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Introduction Sexual wellbeing is a large aspect of college students’ health that continues to be minimally addressed on university campuses. Considering the topic of STIs, it is estimated that people ages 15-24 accounted for almost half of the 26 million new sexually transmitted infections that occurred in the United States in 2018 (CDC, 2018). While there is information on condom and contraceptive usage for college students, there is not much data on the usage and beliefs surrounding condoms and sexual health practices. To further explore the sexual health practices at a university, a mixed-method study was conducted by the Sexual and Reproductive Health Lab during the 2020-21 school year. The study included a survey (n=580) and focus group discussions (n = 16) designed to answer the research questions 1) to what extent are condoms being used by students and 2) what are students’ knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about condoms and sexual health? Results from the study indicated that while 69% of students engage in sexual activity, sex-based differences are apparent in the desire to use condoms, condoms are only used for vaginal sex, and barrier methods other than external condoms are not being used. Further, conversations prior to sex surrounding STI status and testing are limited. Future interventions are necessary to ensure that current limitations to best safe sex practices are improved through more inclusive sexual education and access to sexual health resources. Objective 1. Describe the factors that students consider when electing whether to use a condom by examining scenarios in which they are used frequently, which partner uses one, and why these scenarios elicit use. 2. Identify what type(s) of sexual acts condoms are currently being used for within the Cal Poly student population in comparison to guidelines for best sexual health practice by asking directly about patterns of use for penetrative vaginal, penetrative anal, and oral sex. 3. Discuss the ways in which health services at the University can better support the specific needs of Cal Poly students by gauging knowledge and certain perceptions on sexual health behaviors and contraceptive use, ultimately using the data to identify areas in which university services can target informative and preventive campaigns and provide access to relevant resources. Methods One-on-one in person or virtual interviews were conducted and asked students about their sexual histories to reveal their experiences using protection, initiating STI status conversations, and circumstances where protection is or is not used. Questions were then asked to evaluate student perceptions of “cleanliness” and clean status conversations. After, the interviews were transcribed via Microsoft Word and NVIVO is being used to code the data. Open coding of the data was first done to create codes and themes of the data and once codes were created, axial coding was done to interpret the data. Results Emerging data from the ongoing study reveals some important trends. Perhaps the most notable emerging finding centralizes on the role of trust in influencing a student’s decision to use a condom, engage in an STI status conversation, and ask for proof of status. Many participants also mentioned trust as a key factor. Another emerging finding reveals that students do not share a universal definition of the word “clean”, but instead the semantic value ranges from the physical environment to personal hygiene habits, to STI status. Furthermore, the use of the word “clean” to describe STI status was nor preferred by the general student population as they believe it propagates the stigma surrounding sex and STIs and implies people are dirty. Conclusions As we have uncovered, students do seem to have some understanding of safe sex practices. In addition, plenty of free barrier methods like condoms and dental dams are available across campus. Therefore, the issues related to lack of conversation and condom use, and subsequent rising rates of transmission, cannot be attributed to lack of knowledge or resources. Other factors, then, appear to be impeding adherence to sexual health best practices. Disclosure Yes, this is sponsored by industry/sponsor: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Clarification: Industry funding only - investigator initiated and executed study.

Introduction Sexuality is an important facet of every individual’s identity and overall wellbeing; despite this, gender-based discrepancies exist in relation to expectations of and experiences with sexual activity. In a longitudinal study conducted in 2013, 62% of boys reported expecting sexual pleasure from intercourse, compared with only 30% of girls (Missari, 2013). Furthermore, a 2007 study discovered that women generally prioritize their male partners’ pleasure instead of their own (Tolman, et. al). Objective Given an understanding of these existing trends, this study was developed to analyze contrasting attitudes about condoms and experiences with condom usage between men and women on a college campus. Methods A mixed-methodology approach was utilized, consisting of a survey (n=580), focus group discussions with select survey participants (n=16), and one-on-one interviews (n=30). Each element aimed to ascertain predominating student perceptions surrounding condoms and their role in sexual intercourse and to determine if these varied between men and women. Results Survey data revealed that 51.8% of men vs. 45.7% of women reported that they had never refused to engage in sexual activity when their partner refused to use a condom. Furthermore, women in 56.3% of focus group discussions reported that they believed men found condoms to be “uncool” or make sex “less enjoyable”, with 18.8% of focus groups involving statements that women felt guilty for diminishing their male partner’s experience. In no focus group conversations did men report feeling guilt related to their female partner’s experience. Interview data revealed that 47.8% of women reported a sense of individual responsibility to get STI tested and initiate condom use conversations, compared to only 28.6% of male respondents. Conclusions These data reveal discrepancies in reported self-efficacy between men and women, as well as a general tendency for women to view condoms more positively and consequently advocate for their use more often. Usage in heterosexual relationships, however, appears to be influenced by women’s deference to their male partners’ preferences. This indicates a power differential between men and women that dictates the practices adhered to within sexual relationships. Subsequent interventions should look to examine how these differing perceptions are developed, and which factors can combat the prioritization of male sexual preferences, as well as promote the comfort and pleasure of all partners during sexual intercourse. Disclosure No

