Search

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify workforce skills that protect an occupation from elimination due to automation technology. Design/methodology/approach: The authors apply a Gaussian process (GP) classifier, based on the level of non-automatable work activities in an occupation, to USA and Colombian occupational datasets. Findings: The authors find that communication, interpersonal relationship management and decision-making skills are most important in occupations that are resistant to automation. Research limitations/implications: The results are based on work activities data from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) database developed for the USA labor market. This dataset does not capture significant differences in work activities, where they exist, for the same occupation between the two countries. The findings are also limited to Colombia. Readers should be careful to extrapolate the findings outside of this geography. Originality/value: The authors discover that automation is likely to be a global phenomenon that can only be slightly mitigated by cultural and political factors.

Pima (Gossypium barbadense L.) cotton is currently grown commercially in the western United States and has exceptional fiber quality, which provides an economic value almost two times greater than Upland (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cotton. Due to limited experience with Pima production in the southeastern United States, our primary objective was to compare the growth, development, agronomic performance, and fiber quality of four Pima genotypes with a high‐yielding high fiber quality commercial Upland cultivar under irrigated and dryland conditions at different planting dates. Lint yields of all Pima genotypes were ∼50% less and had lower lint percentages (38.0–42.4%) than the Upland genotype (45.7%); however, the Pima genotypes had consistently lower micronaire values and increased fiber strength, length, and uniformity. Although irrigation did not significantly impact agronomic and fiber quality performance, plants grown under supplemental irrigation developed 10% more bolls throughout the season, mostly occurring on monopodial branches and at mainstem nodal positions above 15. Bolls on Pima genotypes were 13–34% smaller than the Upland genotype and developed at more distal and higher nodal positions in the plant canopy. The highest net returns were found in 2019 at the early planting date, displaying the importance of timely planting of Pima genotypes when grown in the southeastern United States. Results suggest that irrigation may not be required for Pima production in the southeast, early planting is preferred to obtain maximum yields, and increasing lint percent, boll number, or earliness through breeding may improve Pima yields in the southeastern United States. Core Ideas: Early planting is desirable to maximize pima cotton production in the southeastern United States.Supplemental irrigation may not be required for southeastern U.S. pima cotton production.In comparison with Upland, more bolls did not translate to increased lint yield for pima cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial production of Pima cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) in the United States is currently limited to the western United States and West Texas. Before the 1930s, Pima cotton was produced in coastal regions of the southeast United States. However, in an effort to escape yield and economic losses caused by the boll weevil, which invaded the United States in the 1920s, production of long‐season Pima cotton was eliminated and shifted to shorter‐season upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Today, the value of Pima cotton fiber is nearly double that of upland cotton. We hypothesized that Pima cotton could be successfully cultivated in the southeast United States because of the eradication of the boll weevil, alongside improvements in genetics and production practices. We evaluated the agronomic performance, fiber quality, and net economic return of 48 Pima genotypes in field trials conducted during 2018 and 2019 in Florence, SC, compared with two popular commercial upland cultivars. We also evaluated the impact of the ginning method (saw vs. roller) on fiber quality. On average, in comparison with upland cotton, the lint yield of Pima genotypes was reduced by half. However, most of the Pima genotypes produced higher‐quality fibers compared with the upland checks. Surprisingly, the ginning method appeared to have little impact on fiber quality. Net return analysis revealed no significant differences among several of the higher‐yielding, higher‐quality Pima genotypes and the upland genotypes in this study, indicating that the reintroduction of a Pima production system in the southeast United States may be feasible. Core Ideas: Compared with upland genotypes, Pima genotypes had premium fiber quality but yielded 50% less.The ginning method had little impact on fiber quality parameters.The net return of the highest‐yielding Pima genotypes was not different from the upland checks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of performance-based seismic design dates from the 1990s. Several complex bridges in seismic hazard zones were designed following this concept. The list includes but not limited to the New Carquinez Suspension Bridge, the New Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge, and the Gerald Desmond Bridge. This paper documents the fundamental issues that were considered in the seismic design of recent cable-supported bridges including the seismic performance-based criteria (PBDC). The paper also discusses how the local damage levels are employed through a deformation-based approach to achieve the global performance objectives of the bridge. The paper also explains the development procedure of spectrum compatible ground motions through probabilistic seismic hazard analysis. Issues such as foundation modeling, soil–structure interaction, and appropriate damping are also outlined. PBDC is an appropriate approach for the seismic assessment of this class of bridges, particularly if the damage is determined using a displacement-based assessment approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay presents results of an exploratory project from 2000-2002 on folk medicine amongLatinx healers in Los Angeles, initiated because little research had been conducted on botánicas anywhere in the United States. The findings reveal that most of the healers are steeped in more than one religious and healing tradition, and that many of these specialists are not, as sometimes assumed, poorly educated, unsophisticated, or adversaries of biomedical care. In addition, clientele are not exclusively Latinx, immigrants, or impoverished, and they seek help for physical, emotional, interpersonal, legal, and other problems including alcoholism, the last of which practitioners attend to with plant and ritual therapies as well as by recommending treatment centers. Data from this study can help inform educational and medical programs regarding faith-based and herbal therapies by vernacular practitioners in Los Angeles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pay for performance (PFP) remains one of the most controversial policy debates in the New Public Management reform era. Skepticism about PFP in the public sector is often grounded in theories of public service motivation that suggest a misalignment between PFP's focus on extrinsic