cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
STAA: Spatio-Temporal Alignment Attention for Short-Term Precipitation Forecasting
Creators: name: Chen, Min
name: Yang, Hao
name: Li, Shaohan
name: Qin, Xiaolin
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics (physics.ao-ph)
subject: Machine Learning (cs.LG)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: There is a great need to accurately predict short-term precipitation, which has socioeconomic effects such as agriculture and disaster prevention. Recently, the forecasting models have employed multi-source data as the multi-modality input, thus improving the prediction accuracy. However, the prevailing methods usually suffer from the desynchronization of multi-source variables, the insufficient capability of capturing spatio-temporal dependency, and unsatisfactory performance in predicting extreme precipitation events. To fix these problems, we propose a short-term precipitation forecasting model based on spatio-temporal alignment attention, with SATA as the temporal alignment module and STAU as the spatio-temporal feature extractor to filter high-pass features from precipitation signals and capture multi-term temporal dependencies. Based on satellite and ERA5 data from the southwestern region of China, our model achieves improvements of 12.61\% in terms of RMSE, in comparison with the state-of-the-art methods.
Homogeneous Instantons in Bigravity
Creators: name: Zhang, Ying-li
name: Sasaki, Misao
name: Yeom, Dong-han
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO)
subject: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We study homogeneous gravitational instantons, conventionally called the Hawking-Moss (HM) instantons, in bigravity theory. The HM instantons describe the amplitude of quantum tunneling from a false vacuum to the true vacuum. Corrections to General Relativity (GR) are found in a closed form. Using the result, we discuss the following two issues: reduction to the de Rham-Gabadadze-Tolley (dRGT) massive gravity and the possibility of preference for a large $e$-folding number in the context of the Hartle-Hawking (HH) no-boundary proposal. In particular, concerning the dRGT limit, it is found that the tunneling through the so-called self-accelerating branch is exponentially suppressed relative to the normal branch, and the probability becomes zero in the dRGT limit. As far as HM instantons are concerned, this could imply that the reduction from bigravity to the dRGT massive gravity is ill-defined.
description: 20 pages, 2 figures, comments and references added
Collisionless absorption, hot electron generation, and energy scaling in intense laser-target interaction
Creators: name: Liseykina, T.
name: Mulser, P.
name: Murakami, M.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: Plasma Physics (physics.plasm-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Among the various attempts to understand collisionless absorption of intense ultrashort laser pulses a variety of models has been invented to describe the laser beam target interaction. In terms of basic physics collisionless absorption is understood now as the interplay of the oscillating laser field with the space charge field produced in the plasma. A first approach to this idea is realized in Brunel's model the essence of which consists in the formation of an oscillating charge cloud in the vacuum in front of the target. The investigation of statistical ensembles of orbits shows that the absorption process is localized at the ion-vacuum interface and in the skin layer: Single electrons enter into resonance with the laser field thereby undergoing a phase shift which causes orbit crossing and braking of Brunel's laminar flow. This anharmonic resonance acts like an attractor for the electrons and leads to the formation of a Maxwellian tail in the electron energy spectrum. Most remarkable results of our investigations are the Brunel-like hot electron distribution at the relativistic threshold; the minimum of absorption at $Iλ^2 \cong (0.3-1.2)\times 10^{21}$ W/cm$^2μ$m$^2$, in the plasma target with the electron density of $n_e λ^2\sim 10^{23}$cm$^{-3}μ$m$^2;$ the drastic reduction of the number of hot electrons in this domain and their reappearance in the highly relativistic domain; strong coupling of the fast electron jets with the return current through Cherenkov emission of plasmons. The hot electron energy scaling shows a strong dependence on intensity in the moderately relativistic domain $Iλ^2 \cong (10^{18} - 10^{20})$ W/cm$^2μ$m$^2$, a scaling in vague accordance with current published estimates in the range $Iλ^2 \cong (0.14-3.5)\times 10^{21}$ W/cm$^2μ$m$^2$, and a distinct power increase beyond $I=3.5\times 10^{21}$ W/cm$^2μ$m$^2$.
description: 11 pages, 10 figures
Competency development in public health leadership
Creators: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2000

