Digital Commons Network^™

A Probability Sample For Monitoring The Hiv-Infected Population In Care In The U.S. And In Selected States, Martin R. Frankel, Ad Mcnaghten, Martin F. Shapiro, Patrick S. Sullivan, Sandra H. Berry, Christopher H. Johnson, Elaine W. Flagg, Sally Morton, Samuel A. Bozzette

Publications and Research

Epidemiologic and clinical changes in the HIV epidemic over time have presented a challenge to public health surveillance to monitor behavioral and clinical factors that affect disease progression and HIV transmission. The Medical Monitoring Project (MMP) is a supplemental surveillance project designed to provide representative, population-based data on clinical status, care, outcomes, and behaviors of HIV-infected persons receiving care at the national level. We describe a three-stage probability sampling method that provides both nationally and state-level representative estimates. In stage-I, 20 states, which included 6 separately funded cities/counties, were selected using probability proportional to size (PPS) sampling. PPS sampling was …

Risk Factor Detection As A Metric Of Starhs Performance For Hiv Incidence Surveillance Among Female Sex Workers In Kigali, Rwanda, Sarah L. Braunstein, Janneke H. Van De Wijgert, Joseph Vyankandondera, Evelyn Kestelyn, Justin Ntirushwa, Denis Nash

Publications and Research

Background:
The epidemiologic utility of STARHS hinges not only on producing accurate estimates of HIV incidence, but also on identifying risk factors for recent HIV infection.

Methods:
As part of an HIV seroincidence study, 800 Rwandan female sex workers (FSW) were HIV tested, with those testing positive further tested by BED-CEIA (BED) and AxSYM Avidity Index (Ax-AI) assays. A sample of HIV-negative (N=397) FSW were followed prospectively for HIV seroconversion. We compared estimates of risk factors for: 1) prevalent HIV infection; 2) recently acquired HIV infection (RI) based on three different STARHS classifications (BED alone, Ax-AI alone, BED/Ax-AI combined); and …

Children’S Eyewitness Identification As Implicit Moral Decision-Making, Toni Spring, Herbert D. Saltzstein, Roger Peach

Publications and Research

Why are young children particularly prone to make false positive errors or false alarms when identifying a wrongdoer? In three studies the problem was approached using a signal detection analysis, focusing on the moral costs of false alarms, as understood at different points in development. The findings are: (1) decisional criteria became more conservative, indicating fewer false alarms, with age in three studies, (2) children’s beliefs about the seriousness of false alarms and misses changed from (a) a non-moral concern to (b) a moral concern for false negatives or misses to (c) a moral concern for false alarms. (3) These …

Sex & Vision I: Spatio-Temporal Resolution, Israel Abramov, James Gordon, Olga Feldman, Alla Chavarga

Publications and Research

Background Cerebral cortex has a very large number of testosterone receptors, which could be a basis for sex differences in sensory functions. For example, audition has clear sex differences, which are related to serum testosterone levels. Of all major sensory systems only vision has not been examined for sex differences, which is surprising because occipital lobe (primary visual projection area) may have the highest density of testosterone receptors in the cortex. We have examined a basic visual function: spatial and temporal pattern resolution and acuity. Methods We tested large groups of young adults with normal vision. They were screened with …

But Are They Connected?: A Report On The Queens College Technology Survey Of The Use Of Ubiquitous Tools For Learning, Eva M. Fernández, Michelle C. Fraboni

Publications and Research

The casual observer of the student population at Queens College (an urban, public, predominantly undergraduate campus) is awed by the ubiquity of technology, offering students the ability to communicate and participate in learning anytime, anywhere. They text, email, facebook, and tweet all day long. They have nearly instant access to the digital tools that have been touted as changing teaching and learning at all levels of education. With over 80% of our population born in or after 1980, there is an assumption that these digital natives intuitively know about and prefer digital tools for learning. With this in mind, and …

Spontaneous Brain Activity Relates To Autonomic Arousal, Jin Fan, Pengfei Xu, Nicholas T. Van Dam, Tehila Eilam-Stock, Xiaosi Gu, Yue-Jia Luo, Patrick R. Hof

Publications and Research

Although possible sources and functions of the resting-state networks (RSNs) of the brain have been proposed, most evidence relies on circular logic and reverse inference. We propose that autonomic arousal provides an objective index of psychophysiological states during rest that may also function as a driving source of the activity and connectivity of RSNs. Recording blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal using functional magnetic resonance imaging and skin conductance simultaneously during rest in human subjects, we found that the spontaneous fluctuations of BOLD signals in key nodes of RSNs are associated with changes in nonspecific skin conductance response, a sensitive psychophysiological …

