Search

Using a content analysis methodology, we examined 15 peer‐reviewed articles published between 2009 and 2019 that used qualitative and mixed methods approaches to explore how college and university students experience food insecurity. Concerningly, there was limited variety in the methods employed across these articles and more discussion of methodology was needed. Despite this, our analysis of student statements in these articles yielded three common themes: (1) co‐occurring basic needs; (2) academic, physical, psychological, and social effects of food insecurity; and (3) institutional satisfaction and/or critique. We include implications for research and practice.Context and implicationsRationale for the studyFew qualitative studies centre students' food insecurity experiences in the United States. We examined available research to unearth commonalities across student narratives while connecting food insecurity to broader social class inequality in higher education.Why the new findings matterOur findings underscore the urgent need for additional qualitative food insecurity scholarship that foregrounds student voices. Future researchers examining food insecurity should consider: (a) the nuances of on‐campus food insecurity, (b) the impact of food insecurity on student success, and (c) the linkages between food insecurity and social class in higher education.Implications for policy makersCampus leaders and policy makers can help address campus food insecurity by building holistic wraparound systems to support the multi‐faceted needs of students facing food insecurity. To do this, policy makers and leaders must begin to understand food insecurity as more than a statistic and acknowledge the human experiences of those it affects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofuels made from biomass and waste residues will largely contribute to United States' 2050 decarbonization goal in the aviation sector. While cellulosic biofuels have the potential fuel performance equivalent to petroleum-based jet fuel, the biofuel industry needs to overcome the supply chain barrier caused by temporal and spatial variability of biomass yield and quality. This study highlights the importance of incorporating spatial and temporal variability during biomass supply chain planning via optimization modeling that incorporates 10 years of drought index data, a primary factor contributing to yield and quality variability. The results imply that the cost of delivering biomass to biorefinery may be significantly underestimated if the multi-year temporal and spatial variation in biomass yield and quality is not captured. For long term sustainable biorefinery operations, the industry should optimize supply chain strategy by studying the variability of yield and quality of biomass in their supply sheds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims It is recommended that patients and clinicians discuss end-of-life deactivation of their implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) prior to device implantation and throughout the illness trajectory to facilitate shared decision-making. However, such discussions rarely occur, and little is known about patients' openness to this discussion. The purpose of this study was to explore factors associated with patients' openness to discussing end-of-life ICD deactivation with clinicians. Methods and results This cross-sectional study recruited 293 patients with an ICD from outpatient clinics in the USA, Australia, and South Korea. Patients were classified into an open or resistant group based on their desire to discuss device deactivation at end of life with clinicians. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore factors related to patients' openness to this discussion. About half of the participants (57.7%) were open to discussing such issues with their clinicians. Factors related to patients' openness to discussing device deactivation at end of life were living with someone, not having severe comorbid conditions (cancer and/or chronic kidney disease), greater ICD knowledge, and more experience discussing end-of-life issues with clinicians (odds ratio: 0.479, 0.382, 1.172, 1.332, respectively). Conclusion Approximately half of the ICD recipients were reluctant to discuss device deactivation at end of life with clinicians. Unmodifiable factors were their living arrangement and severe comorbidity. ICD knowledge and prior experience discussing end-of-life issues were potentially modifiable factors in the future. These factors should be addressed when assessing patients' readiness for a shared discussion about device deactivation at end of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1,4-Dioxane (1,4-DX) is an environmental contaminant found in drinking water throughout the United States. Although it is a suspected liver carcinogen, there is no federal or state maximum contaminant level for 1,4-DX in drinking water. Very little is known about the mechanisms by which this chemical elicits liver carcinogenicity. In the present study, female BDF-1 mice were exposed to 1,4-DX (0, 50, 500, and 5,000mg/L) in their drinking water for 1 or 4 weeks, to explore the toxic effects. Histopathological studies and a multi-omics approach (transcriptomics and metabolomics) were performed to investigate potential mechanisms of toxicity. Immunohistochemical analysis of the liver revealed increased H2AXγ-positive hepatocytes (a marker of DNA double-strand breaks), and an expansion of precholangiocytes (reflecting both DNA damage and repair mechanisms) after exposure. Liver transcriptomics revealed 1,4-DX-induced perturbations in signaling pathways predicted to impact the oxidative stress response, detoxification, and DNA damage. Liver, kidney, feces, and urine metabolomic profiling revealed no effect of 1,4-DX exposure, and bile acid quantification in liver and feces similarly showed no effect of exposure. We speculate that the results may be reflective of DNA damage being counterbalanced by the repair response, with the net result being a null overall effect on the systemic biochemistry of the exposed mice. Our results show a novel approach for the investigation of environmental chemicals that do not elicit cell death but have activated the repair systems in response to 1,4-DX exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing interest in using real-world evidence (RWE) for regulatory purposes, researchers and policy makers are considering how best to assess the credibility of RWE. Because the randomized controlled trial (RCT) has long been regarded as the gold standard for high-quality research, one approach being pursued is to see to what extent findings from RCTs can be replicated based on analyses of nonrandomized real-world data (RWD). If findings are congruent, the reasoning goes, this would bolster confidence in the underlying RWD sources and validity of the RWE generated. But it is well known that medical interventions perform differently in experimental clinical trials versus real-world clinical practice, reflecting a phenomenon known as the "efficacy-effectiveness gap." So even with the highest-quality RWD sources and strongest analytic methods, we can and should expect to observe discrepancies in findings between RCTs and RWE. This calls into question the objectives of RCT replication efforts and makes clear that impugning RWD sources and analytic methods for failing to align with RCT findings is inappropriate and, worse, potentially harmful to the growing acceptance of RWE in stakeholder decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract U.S. General Educational Development diploma (GED) * recipients have the highest smoking prevalence of any education level. This paper describes demographic characteristics and tobacco use patterns and examines effect modification and confounding as potential explanations for higher crude prevalence of smoking. Methods. The study population included adults aged 25 and older in the 2013 National Health Interview Survey. We estimated adjusted prevalence ratios and 95% CIs for smoking and quitting behaviors using weighted multivariable logistic regression. Results. Among women with a GED, adjusted prevalence of ever use (58.7%) and smoking (32.4%) was 1.50 and 1.52 times the prevalence among high school dropouts (39.1%, 21.3%). Female GED recipients had a significantly higher prevalence of ever smoking compared with dropouts. We found no significant educational differences in smoking prevalence among men or quit behaviors for either sex. Conclusions. More research is needed to identify targeted interventions to prevent smoking in this disparate population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the potential of space as a war-fighting domain which prompted the U.S. Air Force to exploit emerging technology to make it a reality. Early Airmen have recognized the importance of gaining and maintaining air superiority which resulted in the formation of the Air Force Space Command in 1982. The Air Force accelerated integration works after Operation Desert Storm. Efforts to enhance Airmen's abilities to deter attacks on space systems are also cited.

