of accuracy of the forecasts made for the economies of Russia and BelorussiaEconometric Modeling; Forecasting; Long-run Adjustment; Simulation; Transition Economy of Russia and Belarus

Cell-penetrating chitosan/doxorubicin/TAT conjugates for efficient cancer therapy

In this study, a cell-penetrating peptide, the transactivating transcriptional factor (TAT) domain from HIV, was linked to a chitosan/doxorubicin (chitosan/DOX) conjugate to form a chitosan/DOX/TAT hybrid. The synthesized chitosan/DOX/TAT conjugate showed a different intracellular distribution pattern from a conjugate without TAT. Unlike both free DOX and the conjugate without TAT, the chitosan/DOX/TAT conjugate was capable of efficient cell entry. The chitosan/DOX/TAT conjugate was found to be highly cytotoxic, with an IC 50 value of approximately 480 nM, 2 times less than that of chitosan/DOX (980 nM). The chitosan/DOX/TAT provided decreases in tumor volume of 77.4 and 57.5% compared to free DOX and chitosan/DOX, respectively, in tumor-bearing mice. Therefore, this study suggests that TAT-mediated chitosan/DOX conjugate delivery is effective in slowing tumor growth.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/83474/1/25578_ftp.pd

Particle acoustic detection in gravitational wave aluminum resonant antennas

The results on cosmic rays detected by the gravitational antenna NAUTILUS have motivated an experiment (RAP) based on a suspended cylindrical bar, which is made of the same aluminum alloy as NAUTILUS and is exposed to a high energy electron beam. Mechanical vibrations originate from the local thermal expansion caused by warming up due to the energy lost by particles crossing the material. The aim of the experiment is to measure the amplitude of the fundamental longitudinal vibration at different temperatures. We report on the results obtained down to a temperature of about 4 K, which agree at the level of about 10% with the predictions of the model describing the underlying physical process.Comment: RAP experiment, 16 pages, 7 figure

АНАЛИЗ МНОГОМЕРНЫХ СТАТИСТИЧЕСКИХ МОДЕЛЕЙ С НЕОДНОРОДНОЙ СТРУКТУРОЙ В СЛУЧАЕ СКРЫТОЙ МАРКОВСКОЙ ЗАВИСИМОСТИ СОСТОЯНИЙ

For vector autoregressive model with heterogeneous endogenous-exogenous structure and Markov switching states we propose the EM-algorithm for mixture decomposition, as well as discriminant analysis algorithm for classification of new observations. Accuracy of the algorithms is examined by means of computer simulation experiments.Для моделей векторной авторегрессии с неоднородной эндогенно-экзогенной структурой и марковскими переключениями состояний предлагается EM-алгоритм расщепления смесей распределений авторегрессионных наблюдений, а также алгоритм дискриминантного анализа вновь поступающих наблюдений. Точность алгоритмов исследуется по- мощью компьютерного моделирования

Gold Nanoparticle-Based Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering for Noninvasive Molecular Probing of Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation

This study reports the use of gold nanoparticle-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for probing the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells, including undifferentiated single cells, embryoid bodies (EBs), and terminally differentiated cardiomyocytes. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were successfully delivered into all 3 mES cell differentiation stages without affecting cell viability or proliferation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the localization of GNPs inside the following cell organelles: mitochondria, secondary lysosome, and endoplasmic reticulum. Using bright- and dark-field imaging, the bright scattering of GNPs and nanoaggregates in all 3 ES cell differentiation stages could be visualized. EB (an early differentiation stage) and terminally differentiated cardiomyocytes both showed SERS peaks specific to metabolic activity in the mitochondria and to protein translation (amide I, amide II, and amide III peaks). These peaks have been rarely identified in undifferentiated single ES cells. Spatiotemporal changes observed in the SERS spectra from terminally differentiated cardiomyocyte tissues revealed local and dynamic molecular interactions as well as transformations during ES cell differentiation

Testing for structural Heterogeneity in vector autoregressive model by means of statistical classification methods

The problems of analysis of complex systems, described by VARX model with structural heterogeneity, are studied in this article. It is supposed that struc- tural heterogeneity may be conditioned as a result of two reasons: 1) presence of different system state classes; 2) presence of structural changes. It is supposed that every state of the system is characterized by the stationary model, i.e. the general model is a segmented stationary VARX. The methods of discriminant analysis for VARX models are suggested for the classification of the complex system states. The results of the classification are afterwards used for the es- timation of the moments of single or multiple structural changes by means of statistical testing. The simulation results show the acceptable accuracy of the proposed methods

Review on “Reich of the black sun. Nazi secret weapons & the cold war allied legend” by Joseph P. Farrell

Joseph Farrell thinks that during World War II Nazi Germany has created and successfully tested, and could have even used the plutonium bomb in a combat situation. Also it is likely that German scientists managed to make a significant step towards the creation – if not the testing – of a bomb constructed by a method of accelerated division, a bomb that has a small critical mass and a great devastating effect. This statement, however radical it may seem, in author’s opinion, can resolve many inconsistencies and contradictions in political and strategic history of the war