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Selected AbstractsUpregulation of ,-Catenin Levels in Superior Frontal Cortex of Chronic AlcoholicsALCOHOLISM, Issue 6 2008Ali M. Al-Housseini Background:, Chronic and excessive alcohol misuse results in neuroadaptive changes in the brain. The complex nature of behavioral, psychological, emotional, and neuropathological characteristics associated with alcoholism is likely a reflection of the network of proteins that are affected by alcohol-induced gene expression patterns in specific brain regions. At the molecular level, however, knowledge remains limited regarding alterations in protein expression levels affected by chronic alcohol abuse. Thus, novel techniques that allow a comprehensive assessment of this complexity will enable the simultaneous assessment of changes across a group of proteins in the relevant neural circuitry. Methods:, A proteomics analysis was performed using antibody microarrays to determine differential protein levels in superior frontal cortices between chronic alcoholics and age- and gender-matched control subjects. Seventeen proteins related to the catenin signaling pathway were analyzed, including ,-, ,-, and ,-catenins, their upstream activators cadherin-3 (type I cadherin) and cadherin-5 (type II cadherin), and 5 cytoplasmic regulators c-Src, CK1,, GSK-3,, PP2A-C,, and APC, as well as the nuclear complex partner of ,-catenin CBP and 2 downstream genes Myc and cyclin D1. ILK, G,1, G,1, and G,2, which are activity regulators of GSK-3,, were also analyzed. Results:, Both ,- and ,-catenin showed significantly increased levels, while ,-catenin did not change significantly, in chronic alcoholics. In addition, the level of the ,-catenin downstream gene product Myc was significantly increased. Average levels of the catenin regulators c-Src, CK1,, and APC were also increased in chronic alcoholics, but the changes were not statistically significant. Conclusion:, Chronic and excessive alcohol consumption leads to an upregulation of ,- and ,-catenin levels, which in turn increase downstream gene expressions such as Myc that is controlled by ,-catenin signaling. This study showed that the ,-catenin signal transduction pathway was upregulated by chronic alcohol abuse, and prompts further investigation of mechanisms underlying the upregulation of ,- and ,-catenins in alcoholism, which may have considerable pathogenic and therapeutic relevance. [source] Testing the "Inverted-U" Phenomenon in Moral Development on Recently Promoted Senior Managers and Partners,CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 2 2004RICHARD A. BERNARDI Abstract This paper examines the change in the average level of moral development over a 7.5-year period of promotion, attrition, and survival in five Big 6 firms. The study improves upon previous cross-sectional studies that found decreases in the average level of moral development at the senior manager and partner levels, which has been referred to as the "inverted-U" phenomenon. Problems with these studies that limit the generalizability of their findings include their cross-sectional nature and samples that usually come from one or two firms. Over a 7.5-year period, we found that the participating Big 6 firms retained auditors with higher average levels of moral development (measured using the defining issues test), while those with lower average levels left the firms. The average level of moral development for new partners was at least as high as the group from which they came. This research suggests that the concern about Big 6 firms retaining a higher proportion of auditors with lower moral development may be an artifact of research design. [source] A computerized treatment of dyslexia: Benefits from treating lexico-phonological processing problemsDYSLEXIA, Issue 1 2005Jurgen Tijms Abstract Two hundred sixty-seven 10- to 14-year-old Dutch children with dyslexia were randomly assigned to one of two samples that received a treatment for reading and spelling difficulties. The treatment was computer-based and focused on learning to recognise and use the phonological and morphological structure of Dutch words. The inferential algorithmic basis of the program ensured that the instruction was highly structured. The present study examined the reliability of the effects of the treatment, and provided an evaluation of the attained levels of reading and spelling by relating them to normal levels. Both samples revealed large, generalized treatment effects on reading accuracy, reading rate, and spelling skills. Following the treatment, participants attained an average level of reading accuracy and spelling. The attained level of reading rate was comparable to the lower bound of the average range. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] How does variability in alcohol consumption over time affect the relationship with mortality and coronary heart disease?ADDICTION, Issue 4 2010Annie Britton ABSTRACT Objective To examine the relationship between alcohol consumption and risk of mortality and incident coronary heart disease (CHD), taking account of variation in intake during follow-up. Method Prospective cohort study of 5411 male civil servants aged 35,55 years at entry to the Whitehall II study in 1985,88. Alcohol consumption was reported five times over a 15-year period. Mortality, fatal CHD, clinically verified incident non-fatal myocardial infarction and definite angina were ascertained during follow-up. Results We found evidence that drinkers who vary their intake during follow-up, regardless of average level, have increased risk of total mortality (hazard ratio of high versus low variability 1.52: 95% CI: 1.07,2.17), but not of incident CHD. Using average consumption level, as opposed to only a baseline measure, gave slightly higher risk