This study aimed to explore patient-, provider-, and system-level factors that may contribute to elevated risk of patient safety events among persons with serious mental illness (SMI). We conducted a medical record review of medical/surgical admissions in Maryland hospitals from 1994 to 2004 for a community-based sample of adults with SMI (N = 790 hospitalizations). We estimated the prevalence of multiple patient, provider, and system factors that could influence patient safety among persons with SMI. We conducted a case crossover analysis to examine the relationship between these factors and adverse patient safety events. Patients' mental status, level of consciousness, disease severity, and providers' lack of patient monitoring, delay/failure to seek consultation, lack of trainee supervision, and delays in care were positively associated with adverse patient safety events (p < 0.05). Efforts to reduce SMI-related patient safety risks will need to be multifaceted and address both patient- and provider-level factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study explored the risk of patient safety events and associated nonfatal physical harms and mortality in a cohort of persons with serious mental illness. This group experiences high rates of medical comorbidity and premature mortality and may be at high risk of adverse patient safety events.Methods: Medical record review was conducted for medical-surgical hospitalizations occurring during 1994-2004 in a community-based cohort of Maryland adults with serious mental illness. Individuals were eligible if they died within 30 days of a medical-surgical hospitalization and if they also had at least one prior medical-surgical hospitalization within five years of death. All admissions took place at Maryland general hospitals. A case-crossover analysis examined the relationships among patient safety events, physical harms, and elevated likelihood of death within 30 days of hospitalization.Results: A total of 790 hospitalizations among 253 adults were reviewed. The mean number of patient safety events per hospitalization was 5.8, and the rate of physical harms was 142 per 100 hospitalizations. The odds of physical harm were elevated in hospitalizations in which 22 of the 34 patient safety events occurred (p<.05), including medical events (odds ratio [OR]=1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.3-1.7) and procedure-related events (OR=1.6, CI=1.2-2.0). Adjusted odds of death within 30 days of hospitalization were elevated for individuals with any patient safety event, compared with those with no event (OR=3.7, CI=1.4-10.3).Conclusions: Patient safety events were positively associated with physical harm and 30-day mortality in nonpsychiatric hospitalizations for persons with serious mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article recalls the history of public school and university partnerships in Kansas and its impact on leadership preparation programs. Topics discussed include the need to pursue a traditional university course by anyone who wanted to have a professional license to serve as a school leader, the distinct phases which took place during the partnership, and the impact of the state's transition from university-driven traditions.