To evaluate associations between use of seven progestogens and incident acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) among women of reproductive age.This nested matched case-control study identified women aged 15-49 years from January 1, 2010, through October 8, 2018, in the IBM MarketScan databases, a nationwide sample of private insurance claims in the United States. After exclusions, 21,405 women with incident acute VTE (case group), identified by diagnosis codes, were matched 1:5 by year of birth and index date through risk set sampling to 107,025 women without prior VTE (control group). From lowest to highest systemic dose based on a modified hierarchy, progestogens studied were levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (LNG-IUD), oral norethindrone, etonogestrel implant, oral progesterone, oral medroxyprogesterone acetate, oral norethindrone acetate, and depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA). Conditional logistic regression models adjusted for 16 VTE risk factors were used to estimate odds ratios and 99% CIs for incident acute VTE associated with current progestogen use compared with nonuse. The primary analysis treated each progestogen as a binary exposure. Dose, which varied for oral formulations, and chronicity were explored separately. Significance was set at P.01 to allow for multiple comparisons.Current use of higher-dose progestogens was significantly associated with increased odds of VTE compared with nonuse (oral norethindrone acetate: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.00, 99% CI 1.96-4.59; DMPA: aOR 2.37, 99% CI 1.95-2.88; and oral medroxyprogesterone acetate: aOR 1.98, 99% CI 1.41-2.80). Current use of other progestogens was not significantly different from nonuse (LNG-IUD, etonogestrel implant, and oral progesterone) or had reduced odds of VTE (oral norethindrone). Sensitivity analyses that assessed misclassification bias supported the primary findings.Among reproductive-aged women using one of seven progestogens, only use of norethindrone acetate and medroxyprogesterone acetate-considered higher-dose progestogens-was significantly associated with increased odds of incident acute VTE. The roles of progestogen type, dose, and indication for use warrant further study.

Background Obesity is the most common chronic disease in the United States today. Additional therapies are needed to improve obesity treatment. Objective A swallowable, gas-filled intragastric balloon system was approved for the treatment of obesity by Food and Drug Administration in September 2016 and commercialization started January 2017. A registry was made available to physicians to capture evidence of safety and effectiveness with use. Setting United States private clinics, surgery centers, and hospitals. Methods This study is a retrospective analysis of a prospective registry of patients with body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2 that initiated therapy in the first year. Data on demographics, procedural timing, weight loss, adverse events, and device deficiencies were captured. Results The final analysis comprised 1343 patients across 108 treating physicians (mean age 45.7 ± 10.8 yr, 78.6% female, baseline BMI of 35.4 ± 5.4 kg/m2). Nonserious and serious adverse events were reported in 14.2% and .15% of patients, respectively. There were 7 balloon deflations, none caused obstruction. Weight loss in the indicated use (BMI 30–40 kg/m2) was 9.7 ± 6.1 kg and 10.0 ± 6.1% total body weight loss (TBWL). Weight loss in other BMI categories was 8.2 ± 5.6 kg or 10.3 ± 7.0% total body weight loss for BMI 25 to 29.9 kg/m2 and 11.6 ± 7.8 kg or percent total body weight loss 9.3 ± 6.0 for BMI >40 kg/m2. Conclusions This swallowable gas-filled intragastric balloon system is safe and effective at inducing weight loss and offers physicians another tool for patients whose obesity has been resistant to noninvasive treatments.

Background: Recent evidence suggests that there may be an increased risk of infection for patients undergoing a corticosteroid injection before, during, or after knee arthroscopy. Purpose: To systematically review the literature to evaluate the risk of postoperative infection in patients undergoing intra-articular corticosteroid injections (CSI) before, during, or after knee arthroscopy. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A systematic review was performed by searching the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases to identify studies that evaluated the rate of postoperative infection in patients undergoing knee arthroscopy who received an intra-articular CSI during the perioperative period. The search phrase used was “knee AND arthroscopy AND injection AND (infection OR revision).” A subanalysis was also performed to analyze infection rates based on the timing of the corticosteroid injection in relation to arthroscopy. Results: Four studies met the inclusion criteria, representing 11,925 patients undergoing knee arthroscopy with an intra-articular CSI administered during the perioperative period (mean follow-up, 5.3 months) and 247,329 patients without a corticosteroid injection during the perioperative period (mean follow-up, 5.9 months). Patients who received an injection experienced a statistically significantly higher rate of postoperative infection (2.2%) when compared with patients who did not receive an injection (1.1%; P < .001). When analyzed by the timing of the injection, patients receiving an injection preoperatively or intraoperatively experienced a statistically significantly higher rate of postoperative infection (3% and 2.6%, respectively) when compared with patients receiving an injection postoperatively (1.4%; P = .001 for both). Conclusion: Patients undergoing knee arthroscopy who receive an intra-articular CSI during the perioperative period can be expected to experience significantly higher postoperative infection rates when compared with patients not receiving an injection. Furthermore, patients receiving a corticosteroid injection pre- or intraoperatively may experience significantly higher rates of postoperative infection when compared with patients receiving an injection postoperatively.

Subyearling (age-0) hatchery summer-run Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha have been released into the Columbia River in mid-June from Wells Fish Hatchery, Washington, since 1993, but release-to-adult survival (SAR) under this strategy has been low. I used paired releases of four broods of coded-wire-tagged age-0 Chinook Salmon released in mid-May (early release [ER] group) and mid-June (late release [LR] group) to evaluate whether advancing the release date could improve SAR. Additionally, passive integrated transponder tags implanted in a subsample of each release group were used to estimate emigration rate and release-to-McNary Dam survival of juvenile fish. Mean migration rate from release to McNary Dam was significantly faster for LR fish than for ER fish. No among-year difference in mean survival from release to McNary Dam was observed between ER and LR groups, although differences were observed within years. Mean overall SAR was significantly greater for ER fish than for LR fish. These...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the effectiveness of teaching in economics. Design/methodology/approach – This paper provides as a case study, the authors’ reflections on a first-year “learning community” at a US liberal arts college, which combined courses on political science and economics to explore issues of political economy, including poverty and social mobility. Findings – The authors argue that, compared with standard delivery, using literature allows increased student access to and, thus, greater engagement with certain theoretical concepts. More specifically, literature can open avenues for critical thought, and challenge pre-existing views, when it illuminates controversial questions without providing obvious answers. It is this open-ended aspect of literature that seems to provide the best opportunity for increased student engagement and critical thinking. Research limitations/implications – The arguments in this paper are based on authors’ reflections and would benefit from other empirical analysis. This method of teaching only offers pedagogical opportunities, and learning gains do not occur automatically. Several features of the course design and assessment, and the interaction between disciplines, made the use of literature more likely to be successful. Practical implications – These authors also reflect more broadly on their use of literature in other courses, and provide some suggestions for specific works that might be used in further teaching and research. Originality/value – This paper contributes to current debate on teaching practice in economics, and will be of use to those seeking to challenge student viewpoints in a subtle yet effective manner.

Survival of juvenile anadromous Pacific salmonids from their earliest age of seaward movement (“out-migration”) through the tributaries that connect their rearing grounds to larger-order rivers (“cohort survival”) is an important yet often unmonitored factor in the complex life history of these species. Populations with variable age at out-migration (e.g., steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss) or multiple juvenile rearing strategies (e.g., Chinook Salmon O. tshawytscha) raise particular challenges in survival monitoring. A multiple-state release–recapture model is presented to estimate cohort survival for salmonid species with variable age at out-migration and demonstrated in two case studies. Annual releases of fish tagged with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags from the same brood year (cohort) and their detections by instream PIT-tag detection arrays in tributaries and at hydroelectric dams are used to estimate survival through tributaries and the age composition of juvenile migrants reaching d...

This work presents an uncertainty quantification (UQ) analysis of a comprehensive model for an electrostatically actuated microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switch. The goal is to elucidate the effects of parameter variations on certain key performance characteristics of the switch. A sufficiently detailed model of the electrostatically actuated switch in the basic configuration of a clamped–clamped beam is developed. This multi-physics model accounts for various physical effects, including the electrostatic fringing field, finite length of electrodes, squeeze film damping, and contact between the beam and the dielectric layer. The performance characteristics of immediate interest are the static and dynamic pull-in voltages for the switch. Numerical approaches for evaluating these characteristics are developed and described. Using Latin Hypercube Sampling and other sampling methods, the model is evaluated to find these performance characteristics when variability in the model׳s geometric and physical parameters is specified. Response surfaces of these results are constructed via a Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) technique. Using a Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) technique on these response surfaces gives smooth probability density functions (PDFs) of the outputs characteristics when input probability characteristics are specified. The relative variation in the two pull-in voltages due to each of the input parameters is used to determine the critical parameters.

To assess the impact of mammography capacity on appointment wait times.We surveyed by telephone all mammography facilities federally certified in 2008 in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, New Mexico, and New York using a simulated patient format. County-level mammography capacity, defined as the number of mammography machines per 10,000 women aged 40 and older, was estimated from FDA facility certification records and US Census data.1,614 (86%) of 1,882 mammography facilities completed the survey. Time until next available screening mammogram appointment was1 week at 55% of facilities, 1-4 weeks at 34% of facilities, and1 month at 11% of facilities. Facilities in counties with lower capacity had longer wait times, and a one-unit increase in county capacity was associated with 21% lower odds of a facility reporting a wait time1 month (p0.01). There was no association between wait time and the availability of evening or weekend appointments or digital mammography.Lower mammography capacity is associated with longer wait times for screening mammograms.Enhancement of mammography resources in areas with limited capacity may reduce wait times for screening mammogram appointments, thereby increasing access to services and rates of breast cancer screening.

The objective of our study was to assess the experiences and preferences of radiology residents with respect to breast imaging.We surveyed radiology residents at 26 programs in New York and New Jersey. Survey topics included plans for subspecialty training, beliefs, and attitudes toward breast imaging and breast cancer screening and the likelihood of interpreting mammography in the future.Three hundred forty-four residents completed the survey (response rate, 62%). The length of time spent training in breast imaging varied from no dedicated time (37%) to 1-8 weeks (40%) to more than 9 weeks (23%). Most respondents (97%) agreed that mammography is important to women's health. More than 85% of residents believed that mammography should be interpreted by breast imaging specialists. Respondents shared negative views about mammography, agreeing with statements that the field was associated with a high risk of malpractice (99%), stress (94%), and low reimbursement (68%). Respondents endorsed several positive attributes of mammography, including job availability (97%), flexible work schedules (94%), and few calls or emergencies (93%). Most radiology residents (93%) said that they were likely to pursue subspecialty training, and 7% expressed interest in breast imaging fellowships.Radiology residents' negative and positive views about mammography seem to be independent of time spent training in mammography and of future plans to pursue fellowship training in breast imaging. Systematic assessment of the plans and preferences of radiology residents can facilitate the development of strategies to attract trainees to careers in breast imaging.

Screening mammography rates vary geographically and have recently declined. Inadequate mammography resources in some areas may impair access to this technology. We assessed the relationship between availability of mammography machines and the use of screening.The location and number of all mammography machines in the United States were identified from US Food and Drug Administration records of certified facilities. Inadequate capacity was defined as1.2 mammography machines per 10,000 women age 40 or older, the threshold required to meet the Healthy People 2010 target screening rate. The impact of capacity on utilization was evaluated in 2 cohorts: female respondents age 40 or older to the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey (BRFSS) and a 5% nationwide sample of female Medicare beneficiaries age 65 or older in 2004-2005.About 9% of women in the BRFSS cohort and 13% of women in the Medicare cohort lived in counties with1.2 mammography machines per 10,000 women age 40 or older. In both cohorts, residence in a county with inadequate mammography capacity was associated with lower odds of a recent mammogram (adjusted odds ratio in BRFSS: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.80-0.98, P0.05; adjusted odds ratio in Medicare: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.85-0.87, P0.05), controlling for demographic and health care characteristics.In counties with few or no mammography machines, limited availability of imaging resources may be a barrier to screening. Efforts to increase the number of machines in low-capacity areas may improve mammography rates and reduce geographic disparities in breast cancer screening.

The 2007 presidential elections in Kenya were followed by more than 1,000 deaths and the forcible displacement of perhaps 350,000. This was the result, in part, of frustrations from the miscounting that assured President Kibaki's re-election, and the ensuing violent repression of protest and dissent. Most of these deaths and dislocations, however, were caused by ethnic terrorism, undertaken periodically by Kenyan politicians since the 1991 transition to what Paul Collier labels ‘democrazy’. Ethnic terrorism, part of the dynamic of violence that often plagues democratisation in the poorest nations, seeks to advance the fortunes of one ethnic group by fostering a militant, fearful identity, and uses extreme violence to spur ethnic cleansing, to the political advantage of its patrons. This long-term dynamic in Kenya has featured widespread use of tribal militias, sexual violence, and impunity for its perpetrators, and will likely continue, unless Kenya's political class complies with the Waki Report, which c...

Objective:To evaluate the total number of Epley manoeuvres required to provide symptomatic relief to patients newly diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.Methods:This retrospective audit assessed every patient referred to the audiology department for investigations of their symptoms over a period of one year. Only patients diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo confirmed via a positive Dix–Hallpike test result, with no suggestion of dual pathology, were included.Results:Seventy patients with a positive Dix–Hallpike test result were identified. The total number of Epley manoeuvres required ranged from one to five. Thirty-three patients (47 per cent) were asymptomatic following one Epley manoeuvre. Eleven patients (16 per cent) needed 2 manoeuvres and 15 patients (21 per cent) required 3 manoeuvres for symptomatic control.Conclusion:Symptomatic control of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo was obtained following a single Epley manoeuvre for 47 per cent of patients. The majority of patients (84 per cent) experienced symptomatic improvement following three Epley manoeuvres.

The reactive behavior of a mixed fluid (supercritical CO2 and brine) under physical–chemical conditions relevant to geologic storage and sequestration in a carbon repository is largely unknown. Experiments were conducted in a flexible cell hydrothermal apparatus to evaluate fluid–rock (aquifer plus aquitard) reactions that may adversely impact the integrity of the repository. A 5.5 molal NaCl brine–rock system was held at 200 °C and 200 bars (20 MPa) for 32 days (772 h) to approach steady state, then injected with CO2 and allowed to react for an additional 45 days (1079 h). In a separate experiment at 200 °C and 200 bars, the system was allowed to react for 77 days (1845 h) without injection of CO2. Corroded magnesite and euhedral siderite crystallized in a paragenetic sequence after CO2 injection. Nucleation and growth of siderite on shale suggests the aquitard is a reactive component in the system. Changes in elemental abundances in the brine following addition of CO2 include pH decrease and depletion of sodium due to accelerated growth of analcime. A pH increase follows pressure and temperature decrease and loss of saturated CO2 from acidic brine. Silica concentrations and dissolution rates are enhanced and silica precipitation inhibited in the acidic brine. Geochemical reactions in a carbon repository extend beyond pH decrease and carbonate mineral precipitation. Rock-dominated reaction systems yield to acid-dominated and related reactions controlled by mixed fluid equilibria (i.e., a fluid-dominated system). Escape of CO2 or migration of brine from the repository into overlying aquifers may cause silica super-saturation and increased alkalinity due to mixed fluid phase equilibria. These geochemical changes could be monitored in aquifers as indicators of repository integrity. Return of silica super-saturated brine to a rock-dominated reaction system buffered to neutral pH conditions may enhance precipitation of quartz, chalcedony, or amorphous silica. In addition to the potential effects (beneficial or deleterious) that silica super-saturation and precipitation may hold for repository performance, an understanding of the effects of multi-phase equilibrium relationships between supercritical CO2 and dissolved silica in aquifer–brine systems also raises new questions for a variety of geologic systems. Multi-phase fluid equilibria may, for example, account for quartz cements in some sedimentary basin sandstones and quartz vein mineralization in some ore districts.

The reactive behavior of supercritical CO2 under conditions relevant to geologic storage and sequestration of C is largely unknown. Experiments were conducted in a flexible cell hydrothermal apparatus to determine the extent of fluid–rock reactions, in addition to carbonate mineral precipitation, that may occur in a brine aquifer–aquitard system that simulates a saline aquifer storage scenario. The system was held at 200 C and 200 bars for 59 days (1413 h) to approach steady state, then injected with CO2 and allowed to react for another 80 days (1924 h). In addition to magnesite precipitation, silicate minerals (quartz, plagioclase, microcline and biotite) in the aquifer and the aquitard display textures (etch pits, mineralization) indicating significant reaction. Changes in elemental abundances in the brine following addition of CO2 include pH decrease and enrichment in Cl, partly due to supercritical CO2 desiccation of the brine. Geologic sequestration systems have potential for geochemical reactions that extend beyond simple aqueous dissolution of CO2 and precipitation of carbonate. These reactions may produce geochemical and geotechnical consequences for sequestration and provide important characteristics for monitoring and evaluation of stored CO2 .A n understanding of multi-phase equilibrium relationships between supercritical CO2 and aquifer–brine systems also raises new questions for a variety of geologic systems. Multi-phase fluid equilibria may, for example, account for the large amounts and heterogeneous distributions of calcite cement in a wide variety of geologic systems, particularly in sedimentary basin sandstones. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Linear poly(ethylenimine) (LPEI) has been modified by reductive alkylation to form linear poly( N -(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl)ethylenimine) (LPEI-G2) as verified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The resulting LPEI-G2 has short methyl-capped oligo(ethylene oxide) side-chains attached to the LPEI backbone. Characterization of pure LPEI-G2 and LPEI-G2 complexed with lithium triflate (LiTf) was carried out over a variety of concentrations using infrared (IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and impedance techniques. Initial spectroscopic studies indicated that at a 20:1 oxygen atom to lithium ion ratio, “free” ions are the dominant triflate species present. At the same composition, the electrolyte has a Tg of −60 °C and a conductivity 7×10 −5 S cm −1 at 60 °C. The vibrational spectra and conductivity values of samples at O:Li compositions of 20:1 and 5:1 will be discussed.

Linear poly(ethylenimine) (LPEI) is an NH-containing analog of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). Various groups (e.g. CH3) can be attached to the nitrogen atoms in order to decrease the crystallinity and eliminate hydrogen bonding of the host polymer. This paper focuses on linear poly(N-methylethylenimine), LPMEI, with dissolved lithium triflate (LiTf) and sodium triflate (NaTf). These electrolytes were investigated using infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and impedance measurements of the conductivity. A spectroscopic comparison of LPMEI containing LiTf and NaTf over a composition range of 5:1 to 20:1 (nitrogen:cation) shows that contact ion pairs are the predominant species in both systems except for the 5:1 NaTf sample, where the “free” triflate ions are the predominant species. Furthermore, there is an increase in the degree of ionic association with increasing salt concentration in the LiTf systems. The effect of salt concentration on the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymer host was examined using DSC. In LPMEI, Tg occurs at −91 °C and increases to 3 °C at a 5:1 (N:Li) composition. Conductivity measurements of the LPMEI:LiTf system over a composition range of 5:1 to 20:1 are compared with the LPEI:LiTf systems for temperatures between 25 and 60 °C. In addition, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) show a significant presence of crystalline domains in the LPMEI:NaTf samples.

Objective. We investigate the causes of the stability of Swedish business confidence in the early 1930s. Surprisingly, investors seemed unruffled by the Social Democrats’ heterodox “Crisis Program,” a proto-Keynesian response to the Great Depression. This research allows a productive modification of the argument that the state is dependent on private capital formation. Methods. Analysis of stock markets, currency prices, patterns of domestic investment, as well as written primary sources in Swedish and English. Results. The cross-class cooperation practiced by the Social Democrats, and the lack of a threat of radicalization, had an important calming effect on investors. Conclusions. To avoid capital flight and resulting economic dislocation, reformist governments must cooperate with business and conservatives, and turn away from workers and revolutionaries.

A subfossil fragment of the deep-sea gorgonian coral Primnoa resedaeformis was 14C AMS dated along a radial growth transect. Dates ranged from 2600±50 at the outside, to 2920±60 14C years BP near the interior, suggesting an age of

The Plio-Pleistocene Konso Formation is widely exposed in the Konso area located at the southwestern end of the southern sector of the Main Ethiopian Rift. It is known for its rich Acheulean archeological occurrences and abundant vertebrate fossils, including those of A. boisei and H. erectus. The formation also contains more than 30 tephra layers. The lithologic characterization and major element compositions of discrete glass shards of these tephra, combined with single-crystal 40 Ar / 39 Ar dating of seven tuffs, have established the tephrostratigraphy and age range of the 200-m thick formation. The succession at Konso was deposited between approximately 1.9 and 1.4 Ma and is divided into the Sorobo, Turoha, Kayle, and Karat Members in ascending stratigraphic order. Two of the Konso tephra are correlative to the Pliocene KBS and the early Pleistocene Chari Tuffs of the Omo-Turkana Basin along the Ethiopian and Kenyan border. This correlation enables precise time-controlled comparisons of faunal and archeological remains between the two regions.

