SPATIAL AND SUPPLY/DEMAND AGGLOMERATION ECONOMIES: AN EVALUATION OF STATE-AND-INDUSTRY-LINKAGES IN THE U.S. FOOD SYSTEM

In this paper we postulate, measure, and evaluate the importance of cost-impacts from spatial and industrial spillovers for analysis of economic performance. To accomplish this, we incorporate measures of "activity levels" of related states and industries in a cost function model, and estimate their associated thick market and agglomeration effects in terms of shadow values and elasticities. We focus on the food processing sector, the proximity of own-industry activity in neighboring states, and the supply- and demand- side "drivers", associated with urbanization and localization economies (represented by the GSP and agricultural intensity in the own and neighboring states). We find significant cost-savings benefits to a states food processing sector of being close to other food manufacturing centers (high levels of food processing activity in neighboring states). We also find it beneficial to be in a state with high purchasing power (demand), and to have neighboring states that are agriculture-based (supply). However, it also seems costly to actually be located in a heavily agricultural or rural state, possibly due to diseconomies from "thin markets" associated with infrastructure support and labor markets.Productivity Analysis,

The Effect of Physician Held Stigmas and Bias on the Health Outcomes of Patients with Obesity: A Review of The Literature

Obesity is a growing epidemic that continues to garner attention throughout healthcare. The goal of this study was to review the literature on physician bias and stigmas surrounding obesity to assess the current state of research on connections between obesity-related stigma and the health outcomes and care of patients with obesity. A specific search string was used to obtain articles via PubMed and psychINFO, yielding 14 studies found that investigate these connections. The studies were categorized into three distinct pathways leading from physician stigma and biases to differing health outcomes of patients with obesity. These three pathways- perceptions, patient interaction, and clinical practice- are a novel way to look at the ways provider bias affects patients with obesity. This system allowed us to highlight significant health disparities among patients experiencing obesity. We propose several areas for future research to reduce physician bias, further characterize the impacts of provider bias on outcomes, and identify interventions for change

Reliability model generator

An improved method and system for automatically generating reliability models for use with a reliability evaluation tool is described. The reliability model generator of the present invention includes means for storing a plurality of low level reliability models which represent the reliability characteristics for low level system components. In addition, the present invention includes means for defining the interconnection of the low level reliability models via a system architecture description. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a reliability model for the entire system is automatically generated by aggregating the low level reliability models based on the system architecture description

Mirror Writing and a Dissociative Identity Disorder

Individuals with dissociative identity disorder (DID) have been known to show varied skills and talents as they change from one dissociative state to another. For example, case reports have described people who have changed their handedness or have spoken foreign languages during their dissociative states. During an interview with a patient with DID, a surprising talent emerged when she wrote a sentence for the Folstein Mini-Mental State Exam—mirror writing. It is not known whether her mirror writing had a deeper level of meaning; however, it does emphasize the idiosyncratic nature of dissociative identity disorder

Family Functioning in Children with Chronic Illness Compared with Healthy Controls: A Critical Review

The impact of chronic illnesses upon children and their families can range from minimal disruptions to severe distress and functional limitations. Advances in medical care and technology have increased the lifespan of children with chronic illness as well as decreased the frequency of readily observable disease impacts on this population. To enhance our understanding of the more subtle, but equally important, impacts of pediatric chronic illnesses, researchers have expanded the domains assessed to include measurement of child adjustment and family functioning. Understanding the nature and development of the deficits in family functioning is key to the formulation of interventions designed minimize the impact of childhood chronic illness on family functioning. Additionally, exploring the role of chronic illness on family functioning will clarify the role of the mechanisms that lead to shifts in family functioning

Reliability model generator specification

The Reliability Model Generator (RMG), a program which produces reliability models from block diagrams for ASSIST, the interface for the reliability evaluation tool SURE is described. An account is given of motivation for RMG and the implemented algorithms are discussed. The appendices contain the algorithms and two detailed traces of examples

O Word: Why the Focus on Obesity is Harmful to Community Health

Focusing on the obese and overweight individual alone and is not helping us address the broader social and economic issues that influence people’s lives. This paper discusses strategies to remove us from a focus on the O word and from blaming the individual for their condition

Real Time Detection and Analysis of Facial Features to Measure Student Engagement with Learning Objects

This paper describes a software application that records student engagement in an on-screen task. The application records in real time the on-screen activity and simultaneously estimates the emotional state and head pose of the learner. The head pose is used to detect when the screen is being viewed and the emotional state provides feedback on the form of engagement. The application works without recording images of the learner. On completing the task, the percentage of time spent viewing the screen and statistics on emotional state (neutral, happy, sad) are produced. A graph depicting the learner’s engagement and emotional state synchronised with the screen captured video is also produced. It is envisaged that the tool will find application in learning activity and learning object design