market-based pay incentives and intrinsically motivated government workers. Frequently missing from this analysis, however, is any consideration for whether PFP leads to positive 'sorting' effects on the composition of a government agency's workforce through attraction, selection, and attrition processes. Using data from two waves of the Schools and Staffing Survey, the authors examine whether PFP influences the sorting patterns of K-12 public schoolteachers across U.S. school districts. Findings show that, on average, school districts that adopted PFP secured new teacher hires who had graduated from colleges and universities with average SAT scores that were about 30 points higher than the new teacher cohorts hired by districts that did not adopt PFP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: Carotid endarterectomy and carotid artery stenting are the leading approaches to revascularization for carotid stenosis, yet contemporary data on trends in rates and outcomes are limited.Objective: To describe US national trends in performance and outcomes of carotid endarterectomy and stenting among Medicare beneficiaries from 1999 to 2014.Design, Setting, and Participants: Serial cross-sectional analysis of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 years or older from 1999 to 2014 using the Medicare Inpatient and Denominator files. Spatial mixed models adjusted for age, sex, and race were fit to calculate county-specific risk-standardized revascularization rates. Mixed models were fit to assess trends in outcomes after adjustment for demographics, comorbidities, and symptomatic status.Exposures: Carotid endarterectomy and carotid artery stenting.Main Outcomes and Measures: Revascularization rates per 100 000 beneficiary-years of fee-for-service enrollment, in-hospital mortality, 30-day stroke or death, 30-day stroke, myocardial infarction, or death, 30-day all-cause mortality, and 1-year stroke.Results: During the study, 937 111 unique patients underwent carotid endarterectomy (mean age, 75.8 years; 43% women) and 231 077 underwent carotid artery stenting (mean age, 75.4 years; 49% women). There were 81 306 patients who underwent endarterectomy in 1999 and 36 325 in 2014; national rates per 100 000 beneficiary-years decreased from 298 in 1999-2000 to 128 in 2013-2014 (P < .001). The number of patients who underwent stenting ranged from 10 416 in 1999 to 22 865 in 2006 (an increase per 100 000 beneficiary-years from 40 in 1999-2000 to 75 in 2005-2006; P < .001); by 2014, there were 10 208 patients who underwent stenting and the rate decreased to 38 per 100 000 beneficiary-years (P < .001). Outcomes improved over time despite increases in vascular risk factors (eg, hypertension prevalence increased from 67% to 81% among patients who underwent endarterectomy and from 61% to 70% among patients who underwent stenting) and the proportion of symptomatic patients (all P < .001). There were adjusted annual decreases in 30-day ischemic stroke or death of 2.90% (95% CI, 2.63% to 3.18%) among patients who underwent endarterectomy and 1.13% (95% CI, 0.71% to 1.54%) among patients who underwent stenting; an absolute decrease from 1999 to 2014 was observed for endarterectomy (1.4%; 95% CI, 1.2% to 1.5%) but not stenting (-0.1%; 95% CI, -0.5% to 0.4%). Rates for 1-year ischemic stroke decreased after endarterectomy (absolute decrease, 3.5% [95% CI, 3.2% to 3.7%]; adjusted annual decrease, 2.17% [95% CI, 2.00% to 2.34%]) and stenting (absolute decrease, 1.6% [95% CI, 1.2% to 2.1%]; adjusted annual decrease, 1.86% [95% CI, 1.45%-2.26%]). Additional improvements were noted for in-hospital mortality, 30-day stroke, myocardial infarction, or death, and 30-day all-cause mortality as well as within demographic subgroups.Conclusions and Relevance: Among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries, the performance of carotid endarterectomy declined from 1999 to 2014, whereas the performance of carotid artery stenting increased until 2006 and then declined from 2007 to 2014. Outcomes improved despite increases in vascular risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay focuses first on a short-lived pork ban by the federal Bureau of Prisons and then it examines rumors of recent pork bans in public institutions in the U.S. and Western Europe. The goal is to discover, through detailed analysis of comments and the application of foodways theories, many of the persistent but often hidden assumptions, beliefs, and sentiments regarding the consumption of pork. A recurrent theme is the multivalent symbolism of this food. In addition, social tensions, feelings of values under attack, culinary nationalism, and cultural protectionism are clearly manifested in public comments. The essay contributes to the literature on prison provisioning, rumor and belief and nationalistic movements involving food and foodways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: As many as one-half of patients recommended for osteoporosis pharmacotherapy do not take their medications. To identify intervention targets, we examined patient characteristics associated with nonadherence to recommended pharmacotherapy and their reasons for nonadherence.Methods: Data come from the Patient Activation after DXA Result Notification (PAADRN) study, a randomized controlled trial of 7749 patients aged 50 years or older presenting for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at 3 health centers in the United States. We focused on the 790 patients who reported receiving a recommendation for new pharmacotherapy at baseline. Using Pearson chi-squared tests for categorical variables, 2-sample t tests for continuous variables, and multivariable multinomial logistic regression, we compared those who reported starting the recommended medication (adherers) with temporary nonadherers and nonadherers on demographics, health habits, DXA impression, 10-year probability of fracture using the assessment tool, and osteoporosis knowledge, and we examined their stated reasons for nonadherence.Results: Mean age was 66.8 years (SD = 8.9); 87.2% were women, and 84.2% were white. One-fourth of patients (24.8%) reported that they did not start their recommended pharmacotherapy. In the unadjusted analyses, the only factor significantly associated with nonadherence was osteoporosis knowledge, with those having better knowledge being less likely to take their medications (P < 0.05). The most common reasons for nonadherence were fear of adverse effects (53.3%), a dislike of taking medicine (25.3%), and the belief that the medication would not help their condition (16.7%).Conclusion: One in 4 patients recommended for osteoporosis pharmacotherapy declined treatment because they feared potential adverse effects, did not like taking medicine, or believed that the medication would not help their condition. Improved patient counseling on the potential adverse effects of osteoporosis treatment and the risk-benefit ratio for these medications may increase adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Politics & Policy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article talks about the establishment of standing law doctrine by the consumers in U.S. in the data breach claims. Topics discussed include U.S. Supreme Court case Clapper v. Amnesty International related to injury-infact requirement; exposure to personally identifiable information (PII) resulting from a data breach; and enactment of new federal data security scheme with a private right of action by the U.S. Congress.