Abstract: West Nile (WNV) is now established in the continental United States with new human cases occurring annually in most states. Mosquitoes in the genus Culex are the primary vectors and exploit urban stagnant water and swimming pools as larval habitats. Public health surveys to monitor unmaintained pools typically rely on visual inspections of aerial imagery. This work demonstrates automated analysis of airborne imaging spectroscopy to assist Culex monitoring campaigns. We analyze an overflight of Fresno County, CA by the Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer instrument (AVIRIS), and compare the spectral information with a concurrent ground survey of swimming pools. Matched filter detection strategies reliably detect pools against a cluttered urban background. We also evaluate remotely sensed spectral markers of ecosystem characteristics related to larval colonization. We find that commonly used chlorophyll signatures accurately predict the probability of pool colonization by Culex larvae. These results suggest that AVIRIS spectral data provide sufficient information to remotely identify pools at risk for Culex colonization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a study that investigates the clustering of interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) of the health projects of Robert Wood Johnson Prescription in the U.S. Researchers did the study on 5,042 patients from 61 practices from the Prescription for Health program sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. They found that the ICC of patient behavior and the proposed behavior change are less than 0.1.

Background: In this study, we developed cost prediction equations that facilitate estimation of the costs of various cardiovascular events for patients of specific demographic and clinical characteristics over varying time horizons. Methods: We used administrative claims data and generalized linear models to develop cost prediction equations for selected cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction (MI), angina, strokes and revascularization procedures. Separate equations were estimated for patients with events and for their propensity score-matched controls. Attributable costs were estimated on a monthly basis for the first 36 months after each event and annually thereafter, with differences in survival between cases and controls factored into the longitudinal cost calculations. The regression models were used to estimate event costs ($US, year 2007 values) for the 'average' patient in each event group, over various time periods ranging from 1 month to lifetime. Results: When the equations are run for the average patient in each event group, attributable costs of each event in the acute phase (i.e. first 3 years) are substantial (e.g. MI $US73 300; hospitalization for angina $US36 000; nonfatal haemorrhagic stroke $US71 600). Furthermore, for most events, cumulative costs remain substantially higher among cases than among controls over the remaining lifetime of the patients. Conclusions: This study provides updated estimates of medical care costs of cardiovascular events among a managed care population over various time horizons. Results suggest that the economic burden of cardiovascular disease is substantial, both in the acute phase as well as over the longer term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a plethora of routes to obtaining a doctorate in nursing and this arises due to international differences in the modes of study, preparation of the final submission and examination systems. The variety of pathways and outcomes leads to some confusion over the status and purpose of doctorates in nursing. In this discursive paper we review the historical development of the doctorate in nursing and describe the various routes to doctorate in Europe, Australia and the United States. There is much in common between the various routes with increasing evidence of formal elements across the countries studies and, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States, evidence that the fitness for purpose of the doctorate in nursing is being examined and changes being introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomous underwater gliders have proven to be a cost-effective technology for measuring the 3-D ocean and now represent a critical component during the design and implementation of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Ocean Observing System (MARCOOS), a Region of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System. The gliders have been conducting regional surveys of the Mid-Atlantic (MA) Bight, and during the 3 years of MARCOOS, the glider fleet has conducted 22 missions spanning 10,867 km and collecting 62,824 vertical profiles of data. In addition to collecting regional data, the gliders have facilitated collaboration for partners outside of MARCOOS. The existence of the MA glider observatory provided a unique test bed for cyber-infrastructure tools being developed as part of the National Science Foundation's Ocean Observatory Initiative. This effort allowed the Ocean Observatory Initiative software to integrate the MARCOOS assets and provided a successful demonstration of an ocean sensor net. The hands-on experience of the MA glider technicians supported training and provided assistance of collaborators within the Caribbean Regional Association, also a region of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System, to assess the efficacy of gliders to resolve internal waves. Finally, the glider fleet has enabled sensor development and testing in a cost-effective manner. Generally, new sensors were tested within the MARCOOS domain before they were deployed in more extreme locations throughout the world's oceans. On the basis of this experience, the goal of the MARCOOS glider team will be to expand the MA network in coming years. The potential of how an expanded network of gliders might serve national needs was illustrated during the 2010 Macondo Gulf of Mexico oil spill, where gliders from many institutions collected subsurface mesoscale data to support regional models and oil response planning. The experience gained over the last 5 years suggests that it is time to develop a national glider network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has developed algorithms using onboard clustering to analyze science imagery onboard spacecraft. It notes that various approaches were examined including k-means clustering with the use of image features based on color, texture and temporal in comparison to the manual clustering of a field expert. The challenges influencing JPL in their design decisions for automatic image analysis include limited onboard processing in spaceflight applications and diversity in surface features.

Background: The efficacy of physical activity in improving cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk profiles has been well established. However, the effectiveness of health promotion programs implemented at the community level remains controversial. This study evaluated a school-based work-site physical activity program.Methods: Using a community-based participatory research model, a work-site wellness intervention was implemented in a rural public school system in Southwestern Oklahoma. During the 2005-2006 school year, 187 participants (mean age 45 years) completed a pre intervention screening for CVD risk factors followed by a physical activity promotion program. Post intervention screening was conducted after a 6 month period. During both screening sessions, body composition, blood pressure, lipids, glucose and self-reported physical activity levels were assessed. The focus of the intervention was on promoting physical activity. Opportunities for in school physical activity were created by marking hallways, adding a treadmill in each school, and allowing teachers to use planning periods for physical activity.Results: During the post intervention screening, compared to pre intervention levels, participants had lower total, low, and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (t = 5.9, p < 0.0001, t = 2.6, p = 0.01, and t = 13.2, p < 0.0001 respectively), lower systolic blood pressure (t = 2.9, p = 0.004), and higher self-reported physical activity levels (Sign t = -1.901, p = 0.06).Conclusions: A successful participatory program was associated with improvements in several CVD risk factors among school employees. Limitations of this study such as seasonal variation in the outcome variables and lack of a control group limit our ability to draw solid conclusions about the effectiveness of the intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A recent study found fewer hospitalizations for congestive heart failure (CHF) patients receiving high-dose versus low-dose statin therapy. Objective: To examine the cost effectiveness of high-dose versus low-dose statin therapy in CHF patients. Methods: Two scenarios (literature-based [base-case scenario] vs trial-based post-event mortality [alternative scenario]) assessed the cost effectiveness of atorvastatin 80mg/day (A80) versus atorvastatin 10 mg/day (A10) in patients with both CHF and coronary heart disease (CHD) [CHF/CHD], using a lifetime Markov model. The model predicts treatment-specific probabilities of major and minor cardiovascular events and death, based on clinical trial data. The quality of life and costs were literature based. Measures included costs per life-year saved (LYS) and QALY gained. Health consequences and costs were discounted at 3.0% annually. Analyses were conducted from the payer perspective and valued in $US, year 2006-7 values. Results: Literature-based mortality estimates (base case) increased life-years and QALYs for A80 compared with A10 (incremental cost-effectiveness ratios [ICERs]: $US9600 per LYS; $US13 600 per QALY). At a willingness to pay of $US100 000 per QALY, A80 was cost effective in 80% of simulations. A10 dominated A80 when using trial-based mortality estimates (alternative scenario). At a willingness to pay of $US100 000 per QALY, A80 was cost effective in 48% of simulations. Conclusions: Intensive A80 treatment may be cost effective versus A10 in cardiovascular prevention in CHF/CHD patients in the US, due to projected gains in life expectancy and health-related quality of life. However, the results are highly sensitive to assumptions about the mortality rate in the model. When using the mortality rate observed in the trial, A10 dominates A80. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the liability of school for hostile work environment (HWE) sexual harassment claims by special education teachers against their students in the U.S. The provisions for sexual harassment claims under the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are tackled. The case Mongelli versus Red Clay Consolidated School District Board of Education involving a teacher who claimed that she was harassed physically and verbally by a student is revisited. The author justifies the validity of the decision to grant a summary judgment in the case.

