Coordinating on Lower Prices: Pharmaceutical Pricing Under Political Pressure

This paper investigates possible effects of political activity on pharmaceutical prices, focusing on the health care reform period. We characterize firms based on their vulnerability to future price regulation and find that the more vulnerable firms were more likely to take various actions to forestall regulation, most notably coordinating on a specific percentage price increase during 1993. Since moderating price increases could have been an effective tool to avert regulation, the coordination we observe is the obvious response of the industry to a classic collective action problem.

Pharmaceutical Prices and Political Activity

Drug prices have been a conspicuous political issue in much of recent history, but no more so than during health care reform debates in 1993 and 1994. This paper investigates possible effects of political activity on pharmaceutical prices, with a particular focus on the health care reform period. It evaluates the extent to which pharmaceutical companies slowed the rates at which they increased prices in an attempt to preempt government intervention. To do so, we characterize companies based on their vulnerability to future price regulation. We then consider patterns in price movements across companies. The results suggest that companies whose drugs had longer patent lives and who had recently increased contributions to their corporate Political Action Committees (PACs) slowed price increases during 1992 and 1994 more than their competitors. It is difficult to distinguish pricing differences across companies in 1993, perhaps because most companies had pledged to keep price increases below the rate of inflation.

Using the Alliant Intercultural Competency Scale to develop behavioral scenarios for assessing sociocultural awareness

The current study used and developed situational scenarios based on the questions in the Alliant Intercultural Competency Scale (AICS) as a step toward developing a direct measure of James Madison University (JMU) psychology’s sociocultural awareness course requirement. Participants were first semester psychology students, who have yet to take the sociocultural course requirement, and seniors, who have fulfilled the requirement. The participants responded to the behavioral scenarios survey as well as an ethnocultural empathy survey, and other self-report measures of sociocultural awareness. I compared underclassmen and seniors’ responses in order to assess the feasibility of this type of behavioral measure. Results showed some differences between first semester students and seniors provided information for future development of this behavioral assessment. Implications are discussed

Effects of Urbanization and Habitat on the Diet and Reproduction of Red-shouldered Hawks in Central California

Urbanization alters biological community interactions and trophic structures compared to natural habitats; these changes may be reflected in the diets of apex predators such as raptors. The red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) is a dietary generalist that is expanding from natural and rural habitats into urbanized areas. In this study, direct observation was used to quantify the diet and reproductive success of red-shouldered hawks in Santa Clara County, California during the 2019 breeding season. GIS methods were used to quantify the nesting habitat and level of urbanization at each nest. Hawk diet consisted of mammals (50.4% by frequency and 77.7% by biomass) and reptiles (20.9% by frequency and 11.1% by biomass), along with limited birds, frogs, and crayfish. The number of chicks fledged did not differ among urban, suburban, and rural nests, but the mean number of chicks fledged from successful nests was greater for rural nests than for suburban or urban nests. Nests were subject to high levels of external activity, with 93% from anthropogenic sources, but hawks responded to only 3.5% of nearby activity. Road length, developed landcover, and tree canopy cover significantly correlated with total prey biomass, mammal biomass and frequency, and reptile frequency. Red-shouldered hawks were able to find adequate prey to breed successfully over a range of urbanized habitats within Santa Clara Valley and are highly tolerant of human activity in this locality

Nosocomial Infection in the Intensive Care Unit: Case Control Comparison of Trauma vs Surgical vs Medical Patients

Clostridium difficille (C. difficile) is an infection-causing bacteria prevalent in hospital intensive care units (ICU). C. difficile infection (CDI) causes severe diarrhea and intestinal issues, while being highly contagious through resistant spores. Critically ill ICU patients are particularly vulnerable due to their weakened state and often high dosages of antibiotics. We investigated the differences between trauma, medical, and surgery patients that contracted C. difficile and developed an infection (CDI) in the ICU through retrospective chart analyses. Trauma patients had statistically significantly higher mean number of days on respiratory ventilation, days with a foley catheter, days in the ICU until infection, mean length of ICU stay, and length of stay total than the medical patients. The medical patients had statistically significant higher mean number of days on vasopressor drugs and percentage of mortality than the trauma and surgical patients

Behind the Scenes at a Climate Change Knowledge Sharing Network

Knowledge sharing networks are increasingly recognised as means of mobilising the knowledge and capacities needed to respond to complex and changing realities, such as the challenges posed by climate change. AfricaAdapt is one such network that describes its aim as 'facilitating the flow of climate change adaptation knowledge for sustainable livelihoods between researchers, policy makers, civil society organisations and communities who are vulnerable to climate variability and change across the [African] continent'. This paper takes a 'behind the scenes' look at the AfricaAdapt Network and the partnerships on which it is based and is thus intended to be useful for others seeking to collaboratively develop knowledge sharing networks. We focus on the dynamics of design and implementation of a knowledge sharing network in a distributed partnership, from the perspective of the former lead partner. Rather than looking at the delivery and outcomes of network activities, we explore the way in which the partners sought to develop sustainable relationships and ways of working to underpin the network, areas that are frequently under-examined, particularly among practitioners. Areas covered include: governance and management, staffing and planning, financial management, partnership dynamics, learning, capacity development, monitoring and evaluation. Although all knowledge sharing networks are different we have tried to identify insights and principles from this specific example that can be adapted and applied in other contexts. We hope that these insights will provide a useful contribution to the broader body of theory and experience around networks and knowledge sharingDfI

The effects of hydrocolloids and squash on the texture and color of scones with reduced fat

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on March 7, 2013).The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Thesis advisor: Dr. Andrew ClarkeIncludes bibliographical references.M.S. University of Missouri--Columbia 2012."December 2012"Obesity has become a major issue in the United States due to poor food choices of individuals and limited low fat items on the market that consumers are willing to eat. By making products that are lower in fat, consumers may be able to reduce their chances of obesity by making healthier choices. In this study, a scone recipe was chosen and the fat content was lowered by removing ingredients that provide fat and replacing them with select hydrocolloids (Carrageenan, Locust Bean Gum, and Guar Gum) and squash. These scones were then tested for texture and color difference against the original recipe. All three hydrocolloids gave a variety of results for all tests. Locust bean gum and guar gum gave a product that was similar to the original scone recipe in texture and color. Overall, carrageenan gave a product that was most like the original scone recipe. It was then taken and tested in three extreme amounts to see if there was a more desirable percent of carrageenan that should be used. The manufacture's suggestion of 0.5% tested the closest to the original recipe in texture and color. This resulted in a reduced fat product that was comparable to the original scone recipe in texture and color