description: The professional development of public health leaders requires competency-based instruction to increase their ability to address complex and changing demands for critical services. This article reviews the development of the Leadership Competency Framework by the National Public Health Leadership Development Network and discusses its significance. After reviewing pertinent literature and existing practice-based competency frameworks, network members developed the framework through sequential use of workgroup assignments and nominal group process. The framework is being used by network members to develop and refine program competency lists and content; to compare programs; to develop needs assessments, baseline measures, and performance standards; and to evaluate educational outcomes. It is a working document, to be continually refined and evaluated to ensure its continued relevance to performance in practice. Understanding both the applications and the limits of competency frameworks is important in individual, program, and organizational assessment. Benefits of using defined competencies in designing leadership programs include the integrated and sustained development of leadership capacity and the use of technology for increased access and quality control.
Coherent elastic excitation of spin waves
Creators: name: Kamra, Akashdeep
name: Keshtgar, Hedyeh
name: Yan, Peng
name: Bauer, Gerrit E. W.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
subject: Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We model the injection of elastic waves into a ferromagnetic film (F) by a non-magnetic transducer (N). We compare the configurations in which the magnetization is normal and parallel to the wave propagation. The lack of axial symmetry in the former results in the emergence of evanescent interface states. We compute the energy-flux transmission across the N$|$F interface and sound-induced magnetization dynamics in the ferromagnet. We predict efficient acoustically induced pumping of spin current into a metal contact attached to F.
description: 18 single column pages, 8 figures
Factors predicting completion of a home visitation program by high-risk pregnant women: the North Carolina Maternal Outreach Worker Program
Creators: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2000

description: OBJECTIVES: This study sought to identify characteristics of high-risk pregnant women that predicted long-term participation in a home visitation program. METHODS: Data regarding sociodemographic characteristics, perceived needs, psychological functioning, substance use, and informal social support were collected prospectively from 152 short-term and 221 long-term program participants. RESULTS: In comparison with short-term participants, long-term participants were more likely to have been African American, married, nonsmokers, and enrolled in the program during their second trimester of pregnancy, and they were more likely to have had emotional and instrumental support needs. CONCLUSIONS: Women with greater social support needs and healthier behaviors were more receptive to long-term home visitation than other women.
Evidence for collective multi-particle correlations in pPb collisions
Creators: name: CMS Collaboration
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Nuclear Experiment (nucl-ex)
subject: High Energy Physics - Experiment (hep-ex)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The second-order azimuthal anisotropy Fourier harmonics, v2, are obtained in pPb and PbPb collisions over a wide pseudorapidity (eta) range based on correlations among six or more charged particles. The pPb data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35 inverse nanobarns, were collected during the 2013 LHC pPb run at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV by the CMS experiment. A sample of semi-peripheral PbPb collision data at sqrt(s[NN])= 2.76 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.5 inverse microbarns and covering a similar range of particle multiplicities as the pPb data, is also analyzed for comparison. The six- and eight-particle cumulant and the Lee-Yang zeros methods are used to extract the v2 coefficients, extending previous studies of two- and four-particle correlations. For both the pPb and PbPb systems, the v2 values obtained with correlations among more than four particles are consistent with previously published four-particle results. These data support the interpretation of a collective origin for the previously observed long-range (large Delta[eta]) correlations in both systems. The ratios of v2 values corresponding to correlations including different numbers of particles are compared to theoretical predictions that assume a hydrodynamic behavior of a pPb system dominated by fluctuations in the positions of participant nucleons. These results provide new insights into the multi-particle dynamics of collision systems with a very small overlapping region.
description: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DOI
Menopausal hormones and breast cancer in a biracial population
Creators: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2000

description: OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association between menopausal hormones and breast cancer in a biracial population. METHODS: Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios for breast cancer associated with hormone use among 397 cases and 425 controls, all menopausal women. RESULTS: Odds ratios for ever use of hormones were 0.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.5, 1.2) for White women and 0.7 (95% CI = 0.4, 1.2) for Black women. Risk was not increased with longer duration of use or more recent use. CONCLUSIONS: Breast cancer risk was not increased among White or Black women who used menopausal hormones, despite patterns of use varying considerably between races.
The economic implications of self-care: the effect of lifestyle, functional adaptations, and medical self-care among a national sample of Medicare beneficiaries
Creators: name: Ory, M
name: Fasick, S
name: DeFriese, G
name: Stearns, S
name: Bernard, S
name: Konrad, T
name: Schwartz, R
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2000