Background: Proxy respondents are frequently used in health surveys, and the proxy is most often the spouse. Longstanding concerns linger, however, about the validity of using spousal proxies, especially for older adults. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the concordance between self-reports and spousal proxy reports to a standard health survey in a small convenience sample of older married couples.Methods: We used the Seniors Together in Aging Research (STAR) volunteer registry at the University of Iowa to identify and consent a cross-sectional, convenience sample of 28 married husband and wife couples. Private, personal interviews with each member of the married couple using a detailed health survey based on the 2012 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) instrument were conducted using computer assisted personal interviewing software. Within couples, each wife completed the health survey first for herself and then for her husband, and each husband completed the health survey first for himself and then for his wife. The health survey topics included health ratings, health conditions, mobility, instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), health services use, and preventative services. Percent of agreement and prevalence and bias adjusted kappa statistics (PABAKs) were used to evaluate concordance.Results: PABAK coefficients indicated moderate to excellent concordance (PABAKs >0.60) for most of the IADL, health condition, hospitalization, surgery, preventative service, and mobility questions, but only slight to fair concordance (PABAKs = -0.21 to 0.60) for health ratings, and physician and dental visits.Conclusions: These results do not allay longstanding concerns about the validity of routinely using spousal proxies in health surveys to obtain health ratings or the number of physician and dental visits among older adults. Further research is needed in a nationally representative sample of older couples in which each wife completes the health survey first for herself and then for her husband, each husband completes the health survey first for himself and then for his wife, and both spouses' Medicare claims are linked to their health survey responses to determine not just the concordance between spousal reports, but the concordance of those survey responses to the medical record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Undiagnosed, or diagnosed and untreated osteoporosis (OP) increases the likelihood that falls result in hip fractures, decreased quality of life (QOL), and significant medical expenditures among older adults. We tested whether a tailored dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) test result letter and an accompanying educational bone-health brochure affected patient satisfaction, QOL, or OP knowledge.Methods: The Patient Activation after DXA Result Notification (PAADRN) study was a double-blinded, pragmatic, randomized trial which enrolled patients from 2012 to 2014. We randomized 7,749 patients presenting for DXA at three health care institutions in the United States who were ≥ 50 years old and able to understand English. Intervention patients received a tailored letter four weeks after DXA containing their results, 10-year fracture risk, and a bone-health educational brochure. Control patients received the results of their DXA per the usual practices of their providers and institutions. Satisfaction with bone health care, QOL, and OP knowledge were assessed at baseline and 12- and 52-weeks after DXA. Intention-to-treat analyses used multiple imputation for missing data and random effects regression models to adjust for clustering within providers and covariates.Results: At 12-weeks 6,728 (86.8 %) and at 52-weeks 6,103 participants (78.8 %) completed their follow-up interviews. The intervention group was more satisfied with their bone health care compared to the usual care group at both their 12- and 52-week follow-ups (standardized effect size = 0.28 at 12-weeks and 0.17 at 52-weeks, p < 0.001). There were no differences between the intervention and usual care groups in QOL or OP knowledge at either time point.Conclusions: A tailored DXA result letter and bone-health educational brochure sent to patients improved patient satisfaction with bone-related health care.Trial Registration: Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: NCT01507662 First received: December 8, 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2010, the narrative policy framework was introduced as a positivist, quantitative, and structuralist approach to the study of policy narratives. Deviating from this central tenet of the narrative policy framework, in this article we show that the framework is quite compatible with qualitative methods—and the various epistemologies associated with them. To demonstrate compatibility between qualitative methods and the Narrative Policy Framework, we apply classic qualitative criteria to an illustrative case examining policy narratives in US campaign finance reform. Drawing on elite interviews, we illuminate competing policy narratives rooted in distinct democratic values that exhibit variation in how victims and harm are defined, how blame is attributed to villains, what policy solutions are put forth, and policy narrative communication strategies. Our incorporation of qualitative methods within the narrative policy framework is critical for the framework's overall development as it provides opportunities for more detailed description, inductive forms of inquiry, and grounded theory development in policy areas where sample sizes, access, and salience may limit quantitative approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crucial element in pleading a securities fraud case under the 1934 Exchange Act is proving that the defendant had the requisite intent, or scienter. Circuit courts are divided over the issue of pleading scienter against a corporation for section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 securities fraud cases. Since a corporation can only act through its agents, courts have struggled to determine which agents' mental states can be imputed against a corporation. In 2014, in In re Omnicare, Inc. Securities Litigation, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit created a new rule to address pleading scienter against a corporation in securities fraud cases. This rule incorporates positions from both sides of the scienter debate, and is likely an appealing approach for those circuits that have not fully ruled against either side of the split. This Note discusses the corporate scienter debate, and argues that the Sixth Circuit's Omnicare ruling must be further refined in order to establish a conclusive and widely applicable pleading standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare concordance of survey reports of health service use versus claims data between self respondents and spousal and nonspousal relative proxies.Data Sources: 1995-2010 data from the Survey on Assets and Health Dynamics among the Oldest Old and 1993-2010 Medicare claims for 3,229 individuals (13,488 person-years).Study Design: Regression models with individual fixed effects were estimated for discordance of any hospitalizations and outpatient surgery and for the numbers of under- and over-reported physician visits.Principal Findings: Spousal proxies were similar to self respondents on discordance. Nonspousal proxies, particularly daughters/daughters-in-law and sons/sons-in-law, had less discordance, mainly due to reduced under-reporting.Conclusions: Survey reports of health services use from nonspousal relatives are more consistent with Medicare claims than spousal proxies and self respondents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents questions and answers related to the game Playing Winless Teams which include winless probability of the football team Detroit Lions, change in U.S. cities rankings if the data were not per capita, and possibility of ties between cities for natural disaster risk.

