L Dwarfs Found in Sloan Digital Sky Survey Commissioning Data II. Hobby-Eberly Telescope Observations

Low dispersion optical spectra have been obtained with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope of 22 very red objects found in early imaging data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The objects are assigned spectral types on the 2MASS system (Kirkpatrick et al. 1999) and are found to range from late M to late L. The red- and near-infrared colors from SDSS and 2MASS correlate closely with each other, and most of the colors are closely related to spectral type in this range; the exception is the (i^* - z^*) color, which appears to be independent of spectral type between about M7 and L4. The spectra suggest that this independence is due to the disappearance of the TiO and VO absorption in the i-band for later spectral types; to the presence of strong Na I and K I absorption in the i-band; and to the gradual disappearance of the 8400 Angstrom absorption of TiO and FeH in the z-band.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures, accepted by AJ, a version with higher resolution figures can be found at ftp://ftp.astro.psu.edu/pub/dps/hetld.p

High-Redshift Quasars Found in Sloan Digital Sky Survey Commissioning Data V. Hobby-Eberly Telescope Observations

We report the discovery of 27 quasars with redshifts between 3.58 and 4.49. The objects were identified as high-redshift candidates based on their colors in Sloan Digital Sky Survey commissioning data. The redshifts were confirmed with low resolution spectra obtained at the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The quasars' $i^*$ magnitudes range from 18.55 to 20.97. Nearly 60% of the quasar candidates observed are confirmed spectroscopically as quasars. Two of the objects are Broad Absorption Line quasars, and several other quasars appear to have narrow associated absorption features.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures, AJ accepte

AFM study of morphology and mechanical properties of a chimeric 2 spider silk and bone sialoprotein protein for bone regeneration

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to assess a new chimeric protein consisting of a fusion protein of the consensus repeat for Nephila clavipes spider dragline protein and bone sialoprotein (6merþBSP). The elastic modulus of this protein in film form was assessed through force curves, and film surface roughness was also determined. The results showed a significant difference among the elastic modulus of the chimeric silk protein, 6merþBSP, and control films consisting of only the silk component (6mer). The behavior of the 6merþBSP and 6mer proteins in aqueous solution in the presence of calcium (Ca) ions was also assessed to determine interactions between the inorganic and organic components related to bone interactions, anchoring, and biomaterial network formation. The results demonstrated the formation of protein networks in the presence of Ca2þ ions, characteristics that may be important in the context of controlling materials assembly and properties related to bone formation with this new chimeric silk-BSP protein.Silvia Games thanks the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for supporting her Ph.D. grant, SFRH/BD/28603/2006. This work was carried out under the scope of the European NoE EXPERTISSUES (NMP3-CT-2004-500283), the Chimera project (PTDC/EBB-EBI/109093/2008) funded by the FCT agency, the NIH (P41 EB002520) Tissue Engineering Resource Center, and the NIH (EB003210 and DE017207)

DEAR1 Is a Dominant Regulator of Acinar Morphogenesis and an Independent Predictor of Local Recurrence-Free Survival in Early-Onset Breast Cancer

Ann Killary and colleagues describe a new gene that is genetically altered in breast tumors, and that may provide a new breast cancer prognostic marker

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure

The Last Refuge of a Scoundrel? Patriotism and Tax Compliance

We study the effects of patriotism on tax compliance. In particular, we assume that individuals feel a (random draw of) warm glow from honestly paying their taxes. A higher expected warm glow reduces the government's optimal audit probability and yields higher tax compliance. Second, individuals with higher warm glow are less likely to evade taxes. This prediction is confirmed empirically by a multivariate analysis on the individual level while controlling for several other potentially confounding factors. The findings survive a variety of robustness checks, including an instrumental variables estimation to tackle the possible endogeneity of patriotism. On the aggregate level, we provide evidence for a negative correlation between average patriotic warm glow and the size of the shadow economy across several countries

Reliability of new measures of cost-related medication nonadherence

BACKGROUND: Although several national studies have attempted to measure medication nonadherence due to cost in cross-sectional studies of the elderly and disabled, little information exists on the psychometric properties of these measures over time. OBJECTIVES: Examine the test-retest reliability of several recently published measures of cost-related medication nonadherence, among elderly community. METHODS: We developed a questionnaire and tested the reliability of measures of cost-related medication nonadherence and general cost-reduction strategies in a sample of 185 elderly in eastern Massachusetts surveyed twice (1-2 months apart). General and medicine-specific cost-related nonadherence measures included: failure to fill or delayed refilling of a prescription due to its cost, skipping doses, or taking smaller doses to make a medicine last longer. We also tested the reliability of reported drug cost-reduction strategies, such as: using generic drugs; purchasing prescriptions via mail/internet or from outside the United States; receiving prescription samples from a doctor; and spending less on food, heat, or other basic needs to afford medicines. We used the McNemar test, a matched pair chi analysis, and Kappa statistics to examine the association of responses within patients between identical items asked at 2 points in time. RESULTS: Kappa statistics for test-retest reliability ranged from 0.6 to 0.9 for all but one measure of cost-related nonadherence, and McNemar test statistics indicated no systematic change in the measures over time. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated test-retest reliability of the measures of cost-related medication nonadherence were generally high. The measures have been integrated into the nationally representative Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS), an ongoing national panel survey of Medicare beneficiaries, which will allow researchers and policymakers to identify changes in cost-related nonadherence among disabled and elderly Medicare beneficiaries