estimates for CHD compared to moderate drinkers at the extremes of the drinking range. Conclusions Multiple repeated measures are required to explore the effects of variation in exposure over time. Caution is needed when interpreting risks of exposures measured only once at baseline, without consideration of changes over time. [source] WELFARE IMPACT OF A BAN ON CHILD LABORECONOMIC INQUIRY, Issue 4 2010JORGE SOARES This article presents a new rationale for imposing restrictions on child labor. In a standard overlapping generation model where parental altruism results in transfers that children allocate to consumption and education, the Nash-Cournot equilibrium results in suboptimal levels of parental transfers and does not maximize the average level of utility of currently living agents. A ban on child labor decreases children's income and generates an increase in parental transfers bringing their levels closer to the optimum, raising children's welfare as well as average welfare in the short run and in the long run. Moreover, the inability to work allows children to allocate more time to education, and it leads to an increase in human capital. Besides, to increase transfers, parents decrease savings and hence physical capital accumulation. When prices are flexible, these effects diminish the positive welfare impact of the ban on child labor. (JEL D91, E21) [source] Effects of alcoholism severity and smoking on executive neurocognitive functionADDICTION, Issue 1 2009Jennifer M. Glass ABSTRACT Aims Neurocognitive deficits in chronic alcoholic men are well documented. Impairments include memory, visual,spatial processing, problem solving and executive function. The cause of impairment could include direct effects of alcohol toxicity, pre-existing cognitive deficits that predispose towards substance abuse, comorbid psychiatric disorders and abuse of substances other than alcohol. Cigarette smoking occurs at higher rates in alcoholism and has been linked to poor cognitive performance, yet the effects of smoking on cognitive function in alcoholism are often ignored. We examined whether chronic alcoholism and chronic smoking have effects on executive function. Methods Alcoholism and smoking were examined in a community-recruited sample of alcoholic and non-alcoholic men (n = 240) using standard neuropsychological and reaction-time measures of executive function. Alcoholism was measured as the average level of alcoholism diagnoses across the study duration (12 years). Smoking was measured in pack-years. Results Both alcoholism and smoking were correlated negatively with a composite executive function score. For component measures, alcoholism was correlated negatively with a broad range of measures, whereas smoking was correlated negatively with measures that emphasize response speed. In regression analyses, both smoking and alcoholism were significant predictors of executive function composite. However, when IQ is included in the regression analyses, alcoholism severity is no longer significant. Conclusions Both smoking and alcoholism were related to executive function. However, the effect of alcoholism was not independent of IQ, suggesting a generalized effect, perhaps affecting a wide range of cognitive abilities of which executive function is a component. On the other hand, the effect of smoking on measures relying on response speed were independent of IQ, suggesting a more specific processing speed deficit associated with chronic smoking. [source] Improved Estimates of Correlation Coefficients and their Impact on Optimum PortfoliosEUROPEAN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2006Edwin J. Elton G11 Abstract To implement mean variance analysis one needs a technique for forecasting correlation coefficients. In this article we investigate the ability of several techniques to forecast correlation coefficients between securities. We find that separately forecasting the average level of pair-wise correlations and individual pair-wise differences from the average improves forecasting accuracy. Furthermore, forming homogenous groups of firms on the basis of industry membership or firm attributes (e.g. size) improves forecast accuracy. Accuracy is evaluated in two ways: First, in terms of the error in estimating future correlation coefficients. Second, in the characteristics of portfolios formed on the basis of each forecasting technique. The ranking of forecasting techniques is robust across both methods of evaluation and the better techniques outperform prior suggestions in the literature of financial economics. [source] The Distributional Impact of Pension System Reforms: An Application to the Italian CaseFISCAL STUDIES, Issue 4 2004MARGHERITA BORELLA Between 1992 and 1995, the Italian pension system was deeply reformed, and it is now moving from an earnings-related to a contribution-based scheme. The pre-1992 system was generous and redistributive; however, often redistribution operated from the poor to the rich, notably because the benefit formula was based on the last years of earnings, thus benefiting workers with steep earnings profiles. The new contribution-based scheme may enhance equity by removing (some of) the inequities implicit in the previous system. Simulations calibrated on Italian male employees show that the contribution-based scheme reduces inequality among all groups considered, with the exception of college graduates employed in the private sector. When taking into account the average level of the benefit as well as its distribution, the analysis shows mixed results depending on the worker's number of years of contribution and on their retirement age, as well as on the steepness of their earnings profile. [source] The economic costs and benefits of UK defence exportsFISCAL STUDIES, Issue 3 2002Malcolm Chalmers Abstract