Γ-Synuclein Interacts With Phospholipase Cβ2 To Modulate G Protein Activation, Urszula Golebiewska, Yuanjian Guo, Narindra Khalikaprasad, Cassandra Zurawsky, V. Siddhartha Yerramilli, Suzanne Scarlata

Publications and Research

Phospholipase Cβ2 (PLC β2) is activated by G proteins and generates calcium signals in cells. PLCβ2 is absent in normal breast tissue, but is highly expressed in breast tumors where its expression is correlated with the progression and migration of the tumor. This pattern of expression parallels the expression of the breast cancer specific gene protein 1 which is also known as γ-synuclein. The cellular function of γ-synuclein and the role it plays in proliferation are unknown. Here, we determined whether γ-synuclein can interact with PLCβ2 and affect its activity. Using co-immunprecitation and co-immunofluorescence, we find that in both benign …

Pricing Options On Foreign Currency With A Preset Exchange Rate, Avner Wolf, Christopher Heseel

Publications and Research

This paper presents a new option that can be used by agents for managing foreign exchange risk. Unlike the Garman Kolhagen model [1], (GK), this paper presents a new model with a preset exchange rate (PE), that allows the agent to take advantage of the his/her view on both the direction and magnitude of rate movement and as such provides this agent with more choices. The model has a provision for an automatic exchange of the payoff at a preset exchange rate, and upon expiration gives the agent the choice of keeping the payoff in the foreign currency or exchanging …

Weaponizing Tear Gas: Bahrain’S Unprecedented Use Of Toxic Chemical Agents Against Civilians., Richard Sollom, Holly G. Atkinson

Publications and Research

The Bahraini government’s response to the early 2011 pro-democracy protests was brutal, systematic, and violent. In addition to birdshot and rubber bullets, government law enforcement attacked unarmed protestors with toxic chemical agents including tear gas. The government’s crackdown on the medical profession was especially harmful, as security forces arrested and detained doctors, raided health facilities, and obstructed patients from receiving necessary care. This report’s findings are based on field research that the authors conducted in Bahrain (April 2012) to investigate excessive use of force by law enforcement officials since June 2011—the end of Bahrain’s state of emergency. The medico-legal team …

Review Of Dan Reiter’S "How Wars End", Zachary C. Shirkey

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

An Integrated Vendor-Buyer Cooperative Inventory Model For Items With Imperfect Quality And Shortage Backordering, Jia-Tzer Hsu, Lie-Fern Hsu

Publications and Research

We develop a model to determine an integrated vendor-buyer inventory policy for items with imperfect quality and planned back orders. The production process is imperfect and produces a certain number of defective items with a known probability density function. The vendor delivers the items to the buyer in small lots of equally sized shipments. Upon receipt of the items, the buyer will conduct a 100% inspection. Since each lot contains a variable number of defective items, shortages may occur at the buyer. We assume that shortages are permitted and are completely back ordered. The objective is to minimize the total …

Utilizing The Reaction Of Degeneration Test For Individuals With Focal Paralysis, Thomas J. Holland

Publications and Research

Background and purpose Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a modality sometimes used to help strengthen weak muscles. On occasion, however, the targeted muscles do not respond to the current delivered. No response to electrical stimulation should raise the consideration of unsuspected peripheral nerve damage. Two case studies are presented showing how absence of response was due to unsuspected peripheral neuropathy, which had not been considered in either of the original referral diagnoses. Case descriptions The first individual sustained head trauma and did not respond to NMES to facilitate finger flexor contractions in the left hand. This prompted a reaction of …

Detecting The Immune System Response Of A 500 Year-Old Inca Mummy, Angelique Corthals, Antonius Koller, Dwight W. Martin, Robert Rieger, Emily I. Chen, Mario Bernaski, Gabriella Recagno, Liliana M. Dávalos

Publications and Research

Disease detection in historical samples currently relies on DNA extraction and amplification, or immunoassays. These techniques only establish pathogen presence rather than active disease. We report the first use of shotgun proteomics to detect the protein expression profile of buccal swabs and cloth samples from two 500-year-old Andean mummies. The profile of one of the mummies is consistent with immune system response to severe pulmonary bacterial infection at the time of death. Presence of a probably pathogenic Mycobacterium sp. in one buccal swab was confirmed by DNA amplification, sequencing, and phylogenetic analyses. Our study provides positive evidence of active pathogenic …

Correlation Of Trpgly And Glytrp Rotamer Structure With W7 And W10 Uv Resonance Raman Modes And Fluorescence Emission Shifts, Azaria Solomon Eisenberg, Laura J. Juszczak