Although mold air sampling is technically straightforward, interpreting the results to decide if there is an indoor source is not. Applying formal statistical tests to mold sampling data is an error-prone practice due to the extreme data variability. With neither established exposure limits nor useful statistical techniques, indoor air quality investigators often must rely on their professional judgment, but the lack of a consensus “decision strategy” incorporating explicit decision criteria requires professionals to establish their own personal set of criteria when interpreting air sampling data. This study examined the level of agreement among indoor air quality practitioners in their evaluation of airborne mold sampling data and explored differences in inter-evaluator assessments. Eighteen investigators independently judged 30 sets of viable mold air sampling results to indicate: “definite indoor mold source,” “likely indoor mold source,” “not enough information to decide,” “likely no indoor mold source,” or “definitely no indoor mold source.” Kappa coefficient analysis indicated weak inter-observer reliability, and comparison of evaluator mean scores showed clear inter-evaluator differences in their overall scoring patterns. The responses were modeled on indicator “traits” of the data sets using a generalized, linear mixed model approach and showed several traits to be associated with respondents' ratings, but they also demonstrated distinct and divergent inter-evaluator response patterns. Conclusions were that there was only weak overall agreement in evaluation of the mold sampling data, that particular traits of the data were associated with the conclusions reached, and that there were substantial inter-evaluator differences that were likely due to differences in the personal decision criteria employed by the individual evaluators. The overall conclusion was that there is a need for additional work to rigorously explore the constellation of decision criteria, the weightings employed by individual practitioners, and the rationale under which criteria are adopted as first steps toward the larger goal of developing a consensus mold decision strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article studies the general characteristics of chief executive officers (CEO) and their hospitals and the perceived impact of CEO turnover on various organizational activities. A mail-based survey was conducted that included 156 hospital CEOs in six states in the West South Central, West North Central and Mountain regions.

Chapter 7 of the magazine "The Yearbook of Educational Law 2006" is presented. It reviews cases in K-12 and in higher education involving student-athletes, coaches, spectators, athletic directors, facilities, and associations in the U.S. This chapter does not examine litigation or judicial proceeding concerning to physical education classes. Other significant information relative to the matter is presented.