This study examines the economic costs and benefits to the UK of a 50 per cent cut in UK defence exports from the average level of 1998 and 1999. The net impact on the government budget is estimated to be an ongoing loss of between around £40 million and £100 million a year: around 0.2,0.4 per cent of the total UK defence budget. In addition, there is estimated to be a one-off net adjustment cost, spread over five years, of between £0.9 billion and £1.4 billion. A further more speculative adjustment cost (estimated at around £1.1 billion) could result if the loss of income associated with the ,terms-of-trade£ effect were also included. In terms of the wider debate about defence exports, the results of this study suggest first that the economic effects of the reduction in defence exports are relatively small and largely one-off, and secondly that the balance of arguments about UK defence exports should be determined mainly by non-economic factors. [source] Measuring health inequality with realization of potential life years (RePLY)HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue S1 2009Kam Ki Tang Abstract This paper proposes a new method to measure health inequalities that are caused by conditions amenable to policy intervention. The method is built on a technique that can separate avoidable and unavoidable mortality risks, using world mortality data compiled by the World Health Organization for the year 2000. The new method is applied to data from 191 countries. It is found that controlling for unavoidable mortality risks leads to a lower estimate of health inequality than otherwise, especially for developed countries. Furthermore, although countries with a higher life expectancy at birth tend to have lower health inequality, there are significant variations in health inequalities across countries with the same life expectancy. The results therefore support the WHO's plea for using health inequality as a distinct parameter from the average level of health in assessing the performance of health systems. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Targeted health insurance in a low income country and its impact on access and equity in access: Egypt's school health insuranceHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2001Winnie Yip Abstract Governments are constantly faced with competing demands for public funds, thereby necessitating careful use of scarce resources. In Egypt, the School Health Insurance Programme (SHIP) is a government subsidized health insurance system that targets school children. The primary goals of the SHIP include improving access and equity in access to health care for children while, at the same time, ensuring programme sustainability. Using the Egyptian Household Health Utilization and Expenditure Survey (1995), this paper empirically assesses the extent to which the SHIP achieves its stated goals. Our findings show that the SHIP significantly improved access by increasing visit rates and reducing financial burden of use (out-of-pocket expenditures). With regard to the success of targeting the poor, conditional upon being covered, the SHIP reduced the differentials in visit rates between the highest and lowest income children. However, only the middle-income children benefitted from reduced financial burden (within group equity). Moreover, by targeting the children through school enrollment, the SHIP increased the differentials in the average level of access between school-going children and those not attending school (overall equity). Children not attending school tend to be poor and living in rural areas. Our results also indicate that original calculations may underestimate the SHIP financial outlays, thereby threatening the long run financial sustainability of the programme. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Corporate Cash Policy and How to Manage it with Stock RepurchasesJOURNAL OF APPLIED CORPORATE FINANCE, Issue 3 2008Amy Dittmar At the end of 2004 total U.S. corporate cash holdings reached an all-time high of just under $2 trillion,an amount equal to roughly 15% of the total U.S. GDP. And during the past 25 years, average cash holdings have jumped from 10% to 23% of total corporate assets. But at the same time their levels of cash have risen, U.S. companies have paid out dramatically increasing amounts of cash to buy back shares. This article addresses the following questions: What accounts for the dramatic increase in the average level of corporate cash holdings since 1980? And why do some companies keep so much cash (with one fourth of U.S. firms holding cash amounting to at least 36% of total assets) while others have so little (with another quarter having less than 3%)? Why do companies pay out excess cash in the form of stock repurchases (rather than, say, dividends), and what explains the significant increase in repurchases (both in absolute terms and relative to dividends) over time? The author begins by arguing that cash reserves provide companies with a buffer against possible shortfalls in operating profits,one that, especially during periods of financial trouble, can be used to avoid financial distress or provide funding for promising projects that might otherwise have to be put off. Such buffers are particularly valuable in the case of smaller, riskier companies with lots of growth opportunities and limited access to capital markets. And the dramatic increase in corporate cash holdings between 1980 and the present can be attributed mainly to an increase in the risk of publicly traded companies,an increase in risk that reflects in part a general increase in competition, but also a notable change over time in the kinds of companies (smaller, newer, less profitable, non-dividend paying firms) that have chosen to go public. At the other end of the corporate