Search

Purpose: To compare opioid prescription patterns of ophthalmologists based on performance on the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) written qualifying examination (WQE) and oral certifying examinations (OE). Design: All ophthalmologists within the Medicare Prescriber Part D Database from 2013 -- 2018 who attempted the ABO, WQE, or OE were included. Opioid prescription data were analyzed based on ABO certification status: certified on first attempt, failed but then certified, and never certified. Results: There were 6822 ophthalmologists with 32258 records in the Medicare database during the study period with ABO data available. The point estimate for total opioid prescriptions per year was 7.3, standard error (SE) 0.3 for ophthalmologists who were certified on the first attempt (reference). The estimate for those who failed one or both qualifying examinations, but then became board certified (BC) was -1.7, SE 0.6 (p = 0.0031); and the estimate for those ophthalmologists who never became BC was +0.8, SE 1.5 (p = 0.5318). The point estimate for cost of opioids prescribed per year was $55.17, SE 4.4 for ophthalmologists who were certified on the first attempt, with the estimate for those who failed one or both qualifying examinations, but then became BC being $-12.29, SE 8.7 (p = 0.1581); and for those ophthalmologists who never became BC being +$69.54, SE 21.7 (p = 0.0014). Conclusions: Diplomates who initially failed one or both qualifying exams, but who ultimately became certified, prescribed less opioids, less costly opioids, and less supply of opioids within the Medicare Part D database compared to non-BC ophthalmologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores a case example of qualitative research that applied productive hermeneutics and the central concept, fusion of horizons. Interpretation of meaning is a fusing of the researchers' and subjects' perspectives and serves to expand understanding. The purpose is to illustrate an exemplar of qualitative research without establishing a rigid recipe of methodology. The illustration is based on in-depth observational and textual data from an applied anthropological study conducted in western Alaska with Yup'ik hunters and fishers and government agency employees as they worked towards collaborative management. The metaphor of the hermeneutical circle is showcased to help the reader understand the philosophical underpinnings and the analytical processes used to realize a meaningful interpretation. A series of organizing systems for the interpretation is described, culminating in a final organizing system to communicate a fully realized understanding of collaborative management at the time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do social movements influence corporations? Recent work suggests that movements can inflict material damage on their targets and shape categories of evaluation in organizational fields. Extending these ideas, we examine the effects of anti-sweatshop campaigns on sales, stock performance, reputation and specialized ratings of U.S. firms, using fixed-effects regression models and event study methods. The analysis demonstrates that social movements can in some circumstances shape both the markets and fields that firms inhabit. Specifically, anti-sweatshop campaigns (1. had negative effects on sales (though only among certain types of firms), (2. influenced stock prices, and (3. shaped specialized ratings of corporate responsibility. They also diminished previously positive corporate reputations (to a modest degree) but did not radically alter reputational hierarchies in the business community.

In this article, we present a variety of measures that quantify equity in cancer mortality outcomes, demonstrate how the measures perform with various cancer types, and identify counties, or "bright spots," that meet the criteria of those measures. Using county-level age-adjusted mortality rates for 2007–2016 from the National Center for Health Statistics, we identified counties that had both equitable and optimal outcomes for Black and White death rates across 5 types of cancer: cancers of the lung/bronchus, prostate, female breast, colorectum, and liver. The number of counties that met the criteria ranged from 0 to 442, depending on cancer type and measure used. Prostate cancer and male liver cancer consistently had the lowest number of "bright spots," with a maximum of 3 counties meeting the most lenient criteria. This paper presents several ways to examine equity, using rate ratios and standard error measures, in cancer mortality outcomes. It highlights areas with positive progress toward equity and areas with a potential need for equity-focused cancer-control planning. Examining local areas of positive deviance can inform cancer-control programming and planning around health equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a speech by Margaret Bartley, Chief Judge at U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC), delivered at the American University Law Review's Federal Circuit Symposium on October 2, 2020. Topics discussed include two up-and-coming areas of veterans benefits law; he was part of the public interest law clinic, run at the time by Professor Susan Bennett and Veterans Court passes federal funding through to the Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program.

