Gender Differences and the Effect of Copayments on the Utilization of Health Care in Prison.

This study examines differences in episodic health care utilization related to copayment fees in prison. Copayments in correctional institutions may affect men and women differently, as there are gender-specific health needs, differences in the frequencies men and women require medical services, and gendered differences in the financial resources at people's disposal inside the prison environment. Survey data and interviews from 140 males and females incarcerated across two prisons revealed copayments were a significant barrier for those seeking medical attention and reduced utilization. Results from content analysis and zero-inflated Poisson regression models demonstrated the copayments were a greater barrier to treatment for women compared to men, even when considering one's financial resources. Race and self-reported physical health were also significantly associated with avoiding care due to copayments.

Superstorm Sandy and the academic achievement of university students.

Much of the literature on the consequences of natural disasters has focused on their physical and psychological ramifications. Few researchers have considered how the impacts of a natural disaster can influence academic achievement. This study analyses data collected from nearly 300 students at a mid-sized, private university in the northeast United States to determine if the effects of Cyclone Sandy in 2012 are associated with measures of academic achievement. The findings reveal that experiencing headaches after the event resulted in a higher likelihood of students suffering a loss of academic motivation. In addition, experiencing headaches and a loss of academic motivation were correlated with a lower grade point average (GPA) during the semester in which Sandy made landfall. However, the more direct effects of the superstorm, including displacement and a loss of power, did not have a significant bearing on academic achievement. Lastly, the paper examines the implications for higher education policy and future research.

Variable links within perceived police legitimacy?: fairness and effectiveness across races and places.

This work examines connections between two threads of community residents' perceptions of local police legitimacy, effectiveness and procedural fairness, and how those links depend on race, place, and race/place combinations. Previous works have connected these two threads, but have failed (a) to explore the variability of that connection by race, place, and race/place combinations across communities spanning the urban to suburban to rural continuum or (b) to model mutual influence. An extension of the group position thesis and work on minority views of police practices suggest how these variations might be patterned. Data were derived from a 2003 probability-based sampling survey of household respondents across Pennsylvania (n=1289). Generalized confirmatory factor analysis models built procedural fairness and effectiveness indices for four groups: whites in urban core counties, non-whites in urban core counties, whites in non-urban core counties, and non-whites in non-urban core counties. Non-recursive structural equation models revealed variable impacts of perceived police effectiveness on perceived police fairness and, to a lesser extent, of fairness on effectiveness. Implications for a more structurally and contextually aware understanding of links in police legitimacy models are developed.

Assessment of Managed Aquifer Recharge Site Suitability Using a GIS and Modeling.

We completed a two-step regional analysis of a coastal groundwater basin to (1) assess regional suitability for managed aquifer recharge (MAR), and (2) quantify the relative impact of MAR activities on groundwater levels and sea water intrusion. The first step comprised an analysis of surface and subsurface hydrologic properties and conditions, using a geographic information system (GIS). Surface and subsurface data coverages were compiled, georeferenced, reclassified, and integrated (including novel approaches for combining related datasets) to derive a spatial distribution of MAR suitability values. In the second step, results from the GIS analysis were used with a regional groundwater model to assess the hydrologic impact of potential MAR placement and operating scenarios. For the region evaluated in this study, the Pajaro Valley Groundwater Basin, California, GIS results suggest that about 7% (15 km2) of the basin may be highly suitable for MAR. Modeling suggests that simulated MAR projects placed near the coast help to reduce sea water intrusion more rapidly, but these projects also result in increased groundwater flows to the ocean. In contrast, projects placed farther inland result in more long-term reduction in sea water intrusion and less groundwater flowing to the ocean. This work shows how combined GIS analysis and modeling can assist with regional water supply planning, including evaluation of options for enhancing groundwater resources.

Spatial and temporal infiltration dynamics during managed aquifer recharge.