spectrum are large, relatively mature companies with limited growth opportunities. Although such companies tend to produce considerable free cash flow, they also tend to retain relatively small amounts of cash (as a percentage of total assets), in part because of shareholder concern about the corporate "free cash flow problem",the well-documented tendency of such companies to destroy value through overpriced (often diversifying) acquisitions and other misguided attempts to pursue growth at the expense of profitability. For companies with highly predictable earnings and investment plans, dividends provide one means of addressing the free cash flow problem. But for companies with more variable earnings and less predictable reinvestment, open-market stock repurchases provide a more flexible means of distributing cash to shareholders. Unlike the corporate "commitment" implied by dividend payments, an open market stock repurchase program creates what amounts to an option but not an obligation to distribute funds. The value of such flexibility, which increases during periods of increased risk and uncertainty, explains much of the apparent substitution of repurchases for dividends in recent years. [source] Perceived Equity in the Gendered Division of Household LaborJOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 5 2008Michael Braun Despite huge imbalances in the division of housework between women and men, previous studies have found perceptions of equity on the part of women to be much more frequent than feelings of injustice. Taking a comparative perspective on the basis of International Social Survey Program (ISSP) 2002 data (N = 8,556), we find that, on the individual level, the explanatory frameworks that have been found to influence the actual inequality of household division of labor (time availability, resource dependence, and gender ideology) contribute to the explanation of perceptions of equity, in that they interact with the inequality of the household division of labor. On the country level, the gender-wage ratio and the average level of inequality are important predictors. [source] Long-term effects of a psycholinguistic treatment for dyslexiaJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN READING, Issue 2 2003Jurgen Tijms Short and long-term effects of a treatment for dyslexia are evaluated. The treatment is based on psycholinguistic theory and assumes that dyslexia is due to poor lexico-phonological processing of words. The treatment is computer-based and focuses on learning to recognise and to make use of the phonological and morphological structure of Dutch words. The results of the treatment were clear improvements in reading words, reading text and spelling. Effect sizes of standardised treatment gains were large (Cohen's d>0.80 for all variables). Following the treatment, participants attained an average level of text-reading and spelling. The attained level of reading words and reading text was found to be stable over a four-year follow-up period. Spelling showed a slight decline one year after the treatment, but remained stable thereafter.1 [source] Pressurised liquid extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from gas and particulate phases of atmospheric samplesJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 7 2009Maria Rosa Ras Abstract Pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) was applied to determine the atmospheric levels of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the gas and particulate phases. The method involved high-volume air sampling with quartz fibre filters (QFFs) and polyurethane foam (PUF) plugs and analytes were subsequently extracted from the samples by PLE, and determined with GC-MS. We optimised the PLE conditions for the solvent, the number of cycles and extraction temperature. Recoveries were higher than 90% for most compounds. Method LODs and LOQs were between 0.001 and 0.02 ng/m3 and between 0.01 and 0.05 ng/m3. Air samples were taken from a site in the region of Tarragona in Catalonia, Spain, where one of the largest petrochemical complexes in southern Europe is located. The total concentration of PAHs were from 6.7 to 27.66 ng/m3, with predominant levels of PAHs appearing in the gas phase (48,81%), and an average level of benzo[a]pyrene, the most carcinogenic PAH, of 0.86 ng/m3. [source] Fear-pattern analysis supports the fear-drive model for antispeeding road-safety TV adsPSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 11 2004John R. Rossiter Previous studies of fear appeals in advertising have relied on a procedure that measures only the overall level of fear produced by the ad. That procedure cannot validly test the effect of drive reduction, which is the central causal mechanism in Hovland, Janis, and Kelley's (1953) original fear-drive model. To overcome this limitation, the present research identifies the fear pattern of the ad, based on moment-to-moment ratings of fear-to-relief taken for its duration. In Study 1, which examines ratings of seven antispeeding TV commercials, it is shown that a postexposure overall rating of fear is in fact measuring the maximum level of fear experienced, not the average level, and that this static rating of fear cannot distinguish very different patterns, such as the pattern of rising fear with no relief, the "shock" pattern of sudden fear with no relief (both representing positive punishment), and the classic fear-relief pattern (the drivereduction pattern). In Study 2, which is a laboratory experiment using antispeeding road-safety TV commercials and a dependent variable of speed choice on a realistic simulated driving test, it is demonstrated that the fear-relief pattern reduces young drivers' speed choice not only initially but after heavy repetition of the ad, whereas fear without relief increases speed choice initially, then, after heavy repetition, it decreases speed choice, although not down to the driving speed produced by fear-relief. The reason why a shock ad starts to work following heavy repetition is that viewers begin to anticipate the shock and the ad becomes, in effect, a fear-relief ad. The overall results strongly support the fear-drive model. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] A genetic historical sketch of European Gypsies: The perspective from autosomal markersAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Alfredo Gusmão Abstract In this study, 123 unrelated Portuguese Gypsies were analyzed for 15 highly polymorphic autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs). Average gene diversity across the 15 markers was 76.7%, which is lower than that observed in the non-Gypsy Portuguese population. Subsets of STRs were used to perform comparisons with other Gypsy and corresponding host populations. Interestingly, diversity reduction in Gypsy groups compared to their non-Gypsy surrounding populations apparently varied according to an East-West gradient, which parallels their dispersion in Europe as well as a decrease in complexity of their internal structure. Analysis of genetic distances revealed that the average level of genetic differentiation between Gypsy groups was much larger than that observed between the corresponding non-Gypsy populations. The high rate of heterogeneity among Gypsies can be explained by strong genetic drift and limited intergroup gene flow. However, when genetic relationships were addressed through principal component analysis, all Gypsy populations clustered together and was clearly distinguished from other populations, a pattern that suggests their common origin. Concerning the putative ancestral genetic component, admixture analysis did not reveal strong Indian ancestry in the current Gypsy gene pools, in contrast to the high admixture estimates for either Europeans or Western Asians. Am J Phys Anthropol 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Civic Engagement and Education: An Empirical Test of the Sorting ModelAMERICAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2009David E. Campbell According to the sorting model of education, the impact of education on civic engagement is relative, rather than absolute. Education correlates with greater engagement because it is a marker of social status; the degree of status conferred by your level of education is determined by the average level of education within your environment. This article tests the sorting model by paying strict heed to its assumptions. The analysis confirms the model, but considerably narrows its reach. Sorting applies only to one particular type (electoral activity), only when the educational environment accounts for variation across age and place, and only when one models the interactive relationship between education at the individual and environmental levels. Furthermore, sorting applies more to men than women. The same analytical framework demonstrates that being in a more highly educated environment amplifies the relationship between education and democratic enlightenment (political knowledge and tolerance). [source] An Evaluation of the Impact of Oral Magnesium Lactate on the Corrected QT Interval of Patients Receiving Sotalol or Dofetilide to Prevent Atrial or Ventricular Tachyarrhythmia RecurrenceANNALS OF NONINVASIVE ELECTROCARDIOLOGY, Issue 2 2006Brian F. McBride Pharm.D. Background: Intravenous magnesium reduces the QTc interval of patients receiving ibutilide. Whether oral magnesium can reduce the QTc interval associated with oral sotalol and dofetilide is not known. This study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of oral magnesium on the QTc interval and whether an inherent intracellular magnesium deficiency exists among patients with arrhythmias. Methods: Participants receiving sotalol or dofetilide for atrial or ventricular arrhythmias were randomized to receive magnesium l -lactate (504 mg elemental magnesium daily, Niche Pharmaceuticals, Roanoke, TX) or placebo for 48 hours. A 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) was obtained at baseline, 3 hours, and 51 hours after dosing to correspond to the Tmax after oral ingestion. The QTc interval was measured from the ECGs and compared between groups. Intracellular magnesium concentrations were determined by energy-dispersive x-ray analysis at baseline and 51 hours after dosing (Intracellular Diagnostics, Inc., Foster City, CA). Results: The QTc interval reductions from baseline were greater in the magnesium group than placebo at 3 and 51 hours (P = 0.015 and P < 0.001, respectively). Sixty-three percent of patients (regardless of experimental group) had baseline intracellular magnesium concentrations below the normal reference range of 33.9,41.9 mEq/IU, with an average level of 32.6 ± 2.2 mEq/IU. Conclusions: Oral magnesium l -lactate raises intracellular magnesium concentrations and lowers the QTc interval of patients receiving sotalol or dofetilide. [source] Empirical modelling of the DEM/USD and DEM/JPY foreign exchange rate: Structural shifts in GARCH-models and their implicationsAPPLIED STOCHASTIC MODELS IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY, Issue 1 2002Helmut Herwartz Abstract We analyse daily changes of two log foreign exchange (FX) rates involving the Deutsche Mark (DEM) for the period 1975,1998, namely FX-rates measured against the US dollar (USD) and the Japanese yen (JPY). To account for volatility clustering we fit a GARCH(1,1)-model with leptokurtic innovations. Its parameters are not stable over the sample period and two separate variance regimes are selected for both exchange rate series. The identified points of structural change are close to a change of the monetary policies in the US and Japan, the latter of which is followed by a long period of decreasing asset prices. Having identified subperiods of homogeneous volatility dynamics we concentrate on stylized facts to distinguish these volatility regimes. The bottom level of estimated volatility turns out be considerably higher during the second part of the sample period for both exchange rates. A similar result holds for the average level of volatility and for implied volatility of heavily traded at the money options. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Industrial Tribunals and Wage Determination in the Australian Iron and Steel Industry, 1921,38AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 3 2000Malcolm Abbott It is believed in some quarters that the system of federal and state industrial tribunals in Australia has exercised a considerable impact on the determination of wages in Australia, making the average level of nominal wages more inflexible and wage differentials more equal in the interwar period. The purpose of this paper is to identify, through cross-country comparisons, the impact that the industrial tribunals had on the iron and steel industry labour market, an industry that played a crucial role in Australia's industrial development during the 1920s and 1930s. [source] Cognitive function at 10 years of age in children who have required neonatal intensive careACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 12 2004L Schermann Aim: To study cognitive function at 10 y of age in a cohort of children who required neonatal intensive care within the Uppsala Neonatal Follow-up Study. Methods: 226 children, who were born in 1986,1989 and had required neonatal intensive care (NIC) and 72 full-term, healthy control children were enrolled in the study. NIC children were grouped according to gestational age (group I, 23,31 wk; subgroup IA, 23,27 wk; IB 28,31 wk; group II, 32,36 wk; group III, >36wk), with infants with congenital malformation (IWCM) included and excluded from the main groups. The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) was administered and results were analysed in relation to the K-ABC global scales: sequential, simultaneous, mental processing composite and achievement. Results: The great majority of children had well-developed cognitive function, reaching scores at an average level or above. When groups were compared, full-term children that required NIC (group III) showed lower scores than controls on all scales measured by the K-ABC. Preterm children from all the studied groups (groups IA, IB, II) showed poorer performance than controls in the simultaneous processing scale, and group IA scored lower than controls in the achievement scale. The incidence of major cognitive impairment (IQ <70) was low in NIC children (<5%), but children from group IA showed significant higher frequency of impairment in the simultaneous, mental processing composite and achievement scales. Children from group IA presented a high frequency of discrepancy between the K-ABC scales, with lower simultaneous and higher sequential scores. Analysis with IWCM excluded from the main groups revealed identical results. Conclusion: Most children who needed neonatal intensive care had developed well their cognitive function at 10 y of age. The long-term effect of neonatal intensive care on cognitive function was more evident in extremely preterm infants (group IA), especially in tasks involving simultaneous ways of processing information. [source] Testing the "Inverted-U" Phenomenon in Moral Development on Recently Promoted Senior Managers and Partners,CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 2 2004RICHARD A. BERNARDI Abstract This paper examines the change in the average level of moral development over a 7.5-year period of promotion, attrition, and survival in five Big 6 firms. The study improves upon previous cross-sectional studies that found decreases in the average level of moral development at the senior manager and partner levels, which has been referred to as the "inverted-U" phenomenon. Problems with these studies that limit the generalizability of their findings include their cross-sectional nature and samples that usually come from one or two firms. Over a 7.5-year period, we found that the participating Big 6 firms retained auditors with higher average levels of moral development (measured using the defining issues test), while those with lower average levels left the firms. The average level of moral development for new partners was at least as high as the group from which they came. This research suggests that the concern about Big 6 firms retaining a higher proportion of auditors with lower moral development may be an artifact of research design. [source] The social causes of inequality in epilepsy and developing a rehabilitation strategy: A U.K.-based analysisEPILEPSIA, Issue 10 2009Leone Ridsdale Summary A rehabilitation approach has been adopted for many long-term neurologic conditions, but not for epilepsy. The disabilities associated with epilepsy are cognitive, psychological, and social, which are not as readily identified by medical doctors as are physical disabilities. A rehabilitation approach moves the emphasis from a medically driven process to a focus on the personal, social, and physical context of long-term illness. It is suggested that a missed opportunity for education and support for self-management occurs after diagnosis. This results in disadvantage to those whose educational level and knowledge of epilepsy are low. People who do not achieve epilepsy control may then experience higher levels of psychological distress, and a negative cycle of loss of self-efficacy, poor epilepsy control, social disadvantage, and disability. Rehabilitation services have benefited