description: OBJECTIVES: Self-care includes actions taken by individuals to promote or ensure their health, to recover from diseases or injuries, or to manage their effects. This study measured associations between self-care practices (lifestyle practices, adaptations to functional limitations, and medical self-care) and Medicare expenditures among a national sample of adults 65 years and older. METHODS: Regression models of Medicare use and expenditures were estimated by using the National Survey of Self-Care and Aging and Medicare claims for 4 years following a baseline interview. RESULTS: Lifestyle factors (swimming and walking) and functional adaptations (general home modifications) were associated with reductions in monthly Medicare expenditures over a 12-month follow-up period. Expenditure reductions were found over the 48-month follow-up period for participation in active sports, gardening, and medical self-care. Practices associated with increases in expenditures included smoking, physical exercise (possibly of a more strenuous nature), and specific home modifications. CONCLUSIONS: Certain self-care practices appear to have significant implications for Medicare expenditures and presumptively for the health status of older adults. Such practices should be encouraged among older adults as a matter of national health policy.
Gamma-ray sky points to radial gradients in cosmic-ray transport
Creators: name: Gaggero, Daniele
name: Urbano, Alfredo
name: Valli, Mauro
name: Ullio, Piero
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE)
subject: High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The standard approach to cosmic-ray (CR) propagation in the Galaxy is based on the assumption that local transport properties can be extrapolated to the whole CR confining volume. Such models tend to underestimate the gamma-ray flux above few GeV measured by the Fermi Large Area Telescope towards the inner Galactic plane. We consider here for the first time a phenomenological scenario allowing for both the rigidity scaling of the diffusion coefficient and convective effects to be position-dependent. We show that within this approach we can reproduce the observed gamma-ray spectra at both low and mid Galactic latitudes - including the Galactic center - without spoiling any local CR observable.
description: 7 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication by PRD
Clinical and microbiological characteristics of fungal keratitis in the United States, 20012007: A multicenter study
Creators: name: Lee, S.M.
name: Matoba, A.
name: Alfonso, E.C.
name: Stulting, R.D.
name: Cavanagh, D.
name: Schein, O.D.
name: Mauger, T.F.
name: Hammersmith, K.
name: Oechsler, R.A.
name: Tuli, S.S.
name: Iovieno, A.
name: Gower, E.W.
name: Keay, L.J.
name: Irvine, J.
name: Colby, K.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2011

description: Objective: To study the epidemiology, clinical observations, and microbiologic characteristics of fungal keratitis at tertiary eye care centers in the United States. Design: Retrospective multicenter case series. Participants: Fungal keratitis cases presenting to participating tertiary eye care centers. Methods: Charts were reviewed for all fungal keratitis cases confirmed by culture, histology, or confocal microscopy between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2007, at 11 tertiary clinical sites in the United States. Main Outcome Measures: Frequency of potential predisposing factors and associations between these factors and fungal species. Results: A total of 733 cases of fungal keratitis were identified. Most cases were confirmed by culture from corneal scraping (n = 693) or biopsies (n = 19); 16 cases were diagnosed by microscopic examination of corneal scraping alone; and 5 cases were diagnosed by confocal microscopy alone. Some 268 of 733 cases (37%) were associated with refractive contact lens wear, 180 of 733 cases (25%) were associated with ocular trauma, and 209 of 733 cases (29%) were associated with ocular surface disease. No predisposing factor was identified in 76 cases (10%). Filamentous fungi were identified in 141 of 180 ocular trauma cases (78%) and in 231 of 268 refractive contact lens-associated cases (86%). Yeast was the causative organism in 111 of 209 cases (53%) associated with ocular surface disease. Yeast accounted for few cases of fungal keratitis associated with refractive contact-lens wear (20 cases), therapeutic contact-lens wear (11 cases), or ocular trauma (21 cases). Surgical intervention was undertaken in 26% of cases and was most frequently performed for fungal keratitis associated with ocular surface disease (44%). Surgical intervention was more likely in cases associated with filamentous fungi (P = 0.03). Among contact lens wearers, delay in diagnosis of 2 or more weeks increased the likelihood of surgery (age-adjusted odds ratio = 2.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.24.2). Conclusions: Trauma, contact lens wear, and ocular surface disease predispose patients to developing fungal keratitis. Filamentous fungi are most frequently the causative organism for fungal keratitis associated with trauma or contact lens wear, whereas yeast is most frequently the causative organism in patients with ocular surface disease. Delay in diagnosis increases the likelihood of surgical intervention for contact lens-associated fungal keratitis. Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.
The potential and limitations of data from population-based state cancer registries
Creators: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2000

description: Cancer incidence varies markedly among states because of population heterogeneity regarding risk, genetic, and demographic factors. Population-based cancer registries are essential to monitoring cancer trends and control. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, through the National Program of Cancer Registries, are helping state registries generate more and better data nationwide. The National Program of Cancer Registries has supported the enhancement of 36 registries and the creation of 13 new registries in 45 states, 3 territories, and the District of Columbia, providing national standards for completeness, timeliness, and quality; financial support; and technical assistance. Users must be aware of diverse issues that influence collection and interpretation of cancer registry data, such as multiple cancer diagnoses, duplicate reports, reporting delays, misclassification of race/ethnicity, and pitfalls in estimations of cancer incidence rates. Attention to these issues and intense use of the available data for cancer surveillance will enable maximum societal benefit from the emerging network of population-based state cancer registries.
title: Soziale Medien und Apps in Notsituationen: Eine repräsentative Studie über die Wahrnehmung in Deutschland
Creators: name: Reuter, Christian
name: Kaufhold, Marc-André
name: Spielhofer, Thomas
name: Hahne, Anna Sophie
Publisher: name: Bundesamt für Bevölkerungsschutz und Katastrophenhilfe
Year: 2022