In 2006, Adam J. Berinsky and Donald R. Kinder published findings in the Journal of Politics that demonstrated that framing news as a story influences how individuals cognitively organize concepts and information. The study presented here moves forward in this tradition. This research combines samples obtained in the springs of 2009 and 2010 while conducting online experiments. In these experiments, slightly over 2,000 respondents are asked to organize concepts presented in one of three culturally nuanced stories about climate change or where information is presented as a list. Hierarchical cluster analysis indicates that when respondents are exposed to culturally congruent stories, respondent organizational patterns are more likely to mirror the story. We discuss the implications of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This research examines how narrative communication structures influence the public's perceptions of risk and policy preferences related to climate change. Methods. An Internet-based experiment is used to expose roughly 1,500 census-balanced U.S. respondents to climate change information. Four experimental treatments are operationalized: a baseline control fact list and three culturally nuanced narratives. Results. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis indicates that narrative structure, particularly through the hero character, plays a powerful role in shaping climate change perceptions of risk and policy preferences. Conclusion. Explanations of the public's perceptions of risk and climate change policy preferences should more explicitly account for the role of dominant climate narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay examines last meal requests by those facing execution. After surveying food and beverage selections, I explore how culinary choices are marked by ethnicity, region, class, and gender, as well as inflected by memories, the longing for certain sensory experiences, and the intent to make a moral, political, or philosophical statement. I also consider which last suppers and comments have inspired movies, TV shows, musical compositions, and advertising; why the public desires information about the food requested by those facing death; how the condemned's meals have become politicized, feeding arguments by both those for and those against the death penalty; what the origin of the last meal ritual is; and why the custom is perpetuated. Possessing varied meanings for different participants in the drama of execution, the ceremonial last meal is one of the most powerful symbolic elements within a larger phenomenon laden with rituals and symbols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narrative Policy Framework ( NPF) is a new and maturing theory of the policy process that takes a systematic, scientific approach to understanding the social construction of policy realities. As such, NPF serves as a bridge between postpositivists, who assert that public policymaking is contextualized through narratives and social construction, and positivists, who contend that legitimacy is grounded in falsifiable claims. The central questions of NPF are: What is the empirical role of policy narratives in the policy process and do policy narratives influence policy outcomes? First, the contributions of NPF scholarship at three levels of analysis-micro, meso, and macro-are examined. Next, necessary conditions of a policy narrative are specified, accompanied by detailed discussion of the narrative components: narrative elements, narrative strategies, and policy beliefs. Finally, an empirical illustration of NPF-a case study of Cape Wind's proposal to install wind turbines off Nantucket-is presented. Although intercoalitional differences have long been studied in the NPF scholarship, this is the first study to examine intracoalitional cohesion or the extent to which a coalition tells the same story across narrative elements, narrative strategies, and policy beliefs. NPF is a new approach to the study of the policy process that offers empirical pathways to better speculating the role of narrative in the policy process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the copyright cases of photographer Alberto Korda and photographer Rowland Scherman, with information on U.S. law and legislation regarding commercial copyright and intellectual property. Topics include the photography careers of Korda and Scherman during the 1950s and 1960s, copyright for photographic negatives, Cuban copyright law, and the history of copyright infringement of the works of photographers.