Natural groundwater recharge is inherently difficult to quantify and predict, largely because it comprises a series of processes that are spatially distributed and temporally variable. Infiltration ponds used for managed aquifer recharge (MAR) provide an opportunity to quantify recharge processes across multiple scales under semi-controlled conditions. We instrumented a 3-ha MAR infiltration pond to measure and compare infiltration patterns determined using whole-pond and point-specific methods. Whole-pond infiltration was determined by closing a transient water budget (accounting for inputs, outputs, and changes in storage), whereas point-specific infiltration rates were determined using heat as a tracer and time series analysis at eight locations in the base of the pond. Whole-pond infiltration, normalized for wetted area, rose rapidly to more than 1.0 m/d at the start of MAR operations (increasing as pond stage rose), was sustained at high rates for the next 40 d, and then decreased to less than 0.1 m/d by the end of the recharge season. Point-specific infiltration rates indicated high spatial and temporal variability, with the mean of measured values generally being lower than rates indicated by whole-pond calculations. Colocated measurements of head gradients within saturated soils below the pond were combined with infiltration rates to calculate soil hydraulic conductivity. Observations indicate a brief period of increasing saturated hydraulic conductivity, followed by a decrease of one to two orders of magnitude during the next 50 to 75 d. Locations indicating the most rapid infiltration shifted laterally during MAR operation, and we suggest that infiltration may function as a "variable source area" processes, conceptually similar to catchment runoff.

Linking denitrification and infiltration rates during managed groundwater recharge.

We quantify relations between rates of in situ denitrification and saturated infiltration through shallow, sandy soils during managed groundwater recharge. We used thermal methods to determine time series of point-specific flow rates, and chemical and isotopic methods to assess denitrification progress. Zero order denitrification rates between 3 and 300 µmol L(-1) d(-1) were measured during infiltration. Denitrification was not detected at times and locations where the infiltration rate exceeded a threshold of 0.7 ± 0.2 m d(-1). Pore water profiles of oxygen and nitrate concentration indicated a deepening of the redoxocline at high flow rates, which reduced the thickness of the zone favorable for denitrification. Denitrification rates were positively correlated with infiltration rates below the infiltration threshold, suggesting that for a given set of sediment characteristics, there is an optimal infiltration rate for achieving maximum nitrate load reduction and improvements to water supply during managed groundwater recharge. The extent to which results from this study may be extended to other managed and natural hydrologic settings remains to be determined, but the approach taken in this study should be broadly applicable, and provides a quantitative link between shallow hydrologic and biogeochemical processes.

The quality of commercially available herbal products.

Herbal products are believed to be safe as they are naturally occurring, however, this is a misconception. Currently, there are many herbal products which are not manufactured under the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines and hence the quality of the product is not controlled. Quality can be assessed by evaluation of data on levels of either active constituent(s) or chemical markers indicative of origin of plant material. Assessment of published data on levels of quality of herbal medicinal products revealed that only a percentage of the total number of products investigated were found to contain the levels of markers as stated on the label, and others had widely varying levels of constituents. Thus few products complied with acceptable quality control standards. Herbal products are increasingly self-prescribed for the treatment of minor ailments. Patients relying on herbal products for therapeutic effects may expose themselves to either low doses of active constituents causing insufficient effects or alternatively take higher levels than expected, with the increased risk of toxicity or adverse effects, or be affected by the inadvertent inclusion of unexpected components with associated potential health risks.