To examine how urban form shapes physical activity and health over time, a measure of neighborhood walkability is needed that can be linked to cohort studies with participants living across the United States (U.S.) that have been followed over the past decades. The Built Environment and Health-Neighborhood Walkability Index (BEH-NWI), a measure of neighborhood walkability that can be calculated for communities across the United States between 1990 and 2015, was conceptualized, developed, and tested using data from the New York City Tri-State Area. BEH-NWI measures were created for 1990 and 2010 using historical data on population density, street intersection density, density of rail stops, and density of pedestrian trip generating/supporting establishments. BEH-NWI scores were calculated for 1-km buffers around the 1990 residences of NYU Women's Health Study (NYUWHS) participants and NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Physical Activity and Transit (PAT) survey participants enrolled in 2011. Higher neighborhood BEH-NWI scores were significantly associated with greater self-reported walking per week (+ 0.31 MET-hours/week per unit BEH-NWI, 95% CI 0.23, 0.36) and lower body mass index (- 0.17 BMI units per unit BEH-NWI, 95% - 0.23, - 0.12) among NYUWHS participants. Higher neighborhood BEH-NWI scores were associated with significantly higher accelerometer-measured physical activity among PAT survey participants (39% more minutes of moderate-intensity equivalent activity/week across the interquartile range of BEH-NWI, 95% CI 21%, 60%). The BEH-NWI can be calculated using historical data going back to 1990, and BEH-NWI scores predict BMI, weekly walking, and physical activity in two NYC area datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess conditioned pain modulation efficiency in persons with and without migraine headaches. Design Cross-sectional assessment of experimental pain. Setting University campus and surrounding community in a large Midwestern US city. Subjects Twenty-three adults with and 32 without a history of migraine headaches participated in the study. Participants were mostly female (N = 40) with an average age of 23 years. Methods Four electrocutaneous stimulations of the supraorbital branch of the left trigeminal nerve were delivered at 150% of an individually determined pain threshold. Conditioned pain modulation was assessed by applying a noxious counterstimulus (forearm ischemia) and delivering four more electrocutaneous stimulations. After each stimulation, pain and the nociceptive blink reflex were assessed. Depression and pain catastrophizing were assessed to control for the potential influence of these variables on pain modulation. Results Participants with and without migraine headaches had similar baseline pain responsivity, without significant differences in pain report or nociceptive blink reflexes. Pain report was inhibited by conditioned pain modulation in both the migraine and control groups. However, unlike nonmigraine controls, participants with migraines did not exhibit an inhibition of nociceptive blink reflexes during the ischemia task. This pattern persisted after controlling for level of pain catastrophizing and depression. Conclusions Migraine sufferers exhibited impaired conditioned pain modulation of the nociceptive blink reflex, suggesting a deficiency in inhibition of trigeminal nociception, which may contribute to the development of migraine headaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Inactive lifestyles contribute to health problems and premature death and are influenced by the physical environment. The primary objective of this study was to quantify patterns of physical inactivity in New York City and the United States by combining data from surveys and accelerometers. Methods: We used Poisson regression models and self-reported survey data on physical activity and other demographic characteristics to predict accelerometer-measured inactivity in New York City and the United States among adults aged ≥18. National data came from the 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. New York City data came from the 2010-2011 New York City Physical Activity and Transit survey. Results: Self-reported survey data indicated no significant differences in inactivity between New York City and the United States, but accelerometer data showed that 53.1% of persons nationally, compared with 23.4% in New York City, were inactive (P <.001). New Yorkers reported a median of 139 weekly minutes of transportation activity, compared with 0 minutes nationally. Nationally, 50.0% of self-reported activity minutes came from recreation activity, compared with 17.5% in New York City. Regression models indicated differences in the association between self-reported minutes of transportation and recreation and accelerometer-measured inactivity in the 2 settings. Conclusions: The prevalence of physical inactivity was higher nationally than in New York City. The largest difference was in walking behavior indicated by self-reported transportation activity. The study demonstrated the feasibility of combining accelerometer and survey measurement and that walkable environments promote an active lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigated current speech-language intervention practices with young children with social communication delays including autism and the educational experiences that shape these practices. Method: A 25-item web-based survey was completed by 264 speech-language pathologists who worked with children under the age of 3 years. Results: A majority of respondents reported targeting a variety of areas of social communication across daily activities, regularly utilizing the parent as the primary agent, and often providing in-home services; however, a minority of respondents reported only using materials available in families' homes. Previous clinical experiences and continuing education were reported to most influence clinical decision making. Results indicated the incorporation of many aspects of evidence-based naturalistic interventions into practice and the use of continuing education opportunities to expand clinical knowledge. Conclusion: Although speech-language pathologists reported promising directions toward recommended best practices, further research and training are needed to optimize services provided to young children and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-wage work in the US and many other places continues to be characterized by precarious and dangerous conditions, vulnerable immigrant workforces, and problems of misclassification and wage theft. Several recent initiatives are seeking to demonstrate that conditions can be greatly improved even when governments lack the capacity to broadly enforce the law on the books. In co-enforcement approaches, for instance, municipal governments are enlisting worker and community organizations to improve enforcement of wage and hour laws. Similarly, some private regulatory initiatives are taking 'worker-driven' approaches that favor enforcement by locally trusted organizations rather than unreliable 'checklist auditing'. In this article, we examine one exemplary case of each approach in the US – namely, the Seattle Office of Labor Standards and the Fair Food Program in Florida. Comparing these initiatives reveals a convergence on civil society linkages, locally grounded monitoring capacities, and enforceable penalties. The cases differ in their bases of power and the expected role of the state, though the latter difference is perhaps not as stark as it initially seems. The comparison also suggests some challenges and opportunities for extending these models into new settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the cases of smouldering Waldenström macroglobulinaemia (SWM) in the U.S. Topics include clinical definition of WM, diagnosis of SWM, and difference between SWM and Immunoglobulin M (IgM)-monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and active WM. Also mentioned are the higher prevalence of SWM among males and analysis of WM patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database.