Do political television advertisements influence congressional election results? We test a hypothesis that candidates increase their vote share by increasing their advertisement airings relative to their opponent's airings (i.e., “mind the gap”). Using aggregate advertising data over three election cycles, we employ a two-stage least squares estimation with a rank-order instrumental variable, finding that the advertisement gap explains shifts in vote share after controlling for variables standard to congressional election modeling and advertisement volume. This methodological approach mitigates the endogenous relationship between advertisement airings and election results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Early-successional habitats, including agricultural fields, appear to provide important foraging and nesting resource areas for Glyptemys insculpta (Wood Turtle) and Terrapene carolina carolina (Eastern Box Turtle) in the northeastern US. Mowing and agricultural activities can elevate turtle mortality rates. We performed two experiments to evaluate the risk of turtle mortality associated with 1) style of mower, 2) mower blade height, and 3) tractor tires. Mower blade height did not affect mortality rates when set to ≤15 cm. Different types of mowers appear to exert differential effects on mortality, with sickle bar mowers resulting in 50% lower mortality rates than rotary mowers and other models. However, mortality due to crushing by tractor tires may be as high as 46%, independent of blade type and height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the extent to which chronic condition (CC) status and severity affected how soon children had a dental visit after enrolling in Medicaid. Enrollment and claims data (2003-2008) for newly Medicaid-enrolled children ages 3-14 in Iowa. 3M Clinical Risk Grouping methods were used to identify CC status (no/yes) and CC severity (less severe/more severe). Survival analysis was used to identify the factors associated with earlier first dental visits after initially enrolling in Medicaid. Children with a CC were 17 percent more likely to have earlier first dental visits after enrolling in Medicaid ( p<.0001). There was no significant difference by CC severity. Children who lived in a dental health professional shortage area and those who did not utilize primary medical care had significantly later first Medicaid dental visits, whereas these factors failed to reach statistical significance for children with a CC. While newly Medicaid-enrolled children with a CC were significantly more likely to have earlier first dental visits, we failed to detect a relationship between CC severity and the time to first Medicaid dental visit. The determinants of first Medicaid dental visits were heterogeneous across subgroups of newly Medicaid-enrolled children. Future studies should identify the sociobehavioral factors associated with CCs that are potential barriers to earlier first Medicaid dental visits for newly Medicaid-enrolled children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colesevelam is a bile acid sequestrant that differs structurally from traditional bile acid sequestrants, allowing it to bind bile acids with greater affinity. Studies have shown that colesevelam significantly reduces low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and, in some cases, significantly increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels in adults with primary hypercholesterolemia. Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of colesevelam in adults with primary hypercholesterolemia. Study Design: This multicenter, open-label, titration-based extension study enrolled subjects who completed one of three multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II studies with colesevelam. This study consisted of a 4-week washout/dietary stabilization period, a 50-week open-label treatment period, and a 2-week follow-up period. Setting: Ten clinical centers within the US. Subjects: Males and females 18 years of age or older who had completed a previous short-term (4- or 6-week) phase II clinical study with colesevelam. Intervention: At week 0 (following a 4-week washout of all lipid-lowering medication), subjects initiated treatment with colesevelam at a dosage of 1.5 g/day. Colesevelam was uptitrated to a maximum dosage of 3.75 g/day as necessary to achieve a 15-30% reduction from baseline in LDL-C level. At week 12, an HMGCoA reductase inhibitor (statin) or niacin (nicotinic acid) could be added if colesevelam 3.75 g/day was not sufficient to result in a 15-30% reduction from baseline in LDL-C level. Main Outcome Measure: The primary efficacy measure was the change in LDL-C level from baseline to week 50 across all treatment regimens. Secondary efficacy parameters included the change and percent change in total cholesterol, HDL-C, and triglyceride levels from baseline to week 50. There were three cohorts analyzed: (i) colesevelam monotherapy (included all subjects who received colesevelam monotherapy, regardless of dose); (ii) all treatment regimens (included all subjects who received colesevelam monotherapy or colesevelam plus low-dose statin or niacin therapy); and (iii) combination therapy (included only subjects who received colesevelam plus low-dose statin therapy). Two additional cohorts were also evaluated: (iv) maximum-dose colesevelam monotherapy (included only subjects who received colesevelam 3.75 g/day monotherapy); and (v) all maximum-dose colesevelam treatment regimens (included all subjects who received colesevelam 3.75 g/day, either as monotherapy or in combination with low-dose statin or niacin therapy). Results: In total, 272 subjects were screened, 260 enrolled, and 186 completed the study. In total, 255 subjects were included in the intent-to-treat population. The maximum dosage of colesevelam (3.75 g/day) was taken by 50% of subjects (n = 94/188) at week 50; only 38 subjects received low-dose statin or niacin by study end. At week 50, LDL-C levels were significantly (p < 0.001) reduced from baseline across all treatment regimens (by 29.6mg/dL [from 185.8 to 156.2 mg/dL; 15.0%]). Colesevelam also significantly reduced total cholesterol levels and significantly increased HDL-C and triglyceride levels across all treatment regimens (p < 0.001 for all). Drug-related adverse events were reported by 36.2% of subjects across all treatment regimens (and by 47.4% of subjects who received colesevelam plus low-dose statin or niacin therapy). Conclusion: In this study, colesevelam was found to be safe and effective for the management of LDL-C levels in adults with primary hypercholesterolemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the 2008 Democratic Primary season which is one of the most fascinating in the U.S. history. It states that the season involves a prolonged race between Senator Hillary Clinton of New York and Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. It also notes the apportionment in the House of Representatives as well as the Democratic Delegate Selection Rules which stipulate that the delegates will be awarded based on the candidate's share of the popular vote at local districts.