description: Helfer bei Hochwassergefahr mobilisieren oder bei einem Terroranschlag Freunden auf Facebook mitteilen, dass es einem gut geht – immer mehr Menschen nutzen soziale Medien in Notsituationen, Krisen- oder Katastrophenlagen. Schließlich ist es heute kein Geheimnis mehr, dass soziale Medien in jenen Lagen (z. B. überschwemmungen, Stürme, terroristische Anschläge) für diverse Gruppen (z. B. Bürger, Rettungsdienste) von Nutzen sein können. Während Stärken und Schwächen dieser Nutzung bereits eingehend erforscht wurden, widmen sich nur wenige Studien den betreffenden Wahrnehmungen innerhalb der Bevölkerung. Unsere repräsentative Untersuchung von Einstellungen der Bevölkerung in Deutschland gegenüber der Nutzung sozialer Medien in Notsituationen stellt die erste ihrer Art dar. Dabei zeigt sich, dass ungefähr die Hälfte der Befragten (44 %) bereits in Notsituationen zum Zwecke des Teilens und / oder Herausfindens von Informationen auf soziale Medien zurückgegriffen hat. Zudem werden falsche Gerüchte in sozialen Medien mehrheitlich (74 %) als Bedrohung empfunden. Notfall-Apps für das eigene Smartphone werden selten (16 %) heruntergeladen, wobei Wetter- und Erste-Hilfe-Apps am beliebtesten sind.
The Safe Dates program: 1-year follow-up results
Creators: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2000

description: OBJECTIVES: An earlier report described desirable 1-month follow-up effects of the Safe Dates program on psychological, physical, and sexual dating violence. Mediators of the program-behavior relationship also were identified. The present report describes the 1-year follow-up effects of the Safe Dates program. METHODS: Fourteen schools were in the randomized experiment. Data were gathered by questionnaires in schools before program activities and 1 year after the program ended. RESULTS: The short-term behavioral effects had disappeared at 1 year, but effects on mediating variables such as dating violence norms, conflict management skills, and awareness of community services for dating violence were maintained. CONCLUSIONS: The findings are considered in the context of why program effects might have decayed and the possible role of boosters for effect maintenance.
Multilevel superconducting circuits as two-qubit systems: Operations, state preparation, and entropic inequalities
Creators: name: Kiktenko, E. O.
name: Fedorov, A. K.
name: Man'ko, O. V.
name: Man'ko, V. I.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We theoretically study operations with a four-level superconducting circuit as a two-qubit system. Using a mapping on a two-qubit system, we show how to implement iSWAP gates and Hadamard gates through pulses on transitions between particular pairs of energy levels. Our approach allows one to prepare pure two-qubit entangled states with desired form of reduced density matrices of the same purity and, in particular, arbitrary identical reduced states of qubits. We propose using schemes for the Hadamard gate and two-qubit entangled states with identical reduced density matrices in order to verify $\log{N}$ inequalities for Shannon and Rényi entropies for the considered noncomposite quantum system.
description: 7 pages, 3 figures; published version
Use of physical restraints and psychotropic medications in Alzheimer special care units in nursing homes
Creators: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2000

description: OBJECTIVES: This study analyzed the use of mechanical restraints and psychotropic medication in Alzheimer special care units (SCUs) in nursing homes. METHODS: We analyzed 1993 data for more than 71,000 nursing home residents in 4 states, including more than 1,100 residents in 48 SCUs. The dependent variable in multinomial logistic regression was use of physical restraints or psychotropic medication. Models contained covariates representing facility and resident characteristics, and multivariate matching strategies were used to protect against selection bias. RESULTS: Residents in SCUs did not differ from similar residents in traditional units in their likelihood of being physically restrained. Residents in SCUs were more likely to receive psychotropic medication. CONCLUSIONS: With regard to the measures used in this research, the findings indicate that residents in the SCUs in the 4 study states did not receive quality of care superior to that provided to similar residents in traditional units. In fact, the results related to drug use raise the question of whether some may have received poorer care.
POEMMA-Balloon with Radio: a balloon-born multi-messenger multi-detector observatory
Creators: name: Battisti, Matteo
name: Eser, Johannes
name: Olinto, Angela
name: Osteria, Giuseppe
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM)
subject: High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA) is a proposed dual-satellite mission to observe Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs), increasing the statistics at the highest energies, and Very-High-Energy Neutrinos (VHENs), following multi-messenger alerts of astrophysical transient events throughout the universe such as gamma-ray bursts and gravitational wave events. POEMMA-Balloon with Radio (PBR) is a scaled-down version of the POEMMA design, adapted to be flown as a payload on one of NASA's sub-orbital Super Pressure Balloons (SPBs) circling over the Southern Ocean for up to 100 days after a launch from Wanaka, New Zealand. This overview will provide a summary of the mission with its science goals, the instruments, and the current status of PBR.
Rates and risk factors for unfavorable outcomes 6 weeks after trichiasis surgery
Creators: name: Alemayehu, W.
name: Kello, A.B.
name: Imeru, A.
name: Munoz, B.
name: Merbs, S.L.
name: Gower, E.W.
name: West, S.K.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2011