Introduction: Discussions regarding withdrawal of life support after burn injury are challenging and complex. Often, providers may facilitate this discussion when the extent of injury makes survival highly unlikely or when the patient's condition deteriorates during resuscitation. Few papers have evaluated withdrawal of life support in burn patients. We therefore sought to determine the predictor of withdrawal of life support (WLS) in a regional burn center.Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all burn patients from 2002 to 2012. Patient characteristics included age, gender, burn mechanism, percentage total body surface area (%TBSA) burned, presence of inhalation injury, hospital length of stay, and pre-existing comorbidities. Patients <17years of age and patients with unknown disposition were excluded. Patients were categorized into three cohorts: Alive till discharge (Alive), death by withdrawal of life support (WLS), or death despite ongoing life support (DLS). DLS patients were then excluded from the study population. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate predictors of WLS.Results: 8,371 patients were included for analysis: 8134 Alive, 237 WLS. Females had an increased odd of WLS compared to males (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.18-3.48; p=0.010). Based on higher CCI, patients with pre-existing comorbidities had an increased odd of WLS (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.08-1.52; p=0.005). There was a significantly increased odds for WLS (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.06-1.12; p<0.001) with increasing age. Similarly, there was an increased odd for WLS (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.07-1.51; p<0.001) with increasing %TBSA. An increased odd of WLS (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.05-5.78; p=0.038) was also found in patients with inhalation injury.Conclusion: The decision to withdraw life support is a complex and difficult decision. Our current understanding of predictors of withdrawal of life support suggests that they mirror those factors which increase a patient's risk of mortality. Further research is needed to fully explore end-of-life decision making in regards to burn patients. The role of patient's sex, particularly women, in WLS decision making needs to be further explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate interventions for assisting transnational social workers (TSWs), nurses and teachers in their transition into the receiving country are significant for enabling competent and safe professional practice. These professionals form a significant part of the professional workforce of many countries as globalisation and liberal migration policies encourage many to cross borders for professional practice. Engaging in employment overseas, however, is a challenging process for them as it entails relocating to a new country and working in unfamiliar sociocultural and practice contexts. While some form of profession-wide assistance is found in nursing and teaching, social workers rarely receive any such interventions. This article discusses existing support offered to transnational nurses and teachers in English-speaking countries such as the UK, US, New Zealand, Australia and Canada and suggests how a similar approach to social workers can assist their transitioning into the receiving country. It draws on the findings of a thematic review of the literature addressing support for transnational nurses, teachers and social workers. The imperative of interventions to assist transition of TSWs into host countries is explored and the article concludes with recommendations for some intervention strategies and mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarship expectations of many universities in the United States are becoming more stringent. The purpose of this study was to examine variables associated with the scholarship of the sport management professoriate. The participants were 266 of the 422 academics in the NASPE-NASSM Sport Management Program List (1991). Chi-square tests of independence (alpha < .004) revealed slight tendencies for (a) younger faculty to have doctorates in areas such as sport management, psychology/sociology of sport, and legal aspects of sport rather than in physical education; (b) younger faculty to have more publications than older faculty; (c) women to be concentrated in the lower ranks and salary ranges; and (d) movement toward gender parity in rank and salary. This study should be replicated in 5 years to discover if these tendencies were precursors of trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing academic literature has not directly addressed solutions for the race-credit disparity. Local, state, and federal agencies along with private organizations, have implemented various types of credit education programs. These programs have been largely unsuccessful. Federal legislation was passed to make loan terms more transparent and loans more accessible. While arguably helpful to sophisticated borrowers, data indicates that mandatory term disclosure does little to affect consumer behavior. More needs to be done in order to break the low credit score cycle. This Comment proposes an application of Affirmative Action principles to break the cycle and bring an entire underserved population into the modern banking and lending scheme, complete with reasonable interest rates, lower costs, and a decreased likelihood of default. Without significant and drastic changes, "the country is headed toward a kind of financial segregation." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: ERBB2 (erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 or HER2) is currently the only biomarker established for selection of a specific therapy for patients with advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA). However, there are no comprehensive guidelines for the assessment of HER2 in patients with GEA.Objectives: To establish an evidence-based guideline for HER2 testing in patients with GEA, to formalize the algorithms for methods to improve the accuracy of HER2 testing while addressing which patients and tumor specimens are appropriate, and to provide guidance on clinical decision making.Design: The College of American Pathologists, American Society for Clinical Pathology, and American Society of Clinical Oncology convened an expert panel to conduct a systematic review of the literature to develop an evidence-based guideline with recommendations for optimal HER2 testing in patients with GEA.Results: The panel is proposing 11 recommendations with strong agreement from the open-comment participants.Recommendations: The panel recommends that tumor specimen(s) from all patients with advanced GEA, who are candidates for HER2-targeted therapy, should be assessed for HER2 status before the initiation of HER2-targeted therapy. Clinicians should offer combination chemotherapy and a HER2-targeted agent as initial therapy for all patients with HER2-positive advanced GEA. For pathologists, guidance is provided for morphologic selection of neoplastic tissue, testing algorithms, scoring methods, interpretation and reporting of results, and laboratory quality assurance.Conclusions: This guideline provides specific recommendations for assessment of HER2 in patients with advanced GEA while addressing pertinent technical issues and clinical implications of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer accounts for ~27% of all incident cancer cases among men and is the second most common (noncutaneous) cancer among men. The relation between diet and prostate cancer is still unclear. Because people do not consume individual foods but rather foods in combination, the assessment of dietary patterns may offer valuable information when determining associations between diet and prostate cancer risk. Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between dietary patterns (nonvegetarian, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, vegan, and semi-vegetarian) and prostate cancer incidence among 26,346 male participants of the Adventist Health Study-2. Design: In this prospective cohort study, cancer cases were identified by matching to cancer registries. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to estimate HRs by using age as the time variable. Results: In total, 1079 incident prostate cancer cases were identified. Around 8% of the study population reported adherence to the vegan diet. Vegan diets showed a statistically significant protective association with prostate cancer risk (HR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.49, 0.85). After stratifying by race, the statistically significant association with a vegan diet remained only for the whites (HR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.86), but the multivariate HR for black vegans showed a similar but nonsignificant point estimate (HR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.41, 1.18). Conclusion: Vegan diets may confer a lower risk of prostate cancer. This lower estimated risk is seen in both white and black vegan subjects, although in the latter, the CI is wider and includes the null. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Evidence suggests that patient characteristics such as sex, race, and age influence the pain management decisions of health care providers. Although this signifies that patient demographics may be important determinants of health care decisions, pain-related care also may be impacted by the personal characteristics of the health care practitioner. However, the extent to which health care provider characteristics affect pain management decisions is unclear, underscoring the need for further research in this area. Methods A total of 154 health care providers (77 physicians, 77 dentists) viewed video vignettes of virtual human ( VH) patients varying in sex, race, and age. Practitioners provided computerized ratings of VH patients' pain intensity and unpleasantness, and also reported their willingness to prescribe non-opioid and opioid analgesics for each patient. Practitioner sex, race, age, and duration of professional experience were included as predictors to determine their impact on pain management decisions. Results When assessing and treating pain, practitioner sex, race, age, and duration of experience were all significantly associated with pain management decisions. Further, the role of these characteristics differed across VH patient sex, race, and age. Conclusions These findings suggest that pain assessment and treatment decisions may be impacted by the health care providers' demographic characteristics, effects which may contribute to pain management disparities. Future research is warranted to determine whether findings replicate in other health care disciplines and medical conditions, and identify other practitioner characteristics (e.g., culture) that may affect pain management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State and local governments often turn to municipal advisors for advice on financial matters. Municipal advisors include numerous types of firms and individuals, providing advice on a wide range of instruments, products, and strategies. The Dodd-Frank Act has broadened the jurisdiction of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board to include regulation of municipal advisors. This paper provides the first descriptive analysis of the entities that registered as municipal advisors under the temporary rules that were being applied pending a difinitive regulatory difinition of who is a municipal advisor, The results in this analysis are consistent with a market division between a small number of market-dominant