Empirical evidence is scarce on chief executive officer (CEO) turnover in U.S. hospitals, with potentially serious implications for many of these organizations. This study, based on a nationwide survey of CEOs at non-federal general surgical and medical community hospitals conducted in the spring of 2004, reports the perceptions of hospital CEOs regarding the circumstances and impact of CEO turnover on U.S. hospitals. In the opinion of the respondents, the impact includes competitors taking advantage of turnover by luring employees and physicians away from the target hospital, significantly increasing the likelihood of other senior executives leaving the hospital, and many of the important strategic activities being delayed or cancelled altogether. Interestingly, the perceptions of CEOs regarding the effects of turnover do not seem to differ regardless of voluntary or involuntary circumstances of turnover. However, there is a notable bias in emphasizing the perceived negative implications of respondents' own departures and allegedly positive effects of their predecessors' departures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic tracking tags have revolutionized our understanding of broad-scale movements and habitat use of highly mobile marine animals, but a large gap in our knowledge still remains for a wide range of small species. Here, we report the extraordinary transequatorial postbreeding migrations of a small seabird, the sooty shearwater, obtained with miniature archival tags that log data for estimating position, dive depth, and ambient temperature. Tracks (262 ± 23 days) reveal that shearwaters fly across the entire Pacific Ocean in a figure-eight pattern while traveling 64,037 ± 9,779 km roundtrip, the longest animal migration ever recorded electronically. Each shearwater made a prolonged stopover in one of three discrete regions off Japan, Alaska, or California before returning to New Zealand through a relatively narrow corridor in the central Pacific Ocean. Transit rates as high as 910 ± 186 km·day-1 were recorded, and shearwaters accessed prey resources in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere's most productive waters from the surface to 68.2 m depth. Our results indicate that sooty shearwaters integrate oceanic resources throughout the Pacific Basin on a yearly scale. Sooty shearwater populations today are declining, and because they operate on a global scale, they may serve as an important indicator of climate change and ocean health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, is a serious pest in the southeastern United States. It has caused economic losses in agricultural products, stings can cause anaphylactic shock, and it has reduced biodiversity. S. invicta has displaced native ant species throughout its range, presumably by competitive exclusion. In 1998, S. invicta populations were confirmed in southern New Mexico, resulting in a quarantine of Doña Ana County. Although large populations of the native southern fire ant, S. xyloni McCook, are common in the Mesilla Valley, only two small populations of S. invicta have been found since the initial quarantine. It is unclear why these populations have not become more dominant. This research studied the influence of the fire ant parasitoid Pseudacteon tricuspis Borgmeier (Phoridae), low humidity, and competition with S. xyloni on the survival and fitness of S. invicta. Competitive and noncompetitive foraging experiments with and without parasitoids were conducted in the laboratory to evaluate food retrieval and worker activity of each species. Overall, S. invicta was able to retrieve more food than S. xyloni. Pseudacteon flies reduced foraging and worker activity of S. invicta under low humidity. S. invicta dominated at high and low humidity in the absence of P. tricuspis. However, S. xyloni dominated at high humidity and coexisted with S. invicta at low humidity when P tricuspis was present. This may help explain the lack of establishment and spread of S. invicta in the southwestern United States and encourage the use of Pseudacteon flies as a control option in arid environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clinical trials have shown low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) to be at least as safe and efficacious as unfractionated heparin (UFH) for preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) in acutely-ill medical inpatients. Objective: To compare clinical and economic outcomes among acutely-ill medical inpatients receiving the LMWH enoxaparin versus UFH prophylaxis in clinical practice. Methods: Using a large, multi-hospital, US database, we identified persons aged =40 years hospitalized for =6 days for an acute medical condition (including circulatory disorders, respiratory disorders, infectious diseases, or neoplasms) from Q4 1999 to Q1 2002. From these patients, those who received thromboprophylaxis with either enoxaparin or UFH were identified. Surgical patients and those requiring or ineligible for anticoagulation were excluded. We compared the incidence of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), and all VTE (i.e., DVT and/or PE). Secondary outcomes were occurrence of side-effects, length of hospital stay and total costs. RESULTS: 479 patients received enoxaparin prophylaxis and 2,837 received UFH. The incidence of VTE was 1.7% with enoxaparin prophylaxis versus 6.3% with UFH (RR = 0.26; p < 0.001). Occurrence of side effects, length of stay (10.00 days with enoxaparin vs. 10.26 days with UFH; p = 0.348) and total costs ($18,777 vs. $17,602; p = 0.463) were similar in the 2 groups. Conclusion: We observed a 74% lower risk of VTE among patients receiving enoxaparin prophylaxis versus UFH prophylaxis. There was no significant difference in side effects or economic outcomes. These results provide evidence that the LMWH enoxaparin is more effective than UFH in reducing the risk of VTE in current clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article includes cases in K-12 and in higher education addressing student-athletes, coaches, spectators, athletic directors, facilities, and associations in the U.S. Of the eleven cases in the article, two address issues of recruiting, three pertain to academic eligibility, three concern other forms of eligibility, one deals with the application of transfer rules, and two involve discipline and eligibility. In Tennessee, the state secondary athletic association found that a private high school violated its undue influence recruiting rule. When the school's football coach sent letters providing information on spring football practice to all incoming, middle school, male students who were admitted and signed enrollment contracts, the athletic association imposed a variety of sanctions against the school. In the school's section 1983 action against the association, the Supreme Court in Brentwood Academy versus Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association' decided that since the organization was a state actor, the sanctions were inappropriate.

Discusses the school-related litigation on sports in the U.S. Claims of negligence involving participants and spectators as the focal point of sports-related litigation. Invitation of the solicitor general to file a brief on issue against a person who is not a direct victim of gender discrimination; Decision of the case in sport-related litigation "Jackson v. Birmingham Board of Education."

