Alcohol use is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. We examined the interactive effects between genome-wide polygenic risk scores for alcohol use (alc-PRS) and social support in relation to alcohol use among European American (EA) and African American (AA) adults across sex and developmental stages (emerging adulthood, young adulthood, and middle adulthood). Data were drawn from 4,011 EA and 1,274 AA adults from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism who were between ages 18–65 and had ever used alcohol. Participants completed the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism and provided saliva or blood samples for genotyping. Results indicated that social support from friends, but not family, moderated the association between alc-PRS and alcohol use among EAs and AAs (only in middle adulthood for AAs); alc-PRS was associated with higher levels of alcohol use when friend support was low, but not when friend support was high. Associations were similar across sex but differed across developmental stages. Findings support the important role of social support from friends in buffering genetic risk for alcohol use among EA and AA adults and highlight the need to consider developmental changes in the role of social support in relation to alcohol use.

From 2014 to 2020, we compiled radiocarbon ages from the lower 48 states, creating a database of more than 100,000 archaeological, geological, and paleontological ages that will be freely available to researchers through the Canadian Archaeological Radiocarbon Database. Here, we discuss the process used to compile ages, general characteristics of the database, and lessons learned from this exercise in “big data” compilation.

Under-recognitions of somatic illnesses have frequently been suggested to explain the well-known increased risks of mortality in long-stay psychiatric patients. There are, however, no studies, in which register information on realized somatic hospitalisations and mortality from somatic illnesses in psychiatric patients are actually linked and simultaneously evaluated. In this study, 208 long-stay psychiatric patients, suffering from functional psychoses (mainly schizophrenia) in Northern Finland were followed up for 11 years, and screened for all somatic hospitalisations and subsequent causes of death. 86.5% of the patients had undergone hospital treatment due to some physical illness after their first psychiatric admission. During specialized psychiatric care the majority of the deceased patients had received some somatic treatment for illnesses that ultimately caused their deaths: 81% representing circulatory, 71% digestive, 56% neoplastic, and 36% respiratory ailments. We found no evidence for the frequently expressed view that somatic illnesses in psychiatric patients were under-recognized. Thus, the widely-documented poor physical outcome of long-stay psychiatric patients may be not attributable to neglect of care or abandon, but to difficulties in efficaciously addressing medical conditions in a population characterised by unhealthy life-style habits, psychiatric disability and isolation. The health care systems apparently offer a range of services, but the latter do not always reach the patients. Why this is so requires detailed further investigation.

Species distribution models (SDMs) are statistical tools used to develop continuous predictions of species occurrence. ‘Integrated SDMs’ (ISDMs) are an elaboration of this approach with potential advantages that allow for the dual use of opportunistically collected presence-only data and site-occupancy data from planned surveys. These models also account for survey bias and imperfect detection through the use of a hierarchical modelling framework that separately estimates the species–environment response and detection process. This is particularly helpful for conservation applications and predictions for rare species, where data are often limited and prediction errors may have significant management consequences. Despite this potential importance, ISDMs remain largely untested under a variety of scenarios. We performed an exploration of key modelling decisions and assumptions on an ISDM using the endangered Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii) as a test species. We found that site area had the strongest effect on the magnitude of population estimates and underlying intensity surface and was driven by estimates of model intercepts. Selecting a site area that accounted for the individual movements of the species within an average home range led to population estimates that coincided with expert estimates. ISDMs that do not account for the individual movements of species will likely lead to less accurate estimates of species intensity (number of individuals per unit area) and thus overall population estimates. This bias could be severe and highly detrimental to conservation actions if uninformed ISDMs are used to estimate global populations of threatened and data-deficient species, particularly those that lack natural history and movement information. However, the ISDM was consistently the most accurate model compared to other approaches, which demonstrates the importance of this new modelling framework and the ability to combine opportunistic data with systematic survey data. Thus, we recommend researchers use ISDMs with conservative movement information when estimating population sizes of rare and data-deficient species. ISDMs could be improved by using a similar parameterization to spatial capture–recapture models that explicitly incorporate animal movement as a model parameter, which would further remove the need for spatial subsampling prior to implementation.

