Predictors of English Health Literacy among U.S. Hispanic Immigrants: The importance of language, bilingualism and sociolinguistic environment

In the United States, data confirm that Spanish-speaking immigrants are particularly affected by the negative health outcomes associated with low health literacy. Although the literature points to variables such as age, educational background and language, only a few studies have investigated the factors that may influence health literacy in this group. Similarly, the role that bilingualism and/or multilingualism play in health literacy assessment continues to be an issue in need of further research. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictors of English health literacy among adult Hispanic immigrants whose self-reported primary language is Spanish, but who live and function in a bilingual community. It also explored issues related to the language of the instrument. An analysis of data collected through a randomized controlled study was conducted. Results identified English proficiency as the strongest predictor of health literacy (p < 0.001). The results further point to the importance of primary and secondary language in the assessment of heath literacy level. This study raises many questions in need of further investigation to clarify how language proficiency and sociolinguistic environment affect health literacy in language minority adults; proposes language approaches that may be more appropriate for measuring health literacy in these populations; and recommends further place-based research to determine whether the connection between language proficiency and health is generalizable to border communities

Quantum mechanical considerations on algebraic structure of central molecular chirality

The chiral algebra of tetrahedral molecules, derived from Fischer projections, is discussed in the framework of quantum mechanics. A quantum chiral algebra is obtained whose operators, acting as rotations or inversions, commute with the Hamiltonian of the system. It is shown that energy and chirality eigenstates are strictly related through the Heisenberg relations, while chirality operators conserve parity eigenstates.Comment: 16 page

Metropolis Salisbvrgensis

... collecta A Nobili Et Amplissimo Viro VVigvleo Hvnd à Svltzenmos I. C. Ac Svpremi Boiorvm Senatus Monachij Præside. Accesservnt ... Notæ Christophori Gewoldi I. D. Serenissim. Boiar. Duc. à ConsilijsVorlageform des Erscheinungsvermerks: Monachii Ex Typographéo Bergiano apud Viduam. Anno M. DC. XX. Impensis Ioannis Hertsroy Bibliopolæ.Erschienen: 1 (1620) - 3 (1620

Estimating HIV prevalence from surveys with low individual consent rates: annealing individual and pooled samples

Many HIV prevalence surveys are plagued by the problem that a sizeable number of surveyed individuals do not consent to contribute blood samples for testing. One can ignore this problem, as is often done, but the resultant bias can be of sufficient magnitude to invalidate the results of the survey, especially if the number of non-responders is high and the reason for refusing to participate is related to the individual’s HIV status. One reason for refusing to participate may be for reasons of privacy. For those individuals, we suggest offering the option of being tested in a pool. This form of testing is less certain than individual testing, but, if it convinces more people to submit to testing, it should reduce the potential for bias and give a cleaner answer to the question of prevalence. This paper explores the logistics of implementing a combined individual and pooled testing approach and evaluates the analytical advantages to such a combined testing strategy. We quantify improvements in a prevalence estimator based on this combined testing strategy, relative to an individual testing only approach and a pooled testing only approach. Minimizing non-response is key for reducing bias, and, if pooled testing assuages privacy concerns, offering a pooled testing strategy has the potential to substantially improve HIV prevalence estimates

Flux-biased mesoscopic rings

Kinetics of magnetic flux in a thin mesoscopic ring biased by a strong external magnetic field is described equivalently by dynamics of a Brownian particle in a tilted washboard potential. The 'flux velocity', i.e. the averaged time derivative of the total magnetic flux in the ring, is a candidate for a novel characteristics of mesoscopic rings. Its global properties reflect the possibility of accommodating persistent currents in the ring.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, Presented at the XXII International Conference of Theoretical Physics - Electron Correlations in Nano- and Macrosystems, 9 - 14 September 2006, Ustron, Poland; phys. stat. sol. (b) (in press) (2007

Die Umstellung auf die Stückaktie für deutsche Aktiengesellschaften

--Stückaktie,Euro,Betragsaktie,Aktienumstellung

Kernel-Level Interception and Applications on Mobile Devices

The techniques of kernel-level system call interception are well known today for many different operating systems. This work starts with transferring these technique to the Windows CE type of operating systems. Afterwards, two current problems are solved. The first solution uses the technique for dynamic malware analysis with a sandbox approach, extending previous solutions in terms of effectiveness. The second solution enhances the expressiveness of security policies by implementing the concept of a reference monitor on the operating system level. Windows CE based devices are now enabled to enforce sophisticated security policies without the need to change the underlying operating system