communities surrounding centers of excellence. Not so in epilepsy. Despite centers of excellence, areas with deprivation have higher than national average levels of patients reporting a seizure in the prior year, and higher emergency hospital admissions. Specialists working in partnership with general practitioners (GPs) and practice nurses can do more to increase participation and reduce distress for people with epilepsy. When available, GPs and nurses with special interest in epilepsy promote integrated services. Primary,secondary networks are likely to be more effective in preventing downward drift. This requires evaluation. [source] A Dyadic Examination of Daily Health Symptoms and Emotional Well-Being in Late-Life Couples,FAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 5 2006Jeremy B. Yorgason Abstract: This study investigated the link between daily health symptoms and spousal emotional well-being in a sample of 96 older dyads. Higher negative mood and lower positive mood were associated with spousal symptoms in couples wherein husbands or wives reported higher average levels of symptoms. For wives, partner effects were moderated by husbands' marital satisfaction and illness severity. Specifically, higher husband marital satisfaction and illness severity were associated with higher negative mood and lower positive mood for wives on days where husbands reported higher symptom levels. In their work with later-life families, practitioners and educators should address long-term and daily health-related relationship stressors. [source] Daily Variations in Objective Nighttime Sleep and Subjective Morning Pain in Older Adults with Insomnia: Evidence of Covariation over TimeJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 5 2010Joseph M. Dzierzewski MS OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between objectively measured nocturnal sleep and subjective report of morning pain in older adults with insomnia; to examine not only the difference between persons in the association between sleep and pain (mean level over 14 days), but also the within-person, day-to-day association. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: North-central Florida. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty community-dwelling older adults (mean age±standard deviation 69.1±7.0, range 60,90) with insomnia. MEASUREMENTS: Daily home-based assessment using nightly actigraphic measurement of sleep and daily self-report of pain over 14 consecutive days. RESULTS: Between persons, average sleep over 14 days was not associated with average levels of rated pain, but after a night in which an older adult with insomnia experienced above-average total sleep time he or she subsequently reported below-average pain ratings. The model explained approximately 24% of the within-person and 8% of the between-person variance in pain ratings. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep and pain show day-to-day associations (i.e., covary over time) in older adults with insomnia. Such associations may suggest that common physiological systems underlie the experience of insomnia and pain. Future research should examine the crossover effects of sleep treatment on pain and of pain treatment on sleep. [source] Obesity: attitudes of undergraduate student nurses and registered nursesJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 16 2009Man-Yuk Poon Aim., To investigate undergraduate student nurses' and registered nurses' attitudes towards obese persons and towards the management of obese patients. Background., Obesity is a global public health problem. Escalating rates of overweight and obesity are also taking a toll in Asian countries that have historically had much lower rates. Despite the growing prevalence of obesity worldwide, studies show that nurses and other health professionals hold negative attitudes towards obese people, which may affect the care of obese patients. Design., Cross-sectional study. Methods., A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 352 undergraduate student nurses and 198 registered nurses. The questionnaire consisted of the Fat Phobia Scale, the Attitudes Toward Obese Adult Patients Scale and a demographic profile. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and student's t -tests. Results., Overall mean scores on the Fat Phobia Scale (3·53 SD 0·47) indicated average levels of fat phobia and mean scores on the Attitudes Toward Obese Adult Patients scale (2·64 SD 0·51) indicated neutral attitudes towards obese patients. Registered nurses had significantly higher levels of fat phobia and more negative attitudes than did student nurses. The majority of participants perceived that obese people liked food, overate and were shapeless, slow and unattractive. Additionally, over one-half of participants believed that obese adults should be put on a diet while in hospital. Conclusions., Results of this study show that both registered nurses and student nurses have negative perceptions of obesity and are unlikely to attribute positive characteristics to obese individuals. That registered nurses hold more negative attitudes towards obese person is cause for concern. Relevance to clinical practice., Given the increasing prevalence of obesity and the disproportionate number of obese persons affected by many health conditions, current and future nurses should have positive professional attitudes towards obese individuals. Obesity needs to more be adequately addressed, both in basic nursing education programs and in continuing professional education for practising nurses. [source] A comparison of pain and health-related quality of life between two groups of cancer patients with differing average levels of painJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 5 2003Barbro Boström MNSc Summary ,,A study was performed to describe and compare pain and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) in two groups of cancer patients in palliative care as well as to describe the correlation between pain and HRQOL. ,,Forty-seven patients with mild average pain [Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) , 3] and 28 patients with moderate to severe average pain (VAS > 3) were included. Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF-36) was used to evaluate HRQOL, pain intensity levels were measured with the VAS on Pain-O-Meter. ,,Compared to patients with mild pain, patients with moderate to severe pain had statistically significant, higher pain intensity for the items ,pain at time of interview', ,worst pain in the past 24 hours' and ,pain interrupting sleep.' They also had the lowest scores of the SF-36 dimensions: physical functioning, role-physical, and bodily pain. Patients with moderate to severe pain had statistically significant, fewer months of survival. There were statistically significant positive correlations between pain items and negative correlation between pain and SF-36 dimensions. ,,The conclusion is that pain has a negative impact on HRQOL, especially on physical health and that pain increases towards the final stages of life. Even if patients have to endure symptoms such as fatigue and anxiety during their short survival time, dealing with pain is an unnecessary burden, which can be prevented. [source] Evolutionary history shapes the association between developmental instability and population-level genetic variation in three-spined sticklebacksJOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 8 2009S. VAN DONGEN Abstract Developmental instability (DI) is the sensitivity of a developing trait to random noise and can be measured by degrees of directionally random asymmetry [fluctuating asymmetry (FA)]. FA has been shown to increase with loss of genetic variation and inbreeding as measures of genetic stress, but associations vary among studies. Directional selection and evolutionary change of traits have been hypothesized to increase the average levels of FA of these traits and to increase the association strength between FA and population-level genetic variation. We test these two hypotheses in three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) populations that recently colonized the freshwater habitat. Some traits, like lateral bone plates, length of the pelvic spine, frontal gill rakers and eye size, evolved in response to selection regimes during colonization. Other traits, like distal gill rakers and number of pelvic fin rays, did not show such phenotypic shifts. Contrary to a priori predictions, average FA did not systematically increase in traits that were under presumed directional selection, and the increases observed in a few traits were likely to be attributable to other factors. However, traits under directional selection did show a weak but significantly stronger negative association between FA and selectively neutral genetic variation at the population level compared with the traits that did not show an evolutionary change during colonization. These results support our second prediction, providing evidence that selection history can shape associations between DI and population-level genetic variation at neutral markers, which potentially reflect genetic stress. We argue that this might explain at least some of the observed heterogeneities in the patterns of asymmetry. [source] Energy allocation in juvenile sablefish: effects of temperature, ration and body sizeJOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2004S. M. Sogard The lipid deposition of juvenile sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria was examined, in particular, the changes in allocation over time. Growth rates of early juveniles (initial size 36,50 mm total length, LT) were manipulated using two temperatures (10 and 20° C) and two rations (ad libitum and 3,4% body mass day,1). Fish LT, mass and lipid content were measured every 3 weeks for 15 weeks. Irrespective of treatment, the relationship of total lipid content with body size was clearly hyperallometric; small juveniles allocated relatively more energy to growth and less to lipid storage than large juveniles. After adjusting for the influence of body size, temperature and ration significantly influenced body composition but these effects varied over the course of the experiment. In the first 3 week time period, fish on the high ration, high temperature treatment had reduced lipid storage relative to other treatments, but in all subsequent time periods their lipid concentrations were similar to or higher than those of fish on other treatments. In contrast, fish held at low rations and low temperatures initially had average levels of lipid concentration, but after 6 weeks their levels were lower than other treatments. Estimation of allocation to lipid storage over time (proportion of dry mass increase comprised of lipid) suggested that fish in all of the treatments were approaching an asymptotic level of lipid concentration (c. 50,60% of dry mass) but with different rates of lipid increase. Within a treatment, it was predicted that individual differences in allocation would result in trade-offs between somatic growth and storage. This trade-off was evident only for fish held on low rations at low temperatures. In contrast, fish held on high rations at high temperatures exhibited the opposite pattern of a positive correlation between somatic growth and storage. These results suggest that lipostatic regulation of appetite is unlikely in juvenile sablefish. When resources are unlimited, this species appears to adopt a maximizing strategy for both somatic growth and lipid accumulation. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||