Cost-related medication nonadherence among elderly and disabled medicare beneficiaries: a national survey 1 year before the medicare drug benefit

BACKGROUND: Prior to implementation of the Medicare drug benefit, we estimated the prevalence of cost-related medication nonadherence (CRN) among Medicare enrollees, including elderly and nonelderly disabled beneficiaries. METHODS: In the fall of 2004, detailed measures of CRN (skipping or reducing doses or not filling prescriptions because of cost) were added to the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey. We examined the prevalence of CRN nationally and by Medicare eligibility subgroups (elderly vs nonelderly disabled beneficiaries), drug coverage status, socioeconomic status, self-rated health, and number of chronic medical conditions. RESULTS: In a national sample of 13 835 noninstitutionalized Medicare enrollees, 29% of the disabled and 13% of the elderly beneficiaries reported CRN; those in fair to poor health with multiple comorbidities and without coverage were most at risk. Among the disabled enrollees with 4 or more morbidities, 52% (95% confidence interval [CI], 43.3%-60.3%) without drug coverage skipped prescriptions or doses compared with 26% (95% CI, 17.7%-34.8%) with Medicaid drug coverage. Those with partial drug coverage through Medigap policies or Medicare health maintenance organizations reported intermediate rates of CRN. The adjusted odds ratio of CRN among disabled enrollees in poor (vs good) health was 3.9 (95% CI, 1.7-9.2), whereas for those with 4 or more (vs \u3c4) comorbidities, the odds ratio of CRN was 2.7 (95% CI, 1.7-4.1). CONCLUSIONS: One year before Medicare Part D implementation, Medicare beneficiaries reported high rates of CRN. Rates are highest among nonelderly disabled beneficiaries, but among both elderly and disabled beneficiaries, CRN is exacerbated by poor health, multiple morbidities, and limited drug coverage. Given the high cost sharing under Part D, it is important to closely monitor CRN in high-risk subgroups

Depression and cost-related medication nonadherence in Medicare beneficiaries

CONTEXT: Treatment for depression can be expensive and depression can affect the use of other medical services, yet there is little information on how depression affects the prevalence of cost-related medication nonadherence (CRN) in elderly patients and patients with disabilities. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the presence of CRN in depressed and nondepressed elderly Medicare beneficiaries and nonelderly Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities prior to the implementation of the Medicare Drug Benefit. DESIGN AND SETTING: 2004 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey. PARTICIPANTS: Depressed and nondepressed elderly Medicare beneficiaries and beneficiaries with disabilities. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cost-related medication nonadherence included taking smaller doses or skipping doses of a prescription to make it last longer, or failing to fill a prescription because of cost, controlling for health insurance status, comorbid conditions, age, race, sex, and functional status. RESULTS: In a nationally representative sample of 13 835 noninstitutionalized elderly Medicare enrollees and Medicare enrollees with disabilities, 44% of beneficiaries with disabilities and 13% of elderly beneficiaries reported being depressed during the previous year. Among enrollees with disabilities reporting depressive symptoms, 38% experienced CRN compared with 22% of enrollees with disabilities who did not report depressive symptoms. Among elderly enrollees who reported depressive symptoms, 19% experienced CRN, compared with 12% of elderly enrollees who did not report such symptoms. In adjusted analyses, depressive symptoms remained a significant predictor of CRN in both groups (persons with disabilities: odds ratio, 1.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-2.3; elderly persons: odds ratio, 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.7). CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms were associated with CRN in elderly Medicare enrollees and Medicare enrollees with disabilities. Providers should elicit information on economic barriers that might interfere with treatment of Medicare beneficiaries with depression

Comparing Lasater's clinical judgment rubric scores across faculty, self-assessement, and outcomes scores

As more schools of nursing begin and/or continue to implement the use of human patient simulation, an objective evaluation tool needs to be used to measure nursing students' clinical judgment competency level. Assessment of nursing students' competency level is important because it identifies the students' strengths and weaknesses. This allows nurse educators to remediate content areas to make sure the student is clinically competent upon program completion and successful on the NCLEX-RN exam. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of students' self-assessment of clinical judgment skills with faculty assessment of students' clinical judgment skills upon completion of a high-fidelity simulation experience. This study also compared the relationship between students' self-assessment and faculty assessment of clinical judgment competency levels during HPS and students' scores on a customized HESI nursing exam. Furthermore, the researcher investigated how high-fidelity simulation influences baccalaureate nursing student's clinical judgment competency level. The researcher collected quantitative data using a pretest/post-test experimental design. Participants included students in the third semester of upper division in a baccalaureate nursing program. The findings indicated that there was a slightly significant positive correlation between the faculty's assessment of students' clinical judgment skills score and the students' self-assessment of clinical judgment skills score. Secondly, there was a significant positive correlation between the faculty's assessment of students' clinical judgment skills score and students' HESI scores (post intervention). Thirdly, there was no correlation between students' self-assessment score and HESI score (post-intervention). Lastly, the data revealed that the experimental group scored significantly higher than the control group on the HESI exam (post-intervention). The results of this study indicate that students who undergo a cardiovascular HPS clinical experience perform significantly better on a customized cardiovascular parallel HESI exam than those students who do not receive a HPS experience. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries