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Various Measures (various + measure)
Selected AbstractsFederal regulation and the American economyECONOMIC AFFAIRS, Issue 2 2001Thomas A. Gray This article begins by assessing the cost of Federal regulation in the United States and how it has changed over time. It shows that there have been periods when these costs have fallen but that the trend is upwards. Some regulations result in net benefits but many produce more costs than benefits and the costs bear most heavily on smaller firms. Various measures taken to control regulatory activities are reviewed. The article ends with a plea for Congress to take responsibility for the quality of regulation instead of leaving it to the regulatory agencies and the President. [source] Outsourcing and Audit Risk for Internal Audit Services,CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 3 2000DENNIS H. CAPLAN Abstract Some companies now outsource their internal audit function to public accountants. Internal auditors and accounting firms disagree about the merits of outsourcing. Each type of auditor claims to provide more cost-effective services and appears to claim superior expertise. This paper uses agency theory to examine outsourcing and reconciles the outsourcing debate without resorting to differential auditor expertise. Under the assumptions that public accountants' "deep pockets" provide incentives to outsource and their higher opportunity cost provides a disincentive, we characterize the optimal employment contract with each auditor. We find that public accountants provide higher levels of testing, but possibly for a higher expected fee. This result supports both the internal auditor's claim as the lower cost provider, and the public accountant's claim of higher quality. We also find that incentives to outsource generally increase in various measures of risk, including the risk that a control weakness exists and the size of the loss that can result from an undetected control weakness. [source] Reliability of Computerized Emergency TriageACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 3 2006Sandy L. Dong MD Objectives: Emergency department (ED) triage prioritizes patients based on urgency of care. This study compared agreement between two blinded, independent users of a Web-based triage tool (eTRIAGE) and examined the effects of ED crowding on triage reliability. Methods: Consecutive patients presenting to a large, urban, tertiary care ED were assessed by the duty triage nurse and an independent study nurse, both using eTRIAGE. Triage score distribution and agreement are reported. The study nurse collected data on ED activity, and agreement during different levels of ED crowding is reported. Two methods of interrater agreement were used: the linear-weighted , and quadratic-weighted ,. Results: A total of 575 patients were assessed over nine weeks, and complete data were available for 569 patients (99.0%). Agreement between the two nurses was moderate if using linear , (weighted ,= 0.52; 95% confidence interval = 0.46 to 0.57) and good if using quadratic , (weighted ,= 0.66; 95% confidence interval = 0.60 to 0.71). ED overcrowding data were available for 353 patients (62.0%). Agreement did not significantly differ with respect to periods of ambulance diversion, number of admitted inpatients occupying stretchers, number of patients in the waiting room, number of patients registered in two hours, or nurse perception of busyness. Conclusions: This study demonstrated different agreement depending on the method used to calculate interrater reliability. Using the standard methods, it found good agreement between two independent users of a computerized triage tool. The level of agreement was not affected by various measures of ED crowding. [source] Early development of children at familial risk for Dyslexia,follow-up from birth to school ageDYSLEXIA, Issue 3 2004H. Lyytinen Abstract We review the main findings of the Jyväskylä of Dyslexia (JLD) which follows the development of children at familial risk for dyslexia (N = 107) and their controls (N = 93). We will illustrate the development of these two groups of children at ages from birth to school entry in the skill domains that have been connected to reading and reading disability in the prior literature. At school entry, the highest score on the decoding task among the poorer half (median) of the at risk children,i.e. of those presumably being most likely genetically affected,is 1 SD below the mean of the control group. Thus, the familial risk for dyslexia shows expected consequences. Among the earliest measures in which group differences as well as significant predictive associations with the first steps in reading have emerged, are indices of speech processing in infancy. Likewise, various measures of early language including pronunciation accuracy, phonological, and morphological skills (but not performance IQ) show both group differences and predictive correlations, the majority of which become stronger as the reliability of the measures increases by age. Predictive relationships tend to be strong in general but higher in the at risk group because of its larger variance in both the predictor variables and in the dependent measures, such as early acquisition of reading. The results are thus promising in increasing our understanding needed for early identification and prevention of dyslexia. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Obstacles to disinflation: what is the role of fiscal expectations?ECONOMIC POLICY, Issue 40 2004Oya Celasun SUMMARY Disinflation deficits Persistently high expected inflation often makes it difficult for policy-makers to recover from inflationary episodes without substantial output losses. Using survey data from eleven disinflation episodes, we can assess whether the more or less sluggish decline of inflation rates towards lower target levels is related to backward-looking pricing behavior or to imperfect credibility of the stabilization efforts. We find that expectations of future inflation play a much more important role than past inflation in shaping the inflation process. Second, we find that an improvement in various measures of fiscal balances significantly reduces inflation expectations. This evidence suggests that, when attempting to stabilize inflation, priority should be given to building fiscal credibility. , Oya Celasun, R. Gaston Gelos and Alessandro Prati [source] INSTABILITY AND THE INCENTIVES FOR CORRUPTIONECONOMICS & POLITICS, Issue 1 2009FILIPE R. CAMPANTE We investigate the relationship between corruption and political stability, from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. We propose a model of incumbent behavior that features the interplay of two effects: a horizon effect, whereby greater instability leads the incumbent to embezzle more during his short window of opportunity, and a demand effect, by which the private sector is more willing to bribe stable incumbents. The horizon effect dominates at low levels of stability, because firms are unwilling to pay high bribes and unstable incumbents have strong incentives to embezzle, whereas the demand effect gains salience in more stable regimes. Together, these two effects generate a non-monotonic, U-shaped relationship between total corruption and stability. On the empirical side, we find a robust U-shaped pattern between country indices of corruption perception and various measures of incumbent stability, including historically observed average tenures of chief executives and governing parties: regimes that are very stable or very unstable display higher levels of corruption when compared with those in an intermediate range of stability. These results suggest that minimizing corruption may require an electoral system that features some re-election incentives, but with an eventual term limit. [source] Cross-Country Measures for Monitoring Epilepsy CareEPILEPSIA, Issue 5 2007Charles E. Begley Summary:,Purpose: The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Commission on Healthcare Policy in consultation with the World Health Organization (WHO) examined the applicability and usefulness of various measures for monitoring epilepsy healthcare services and systems across countries. The goal is to provide planners and policymakers with tools to analyze the impact of healthcare services and systems and evaluate efforts to improve performance. Methods: Commission members conducted a systematic literature review and consulted with experts to assess the nature, strengths, and limitations of the treatment gap and resource availability measures that are currently used to assess the adequacy of epilepsy care. We also conducted a pilot study to determine the feasibility and applicability of using new measures to assess epilepsy care developed by the WHO including Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), responsiveness, and financial fairness. Results: The existing measures that are frequently used to assess the adequacy of epilepsy care focus on structural or process factors whose relationship to outcomes are indirect and may vary across regions. The WHO measures are conceptually superior because of their breadth and connection to articulated and agreed upon outcomes for health systems. However, the WHO measures require data that are not readily available in developing countries and most developed countries as well. Conclusion: The epilepsy field should consider adopting the WHO measures in country assessments of epilepsy burden and healthcare performance whenever data permit. Efforts should be made to develop the data elements to estimate the measures. [source] Understanding Pensions: Cognitive Function, Numerical Ability and Retirement Saving,FISCAL STUDIES, Issue 2 2007James Banks In a world of declining state pension provision, it is becoming increasingly important that individuals are able to understand the financial choices they face and can choose savings products, portfolios and contribution rates accordingly. In this paper, we look at numerical ability and other dimensions of cognitive function in a sample of older adults in England and examine the extent to which these abilities are correlated with various measures of wealth and retirement saving outcomes. As well as finding that relatively large fractions of the older population can be seen to have low levels of numeracy, we show that numeracy levels are strongly correlated with measures of retirement saving and investment portfolios, even when controlling for other dimensions of cognitive ability as well as educational attainment. Numeracy is also related to knowledge and understanding of pension arrangements, and with perceived financial security. In the short run, there may be a role for targeting simple retirement planning information at low-numeracy, low-education groups; a longer-run goal for retirement saving policy might be to improve numeracy levels more generally. [source] Sources of plant-derived carbon and stability of organic matter in soil: implications for global changeGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 8 2009SUSAN E. CROW Abstract Alterations in forest productivity and changes in the relative proportion of above- and belowground biomass may have nonlinear effects on soil organic matter (SOM) storage. To study the influence of plant litter inputs on SOM accumulation, the Detritus Input Removal and Transfer (DIRT) Experiment continuously alters above- and belowground plant inputs to soil by a combination of trenching, screening, and litter addition. Here, we used biogeochemical indicators [i.e., cupric oxide extractable lignin-derived phenols and suberin/cutin-derived substituted fatty acids (SFA)] to identify the dominant sources of plant biopolymers in SOM and various measures [i.e., soil density fractionation, laboratory incubation, and radiocarbon-based mean residence time (MRT)] to assess the stability of SOM in two contrasting forests within the DIRT Experiment: an aggrading deciduous forest and an old-growth coniferous forest. In the deciduous forest, removal of both above- and belowground inputs increased the total amount of SFA over threefold compared with the control, and shifted the SFA signature towards a root-dominated source. Concurrently, light fraction MRT increased by 101 years and C mineralization during incubation decreased compared with the control. Together, these data suggest that root-derived aliphatic compounds are a source of SOM with greater relative stability than leaf inputs at this site. In the coniferous forest, roots were an important source of soil lignin-derived phenols but needle-derived, rather than root-derived, aliphatic compounds were preferentially preserved in soil. Fresh wood additions elevated the amount of soil C recovered as light fraction material but also elevated mineralization during incubation compared with other DIRT treatments, suggesting that not all of the added soil C is directly stabilized. Aboveground needle litter additions, which are more N-rich than wood debris, resulted in accelerated mineralization of previously stored soil carbon. In summary, our work demonstrates that the dominant plant sources of SOM differed substantially between forest types. Furthermore, inputs to and losses from soil C pools likely will not be altered uniformly by changes in litter input rates. [source] Underage alcohol use, delinquency, and criminal activityHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 12 2006Michael T. French Abstract Since 1988, the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) has been 21 years for all 50 US states. The increasing prevalence of teenagers driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and the resulting traffic accidents were two main reasons for raising the MLDA to 21 years. Following the passage of this legislation, several published studies have found that the higher MLDA is associated with a significant reduction in both fatal and non-fatal accidents. While the relationship between MLDA and DUI events among young adults has been extensively studied, less information is available on other potential consequences of underage drinking. The present study uses data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), a recent nationally representative survey, to investigate the effects of underage drinking on a variety of delinquency and criminal activity consequences. After controlling for the endogeneity of alcohol use where appropriate, we find strong evidence that various measures of alcohol consumption are related both to delinquency and to criminal activity. However, the findings are not uniform across gender as we find striking differences between males and females. These results have interesting policy and public health implications regarding underage drinking. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] How leveraging human resource capital with its competitive distinctiveness enhances the performance of commercial and public organizationsHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2005Abraham Carmeli Although scholars agree that complex relationships between organizations' actual human resources (i.e., human capital stock) and means of leveraging these resources may influence performance, little empirical work has tested such propositions directly. We collected two primary data sets from privateand public-sector organizations in Israel. The multiplicative interaction between perceived human resources capital and distinctive value derived from that HR capital was significantly related to various measures of perceived and objective organizational performance. Having higher levels of human resources capital was strongly associated with performance only when top managers perceived that these resources provided distinctive value in terms of being highly valuable, inimitable, rare, and nonsubstitutable. We discuss the implications of these findings for research on strategic human resource management and the resource-based view of competitive advantage, as well as for practical efforts to develop firm-specific human resource capital that is inherently distinctive. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Assessing the effects of hydromorphological degradation on macroinvertebrate indicators in rivers: examples, constraints, and outlookINTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2009Nikolai Friberg Abstract An extensive amount of literature on linkages between the in-stream physical environment and river benthic macroinvertebrates reports a number of relationships across multiple spatial scales. We analyzed data on different spatial scales to elucidate the linkages between different measurements of hydromorphological degradation and commonly used macroinvertebrate indices. A regression analysis of 1049 sites from 3 countries revealed that the strongest relationship between a biotic metric,average score per taxon,and physiochemical variables (R2 = 0.61) was obtained with a multiple regression model that included concentration of total phosphorus and percent arable land in the catchment, as well as hydromorphological quality variables. Analyses of 3 data sets from streams primarily affected by hydromorphological degradation showed an overall weak relationship (max R2 = 0.25) with the River Habitat Survey data of 28 Swedish streams, whereas moderate (R2 , 0.43) relationships with more detailed measurements of morphology were found in 2 Danish studies (39 and 6 streams, respectively). Although evidence exists in the literature on the importance of physical features for in-stream biota in general and macroinvertebrates specifically, we found only relatively weak relationships between various measures of hydromorphological stress and commonly used macroinvertebrate assessment tools. We attribute this to a combination of factors, including 1) the mixed nature of pressures acting on the majority of river reaches, 2) scaling issues (spatial and temporal) when relating habitat surveys to macroinvertebrate assessments, and 3) the scope of commonly used macroinvertebrate assessment systems (mainly focusing on water chemistry perturbation, such as eutrophication and acidification). The need is urgent to develop refined and updated biological assessment systems targeting hydromorphological stress for the use of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) and national water-related policies. [source] Minamata Disease and Environmental GovernanceINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF JAPANESE SOCIOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Harutoshi Funabashi Abstract:, This article aims to clarify the conditions necessary for environmental governance through a case study of one of the most tragic examples of environmental destruction, the Minamata disease. The Minamata disease is methyl-mercury poisoning resulting from the ingestion of contaminated fish and shellfish. The first incident of the Minamata disease occurred in the mid-1950s, in Kumamoto Prefecture. In spite of the grave lesson that the pollution in Kumamoto provided, Japanese society went on to experience a second occurrence of Minamata disease in the mid-1960s, in Niigata Prefecture. Conflicts between victims, the companies responsible for contamination, and the central and prefectural governments have continued for the past 50 years. As a whole, the history of the two incidences of Minamata disease shows a lack of environmental governance in Japanese society. Effective environmental governance is the ability to produce adequate solutions to a variety of environmental problems. In order to resolve an environmental problem such as Minamata disease adequately, four tasks must be achieved. These are the discovery of the cause, the prevention of suffering, recovery from suffering and the learning of a lesson. What factors are crucial to the achievement of these tasks? Through an analysis of the history of Minamata disease, I would like to point out three fundamental factors that have a decisive influence on the solution of an environmental problem. They are the existence of an effective and just juridical system, a mature public sphere, and the quality of individual actors who are concerned with an environmental problem. The following conditions are important to the fostering of environmental governance on a more concrete level: sensitivity of the society and the ability to set an agenda, autonomy of the research process and of any research groups, organization of the antipollution movement, an adequately designed system for compensation, and various measures which help to counter socially amplified suffering. [source] The sizes of species' geographic rangesJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Kevin J. Gaston Summary 1Geographic range size and how it changes through time is one of the fundamental ecological and evolutionary characteristics of a species, and a strong predictor of extinction risk. However, the measurement of range size remains a substantial challenge. Indeed, there is significant confusion in the literature as to how this should be done, particularly in the context of the distinction between the fundamentally different concepts of extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO), and the use of these quantities, including in assessments of the threat status of species. 2Here we review the different approaches to determining the geographic distributions of species, the measurement of their range sizes, the relationships between the two, and other difficulties posed by range size measurement (especially those of range discontinuities when measuring EOO, and spatial scale when measuring AOO). 3We argue that it is important to (i) distinguish the estimation of the distribution of a species from the measurement of its geographic range size; (ii) treat measures of EOO and AOO as serving different purposes, rather than regarding them as more or less accurate ways of measuring range size; and (iii) measure EOO including discontinuities in habitat or occupancy. 4Synthesis and applications. With the availability and collation of extensive data sets on species occurrences, a rapidly increasing number of studies are investigating geographic range size, and particularly how various measures of range size predict macroecological patterns and inform assessments of the conservation status of species and areas. The distinction between EOO and AOO is becoming blurred in many contexts, but most particularly in that of threatened species assessments for Red Listing. Continued progress in these fields demands greater clarity in the meaning and derivation of measures of geographic range size. The two principal measures serve different purposes, and should not be regarded as alternatives that simply differ in accuracy. [source] Indicators for biodiversity in agricultural landscapes: a pan-European studyJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2008R. Billeter Summary 1In many European agricultural landscapes, species richness is declining considerably. Studies performed at a very large spatial scale are helpful in understanding the reasons for this decline and as a basis for guiding policy. In a unique, large-scale study of 25 agricultural landscapes in seven European countries, we investigated relationships between species richness in several taxa, and the links between biodiversity and landscape structure and management. 2We estimated the total species richness of vascular plants, birds and five arthropod groups in each 16-km2 landscape, and recorded various measures of both landscape structure and intensity of agricultural land use. We studied correlations between taxonomic groups and the effects of landscape and land-use parameters on the number of species in different taxonomic groups. Our statistical approach also accounted for regional variation in species richness unrelated to landscape or land-use factors. 3The results reveal strong geographical trends in species richness in all taxonomic groups. No single species group emerged as a good predictor of all other species groups. Species richness of all groups increased with the area of semi-natural habitats in the landscape. Species richness of birds and vascular plants was negatively associated with fertilizer use. 4Synthesis and applications. We conclude that indicator taxa are unlikely to provide an effective means of predicting biodiversity at a large spatial scale, especially where there is large biogeographical variation in species richness. However, a small list of landscape and land-use parameters can be used in agricultural landscapes to infer large-scale patterns of species richness. Our results suggest that to halt the loss of biodiversity in these landscapes, it is important to preserve and, if possible, increase the area of semi-natural habitat. [source] Use of a systematic review to assist the development of Campylobacter control strategies in broilersJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2006A. Adkin Abstract Aims:, Produce an evidence-based ranking of the major contributing factors and sources of Campylobacter occurrence in broilers produced in England, Scotland and Wales , Great Britain (GB). Method and Results:, Relevant data were extracted from 159 research papers and findings were grouped into 14 sources of on-farm contamination and 37 contributing factors. A relevancy score was developed to take into account various measures from each study of applicability to GB broilers and strength of findings. Results indicate that major sources of Campylobacter include a depopulation event, another house on-farm, on-farm staff, and other animals on farm. The depopulation schedule (staggered slaughter) and multiple houses on-farm were identified as contributing factors associated with increasing the risk, and those decreasing the risk were use of a hygiene barrier, parent company and certain seasons of rearing. Conclusions:, Although the