172 consecutive patients admitted with suspected unilateral peritonsillar sepsis were studied. Needle aspiration of the peritonsillar space was performed, and they were all then treated with intravenous antibiotics (usually benzylpenicillin). Any pus obtained was cultured. The aspiration was repeated if the patient was not improving after 24 h. A quantity of pus was aspirated at the first attempt from 91 patients (53%); 82 of these required no further aspiration but 7 required a further single aspiration and 2 required a further 2 aspirations before resolution of the sepsis. 71 of the 81 patients (88%) from whom pus had not been aspirated, and who were therefore initially considered to have peritonsillar cellulitis, required no further aspirations. However, 6 subsequently drained pus spontaneously and 4 produced a positive aspirate on a second occasion. Four patients required a change in their antibiotic therapy. We have found the combination of needle aspiration and parenteral antibiotics to be an effective treatment of peritonsillar sepsis. All patients were spared the unpleasant and painful experience of an incision and drainage procedure.

It has been suggested that the 30-item version of the Boston Naming Test (BNT), in which either the odd or even items from the standard 60-item test are given, is the most psychometrically sound short form. However, no normative data are available for this version. We administered the Odd/Even BNT to 30 community-dwelling elderly individuals (age M = 72.93, range 61-84; education M = 13.73) in order to collect normative data. Odd and even forms were equivalent. The combined mean total correct score was 27.13 (SD = 2.06), a score consistent with that derived by retrospective extraction in the original odd/even test construction study. Each form discriminated normals from age- and education-matched patients with probable Alzheimer's disease, suggesting criterion-related validity.

The goals were to (1) clarify high risk individuals into one of five stages of readiness for consistent condom use based on the Transtheoredcal Model of behavior change (e.g., Prochaska, Norcross and DiClemente, 1994); (2) investigate whether frequency of condom use was different for vaginal vs. anal sex, and for steady vs. other partners; and (3) explore whether condom use was related to several demographic variables. Street interviews were conducted in six major geographic areas across the United States on a diverse sample of 345 individuals engaging in high HIV-risk behaviors. Percentages of individuals found in each of five stages of condom use were: 36% Precontemplators, 15% Contemplators, 7% in Preparation, 7% in Action, and 35% in Maintenance. Individuals used condoms more with other, casual partners than with a steady partner, and slightly more when engaging in anal sex rather than vaginal sex. Condoms were also used more by: men, Caucasians, non-heterosexuals, and those who were not in a...

The presence of third parties during neuropsychological examinations has long been permitted for training or assisting examiners. Recently, clinical neuropsychologists have been requested to allow third party observers who are working in the interest of parties in legal disputes. This paper examines the ethical implications of the use of third party observers and makes recommendations as to how clinical neuropsychologists might handle requests for their presence.

Quantitative DNA analysis has often been proposed as a potential tool capable of detecting preneoplastic tissue and as such to function as an intermediate endpoint in cancer chemoprevention trials. The first aim of this study was to test whether cytomorphometric parameters could be used to detect field cancerization characteristics in cytological preparations of oral mucosa. Cytomorphometric parameters in exfoliated cells of apparently normal oral mucosa of head and neck cancer patients were compared with those of healthy controls. The second aim was to assess the value of these parameters subsequently as intermediate endpoint biomarkers in the mucosa of 70 patients receiving N-acetylcysteine and/or retinyl-palmitate as chemopreventive drugs. No differences were detected between 'high risk' and healthy mucosa, nor were differences observed before and after treatment.

Using a model recombinant retrovirus encoding the Escherichia coli lacZ gene, we have found that medium conditioned with NIH 3T3 cells and packaging cell lines derived from NIH 3T3 cells inhibits infection. Most of the inhibitory activity was greater than 100 kDa and was sensitive to chondroitinase ABC digestion, which is consistent with the inhibitor being a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan. Proteoglycans secreted by NIH 3T3 cells and purified by anion-exchange chromatography inhibited amphotropic retrovirus infection. Pretreatment of amphotropic retrovirus stocks with chondroitinase ABC boosted the level of transduction efficiency by more than twofold. The implications of these findings with respect to retrovirus-cell interactions and the production of high-titer retroviral stocks are discussed.