The article proposes a framework for analyzing claims that may involve the combat exclusion to achieve an effective foreign claims program. Foreign claims are investigated and reviewed by the Foreign Claims Commission (FCC). The common packet of foreign claims include documents like medical treatment records, statements from the claimant, a claims card with the unit's contact information and photographs. Countries in which foreign claims are commonly filed include Iraq and Afghanistan. The purpose of the Foreign Claims Act (FCA) is to promote and maintain relations through the prompt claims settlement. Combat exclusion is a provision of FCA that prevents payment of claims resulting directly or indirectly from acts of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Ponds in the White Mountains of Grafton and Coos Counties, NH provide some of the highest elevation breeding habitat for amphibian populations in the northeastern United States. Between 2007 and 2009, we conducted field surveys of alpine ponds above 1100 m on the Presidential Range and Franconia Ridge in the White Mountain National Forest. These ponds include the only currently known amphibian breeding sites in tundra-dominated landscapes reported from the eastern United States. Four species of anuran and one species of salamander were detected at elevations ranging from 1180 to 1546 m, with direct evidence of breeding observed at every pond complex. This preliminary study contributes to available baseline data for amphibian populations in alpine and subalpine environments in the northeastern United States. Amphibian populations may be strong indicators of climate change and environmental stressors in alpine ecosystems; these populations appear to warrant long-term monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Longitudinal patterns of chiropractic use in the United States, particularly among Medicare beneficiaries, are not well documented. Using a nationally representative sample of older Medicare beneficiaries we describe the use of chiropractic over fifteen years, and classify chiropractic users by annual visit volume. We assess the characteristics that are associated with chiropractic use versus nonuse, as well as between different levels of use. Methods: We analyzed data from two linked sources: the baseline (1993-1994) interview responses of 5,510 self-respondents in the Survey on Assets and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD), and their Medicare claims from 1993 to 2007. Binomial logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with chiropractic use versus nonuse, and conditional upon use, to identify factors associated with high volume relative to lower volume use. Results: There were 806 users of chiropractic in the AHEAD sample yielding a full period prevalence for 1993-2007 of 14.6%. Average annual prevalence between 1993 and 2007 was 4.8% with a range from 4.1% to 5.4%. Approximately 42% of the users consumed chiropractic services only in a single calendar year while 38% used chiropractic in three or more calendar years. Chiropractic users were more likely to be women, white, overweight, have pain, have multiple comorbid conditions, better self-rated health, access to transportation, higher physician utilization levels, live in the Midwest, and live in an area with fewer physicians per capita. Among chiropractic users, 16% had at least one year in which they exceeded Medicare's "soft cap" of 12 visits per calendar year. These over-the-cap users were more likely to have arthritis and mobility limitations, but were less likely to have a high school education. Additionally, these over-the-cap individuals accounted for 58% of total chiropractic claim volume. High volume users saw chiropractors the most among all types of providers, even more than family practice and internal medicine combined. Conclusion: There is substantial heterogeneity in the patterns of use of chiropractic services among older adults. In spite of the variability of use patterns, however, there are not many characteristics that distinguish high volume users from lower volume users. While high volume users accounted for a significant portion of claims, the enforcement of a hard cap on annual visits by Medicare would not significantly decrease overall claim volume. Further research to understand the factors causing high volume chiropractic utilization among older Americans is warranted to discern between patterns of "need" and patterns of "health maintenance". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: 5.8 M living Americans have experienced a stroke at some time in their lives, 780K had either their first or a recurrent stroke this year, and 150K died from strokes this year. Stroke costs about $66B annually in the US, and also results in serious, long-term disability. Therefore, it is prudent to identify all possible risk factors and their effects so that appropriate intervention points may be targeted. Methods: Baseline (1993-1994) interview data from the nationally representative Survey on Assets and Health Dynamics among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) were linked to 1993-2005 Medicare claims. Participants were 5,511 self-respondents ≥ 70 years old. Two ICD9-CM case-identification approaches were used. Two approaches to stroke case-identification based on ICD9-CM codes were used, one emphasized sensitivity and the other emphasized specificity. Participants were censored at death or enrollment into managed Medicare. Baseline risk factors included sociodemographic, socioeconomic, place of residence, health behavior, disease history, and functional and cognitive status measures. A time-dependent marker reflecting post-baseline nonstroke hospitalizations was included to reflect health shocks, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to identify its peak effect. Competing risk, proportional hazards regression was used. Results: Post-baseline strokes occurred for 545 (9.9%; high sensitivity approach) and 374 (6.8%; high specificity approach) participants. The greatest static risks involved increased age, being widowed or never married, living in multi-story buildings, reporting a baseline history of diabetes, hypertension, or stroke, and reporting difficulty picking up a dime, refusing to answer the delayed word recall test, or having poor cognition. Risks were similar for both case-identification approaches and for recurrent and first-ever vs. only first-ever strokes. The time-dependent health shock (recent hospitalization) marker did not alter the static model effect estimates, but increased stroke risk by 200% or more. Conclusion: The effect of our health shock marker (a time-dependent recent hospitalization indicator) was large and did not mediate the effects of the traditional risk factors. This suggests an especially vulnerable post-hospital transition period from adverse effects associated with both their underlying health shock (the reasons for the recent hospital admission) and the consequences of their treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on the effects of colesevelam hydrochloride, a bile acid sequestrant, in patients with inadequately controlled Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who were receiving metformin monotherapy or metformin combined with additional oral anti-diabetes mellitus drugs. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study was conducted for 26 weeks between August 2004 and July 2006 in the U.S. and Mexico. It concludes that colesevelam improves glycemic and lipid parameters in patients with T2DM inadequately controlled with metformin-based therapy.