description: PURPOSE. Several studies of trichiasis recurrence suggest an association between surgical factors and long-term recurrence, yet data on short-term risk factors are limited. This study was conducted to evaluate risk factors for early trichiasis recurrence and other unfavorable short-term outcomes. METHODS. Trichiasis patients presenting for surgery were evaluated for presence of active trachoma and signs of cicatricial outcomes of trachoma, including number of trichiatic lashes, epilation, and entropion. Surgical factors recorded included incision length, surgery duration, and the surgeon performing the operation. Participants were followed up for 6 weeks after surgery and evaluated for eyelid closure defect and trichiasis recurrence; in addition, in two thirds of the patients, eyelid contour abnormality and granuloma formation were evaluated. RESULTS. First-time trichiasis surgery was performed on 2615 eyelids. Of these, 2601 eyelids without surgical failure were followed up 6 weeks after surgery. Of the eyelids treated, 2.3% had recurrent trichiasis and 1.3% had an eyelid closure defect. Data on eyelid contour abnormalities and granuloma formation were recorded for 1881 eyes, with rates of 1.2% and 10.5%, respectively. Associated risk factors differed by outcome. Surgeon was predictive of eyelid closure defect and granuloma formation. Eyelids with short incisions were nearly four times more likely to have recurrent trichiasis (95% confidence interval, 1.7-9.3). Baseline trichiasis severity was predictive of eyelid contour abnormalities and recurrent trichiasis. Epilation was associated with granuloma formation, but was protective against eyelid closure defect. CONCLUSIONS. Surgical factors are important predictors of unfavorable outcomes in the weeks immediately after surgery. Although the overall rate of serious uncorrectable unfavorable outcomes was very low, the high rate of granuloma formation, which can be treated by removal, highlights the need for follow-up of patients after trichiasis surgery.
Gedanken eines Laien zum priesterlichen Zölibat
Creators: name: Haneke, Burkhard
Publisher: name: Internationale katholische Zeitschrift Communio
Year: 2022

description: Internationale katholische Zeitschrift Communio, Bd. 19 Nr. 3 (1990): Internationale katholische Zeitschrift Communio, Band 19, Heft 3
Working together? Organizational and market determinants of collaboration between public health and medical care providers
Creators: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2000

description: OBJECTIVES: This study examines organizational characteristics and market conditions likely to influence collaborative relationships between public health agencies and community medical care providers. METHODS: Public health directors in 60 US counties were surveyed by telephone concerning their relationships with area community hospitals (n = 263) and community health centers (n = 85). Multivariate models were used to estimate the effects of organizational and market characteristics on collaboration. RESULTS: Collaboration was reported among 55% of the hospitals and 64% of the health centers. Certain forms of collaboration were more likely in markets characterized by higher HMO penetration and lower HMO competition. CONCLUSIONS: Targeted efforts to facilitate collaboration may be required in settings where institutional and market incentives are lacking.
Barriers to universal prenatal HIV testing in 4 US locations in 1997
Creators: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2001