review was more resource intensive compared to narrative studies, the system allows an increased level of transparency and the ability to investigate patterns and trends. Significance and Impact of the Study:, This paper provides the first evidence-based ranking of the major sources and contributing factors for Campylobacter presence in broilers in GB using a systematic review. [source] The distribution,abundance (density) relationship: its form and causes in a tropical mammal order, PrimatesJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2005A. H. Harcourt Abstract Aim, Across a wide variety of organisms, taxa with high local densities (abundance) have large geographical ranges (distributions). We use primatology's detailed knowledge of its taxon to investigate the form and causes of the relationship in, unusually for macroecological analysis, a tropical taxon. Location, Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Madagascar. Methods, To investigate the form of the density,range relationship, we regressed local density on geographical range size, and also on female body mass, because in the Primates, density correlates strongly with mass. To investigate the biological causes of the relationship, we related (1) abundance (density × range size) and (2) residuals from the density,range regression lines to various measures of (i) resource use, (ii) reproductive rate and (iii) potential specialization. All data are from the literature. Analyses were done at the level of species (n = 140), genera (n = 60) and families/subfamilies (n = 17). We present various levels of results, including for all data, after omission of outlier data, after correction for phylogenetic dependence, and after Bonferroni correction of probabilities for multiple comparisons. Results, Regarding the form of the relationship, Madagascar primates are clear outliers (high densities in small ranges). Among the remaining three realms, the relation of density to range is weak or non-existent at the level of species and genera. However, it is strong, tight and linear at the level of families/subfamilies (r2 = 0.6, F1,10 = 19, P < 0.01). Although among primates, density is very significantly related to mass, at no taxonomic level is range size related to body mass. Consequently, removing the effects of mass makes little to no difference to density,range results. Regarding the biology of the relationship, only traits indicative of specialization are associated with abundance (meaning numbers): rare taxa are more specialized than are abundant taxa. The association is largely via range size, not density. Across families, no traits correlate significantly with the density,range relationship, nor with deviations from it, despite the strength of the relationship at this taxonomic level. Main conclusions, We suggest that in macroecology, analysis at taxonomic levels deeper than that of the relatively ephemeral species can be appropriate. We argue that the several purely methodological explanations for the positive density,range size relationship in primates can be rejected. Of the various biological hypotheses, those having to do with specialization,generalization seem the only applicable ones. The fact that the relationship is entirely via range size, not via density, means that while we might have a biology of range size, we do not yet have one of the density,geographical range relationship. It is probably time to search for multivariate explanations, rather than univariate ones. However, we can for the first time, for at least primates, suggest that any association of abundance or range size with specialization is via the number of different subtaxa, not the average degree of specialization of each subtaxon. The implication for conservation is obvious. [source] Loving, Hating, Vacillating: Agreeableness, Implicit Self-Esteem, and Neurotic ConflictJOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 4 2006Michael D. Robinson ABSTRACT An implicit preference for the self over others may be beneficial when pursuing one's own desires but costly when adjusting the self to the desires of others. On the basis of this reasoning, the authors hypothesized that Agreeableness and implicit self-esteem would interact in predicting measures of neurotic distress. Three studies and one meta-analysis, involving 235 undergraduate participants, confirmed that high levels of implicit self-esteem were beneficial (i.e., less neurotic distress) within the context of low levels of Agreeableness but costly (i.e., more neurotic distress) within the context of high levels of Agreeableness. Because findings were robust across various measures of Agreeableness, implicit self-esteem, and neurotic distress, the interpersonal principles examined here appear to have broad relevance for understanding this particular form of intrapsychic conflict and its manifestation in neurotic distress. Results therefore support Horney's (1945) theory concerning the consequences of intrapsychic conflicts related to interpersonal motivation and cognition. [source] An Investigation Into the Diversification,Performance Relationship in the U.S. Property,Liability Insurance IndustryJOURNAL OF RISK AND INSURANCE, Issue 3 2008B. Elango This article investigates the relationship between product diversification and firm performance in the U.S. property,liability insurance industry using data over the 1994 through 2002 time period. Using various measures of product diversification and firm performance, we find that the extent of product diversification shares a complex and nonlinear relationship with firm performance. Our findings suggest that performance benefits associated with product diversification are contingent upon an insurer's degree of geographic diversification. Robustness tests using subsamples and market returns for public firms show consistent results. [source] Measuring online information seeking context, Part 2: Findings and discussionJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 14 2006Diane Kelly Context is one of the most important concepts in information seeking and retrieval research. However, the challenges of studying context are great; thus, it is more common for researchers to use context as a post hoc explanatory factor, rather than as a concept that drives inquiry. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for collecting data about information seeking context in natural online environments, and identify which aspects of context should be considered when studying online information seeking. The study is reported in two parts. In this, the second part, results and implications of this research are presented. Part 1 (Kelly, 2006) discussed previous literature on information seeking context and behavior, situated the current study within this literature, and described the naturalistic, longitudinal research design that was used to examine and measure the online information seeking context of seven users during a 14-week period. Results provide support for the value of the method in studying online information seeking context, the relative importance of various measures of context, how these measures change over time, and, finally, the relationship between these measures. In particular, results demonstrate significant differences in distributions of usefulness ratings according to task and topic. [source] On cross-correlating weak lensing surveysMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2005Dipak Munshi ABSTRACT The present generation of weak lensing surveys will be superseded by surveys run from space with much better sky coverage and high level of signal-to-noise ratio, such as the Supernova/Acceleration Probe (SNAP). However, removal of any systematics or noise will remain a major cause of concern for any weak lensing survey. One of the best ways of spotting any undetected source of systematic noise is to compare surveys that probe the same part of the sky. In this paper we study various measures that are useful in cross-correlating weak lensing surveys with diverse survey strategies. Using two different statistics , the shear components and the aperture mass , we construct a class of estimators which encode such cross-correlations. These techniques will also be useful in studies where the entire source population from a specific survey can be divided into various redshift bins to study cross-correlations among them. We perform a detailed study of the angular size dependence and redshift dependence of these observables and of their sensitivity to the background cosmology. We find that one-point and two-point statistics provide complementary tools which allow one to constrain cosmological parameters and to obtain a simple estimate of the noise of the survey. [source] The Development of the Negative Pain Thoughts QuestionnairePAIN PRACTICE, Issue 5 2008Ana-Maria Vranceanu PhD ,,Abstract Background: Cognitive processes play a pivotal role in the perception of pain intensity, pain-related disability, and response to medical treatments including surgeries. While various measures of dysfunctional pain coping exist in the literature, there is no instrument available to examine such negative cognitions in relation to perceptions of medical treatment in pain patients presenting to a surgical orthopedics practice. Aims: The purpose of this article is to report on the development and preliminary testing of the Negative Pain Thoughts Questionnaire (NPTQ). Methods: The NPTQ is an 11-item questionnaire assessing cognitions about pain and its treatment in patients presenting to orthopedics surgical practices. It was administered to 2 samples of patients with hand and arm pain seeking medical treatment in a hospital surgical practice. Patients in the second sample also completed a measure of depression and one of disability of hand, arm, and shoulder. Results: The NPTQ was found to be internally consistent, and unidimensional. The NPTQ total score was found to have a moderate to high positive correlation with perceived hand, arm, and shoulder disability, and a moderate positive correlation with depression. In multivariate analyses, high scores on the NPTQ significantly predicted high perceived hand, arm, and shoulder disability, even after controlling for depression. Conclusion: This short and easily administered measure of negative pain thoughts could potentially help surgeons identify at risk patients, and facilitate referrals to cognitive behavioral therapy. This, in turn, may prevent unnecessary surgeries, may decrease healthcare costs, and prevent transition toward costly chronic pain syndrome.,, [source] Accuracy and validity of using medical claims data to identify episodes of hospitalizations in patients with COPD,PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 1 2006Amir Abbas Tahami Monfared PhD Abstract Purpose In Quebec, MED-ECHO database can be used to estimate inhospital length of stay (LOS) and number of hospitalizations (NOH) both accurately and reliably. However, access to MED-ECHO database is time-consuming. Quebec medical claims database (RAMQ) can be used as an alternative source to estimate these measures. Considering MED-ECHO as the ,gold standard,' this study examined the validity of using RAMQ medical claims to estimate LOS and NOH. Methods We used a cohort of 3768 elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) between 1990 and 1996 and identified those with inhospital claims. Inhospital LOS was defined as the total number of days with inhospital claims. Various grace periods (1,15 days) between consecutive claims were considered for the estimation of LOS and NOH. RAMQ and MED-ECHO databases were linked using unique patient identifiers. Estimates obtained from RAMQ data were compared to those from MED-ECHO using various measures of central tendency and predictive error estimates. Results Overall, 32.7% of patients were hospitalized at least once during the study period based on RAMQ claims, as compared to 32.0% in MED-ECHO ( p -value,=,0.51). The best estimates [mean (p -value)] were found to be those obtained when using a 7-day grace period. RAMQ versus MED-ECHO estimates were: 12.2 versus 13.5 days (<,0.001) for LOS and 3.6 versus 3.7 times (0.36) for NOH. Conclusions RAMQ medical claims can be used as a reliable source to estimate LOS and NOH, particularly when time and resources are restricted. RAMQ, however, should be used with caution since slight underestimations may occur. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Population ageing and older workers: employers' perceptions, attitudes and policiesPOPULATION, SPACE AND PLACE (PREVIOUSLY:-INT JOURNAL OF POPULATION GEOGRAPHY), Issue 5 2006Wendy Loretto Abstract Increasing employment of older workers (those aged 50 and over) has been proposed as a strategy to cushion the impact of declining and ageing populations. Focusing on Scotland, this article considers the various measures that have been put forward to counteract population decline, and reviews public policy approaches aimed at increasing economic activity rates among older workers. It is argued that the attitudes and behaviours of employers are a crucial, but neglected, issue within the debates on employability of older workers. After reviewing existing research relating to employers' approaches towards older workers, we present findings from focus groups of employers conducted in four areas of Scotland in 2003. Our findings show that, whilst employers claimed to operate equal opportunities policies, they also showed partiality in favour of and against older workers. There was little evidence of strategic deployment of older workers, either currently, or in relation to forward planning. Instead a range of sectoral, structural and spatial factors influenced the heterogeneous approaches of employers towards older workers. We discuss the future employability of older workers in light of recent migration trends, and conclude by examining the wider relevance of our research for population ageing and decline. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Heritability of different measures of smooth pursuit eye tracking dysfunction: A study of normal twinsPSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 6 2000Joanna Katsanis Research studies have found that smooth pursuit eye movement dysfunction may serve as an index of genetic liability to develop schizophrenia. The heritability of various measures of smooth pursuit eye tracking proficiency and the saccades that occur during smooth pursuit was examined in 64 monozygotic (MZ) and 48 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs. Two age cohorts were assessed (11,12 and 17,18 years of age). Intraclass correlations indicated significant similarity in the MZ twins for almost all measures in both age cohorts, whereas few of the DZ twin correlations attained significance. Biometrical modeling indicated that genetic mechanisms influence performance on both global and specific eye tracking measures, accounting for about 40% to 60% of the variance. These findings suggest that the underlying brain systems responsible for smooth pursuit and saccade generation during pursuit are under partial genetic control. [source] On the Importance of Measuring Payout Yield: Implications for Empirical Asset PricingTHE JOURNAL OF FINANCE, Issue 2 2007JACOB BOUDOUKH ABSTRACT We investigate the empirical implications of using various measures of payout yield rather than dividend yield for asset pricing models. We find statistically and economically significant predictability in the time series when payout (dividends plus repurchases) and net payout (dividends plus repurchases minus issuances) yields are used instead of the dividend yield. Similarly, we find that payout (net payout) yields contains information about the cross section of expected stock returns exceeding that of dividend yields, and that the high minus low payout yield portfolio is a priced factor. [source] Diameter of the Cochlear Nerve in Endolymphatic Hydrops: Implications for the Etiology of Hearing Loss in Ménière's Disease,THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 9 2005Cliff A. Megerian MD Abstract Objective/Hypothesis: Endolymphatic hydrops (ELH) is an important histopathological hallmark of Ménière's disease. Experimental data from human temporal bones as well as animal models of the disorder have generally failed to determine the mechanism by which ELH or related pathology causes hearing loss. Hair cell and spiral ganglion cell counts in both human and animal case studies have not, for the most part, shown severe enough deterioration to explain associated severe sensorineural hearing loss. However a limited number of detailed ultrastructural studies have demonstrated significant reductions in dendritic innervation densities, raising the possibility that neurotoxicity plays an important role in the pathology of Ménière's disease (MD) as well as experimental endolymphatic hydrops (ELH). This study tests the hypothesis that neurotoxicity is an important primary mediator of injury to the hydropic ear and is reflected in measurable deterioration of the cochlear nerve in the animal model of ELH. This study also explores the previously presented hypothesis that cochlear injury in ELH is mediated through the actions of nitric oxide (NO) by evaluating whether hearing loss or various measures of cochlear damage can be ameliorated by administration of an agent that limits excess production of NO. Study Design: Part one of the project involves the surgical induction of endolymphatic hydrops and correlation of long term hearing loss with histological parameters of ELH severity as well as cochlear nerve and eighth cranial nerve diameter measurements. In part two, aminoguanidine is administered orally to a separate set of hydropic animals in an attempt to limit cochlear injury presumably mediated by NO. Methods: Guinea pigs are subjected to surgical induction of unilateral endolymphatic hydrops after establishing baseline ABR thresholds at 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 kHz. Threshold shifts are established prior to sacrifice at 4 to 6 months and temporal bones processed for light microscopy. Measurements of cochlear nerve and eighth cranial nerve maximal diameters as well as average maximal diameters are carried out and correlated to hearing loss and a semi-quantitative measure of hydrops severity. The identical experiments are carried out in animals treated with aminoguanidine, an inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase. Results: The mean maximal diameter (n = 14) of the hydropic cochlear nerve was significantly reduced (432.14 ± 43.18 vs. 479.28 ± 49.22 microns, P = .0025) as compared to the control nerve. This was also seen in measures of the eighth cranial nerve (855.71 ± 108.82 vs. 929 ± 81.53 microns, P = 0.0003). Correlation studies failed to show correlation between hydrops severity and a cochlear nerve deterioration index (r = -0.0614, P = .8348). Similarly, hearing loss severity failed to correlate with cochlear nerve deterioration (r = 0.1300, P = .6577). There was a significant correlation between hearing loss and hydrops severity (r = 0.6148, P = .0193). Aminoguanidine treated animals (n = 5) also sustained nerve deterioration to the same degree as non-treated animals and there appeared to be no protective effect (at the dosage administered) against ELH related hearing loss, hydrops formation, or nerve deterioration. Conclusion: ELH results in significant deterioration