The literature on faction suggests that patrons in the party may recruit faction members on the basis of a broad range of shared traits and experience. Some scholars argue reasonably that with increasing specialization of officials, factions are increasingly dominated by those with shared work experience in a set of bureaucracies. Although this trend may be true in general, senior leaders may still recruit those with whom they share birth place and school ties into their factions. To investigate this, we first derive four reasonable ways of measuring factional ties as suggested by the literature. We then explore the factional recruitment strategy pursued by each reform-era (1978–present) party secretary generals of the CCP by evaluating the measures of factional ties which predicted their clients’ promotions to full Central Committee membership. Our results show that Hu Yaobang, Jiang Zemin, and Xi Jinping pursued broadly based factional recruitment strategies, while Hu Jintao recruited faction members mainly from work colleagues. We further uncover signs that the party institutions may allow deposed secretary generals some measure of influence over promotions even after their political demise. At the same time, strict retirement rules on lower level officials gave rise to a cohort effect that gave the general secretary greater influence over the promotion of alternate Central Committee members to the full Central Committee during their first term than in subsequent terms.

We assessed characteristics associated with community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) carriage among residents of 22 nursing homes. Of MRSA-positive swabs, 25% (208/824) were positive for CA-MRSA. Median facility CA-MRSA percentage was 22% (range, 0%–44%). In multivariate models, carriage was associated with age less than 65 years (odds ratio, 1.2; P < .001) and Hispanic ethnicity (odds ratio, 1.2; P = .006). Interventions are needed to target CA-MRSA.

Over a period of 142 days of polar cruising, all visits and reasons for those visits to the on board ship doctor's surgery by 360 crew members and 497 passengers were recorded and analysed. Despite the difference in age structure (passengers were mostly 60 years of age or older, while the crew were predominantly 20–30 years old), typically geriatric problems were seen in only a few passengers. While common cold related complaints dominated in the crew members, the passengers suffered more frequently from sea- and motion sickness and had slightly more respiratory and orthopaedic complaints. Typically cold weather related problems like hypothermia and frostbite were hardly seen at all and total prostheses of hips and knees (which involved several passengers) stood up surprisingly well to the polar climate and terrain. The surprisingly good physical condition of the elderly passengers suggests that the clientele of polar cruises represents an overall ‘fitter’ and healthier sub-population of elderly people. The on board preparatory lectures, warning the passengers of possible risks ashore and on board, must also have helped to keep down incidences requiring medical attention. A doctor, serving as an on-board physician on a cruise ship in polar waters, needs to be aware that the majority of his/her potential patients will be elderly folk. Familiarisation with facilities, medical equipment and drugs on board prior to departure is essential. The cruise ship doctor in addition to emergency experience needs experience in treating dermal disorders and orthopaedic conditions. Skills in chiropractic measures and/or acupuncture are an advantage and a thorough knowledge of cold weather induced conditions is a must.

Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) is being studied as an alternative for large-area manufacturing of CdTe thin films. High efficiency research cells have been constructed, but the fundamental materials properties and limitations have not been fully explored. APCVD material is examined with several techniques and compared with close-space sublimation (CSS). Transmission and scanning electron microscopy studies show a similar morphology to CSS CdTe. However high resolution TEM scans show the formation of a disordered layer between the CdTe and CdS, and the removal of defects within some grain structures upon annealing. Cathodoluminescence shows electronic defect states localized to grain boundaries. A large concentration of trap states was also observed with deep-level transient spectroscopy that may correspond to hole traps found in lower amounts in other materials. The presence of traps was also indicated in impedance spectroscopy measurements. The latter studies indicate a high grain boundary resistance contributes to transport.

This case study illustrates the reduction of severe stuttering by an individually tailored treatment programme. Interventions are derived from a tripartite analysis (Lang, 1971) and include EMG biofeedback, regulated breathing, exposure in vivo to stressful communication situations and cognitive techniques to reduce relapse risk. The role of dysfunctional response system interactions in stuttering is emphasized. Treatment resulted in a marked reduction of stuttering and associated facial contortions during videotaped conversations with strangers and oral reading. Improvement was maintained at one-year follow-up.

Persistent hepatitis B infections among patients and frequent new hepatitis B infections among both patients and staff were a major problem in our dialysis unit during its first two and one-half years of operation. During this time the mean quarterly rate of conversion to HBsAg positivity among patients ranged from 0-60% (mean 12%); in staff it ranged from 0-13%. Control efforts, including strict temporal isolation, improved sanitary measures, and use of parallel plate dialyzers without geographic or machine isolation, were begun late in 1976. After a four-month lag, new HBsAg conversions ceased among the 30 patients and staff at risk, despite continued dialysis of eight HBsAg-positive patients (at least four of whom were HBeAg-positive). Over the succeeding three years the conversion rate was zero in both patients and staff. This experience suggests that conservative control measures without geographic separation of patients may be sufficient to control an established outbreak of hemodi-alysis-related hepatitis B. Controlled prospective trials of this hypothesis are warranted.