description: OBJECTIVES: We determined rates of prenatal HIV testing and investigated barriers to testing. METHODS: We surveyed 1362 representative parturient women from 7 hospitals in 4 locations of the United States. RESULTS: Overall, 89.9% of women reported being offered HIV testing and 69.6% reported being tested. Proportions of women not offered testing differed by location (range = 5.2%-16.3%), as did proportions not tested (range = 12.2%-54.4%). Among women who perceived that their clinicians had not recommended testing, 41.7% were tested, compared with 92.8% of women who perceived a strong recommendation (P < .05). Private insurance for prenatal care was also associated with not being tested. Women gave multiple reasons for not being tested, most commonly not being at risk, having been tested recently, and the test's not being offered or recommended, cited by 55.3%, 39.1% and 11.1% of women, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although most parturient women were offered a prenatal HIV test and got tested, testing proportions did not reach national goals and differed significantly by location and payment status. Concern about testing consequences was not a major barrier. Perception of clinicians' recommendations strongly influenced testing. Changing provider practices will be essential to implementing universal prenatal HIV testing.
Electronic State Population Dynamics upon Ultrafast Strong Field Ionization and Fragmentation of Molecular Nitrogen
Creators: name: Kleine, Carlo
name: Winghart, Marc-Oliver
name: Zhang, Zhuang-Yan
name: Richter, Maria
name: Ekimova, Maria
name: Eckert, Sebastian
name: Vrakking, Marc J. J.
name: Nibbering, Erik T. J.
name: Rouzee, Arnaud
name: Grant, Edward R.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Atomic Physics (physics.atom-ph)
subject: Chemical Physics (physics.chem-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Air-lasing from single ionized N$_2^+$ molecules induced by laser filamentation in air has been intensively investigated and the mechanisms responsible for lasing are currently highly debated. We use ultrafast nitrogen K-edge spectroscopy to follow the strong field ionization and fragmentation dynamics of N$_2$ upon interaction with an ultrashort 800 nm laser pulse. Using probe pulses generated by extreme high-order harmonic generation, we observe transitions indicative of the formation of the electronic ground X$^2Σ_{g}^{+}$, first excited A$^2Π_u$ and second excited B$^2Σ^+_u$ states of N$_2^+$ on femtosecond time scales, from which we can quantitatively determine the time-dependent electronic state population distribution dynamics of N$_2^+$. Our results show a remarkably low population of the A$^2Π_u$ state, and nearly equal populations of the X$^2Σ_{g}^{+}$ and B$^2Σ^+_u$ states. In addition, we observe fragmentation of N$_2^+$ into N and N$^+$ on a time scale of several tens of picoseconds that we assign to significant collisional dynamics in the plasma, resulting in dissociative excitation of N$_2^+$.
Characterizing gate operations near the sweet spot of an exchange-only qubit
Creators: name: Fei, Jianjia
name: Hung, Jo-Tzu
name: Koh, Teck Seng
name: Shim, Yun-Pil
name: Coppersmith, S. N.
name: Hu, Xuedong
name: Friesen, Mark
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Optimal working points or "sweet spots" have arisen as an important tool for mitigating charge noise in quantum dot logical spin qubits. The exchange-only qubit provides an ideal system for studying this effect because $Z$ rotations are performed directly at the sweet spot, while $X$ rotations are not. Here for the first time we quantify the ability of the sweet spot to mitigate charge noise by treating $X$ and $Z$ rotations on an equal footing. Specifically, we optimize $X$ rotations and determine an upper bound on their fidelity. We find that sweet spots offer a fidelity improvement factor of at least 20 for typical GaAs devices, and more for Si devices.
description: 10 pages
Enhancing Breast Cancer Diagnosis Through Clustering: A Study of KMeans, Agglomerative, and Gaussian Mixture Models
Creators: name: Suryawanshi, Nikhil Sanjay
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 461199
subject: Machine learning not elsewhere classified
classificationCode: 461103
subject: Deep learning
classificationCode: 460502
subject: Data mining and knowledge discovery
classificationCode: 461104
subject: Neural networks

description: In the evolving landscape of medical data analysis, clustering techniques play a pivotal role, particularly in deciphering intricate patterns within datasets, such as those linked to cancer diagnostics. With the continuous expansion and increasing complexity of healthcare data, there is a growing demand for effective clustering algorithms capable of extracting significant insights. Current trends underscore the necessity of carefully selecting the most appropriate clustering method to improve both the accuracy and interpretability of analytical results. In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive comparison of three prominent clustering algorithms - KMeans, Agglomerative Clustering, and Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) - applied to a breast cancer dataset comprising features from Fine Needle Aspirates (FNA) of breast masses. Following a thorough preprocessing and scaling of the features, we assess the performance of these clustering techniques using the Silhouette Score, Calinski-Harabasz Score, and Davies-Bouldin Score. The findings reveal that KMeans provides superior cluster separation and clarity relative to the other algorithms. This research emphasizes the critical role of algorithm selection based on specific dataset attributes and evaluation metrics, aiming to enhance the accuracy of clustering outcomes in breast cancer classification.
Environmental tobacco smoke and periodontal disease in the United States
Creators: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2001