advisors that offer a wide range of services and a larger number of smaller and more focused advisors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of complex medical device technologies into clinical practice is governed by critical oversight of the US Food and Drug Administration. This regulatory process requires a judicious balance between assuring safety and efficacy, while providing efficient review to facilitate access to innovative therapies. Recent contrasting views of the regulatory process have emphasized the difficulties in obtaining an optimal balance. Mechanical circulatory support has evolved to become an important therapy for patients who have advanced heart failure with the advent of more durable, implantable ventricular assist devices. The regulatory oversight of these new technologies has been difficult owing to the complexities of these devices, associated adverse event profile, and severity of illness of the intended patient population. Maintaining a regulatory environment to foster efficient introduction of safe and effective technologies is critical to the success of ventricular assist device therapy and the health of patients with advanced heart failure. Physicians representing key surgical and cardiology societies, and representatives from the Food and Drug Administration, National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Interagency Registry of Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support, and industry partners gathered to discuss relevant issues regarding the current regulatory environment assessing ventricular assist devices. The goal of the meeting was to explore innovative ways to foster the introduction of technologically advanced, safe, and effective ventricular assist devices. The following summary reflects opinions and conclusions endorsed by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, American Heart Association, Heart Failure Society of America, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, and Interagency Registry of Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational therapists (OTs) are health care professionals who enable clients to participate in meaningful activities. This session demonstrates how OTs can partner with museums to enhance the quality of inclusion for all visitors to promote their enjoyment, informal learning, competence, equity, and belonging. Since the Americans with Disabilities Act's passage, many US museums have improved their general physical accessibility with wheelchair ramps or lower exhibit counters. Yet inclusion is more than access to the physical structure; it means that all people, regardless of their abilities, are able to participate as part of the social group and community. People with disabilities continue to report that they are unable to achieve a full museum experience. This session, a collaboration between OTs and museum staff in 3 US cities (Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago) discusses the principles of universal design and universal design for learning theory as tools to analyse museum environments. Examples from each museum illustrate the role of OTs in supporting inclusion through: 1) environmental modifications (physical and social), 2) innovative programming, and 3) personnel training. By increasing participation and belonging, OT partnerships with museums can promote positive museum experiences and inclusion for visitors with a wide range of abilities and needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) has the potential to improve the transparency of financial reports; however, its complexity creates the risk of introducing errors that are a threat to its usefulness. XBRL is a complex technological change in financial reporting of nearly unprecedented scope. Prior to June 2009, the date of the first mandated XBRL filings, the SEC made available a Voluntary Filing Program (VFP) to assist in addressing the difficulties of creating XBRL documents. This study examines errors in the VFP filings, and investigates whether stakeholders used their experience to improve the XBRL technology and processes. Findings indicate a reduction in errors over time, suggesting that the VFP for XBRL was successful. These results support the use of a VFP to identify and solve unanticipated issues and evaluate the feasibility of implementing large-scale technological changes in financial reporting and perhaps comprehensive changes in accounting standards such as the implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the potential for organizational conflicts of interests (OCI) in asset management contracts in the U.S. It describes how asset management OCI arise with the use of the firm BlackRock's asset management contracts. Further it examines the how asset management contracts are susceptible to OCI especially after the economic crisis asset.

The article focuses on the work done by Joseph Chilton Pearce, an American writer and educator, regarding the practical goal of education curriculum in the U.S. schools as well as discontinuing the culture of materialism in the western society. It states that the primary factor of the books of Pearce which is human potential. It mentions the whole physiological working of the human body and also the mechanism of fetus development in mother's womb. He also describes the basis of human intelligence in context of matrices.

The article reviews the environment of care for patient's safety in the intensive care unit (ICU) in the U.S. It covers issues including future architectural design and layout trends, construction trends affecting ICUs, and prevention of construction of healthcare-associated infections related to airborne and waterborne risks and design solutions. It mentions the infection control risk assessment team that addresses environment of care design to enhance the safety of ICU patients.

