Hereditary Sclerocornea

A rare case of total hereditary sclerocornea is presented along with clinical history, histopathology, and a review of the possible pathogenesis and current literature on the subject. It is quite possible that imperfect cleavage of the anterior chamber angle may be the predisposing factor in scleralization of the cornea due to a failure of neural crest cell differentiation. If surgical intervention to correct for the corneal opacification is indicated, corneal transplantation should be performed as soon as possible after birth, similar to the indications for removal of dense congenital cataracts to avoid deprivation amblyopia

The Worldwide Change in the Behavior of Interest Rates and Prices in 1914

This paper evaluates the role of the destruction of the gold standard and the founding of the Federal Reserve, both of which occurred in 1914, in contributing to observed changes in the behavior of interest rates and prices after 1914. The paper presents a model of policy coordination in which the introduction of the Fed stabilizes interest rates, even if the gold standard remains intact, and it offers empirical evidence that the dismantling of the gold standard did not play a crucial role in precipitating the changes in interest rate behavior.

Mapping the Road from Childhood Trauma to Adult Somatization: The Role of Attachment

Objective: This study tested whether insecure attachment mediates the link between childhood trauma and adult somatization. Methods: A community sample of 101 couples completed self-report measures including the Relationship Scales Questionnaire, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Somatic Symptom Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Conflict Tactics Scale. Results: Childhood trauma was associated with higher levels of somatization and insecure attachment. Insecure attachment style was also associated with higher levels of somatization. Controlling for age, income, and recent intimate partner violence, analyses showed that fearful attachment fully mediated the link between childhood trauma and somatization for women. For men there was no such mediation, but both childhood trauma and insecure attachment styles made independent contributions to predicting levels of somatization. Conclusions: Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that, for women, childhood trauma influences adult levels of somatization by fostering insecure adult attachment. For men, findings suggest that trauma and attachment are both important independent predictors of adult somatization. Study results support the idea that childhood trauma shapes patients’ styles of relating to others in times of need and these styles in turn influence the somatization process and how patients respond to providers. Screening for attachment style may provide information that could allow health care providers to tailor treatment more effectively. Key words: Attachment style, somatization, childhood trauma, interpersonal models. Abbreviations: CTQ = Childhood Trauma Questionnaire; CTS2 = Conflict Tactics Scale version 2; SSI = Somatic Symptom Inventory; RSQ = Relationship Scales Questionnaire; BDI = Beck Depression Inventory

Mapping the Road from Childhood Trauma to Adult Somatization: The Role of Attachment

Objective: This study tested whether insecure attachment mediates the link between childhood trauma and adult somatization. Methods: A community sample of 101 couples completed self-report measures including the Relationship Scales Questionnaire, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Somatic Symptom Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Conflict Tactics Scale. Results: Childhood trauma was associated with higher levels of somatization and insecure attachment. Insecure attachment style was also associated with higher levels of somatization. Controlling for age, income, and recent intimate partner violence, analyses showed that fearful attachment fully mediated the link between childhood trauma and somatization for women. For men there was no such mediation, but both childhood trauma and insecure attachment styles made independent contributions to predicting levels of somatization. Conclusions: Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that, for women, childhood trauma influences adult levels of somatization by fostering insecure adult attachment. For men, findings suggest that trauma and attachment are both important independent predictors of adult somatization. Study results support the idea that childhood trauma shapes patients’ styles of relating to others in times of need and these styles in turn influence the somatization process and how patients respond to providers. Screening for attachment style may provide information that could allow health care providers to tailor treatment more effectively. Key words: Attachment style, somatization, childhood trauma, interpersonal models. Abbreviations: CTQ = Childhood Trauma Questionnaire; CTS2 = Conflict Tactics Scale version 2; SSI = Somatic Symptom Inventory; RSQ = Relationship Scales Questionnaire; BDI = Beck Depression Inventory

New Renormalization Group Results for Scaling of Self-Avoiding Tethered Membranes

The scaling properties of self-avoiding polymerized 2-dimensional membranes are studied via renormalization group methods based on a multilocal operator product expansion. The renormalization group functions are calculated to second order. This yields the scaling exponent nu to order epsilon^2. Our extrapolations for nu agree with the Gaussian variational estimate for large space dimension d and are close to the Flory estimate for d=3. The interplay between self-avoidance and rigidity at small d is briefly discussed.Comment: 97 pages, 120 .eps-file

The worldwide change in the behavior of interest rates and prices in 1914

This paper evaluates the role of the destruction of the gold standard and the founding of the Federal Reserve, both of which occured in 1914, in contributing to observed changes in the behavior of interest rates and prices after 1914. The paper presents a model of policy coordination in which the introduction of the Fed stabilizes interest rates, even it the gold standard remains intact, and it offers empirical evidence that the dismantling of the gold standard did not play a crucial role in precipitating the changes in interest rate behavior.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/27286/1/0000305.pd

The Statistical Mechanics of Membranes

The fluctuations of two-dimensional extended objects membranes is a rich and exciting field with many solid results and a wide range of open issues. We review the distinct universality classes of membranes, determined by the local order, and the associated phase diagrams. After a discussion of several physical examples of membranes we turn to the physics of crystalline (or polymerized) membranes in which the individual monomers are rigidly bound. We discuss the phase diagram with particular attention to the dependence on the degree of self-avoidance and anisotropy. In each case we review and discuss analytic, numerical and experimental predictions of critical exponents and other key observables. Particular emphasis is given to the results obtained from the renormalization group epsilon-expansion. The resulting renormalization group flows and fixed points are illustrated graphically. The full technical details necessary to perform actual calculations are presented in the Appendices. We then turn to a discussion of the role of topological defects whose liberation leads to the hexatic and fluid universality classes. We finish with conclusions and a discussion of promising open directions for the future.Comment: 75 LaTeX pages, 36 figures. To appear in Physics Reports in the Proceedings of RG2000, Taxco, 199

Stock Market Uncertainty and the Stock-Bond Return Relation

We examine whether time-variation in the co-movements of daily stock and Treasury bond returns can be linked to non-return-based measures of stock market uncertainty, specifically the implied volatility from equity index options and detrended stock turnover. From a forward-looking perspective, we find a negative relation between the uncertainty measures and the future correlation of stock and bond returns. From a contemporaneous perspective, we find that bond returns tend to be high (low), relative to stock returns, during days when implied volatility increases (decreases) substantially and during days when stock turnover is unexpectedly high (low). Our findings suggest that stock market uncertainty has important cross-market pricing influences and that stock-bond diversification benefits increase with stock market uncertaint

CHAMP: Cognitive behaviour therapy for health anxiety in medical patients, a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Abnormal health anxiety, also called hypochondriasis, has been successfully treated by cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) in patients recruited from primary care, but only one pilot trial has been carried out among those attending secondary medical clinics where health anxiety is likely to be more common and have a greater impact on services. The CHAMP study extends this work to examine both the clinical and cost effectiveness of CBT in this population. METHOD/DESIGN: The study is a randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms and equal randomization of 466 eligible patients (assuming a 20% drop-out) to an active treatment group of 5-10 sessions of cognitive behaviour therapy and to a control group. The aim at baseline, after completion of all assessments but before randomization, was to give a standard simple explanation of the nature of health anxiety for all participants. Subsequently the control group was to receive whatever care might usually be available in the clinics, which is normally a combination of clinical assessment, appropriate tests and reassurance. Those allocated to the active treatment group were planned to receive between 5 and 10 sessions of an adapted form of cognitive behaviour therapy based on the Salkovskis/Warwick model, in which a set of treatment strategies are chosen aimed at helping patients understand the factors that drive and maintain health anxiety. The therapy was planned to be given by graduate research workers, nurses or other health professionals trained for this intervention whom would also have their competence assessed independently during the course of treatment. The primary outcome is reduction in health anxiety symptoms after one year and the main secondary outcome is the cost of care after two years. DISCUSSION: This represents the first trial of adapted cognitive behaviour therapy in health anxiety that is large enough to test not only the clinical benefits of treatment but also whether the cost of treatment is offset by savings from reduced use of other health services in comparison to the control group.Cognitive behaviour therapy for Health Anxiety in Medical Patients (CHAMP) TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN14565822

Cognitive function is associated with risk aversion in community-based older persons

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Emerging data from younger and middle-aged persons suggest that cognitive ability is negatively associated with risk aversion, but this association has not been studied among older persons who are at high risk of experiencing loss of cognitive function.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using data from 369 community-dwelling older persons without dementia from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing longitudinal epidemiologic study of aging, we examined the correlates of risk aversion and tested the hypothesis that cognition is negatively associated with risk aversion. Global cognition and five specific cognitive abilities were measured via detailed cognitive testing, and risk aversion was measured using standard behavioral economics questions in which participants were asked to choose between a certain monetary payment ($15) versus a gamble in which they could gain more than$15 or gain nothing; potential gamble gains ranged from $21.79 to$151.19 with the gain amounts varied randomly over questions. We first examined the bivariate associations of age, education, sex, income and cognition with risk aversion. Next, we examined the associations between cognition and risk aversion via mixed models adjusted for age, sex, education, and income. Finally, we conducted sensitivity analyses to ensure that our results were not driven by persons with preclinical cognitive impairment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In bivariate analyses, sex, education, income and global cognition were associated with risk aversion. However, in a mixed effect model, only sex (estimate = -1.49, standard error (SE) = 0.39, p < 0.001) and global cognitive function (estimate = -1.05, standard error (SE) = 0.34, p < 0.003) were significantly inversely associated with risk aversion. Thus, a lower level of global cognitive function and female sex were associated with greater risk aversion. Moreover, performance on four out of the five cognitive domains was negatively related to risk aversion (<it>i.e</it>., semantic memory, episodic memory, working memory, and perceptual speed); performance on visuospatial abilities was not.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A lower level of cognitive ability and female sex are associated with greater risk aversion in advanced age.</p