description: OBJECTIVES: Cigarette smoking is a leading risk factor for periodontal disease. This cross-sectional study investigated the relation between environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and periodontal disease in the United States. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994). The outcome was periodontal disease, defined as 1 or more periodontal sites with attachment loss of 3 mm or greater and a pocket depth of 4 mm or greater at the same site. Exposure to ETS at home and work was self-reported. The study analyzed 6611 persons 18 years and older who had never smoked cigarettes or used other forms of tobacco. RESULTS: Exposure to ETS at home only, work only, and both was reported by 18.0%, 10.7%, and 3.8% of the study population, respectively. The adjusted odds of having periodontal disease were 1.6 (95% confidence interval = 1.1, 2.2) times greater for persons exposed to ETS than for persons not exposed. CONCLUSIONS: Among persons in the United States who had never used tobacco, those exposed to ETS were more likely to have periodontal disease than were those not exposed to ETS.
Impact of trichiasis surgery on physical functioning in Ethiopian patients: Star trial
Creators: name: West, S.K.
name: Munoz, B.E.
name: Wang, J.
name: Cassard, S.D.
name: Gower, E.W.
name: Alemayehu, W.
name: Wolle, M.A.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2011

description: Purpose To evaluate the physical functioning of Ethiopian trichiasis surgery patients before and 6 months after surgery. Design Nested cohort study. Methods This study was nested within the Surgery for Trichiasis, Antibiotics to Prevent Recurrence (STAR) clinical trial conducted in Ethiopia. Demographic information, ocular examinations, and physical functioning assessments were collected before and 6 months after surgery. A single score for patients' physical functioning was constructed using Rasch analysis. A multivariate linear regression model was used to determine if change in physical functioning was associated with change in visual acuity. Results Of the 438 participants, 411 (93.8%) had both baseline and follow-up questionnaires. Physical functioning scores at baseline ranged from -6.32 (great difficulty) to +6.01 (no difficulty). The percentage of participants reporting no difficulty in physical functioning increased by 32.6%; the proportion of participants in the mild/no visual impairment category increased by 8.6%. A multivariate linear regression model showed that for every line of vision gained, physical functioning improves significantly (0.09 units; 95% CI: 0.020.16). Conclusions Surgery to correct trichiasis appears to improve patients' physical functioning as measured at 6 months. More effort in promoting trichiasis surgery is essential, not only to prevent corneal blindness, but also to enable improved functioning in daily life.
Framework for Web Delivery of Immersive Audio Experiences Using Device Orchestration
Creators: name: Hentschel, Kristian
name: Francombe, Jon
Publisher: name: Figshare
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: 80602 Computer-Human Interaction
subject: FOS: Psychology

description: This demonstration introduces the use of orchestrated media devices and object-based broadcasting to create immersive spatial audio experiences. Mobile phones, tablets, and laptops are synchronised to a common media timeline and contribute one or more individually delivered audio objects to the overall mix. A rule set for assigning objects to devices was developed through a trial production---a 13-minute audio drama called The Vostok-K Incident. The same timing model as in HbbTV2.0 media synchronisation is used, and future work could augment linear television broadcasts or create novel interactive audio-visual experiences for multiple users. The demonstration will allow delegates to connect their mobile phones to the system. A unique mix is created based on the number and selected locations of connected devices.
Christ sein und Afrikaner bleiben
Creators: name: Ballong-Wen-Mewuda, Joseph Bato'ora
Publisher: name: Internationale katholische Zeitschrift Communio
Year: 2022

description: Internationale katholische Zeitschrift Communio, Bd. 19 Nr. 3 (1990): Internationale katholische Zeitschrift Communio, Band 19, Heft 3
Alpha decay law of excited nuclei and its role in stellar decay rates
Creators: name: Rojas-Gamboa, D. F.
name: Kelkar, N. G.
name: Caballero, O. L.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Nuclear Theory (nucl-th)
subject: Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
subject: Nuclear Experiment (nucl-ex)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: $α$ decay is one of the prominent decay modes in the nucleosynthesis of heavy and super-heavy elements synthesized at temperatures of the order of Giga Kelvin. To facilitate the investigation of the role played by the $α$ decay half-lives of thermally excited nuclei in nucleosynthesis calculations, an empirical formula based on a model for the $α$ decay of nuclei in their ground and excited states to daughter nuclei in their ground or excited states is presented. Constants appearing in the analytical expression for the $α$ decay half-life obtained within the model are treated as adjustable parameters and fitted to experimental data on 342 $α$ decays in the range of 82 $\le Z_p \le$ 94, to obtain an excitation energy-dependent decay law. Under the assumption that thermal equilibrium has been reached between nuclear states, temperature ($T$)-dependent half-lives, $t_{1/2}(T)$, for several of the experimentally studied $α$ emitters with 65 $\le Z_p \le$ 94 are presented using available data on the half-lives of excited nuclei. Though the general trend is a decrease in $t_{1/2}(T)$ at elevated temperatures, exceptional cases with increased half-lives are found in the case of some isomeric states. A list of such isomers provided in this work motivates future work involving considerations of their thermal equilibration and role in shaping kilonova light curves.
description: 13 pages, 8 figures
Maturational timing and overweight prevalence in US adolescent girls
Creators: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2001