Objectives. We sought to determine whether an elevated burden of chronic kidney disease is found among disadvantaged groups living in the United States, Australia, and Thailand. Methods. We used data on participants 35 years or older for whom a valid serum creatinine measurement was available from studies in the United States, Thailand, and Australia. We used logistic regression to analyze the association of income, education, and employment with the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m²). Results. Age- and gender-adjusted odds of having chronic kidney disease were increased 86% for US Whites in the lowest income quartile versus the highest quartile (odds ratio [OR] = 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.27, 2.72). Odds were increased 2 times and 6 times, respectively, among unemployed (not retired) versus employed non-Hispanic Black and Mexican American participants (OR = 2.89; 95% CI = 1.53, 5.46; OR = 6.62; 95% CI = 1.94, 22.64. respectively). Similar associations were not evident for the Australian or Thai populations. Conclusions. Higher kidney disease prevalence among financially disadvantaged groups in the United States should be considered when chronic kidney disease prevention and management strategies are created. This approach is less likely to be of benefit to the Australian and Thai populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on food abounds, from the history of differing types of fare to the relationship between provisioning and culture, gender roles, and eating disorders. In disciplines concerned with health and nutrition, few studies focus on the metaphorical aspects of alimentation; while many ethnographic works do deal with the symbolic nature of gastronomy, they tend to emphasize eating as commensality and food as an expression of identity in ethnic, regional, and religious groups. Symbolic discourse involving cuisine is pervasive and complex, however, manifesting itself in a wide variety of contexts and exhibiting multiple meanings that may be ambiguous, conflicting, or pernicious. Understanding how messages are conveyed through culinary behavior requires an examination not only of victuals but also of the preparation, service, and consumption o f food--for all are grist for the mill of symbolization. Here, I bring together a number of ideas about the iconic nature of cooking and eating: what is fodder for symbol creation, how and why meanings are generated, and what some of the effects of food-related representations are. I also problematize identity as it relates to food. My goal is to suggest directions for future research on foodways as well as applications in fields concerned with nutrition education, counseling, and dietary change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a biodiversity credit system for trading endangered species habitat designed to minimize and reverse the negative effects of habitat loss and fragmentation, the leading cause of species endangerment in the United States. Given the increasing demand for land, approaches that explicitly balance economic goals against conservation goals are required. The Endangered Species Act balances these conflicts based on the cost to replace habitat. Conservation banking is a means to manage this balance, and we argue for its use to mitigate the effects of habitat fragmentation. Mitigating the effects of land development on biodiversity requires decisions that recognize regional ecological effects resulting from local economic decisions. We propose Landscape Equivalency Analysis (LEA), a landscape-scale approach similar to HEA, as an accounting system to calculate conservation banking credits so that habitat trades do not exacerbate regional ecological effects of local decisions. Credits purchased by public agencies or NGOs for purposes other than mitigating a take create a net investment in natural capital leading to habitat defragmentation. Credits calculated by LEA use metapopulation genetic theory to estimate sustainability criteria against which all trades are judged. The approach is rooted in well-accepted ecological, evolutionary, and economic theory, which helps compensate for the degree of uncertainty regarding the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on endangered species. LEA requires application of greater scientific rigor than typically applied to endangered species management on private lands but provides an objective, conceptually sound basis for achieving the often conflicting goals of economic efficiency and long-term ecological sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used protein electrophoresis of the allozyme products of 21 gene loci to examine relationships among five western species of the Macrhybopsis aestivalis complex (sensu Eisenhour, 1997), with emphasis on three species recognized from morphology in the Red and Arkansas river basins. Monophyly was supported for both species endemic to those basins, M. australis in the Red and M. tetranema, in the Arkansas. However, support was weak because of high genetic similarity between these species and the more wide-ranging species, M. hyostoma. Within the Arkansas and Red river basins, only 2% and 5%, respectively, of total genic diversity was attributable to differences between the endemic species and M. hyostoma. Across all samples from the two basins, only 14% of total diversity was attributable to among-species differences. Phenetic and allele-frequency parsimony analyses grouped M. hyostoma from the Red and Arkansas river basins with the associated endemic in the respective basin rather than with populations of M. hyostoma from elsewhere. The results are consistent with the indication from morphology that M. tetranema and M. australis are sister species, if it is assumed that the present patterns of allozyme variation are a result of subsequent contact and introgressive hybridization with M. hyostoma. Collections of M. aestivalis from the Rio Grande Basin and M. marconis from the San Marcos River Basin were markedly divergent from each other and from other members of the complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an analysis of long-term changes, from 1976 to 1996, in burned and unburned prairie remnants in Northwestern Illinois. Information on study site location and burn treatment, sample size and habitat characteristics; Discussion on compositional changes that might accompany changes in species richness; Identification of species sensitive to burning or lack of burning.