Uptake of nicotine from suspension culture of Nicotiana tabacum by molecularly imprinted polymers.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to use molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for the selective recovery of nicotine in plant cell cultures. MIPs can selectively uptake nicotine from suspension cultures of N. tabacum, and therefore may be useful for improving levels of secondary metabolites in plant cell cultures. METHODS: Suspension cultures of N. tabacum were initiated from callus and maintained in liquid Murashige and Skoog (MS) media containing 3% w/v sucrose, 0.1 mg/l alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid acid (NAA) and 0.25 mg/l kinetin. Tween 80 at 1% was used for permeabilisation of cell cultures. Pre-weighed XAD-2 and two types of synthesized polymers, MIPs (A and B with one and two functional monomers, respectively) and corresponding non-imprinted polymers (NIPs), A and B, were introduced aseptically into the permeabilised suspension cultures of N. tabacum, the nicotine contents of polymers were determined by gas chromatography and the adsorption yield of polymers were determined. KEY FINDINGS: Cell cultures of N. tabacum accumulated nicotine alkaloid intracellularly in varying levels, 6.8-14.9 mg/l fresh weight. MIPs were able to uptake 50-70% of released nicotine in suspension cultures of N. tabacum, whereas XAD-2 recovered only 30-40%. The total levels of accumulated nicotine were enhanced up to 20 mg/l by simultaneous use of Tween 80 and MIPs. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate the potential use of MIPs to uptake nicotine from suspension cultures of N. tabacum, and increase productivity of secondary metabolites in plant cell cultures.

Influences of neighborhood context, individual history and parenting behavior on recidivism among juvenile offenders.

This study examined the effects of neighborhood context on juvenile recidivism to determine if neighborhoods influence the likelihood of reoffending. Although a large body of literature exists regarding the impact of environmental factors on delinquency, very little is known about the effects of these factors on juvenile recidivism. The sample analyzed includes 7,061 delinquent male juveniles committed to community-based programs in Philadelphia, of which 74% are Black, 13% Hispanic, and 11% White. Since sample youths were nested in neighborhoods, a hierarchical generalized linear model was employed to predict recidivism across three general categories of recidivism offenses: drug, violent, and property. Results indicate that predictors vary across the types of offenses and that drug offending differs from property and violent offending. Neighborhood-level factors were found to influence drug offense recidivism, but were not significant predictors of violent offenses, property offenses, or an aggregated recidivism measure, despite contrary expectations. Implications stemming from the finding that neighborhood context influences only juvenile drug recidivism are discussed.

Development of techniques for the analysis of isoflavones in soy foods and nutraceuticals.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: For over 20 years, soy isoflavones have been investigated for their ability to prevent a wide range of cancers and cardiovascular problems, and numerous other disease states. This research is underpinned by the ability of researchers to analyse isoflavones in various forms in a range of raw materials and biological fluids. This review summarizes the techniques recently used in their analysis. RECENT FINDINGS: The speed of high performance liquid chromatography analysis has been improved, allowing analysis of more samples, and increasing the sensitivity of detection techniques allows quantification of isoflavones down to nanomoles per litre levels in biological fluids. The combination of high-performance liquid chromatography with immunoassay has allowed identification and estimation of low-level soy isoflavones. The use of soy isoflavone supplements has shown an increase in their circulating levels in plasma and urine, aiding investigation of their biological effects. The significance of the metabolite equol has spurned research into new areas, and recently the specific enantiomers have been studied. SUMMARY: High-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis and gas chromatography are widely used with a range of detection systems. Increasingly, immunoassay is being used because of its high sensitivity and low cost.

Active components and clinical applications of olive oil.

The olive tree, Olea europaea, is native to the Mediterranean basin and parts of Asia Minor. The fruit and compression-extracted oil have a wide range of therapeutic and culinary applications. Olive oil also constitutes a major component of the "Mediterranean diet." The chief active components of olive oil include oleic acid, phenolic constituents, and squalene. The main phenolics include hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, and oleuropein, which occur in highest levels in virgin olive oil and have demonstrated antioxidant activity. Antioxidants are believed to be responsible for a number of olive oil's biological activities. Oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid, has shown activity in cancer prevention, while squalene has also been identified as having anticancer effects. Olive oil consumption has benefit for colon and breast cancer prevention. The oil has been widely studied for its effects on coronary heart disease (CHD), specifically for its ability to reduce blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Antimicrobial activity of hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, and oleuropein has been demonstrated against several strains of bacteria implicated in intestinal and respiratory infections. Although the majority of research has been conducted on the oil, consumption of whole olives might also confer health benefits.