description: OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relation of age at menarche to overweight in US adolescent girls. METHODS: Effects of age at menarche and race/ethnicity on overweight were estimated via logistic regression, after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, in a sample of 6507 Hispanic, Black, White, and Asian American girls who participated in wave 2 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. RESULTS: Overweight prevalence rates were significantly higher in early maturing adolescents of all racial/ethnic groups but highest (57.5%) among early maturing Black girls. Early maturation nearly doubled the odds of being overweight (body mass index at or above the 85th percentile). CONCLUSIONS: Greater public health attention should be focused on the high prevalence of overweight, particularly among minority female adolescents.
Predictors of lane-change errors in older drivers
Creators: name: Bandeen-Roche, K.
name: Jefferys, J.
name: Lyketsos, C.G.
name: West, S.K.
name: Keay, L.
name: Munoz, B.E.
name: Gower, E.W.
name: Munro, C.A.
name: Turano, K.A.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2010

description: OBJECTIVES: To determine the factors that predict errors in executing proper lane changes among older drivers. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of data from a longitudinal study. SETTING: Maryland's Eastern Shore. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand eighty drivers aged 67 to 87 enrolled in the Salisbury Eye Evaluation Driving Study. MEASUREMENTS: Tests of vision, cognition, health status, and self-reported distress and a driving monitoring system in each participant's car, used to quantify lane-change errors. RESULTS: In regression models, measures of neither vision nor perceived stress were related to lane-change errors after controlling for age, sex, race, and residence location. In contrast, cognitive variables, specifically performance on the Brief Test of Attention and the Beery-Buktenicka Test of Visual-Motor Integration, were related to lane-change errors. CONCLUSION: The current findings underscore the importance of specific cognitive skills, particularly auditory attention and visual perception, in the execution of driving maneuvers in older individuals.
Visual and cognitive deficits predict stopping or restricting driving: The salisbury eye evaluation driving study (SEEDS)
Creators: name: Munoz, B.
name: Hassan, S.E.
name: Jasti, S.
name: Gower, E.W.
name: West, S.K.
name: Turano, K.A.
name: Baldwin, K.
name: Keay, L.
name: Munro, C.A.
name: Duncan, D.D.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2009

description: PURPOSE. To determine the visual and other factors that predict stopping or restricting driving in older drivers. METHODS. A group of 1425 licensed drivers aged 67 to 87 years, who were residents of greater Salisbury, participated. At 1 year after enrollment, this group was categorized into those who had stopped driving, drove only within their neighborhood, or continued to drive beyond their neighborhood. At baseline, a battery of structured questionnaires, vision, and cognitive tests were administered. Multivariate analysis determined the factors predictive of stopping or restricting driving 12 months later. RESULTS. Of the 1425 enrolled, 1237 (87%) were followed up at 1 year. Excluding those who were already limiting their driving at baseline (n = 35), 1.5% (18/1202) had stopped and 3.4% (41/1202) had restricted their driving. The women (odds ratio [OR], 4.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.05- 8.20) and those who prefer to be driven (OR, 3.91; 95% CI, 1.91- 8.00) were more likely to stop or restrict driving. Depressive symptoms increased likelihood of restricting or stopping driving (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.009 -1.16 per point Geriatric Depression Scale). Slow visual scanning and psychomotor speed (Trail Making Test, Part A: OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.03), poor visuoconstructional skills (Beery-Buktenica Test of Visual Motor Integration: OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05-1.25), and reduced contrast sensitivity (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.03-1.28) predicted stopping or reducing driving. Visual field loss and visual attention were not associated. The effect of vision on changing driving behavior was partially mediated by cognition, depression, and baseline driving preferences. CONCLUSIONS. In this cohort, contrast sensitivity and cognitive function were independently associated with incident cessation or restriction of driving space. These data suggest drivers with functional deficits make difficult decisions to restrict or stop driving.
Partner Violence Among Adolescents in Opposite-Sex Romantic Relationships: Findings From the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health
Creators: name: Martin, Sandra L.
name: Halpern, Carolyn Tucker
name: Oslak, Selene G.
name: Young, Mary L.
name: Kupper, Lawrence L.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2001

description: Objectives. This report examines (1) the prevalence of psychological and minor physical violence victimization in a nationally representative sample of adolescents and (2) associations between sociodemographic factors and victimization.
Die Sendung Jesu und der Jünger im Johannesevangelium
Creators: name: Waldstein, Michael
Publisher: name: Internationale katholische Zeitschrift Communio
Year: 2022

description: Internationale katholische Zeitschrift Communio, Bd. 19 Nr. 3 (1990): Internationale katholische Zeitschrift Communio, Band 19, Heft 3