The article focuses on the issues concerning the centered education in the U.S. and Africa relative to the American culture concept of anthropologist Edward Hall. It examines the continuum of high and low context cultures presented by Hall wherein the cultures which utilize the mono-chronic time are considered low text, while non-linear manner is used by the high context culture. It explores various literature and published materials which present different issues on cultural hegemony in conjunction to education. Moreover, it states that "The Education of Blacks in the South 1860-1935," by James Anderson offers information on the events regarding black education.

The article presents the author's perspectives on the regulations for liability insurance for religious institutions in terms of sexual abuse scandals in the U.S. The author mentions that a common problem with the insurance coverage for sexual abuse is the fact the sexual abuse is not considered an accidental act. The author also reflects on how the term occurrence in liability insurance policies is interpreted in cases of sexual abuse scandal within the Roman Catholic Church.

A collaborative interlaboratory evaluation of a newly standardized inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method for determining trace beryllium in workplace air samples was carried out toward fulfillment of method validation requirements for ASTM International voluntary consensus standard test methods. The interlaboratory study (ILS) was performed in accordance with an applicable ASTM International standard practice, ASTM E691, which describes statistical procedures for investigating interlaboratory precision. Uncertainty was also estimated in accordance with ASTM D7440, which applies the International Organization for Standardization Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement to air quality measurements. Performance evaluation materials (PEMs) used consisted of 37 mm diameter mixed cellulose ester filters that were spiked with beryllium at levels of 0.025 (low loading), 0.5 (medium loading), and 10 (high loading) μ g Be/filter; these spiked filters were prepared by a contract laboratory. Participating laboratories were recruited from a pool of over 50 invitees; ultimately, 20 laboratories from Europe, North America, and Asia submitted ILS results. Triplicates of each PEM (blanks plus the three different loading levels) were conveyed to each volunteer laboratory, along with a copy of the draft standard test method that each participant was asked to follow; spiking levels were unknown to the participants. The laboratories were requested to prepare the PEMs by one of three sample preparation procedures (hotplate or microwave digestion or hotblock extraction) that were described in the draft standard. Participants were then asked to analyze aliquots of the prepared samples by ICP-MS and to report their data in units of μ g Be/filter sample. Interlaboratory precision estimates from participating laboratories, computed in accordance with ASTM E691, were 0.165, 0.108, and 0.151 (relative standard deviation) for the PEMs spiked at 0.025, 0.5, and 10 μ g Be/filter, respectively. Overall recoveries were 93.2%, 102%, and 80.6% for the low, medium, and high beryllium loadings, respectively. Expanded uncertainty estimates for interlaboratory analysis of low, medium, and high beryllium loadings, calculated in accordance with ASTM D7440, were 18.8%, 19.8%, and 24.4%, respectively. These figures of merit support promulgation of the analytical procedure as an ASTM International standard test method, ASTM D7439. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine how the introduction of single-stock futures impacts short sale costs and short interest levels in the underlying spot market. We find that short selling in the underling securities declines, after futures are introduced, the cost of borrowing stock for short sales declines and the available unborrowed supply of lendable shares increases. These results are consistent with futures exchanges providing a low-cost substitute market for establishing short positions. Microstructure evidence also suggests that the lower cost and greater ease of short selling via futures markets draws informed traders from the spot market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key strategy for biofuel production is making use of the chemical energy stored in plant cell walls. Cell walls are a strong meshwork of sugar chains and other polymers that encircle each plant cell. Collectively known as lignocellulose, cell wall material represents the bulk of plant dry mass. Biofuels can be made by releasing sugars from lignocellulose and converting them into fuel; however, this is currently an energy-intensive process. We summarize the barriers to efficient lignocellulosic biofuel production and highlight scientific research recently funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Energy, both to understand and harness the mechanisms by which plants build cell walls, and to further develop enzymes and microbes that facilitate sugar release and biofuel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study is to examine trends in mitral valve (MV) repair and replacement surgery using The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (STS ACSD). Methods: The study population included isolated mitral valve operations performed between January 2000 and December 2007 at 910 hospitals participating in the STS ACSD. Patients with endocarditis, prior cardiac operation, shock, emergency operation, and concomitant coronary artery bypass graft or aortic valve surgery were excluded. Results: During the 8-year study period, 58,370 patients underwent isolated primary MV operations. For patients with isolated mitral regurgitation (n = 47,126), the rate of MV repair (versus replacement) increased from 51% to 69% (p < 0.0001). Among patients having replacement (n = 24,404), there has been a pronounced decline in the use of mechanical valves: 68% to 37% (p < 0.0001). The operative