Examines the effects of the interaction between fertilizer and species composition on the long term change in tundra productivity in Alaska. Insights into the interactions between changes in resource availability; Research duration; Increase in wood production.

Presents a study to examine the costs and effectiveness of several different options for automated external defibrillator deployment in the United States commercial air transportation system. Context; Objective; Design, setting, and subjects; Main outcome measures; Results; Conclusion.

Reports on the trends in the U.S. electric power industry. Changes in industry ownership and electric power service options; Enforcement of deregulation in response to the Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act of 1978; Supply of wholesale power to electric utilities from nontraditional sources.

Explores factors which motivate people in creating art through an investigation of studies of American folk art and artists. Sensory and intellectual satisfaction of creating things; Achievement of a sense of self-worth; Public acclaim; Definition of folk art.

Focuses on the National Juvenile Detention Association's (NJDA) response to questions of how to collect, analyze and interpret training needs assessments information for juvenile detention practitioners. Resource for developing and implementing line staff training; Role of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP); Training terminology; Job functions and effectiveness characteristics.

Focuses on the teaching of folklore courses in U.S. universities. Perspectives that have developed in the study of people's traditions; Details of the expansion of folkloric studies; Focus of research on organizational folklore in the 1980s.

The article discusses the best practices study on issues concerning trails with rails, conducted by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Transportation Planning Council in the U.S. The common grounds on locating trails along active railroads include frequent use of railroad tracks by everyone and importance of right of way for future expansions and maintenance. The article also presents a summary of conflicting opinions, as well as preliminary recommendations on trails with rails.

Reviews the estimation technique pioneered and used by the United States Federal and International Trade Commissions in the cost of restricting imports of a good which substitutes imperfectly for goods produced and consumed at home. Validity; Assumptions using a small country as base case; Estimated consumer loss; Before-protection, equilibrium prices of other goods consumed domestically; More.

The use of graphs to disclose information in corporate annual reports represents a significant dimension in financial disclosure management. Surprisingly, no inter-country comparative analysis of this area of voluntary disclosure has been conducted. This study compares the graphical reporting practices in the 1990 annual reports of 176 leading U..S. and U.K. industrial companies. Ninety two per cent of U.S. companies use graphs compared with 80% of U.K. companies; Ihe mean number of graphs per company being 13.0 and 7.7. respectively. Sales, an earnings measure, earnings per share and dividends per share are the four most frequently graphed aggregate financial performance variables in both countries. Significant differences in several of the variables graphed are found and explained in terms of environmental factors. In both countries, evidence of graphical information manipulation exists in the form of selectivity, measurement distortion, and presentational enhancement. Moderate evidence supports the hypothesis that U.K. companies are more likely than U.S. companies to adopt interpretative shading. Regulators need to clarify the responsibilities of directors and auditors by setting graphical guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs that labor movement in the United States was a consequence of the demand to humanize the role of workers, to dignify the irreplaceable contributions of workers to organizational survival, and to improve the general welfare of society. Over the years labor and management have taken giant steps in developing policies, programs, and strategies that allow workers the opportunity to be involved in decisions that were previously within management's private domain. The importance of capturing employees' expertise and participation are now seen as an integral ingredient of successful management. The new manufacturing techniques, processes, and facilities developed for the war effort were easily converted after the war to the production of consumer goods. U.S. industrial organizations were able to expand domestic and foreign markets. U.S. corporations prospered, and workers likewise increased their wealth.