Background. During cardiopulmonary bypass anasopharyngeal temperature greater than 38°C at the end of rewarming may indicate cerebral hyperthermia. This could exacerbate an ischemic brain injury incurred during cardiopulmonary bypass. Methods. In a cohort of 150 aortocoronay bypass patients neuropsychologic test scores of 66 patients whose rewarming temperature exceeded 38°C were compared with those who did not. There were no differences between groups with respect to demographic and intraoperative variables. Results. A trend was seen for hyperthermic patients to do worse on all neuropsychologic tests in the early postoperative period but not at 3-month follow-up. By analysis of covariance hyperthermic patients did worse on the visual reproduction subtest of the Weschler memory scale at 3 months ( p = 0.02), but this difference was not found by linear regression ( p = 0.10). Conclusions. We were unable to demonstrate any significant deterioration in patients rewarmed to greater than 38°C in the early postoperative period. The poorer performance in the visual reproduction subtest of the Wechsler memory scale at 3 months in the group rewarmed to more than 38°C is interesting but far from conclusive. Caution with rewarming is still advised pending more in-depth study of this issue.

We determined whether a battery of neuropsychological tests could predict who would develop Alzheimer's disease (AD) in a group of 123 memory-impaired nondemented patients. Patients were followed longitudinally for 2 years with a research battery of neuropsychological tests. After 2 years, 29 developed probable AD, and 94 did not develop dementia. We used logistic regression analyses to examine the classification accuracy of subjects' performance at entry to the study on the research battery. The logistic regression model was significant with an accuracy of 89%, sensitivity of 76%, and specificity of 94%. Two tests contributed significantly to this model: the delayed recall from the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and the Mental Control subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale. These two tests alone produced the same accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity as the larger model. These results demonstrate that probable AD can be predicted with a high degree of accuracy and with a relatively brief battery of neuropsychological tests.

BACKGROUND: Patient navigation can increase colorectal cancer screening rates. The net economic impact of a colonoscopy patient navigator program was evaluated in an urban public hospital setting. METHODS: Cost, cost-effectiveness, and cost-benefit analyses were performed of a colonoscopy patient navigation program at 3 urban public hospitals in the period from 2003 to 2007. Program effectiveness was assessed in a 2-group, pre- and post-program, nonrandomized evaluation, comparing program hospitals with comparison hospitals that served similar populations. Costs were assessed from the provider's perspective. Outcomes included colonoscopy volume, colonoscopy completion rate, program cost, incremental cost-effectiveness, and net monetary benefit. RESULTS: Patient navigation was associated with a 61% increase in average monthly colonoscopy volume at program hospitals, from 114 procedures to 184 procedures, compared with a 12% increase at comparison hospitals. Adjusted for other factors, the navigator program increased colonoscopy volume by 44 to 67 additional procedures per month. Average program cost varied from $50 to $300 per patient referred to a navigator. Incremental cost-effectiveness varied from $200 to $700 per additional colonoscopy. At 2 hospitals, net revenue associated with increased colonoscopy volume exceeded the program cost per additional colonoscopy, yielding a net financial benefit; at the third hospital, the program yielded a net cost. Variation between hospitals in the program's economic impact was primarily attributable to differences in personnel costs. CONCLUSIONS: Economic evaluation of this colonoscopy patient navigator program in an urban public hospital setting suggests that such programs can be a cost-effective use of limited resources and yield a net financial benefit for providers. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.

We reviewed studies of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) in which the test was administered to subjects with and without evidence of focal frontal-lobe dysfunction. This review indicated that few studies had investigated the differential performance of normals and those with frontal dysfunction. The evidence that frontal patients perform more poorly than nonfrontal patients is weak. There is insubstantial evidence to conclude that the WCST is a measure of dorsolateral-frontal dysfunction. The clinical utility of the test as a measure of frontal-lobe dysfunction is not supported nor is the use of the test as a marker of frontal dysfunction for research purposes.

We examined the comparability of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCFT) and the Taylor Complex Figure Test (TCFT) as measures of constructional praxis and visual recall in a sample of 38 patients who were administered the two figures in counterbalanced order. Copy scores did not differ for the two figures. There was some evidence that percent recall scores, but not absolute recall scores, were higher for the TCFT and more susceptible to proactive interference than those for the ROCFT. These results suggest that the two figures yield comparable results when copy or absolute recall scores are used, but that the TCFT may be easier to recall than the ROCFT when percent recall scores are used.

SYNOPSISSchizophrenic subjects performed significantly worse on neuropsychological tests of frontal lobe function but not on tests of non-frontal lobe function when compared to a matched group of normal subjects. Correlations expected between frontal lobe neuropsychological test performance and negative symptoms were not found.