The demand for donated organs greatly exceeds supply and many candidates die awaiting transplantation. Policies for allocating deceased donor organs may address equity of access and medical efficacy, but typically must be implemented with incomplete information. Simulation-based analysis can inform the policy process by predicting the likely effects of alternative policies on a wide variety of outcomes of interest. This paper describes a family of simulations developed by the US Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients and initial experience in the application of one member of this family, the Liver Simulated Allocation Model (LSAM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the relationship between school infrastructure funding and student achievement in the U.S. Definition of school infrastructure; Importance of the physical environment for students; Mechanisms used by states that provide funding for school infrastructure; Background on litigation as a means to address school infrastructure funding inequities.

Discusses the cases in K-12 and in higher education addressing student-athletes, coaches, athletic directors, facilities and associations in the U.S. Longetivity of rules on high school athletic association; Eligibility of students on sports based on disability; Examination on the discipline of student-athletes.

Presents information on the collaborative innovation leverage strategy employed by pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company in the United States. Complications faced by pharmaceutical companies on products and market competition; Critical mass approach taken by the company to stimulate growth; Implementation of the strategy.

Discusses the content features and interactive functions of classified advertising sites used by online newspapers in the U.S. Percentage of papers that have online classified ads; Advantages of online classified advertising; Technical and human aspects of online advertising.

Part III. Discusses the United States family law basis of dividing pension property between a retiree and his spouse. Means by which an employer can create an inducement to retire; Definition of early retirement subsidies; Family law arguments discussed in various court cases.

Presents a study estimating the effects of reducing dietary saturated fat intake on the incidence and economic costs of coronary heart disease (CHD). Rank of CHD as a cause of death in the United States; Population of persons free of symptomatic CHD; Savings in cost of CHD due to reduced dietary fat intake.

Discusses the perception of the school climate in the Sam Rayburn Junior High School in Bryan, Texas. Focus on student-teacher interactions; Evaluation of changes to improve the school climate; Concern for increased achievement.

The article presents a comparative study on the teachers' experience of teaching in distressed areas in the Great Britain and United States. The study aims to find out how teachers are coping up with the adverse conditions in the areas where they are teaching. Group interviews are conducted with 33 experienced teachers from the U.S. and with 26 British teachers. Teachers from these areas see themselves providing the necessary conditions of continuity and stability for the vulnerable children and constituting the core professional groups in their schools.

In a modern industrial community, the number of useful workers available to an employer is not restricted to a handful of skilled craftsmen; instead it tends to include the entire force of workers. To the extent that a community does not have actual race-caste restrictive laws or mores, or to the extent that these laws or mores become less effective, the useful workers available to any employer tend to include the entire force of workers regardless of race, creed, or color, increasingly industrial methods of production and declining race or caste restrictions on job-competition have forced enlightened trade unionists to recognize the necessity of achieving unity of workers across and without regard to racial lines. Many trade union leaders and workers still refuse to see these facts. In 1934, however, West Coast longshoremen felt they could not afford the luxury of such illogic in their bitter struggle to establish an effective trade union against great odds. If trade union logic demanded a program of interracial unity on the Mainland, the same logic operated even more powerfully in Hawaii where the main Industries drew upon a polyglot community for a working force basically unskilled.

The article discusses hip-hop as the medium of urban youth in the U.S. According to the author, hip hop is a culture of expression and the beauty of hip-hop culture is that it affords people who have limited resources the opportunity to make something out of nothing. The author said that educators in the youth media field need to value and use hip-hop music as one of the most relevant and persuasive digital storytelling formats available to urban America and educators must emphasize ways to resist conforming to the genre's recognizable format and the mainstream's stereotype of urban culture.

This article discusses the need to improve quality of health care. Between 44,000 and 98,000 preventable deaths occur annually in the United States; the majority of these are from things that one do to patients--mistakes of commission. The failure to provide patients the therapies they ought to receive--mistakes of omission--imparts a far larger toll. Although alarming, these results are somewhat predictable. The majority of research funding, and thus studies, has focused on understanding disease biology and identifying effective therapies, while relatively little research has looked into methods of delivering these therapies safely, effectively, and efficiently.

Assesses the changes in concurrent use of products containing terfenadine, contraindicated macrolide antibiotics and imidazole antifungals in the United States following reports of serious effects of concomitant use of these drugs. Substantial decline of reports of serious drug-drug interactions; Continued concurrent use of the drugs.