mortality for MV replacement was consistently higher than that for repair (3.8% versus 1.4%), a finding that persisted after risk-adjustment (adjusted odds ratio 0.52, 95% confidence interval: 0.45 to 0.59; p < 0.0001). Among patients having elective isolated MV repair (n = 28,140), the operative mortality was 1.2%. For asymptomatic (class I) patients, operative mortality was 0.6%. Conclusions: This study documents several important trends in MV surgery, including the progressive adoption of mitral valve repair and increasing use of bioprosthetic replacement valves. Operative risks of MV repair are significantly lower than those for MV replacement. Operative mortality for isolated elective mitral valve repair is 1% in contemporary clinical practice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: A widely applicable lesson learned from systems analysis is that a proposed change should always be studied in terms of value to the customer and not a gain in efficiency of any particular component of the system. A systems mindset reveals invalid assumptions that have caused the FDA to substitute its own needs for the needs of its customers (patients). Further, the key constraint to overall system improvement is the lack of consumer choice and competition due to FDA’s monopoly over access to drugs. Therefore, we need legislation to implement a proposed dual track system for access to drugs that have successfully passed Phase I safety trials. On one track, an experimental drug would continue with conventional FDA clinical trials. On a new, free-to-choose track, patients, advised by their doctors, would make informed decisions about immediate access to not-yet-approved drugs. Internet access to a government-operated tradeoff evaluation database would provide patients and doctors with up-to-date information on all drug treatment outcomes for both tracks. Dual tracking is a dynamic process that overcomes the limitations of a static FDA regulatory process that ignores individual risk preferences. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Department of Energy (DOE) Carbon Sequestration Regional Partnerships are generating the data for a "carbon atlas" of key geospatial data (carbon sources, potential sinks, etc.) required for rapid implementation of carbon sequestration on a broad scale. The NATional CARBon Sequestration Database and Geographic Information System (NatCarb) provides Web-based, nation-wide data access. Distributed computing solutions link partnerships and other publicly accessible repositories of geological, geophysical, natural resource, infrastructure, and environmental data. Data are maintained and enhanced locally, but assembled and accessed through a single geoportal. NatCarb, as a first attempt at a national carbon cyberinfrastructure (NCCI), assembles the data required to address technical and policy challenges of carbon capture and storage. We present a path forward to design and implement a comprehensive and successful NCCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. We reviewed literature on comparative social policy and life course research and compared associations between health and socioeconomic circumstances during an 11-year period in the United States and the United Kingdom. Methods. We obtained data from the US Panel Study of Income Dynamics and the British Household Panel Survey (1990-2002). We used latent transition analysis to examine change in self-rated health from one discrete state to another; these health trajectories were then associated with socioeconomic measures at the beginning and at the end of the study period. Results. We identified good and poor latent health states, which remained relatively stable over time. When change occurred, decline rather than improvement was more likely. UK populations were in better health compared with US populations and were more likely to improve over time. Labor market participation was more strongly associated with good health in the United Kingdom than in the United States. Conclusions. National policies and practices may be keeping more US workers than UK workers who are in poor health employed, but British policies may give UK workers the chance to return to better health and to the labor force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent controversies have drawn attention to the growing day labor industry in the U.S. While academics and activists have documented and criticized day labor agencies’ practice of externalizing costs onto the workforce, less attention has been paid to the informal organization of this form of work. At first glance, the day labor industry may appear to be little more than an anonymous “spot market,” but this glosses over the subtle relational and reputational dynamics at play. This article uses qualitative and quantitative evidence to uncover the informal order of the day labor hall, as experienced by homeless workers. Dispatcher discretion over the allocation of jobs leads day laborers to adopt several strategies for combating anonymity in this market. We argue that dispatchers’ perceptions of workers’ loyalty and reliability shape the allocation of rewards, thus inserting a small measure of stability into this highly contingent form of work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is tasked with opposing goals which demand tradeoffs—thetime and cost of clinical trials to assure safety and efficacy while also encouraging speedy drug advancesand affordability. On top of that, there is no feedback mechanism to inform the FDA of the effectiveness oftheir tradeoff decisions. Dual Tracking is a proposed public policy field experiment that would provideneeded feedback information. The proposal is rooted in the right of informed patients to choose among FDA-approvedor new, experimental drugs still in clinical trials. All new drugs would continue along the FDA'sclinical testing track. On a new track independent of the FDA (but only after successful FDA Phase I safetyevaluations), drug development firms would have the option to legally