Publications and Research

Tryptophyl glycine (TrpGly) and glycyl tryptophan (GlyTrp) dipeptides at pH 5.5 and pH 9.3 show a pattern of fluorescence emission shifts with the TrpGly zwitterion emission solely blue shifted. This pattern is matched by shifts in the UV resonance Raman (UVRR) W10 band position and the W7 Fermi doublet band ratio. Ab initio calculations show that the 1340 cm−1 band of the W7 doublet is composed of three modes, two of which determine the W7 band ratios for the dipeptides. Molecular dynamics simulations show that the dipeptides take on two conformations: one with the peptide backbone extended; one with the …

Homicide By Neighborhood: Mapping New York City’S Violent Crime Drop, Preeti Chauhan, Lauren Kois

Publications and Research

Researchers, scholars, and policymakers interested in the falling rate of violent crime in New York City (NYC) have attempted to pinpoint causes of the welcome trend. Discovering the causes of the city’s crime drop may lead to important lessons for the city itself and may influence policy and practice throughout the state, nation, and perhaps other countries. Researchers have suggested a host of mechanisms that may explain the dramatic decline in violence, but two factors—misdemeanor policing and the transformation of drug markets—continue to receive the most attention. This report focuses on these factors in relation to gun-related homicide rates. It …

A New Body Shape Index Predicts Mortality Hazard Independently Of Body Mass Index, Nir Y. Krakauer, Jesse C. Krakauer

Publications and Research

Background Obesity, typically quantified in terms of Body Mass Index (BMI) exceeding threshold values, is considered a leading cause of premature death worldwide. For given body size (BMI), it is recognized that risk is also affected by body shape, particularly as a marker of abdominal fat deposits. Waist circumference (WC) is used as a risk indicator supplementary to BMI, but the high correlation of WC with BMI makes it hard to isolate the added value of WC. Methods and Findings We considered a USA population sample of 14,105 non-pregnant adults () from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) …

Ih Modulates Theta Rhythm And Synchrony In Computer Model Of Ca3, Markus M. Hilscher, Thiago Moulin, Yosef Skolnick, William W. Lytton, Samuel A. Neymotin

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

When Data Are Not Missing At Random: Implications For Measuring Health Conditions In The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Martin R. Frankel, Michael P. Battaglia, Lina Balluz, Tara Strine

Publications and Research

Objectives To examine the effect on estimated levels of health conditions produced from large-scale surveys, when either list-wise respondent deletion or standard demographic item-level imputation is employed. To assess the degree to which further bias reduction results from the inclusion of correlated ancillary variables in the item imputation process. Design Large cross-sectional (US level) household survey. Participants 218 726 US adults (18 years and older) in the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey. This survey is the largest US telephone survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Primary and secondary outcome measures Estimated rates of severe …

Implementation As Ongoing And Incremental: Case Study Of Web 2.0 Use For Staff Communication, Wendy Chu

Publications and Research

Web 2.0 implementations in academic libraries tend to concentrate on rolling out a functioning system first and training of personnel second. This article offers a case analysis documenting one approach to implementation, whereby a website slowly integrates Web 2.0 technologies in a just-in-time orientation, and the impact on improving staff communication and cultivating community awareness for a small academic library. Findings underscore the need to reexamine the implementation process as a continuous, adaptive, and non-demanding engagement with colleagues and staff based on active awareness of developments and needs.

Inhibition Of Pokeweed Antiviral Protein (Pap) By Turnip Mosaic Virus Genome-Linked Protein (Vpg), Artem V. Domashevskiy, Hiroshi Miyoshi, Dixie J. Goss

Publications and Research

Pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP) from Phytolacca americana is a ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) and an RNA N-glycosidase that removes specific purine residues from the sarcin/ricin loop of large rRNA, arresting protein synthesis at the translocation step. PAP is also a cap-binding protein and is a potent antiviral agent against many plant, animal, and human viruses. To elucidate the mechanism of RNA depurination, and to understand how PAP recognizes and targets various RNAs, the interactions between PAP and turnip mosaic virus genomelinked protein (VPg) were investigated. VPg can function as a cap analog in cap-independent translation and potentially target PAP to uncapped …

Potential Significance Of Photoexcited No2 On Global Air Quality With The Nmmb/Bsc Chemical Transport Model, O. Jorba, D. Dabdub, Christopher S. Blaszczak-Boxe, C. Pérez, Z. Janjic, J. M. Baldasano, M. Spada, A. Badia, M. Gonçalves