of cochlear nerve and eighth cranial nerve maximal diameters in the guinea pig model. These findings are in accord with previous studies which detected ultrastructural evidence of dendritic damage and indicate that neural injury is of sufficient severity to result in light microscopic evidence of cochlear nerve and eighth cranial nerve deterioration. These data support the concept that the principle pathological insult in ELH is a form of neurotoxicity, especially in light of previous studies which indicate relative preservation of hair cells at similar points in time. The lack of correlation between the severity of hydrops and nerve deterioration suggests that nerve deterioration is independent of hydrops severity. [source] Determinants of floristic diversity and vegetation composition on the islands of Lake Burollos, EgyptAPPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 2 2000Abdel-Hamid Khedr Täckholm 1974; Boulos 1995 Abstract. A floristic and environmental survey was carried out on 22 uninhabited islands (0.1-8.4 ha) in Lake Burollos, Egypt. A total of 58 vascular plant species was recorded. The number of habitats on each island was counted. There was a positive correlation between island area and number of habitat types. Island area was significantly positively correlated with various measures of floristic diversity, including the total number of species present, and the numbers of annual, herbaceous, and shrublet species. Perennial and shrub species numbers did not differ significantly with island area. In addition to island area, elevation and soil salinity, as well as distance to the Mediterranean Sea, all contributed significantly to variation in species composition in the terrestrial habitats. Water salinity and transparency accounted for 69% of the variation in aquatic species numbers. There was a weak effect of isolation on similarity of species composition on islands. Eight vegetation types, represented by 13 indicator species identified after TWINSPAN analysis, were distinguished by soil characteristics. Species richness was inversely correlated with clay, organic carbon and total nitrogen in the soil, but positively correlated with calcium carbonate content. From a management perspective, long-term monitoring of threatened habitats in the lake is urgently required as a starting point to preserve biodiversity. Finally, we conclude that the present study supports the hypothesis indicating that larger areas feature higher species richness due to increased numbers of habitats. [source] Cartilage degradation biomarkers predict efficacy of a novel, highly selective matrix metalloproteinase 13 inhibitor in a dog model of osteoarthritis: Confirmation by multivariate analysis that modulation of type ii collagen and aggrecan degradation peptides parallels pathologic changesARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 10 2010Steven Settle Objective To demonstrate that the novel highly selective matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13) inhibitor PF152 reduces joint lesions in adult dogs with osteoarthritis (OA) and decreases biomarkers of cartilage degradation. Methods The potency and selectivity of PF152 were evaluated in vitro using 16 MMPs, TACE, and ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5, as well as ex vivo in human cartilage explants. In vivo effects were evaluated at 3 concentrations in mature beagles with partial medial meniscectomy. Gross and histologic changes in the femorotibial joints were evaluated using various measures of cartilage degeneration. Biomarkers of cartilage turnover were examined in serum, urine, or synovial fluid. Results were analyzed individually and in combination using multivariate analysis. Results The potent and selective MMP-13 inhibitor PF152 decreased human cartilage degradation ex vivo in a dose-dependent manner. PF152 treatment of dogs with OA reduced cartilage lesions and decreased biomarkers of type II collagen (type II collagen neoepitope) and aggrecan (peptides ending in ARGN or AGEG) degradation. The dose required for significant inhibition varied with the measure used, but multivariate analysis of 6 gross and histologic measures indicated that all doses differed significantly from vehicle but not from each other. Combined analysis of cartilage degradation markers showed similar results. Conclusion This highly selective MMP-13 inhibitor exhibits chondroprotective effects in mature animals. Biomarkers of cartilage degradation, when evaluated in combination, parallel the joint structural changes induced by the MMP-13 inhibitor. These data support the potential therapeutic value of selective MMP-13 inhibitors and the use of a set of appropriate biomarkers to predict efficacy in OA clinical trials. [source] A test for Allee effects in the self-incompatible wasp-pollinated milkweed Gomphocarpus physocarpusAUSTRAL ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2009GARETH COOMBS Abstract It has been suggested that plants that are good colonizers will generally have either an ability to self-fertilize or a generalist pollination system. This prediction is based on the idea that these reproductive traits should confer resistance to Allee effects in founder populations and was tested using Gomphocarpus physocarpus (Asclepiadoideae: Apocynaceae), a species native to South Africa that is invasive in other parts of the world. We found no significant relationships between the size of G. physocarpus populations and various measures of pollination success (pollen deposition, pollen removal and pollen transfer efficiency) and fruit set. A breeding system experiment showed that plants in a South African population are genetically self-incompatible and thus obligate outcrossers. Outcrossing is further enhanced by mechanical reconfiguration of removed pollinaria before the pollinia can be deposited. Self-pollination is reduced when such reconfiguration exceeds the average duration of pollinator visits to a plant. Observations suggest that a wide variety of wasp species in the genera Belonogaster and Polistes (Vespidae) are the primary pollinators. We conclude that efficient pollination of plants in small founding populations, resulting from their generalist wasp-pollination system, contributes in part to the colonizing success of G. physocarpus. The presence of similar wasps in other parts of the world has evidently facilitated the expansion of the range of this milkweed. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||