contract with individual patients andtheir doctors to sell them a not-yet-FDA-approved drug. The contract would require ongoing Internet reportingin a specified format of all drug-related experiences. The results of the Dual Tracking process comparedto the FDA's process would constitute the critical information now missing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much has happened in the municipal bond market during the past 25 years. This article provides a retrospective of some of the significant developments in the market during that period of time. These developments include passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, innovations in the market in response to changing economic and social conditions, and the regulation, increase in disclosure requirements, and proliferatioin of credit enhancements that renewed the efficacy of municipal securities for American state and local governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States is embroiled in a global ideological conflict whose outcome will dramatically alter the international political system. If America is to emerge victorious, its leaders must understand the forces that drive and shape the enemy. This work will compare the lessons found in Sun Tzu's The Art of War with the training and methods of the global Islamist network, al Qaeda. By studying The Art of War , one not only gains a clearer insight into the shadowy world of Islamist terrorism, but also acquires important insights necessary in order for America to win the global war on terror. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the corporate accountability and the privatization of labor standards in the U.S. Corporate power is always linked to particular vulnerabilities, which create spaces for conflict and struggle over the governance of capitalism. Recently, social movement organizations have attempted to exploit corporations' dependence on brand identities to push for action on sweatshops, environmental protection, benefits for same-sex partners, and a number of other issues. In response, many companies have adopted codes of conduct and joined private regulatory initiatives, in the apparel industry, for instance, sweatshop scandals in the 1990s generated various forms of soft law and private regulation of labor conditions--including codes of conduct, compliance monitoring programs, and initiatives to certify socially responsible companies. The vast majority of major apparel manufacturers and retailers now have codes of conduct that set minimum labor conditions for their contractors' factories, and many hire external monitors to assess compliance in factories in the U.S. and around the world.

The clearly defined work and family roles of the traditional American family model-husbands as breadwinners and wives as homemakers-have been replaced by a model where both husbands and wives are employed, creating the need to re-negotiate family roles. The current study examined: (1) differences in perceived decision-making, gender-role attitudes, division of household labor and perceived marital equity in dual-earner husbands and wives (n = 233); and (2) the impact of perceived decision-making, gender-role attitudes, and division of household labor on perceived marital equity. Findings indicated that decision-making, low-control household labor, and high-control household labor differed significantly between husbands and wives. Wives spent more time in household labor and were much more likely to be involved in low-control household tasks. Perceptions of marital equity were influenced by decision-making and time spent in low-control household tasks for both husbands and wives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a survey which investigates the demographic profile of family and consumer sciences (FCS) teachers in the U.S. The purpose of the survey is to gather information regarding their satisfaction with the profession and with their way of life, health, leisure activities and place of residence. Here, teachers provided demographic data and responded to statements using a 3-point scale related to their profession, life, health, leisure activities and home. Details on the results of the survey are discussed in the article.

Review of a recent book on the Congress for Cultural Freedom by British author and documentary filmmaker Frances Stonor Saunders, Who Paid the Piper? The CIA and the Cultural Cold War (London: Granta, 1999), leads into an examination of the cold war ideological contest in the United States, Europe, and Latin America. Particular attention is given to the Americas and U.S. efforts to manipulate the social sciences as instruments of hemispheric control. Saunder's book is compared and contrasted to other works on the cultural cold war, while extensive references are provided for further reading and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expounds on the nature of the Silver Belt fault in the Rodman Mountains located in the central Mojave Desert of California. Description of the geological formation; Evidence from currently available data; Alternative explanations for the fault's formation.

This article examines how, and to what degree, the potential for private information affects the liquidity of the market for real estate investment trusts (REITs). Consistent with the previous literature, we find that REITs trading on organized specialist exchanges are more liquid than those trading in the over-the-counter market. In addition, an examination of REIT market liquidity across individual firm portfolio holdings reveals REITs with more focused investment strategies are easier to value and more liquid than their diversified counterparts. Finally, our results also indicate liquidity improves as the percentage of the firm's investment portfolio held as direct property ( i.e., equity) investments rises. This finding is consistent with the belief that financial assets are informationally opaque and, therefore, uniquely difficult to value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]