Publications and Research

Atmospheric chemists have recently focused on the relevance of the NO2* + H2O → OH + HONO reaction to local air quality. This chemistry has been considered not relevant for the troposphere from known reaction rates until nowadays. New experiments suggested a rate constant of 1.7 × 10−13 cm3 molecule−1 s−1, which is an order of magnitude faster than the previously estimated upper limit of 1.2 × 10−14 cm3 molecule−1 s−1, determined by Crowley and Carl (1997). Using the new global model, NMMB/BSC Chemical Transport Model (NMMB/BSC-CTM), simulations are presented that assess the potential significance of this chemistry on global …

Comparing Unique Title Coverage Of Web Of Science And Scopus In Earth And Atmospheric Sciences, Philip Barnett, Claudia Lascar

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

In Memoriam: Marta G. Franco, John A. Drobnicki

Publications and Research

Marta Franco was the longtime Serials Librarian in the York College Library.

Occupy Mindfulness, David Forbes

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

The Socialist Design: Urban Dilemmas In Postwar Europe And The Soviet Union, Elidor Mehilli

Publications and Research

Taking a cue from two books—Stephen Bittner’s account of the “many lives” of the Soviet Thaw and Greg Castillo’s study of the Cold War as a series of battles in design and the domestic sphere—as well as a recent explosion of interest among historians in the Khrushchev era, “spatial history,” material culture, and East–West exchanges, this article addresses the paradoxes of the Thaw as exemplified in urban form. It argues for the interconnected nature of domestic, international, and Eastern bloc- level dynamics by viewing processes of the Thaw simultaneously from the angles of neighborhood, city, and empire. These angles capture …

Racial Microaggressions And The Filipino American Experience: Recommendations For Counseling And Development, Kevin L. Nadal, Kara M. Vigilia Escobar, Gail T. Prado, Ejr David, Kristal Haynes

Publications and Research

Racial microaggressions are subtle forms of verbal and behavioral discrimination toward people of color. The current qualitative study explores the experiences of Filipino American participants (N = 12), who described 13 categories of microaggressions, including being treated as an alien in one’s own land or as a 2nd-class citizen, being presumed to have inferior status or intellect, being assumed to uphold Filipino stereotypes, or being mistaken for another identity. Recommendations for counseling and development are discussed.

Exploring The Role Of The Police In Prisoner Reentry, Jeremy Travis, Ronald Davis, Sarah Lawrence

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Optimal Control Of Katabatic Flows Within Canopies, Hongbin Chen, Chuixiang Yi

Publications and Research

What slope angle favours the development of katabatic flow is still an open question. Some studies have clarified that katabatic winds are stronger on steep slopes, while others have demonstrated that katabatic winds are stronger on gentle slopes. Here, we explore the control mechanisms of katabatic flow using a simplified theoretical model in an attempt to clarify the causes of the paradoxical findings. Our results indicate that optimal conditions for katabatic flows within canopies are synergistically controlled by terrain angle, canopy structure and thermal condition through a simple equation:

L_cV_T^-2 sin³ α = b,

where …

Awareness And Interest In Intrauterine Contraceptive Device Use Among Hiv-Positive Women In Cape Town, South Africa, Catherine S. Todd, Heidi E. Jones, Tracy C. Garber, Hoviyeh Afnan-Holmes, Helen Woolgar, Linda-Gail Bekker, Landon Myer

Publications and Research

Objective. To assess awareness of and interest in intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) use among HIV-positive women in Cape Town, South Africa. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Methods. HIV-positive women aged 18 through 45 years presenting for care at a primary health care clinic in Cape Town, South Africa participated in this study. Consented participants completed a staff-administered questionnaire in a private setting. Descriptive statistics were generated. Comparisons between demographic and reproductive health-related variables and IUCD awareness and interest were performed with multiple logistic regression. Analyses for IUCD interest excluded women with prior surgical sterilization. Results. Of 277 HIV-positive women, 37% were aware …

Coordination Between Proteasome Impairment And Caspase Activation Leading To Tau Pathology: Neuroprotection By Camp, M. J. Metcalfe, Q. Huang, Maria E. Figueiredo-Pereira

Publications and Research

Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The main component of NFTs is TAU, a highly soluble microtubule-associated protein. However, when TAU is cleaved at Asp421 by caspases it becomes prone to aggregation leading to NFTs. What triggers caspase activation resulting in TAU cleavage remains unclear. We investigated in rat cortical neurons a potential coordination between proteasome impairment and caspase activation. We demonstrate that upon proteasome inhibition, the early accumulation of detergent-soluble ubiquitinated (SUb) proteins paves the way to caspase activation and TAU pathology. This occurs with two drugs that inhibit the proteasome by different means: the product …