Hysteresis and unemployment : a preliminary investigation

This paper points out what hysteresis is using a simple model of market entry and exit. A procedure for calculating hysteresis indices for economic time series is outlined. Some preliminary results are presented to assess the explanatory power of hysteresis variables with regard to the equilibrium rate of unemployment in the UK. We find that both natural and "unnatural" variables enter a cointegrating vector for UK unemployment 1959-1996. The natural variable is the replacement ratio. The 'unnatural' variables are the hysteresis index of the exchange rate; and hysteresis indices for the real oil price and the real interest rate

Genetic typing of Candida albicans strains isolated from the oral cavity of patients with denture stomatitis before and after itraconazole therapy

This study determined, by molecular typing of C. albicans species isolated from denture stomatitis patients with a mycological relapse six months after successful itraconazole therapy, whether there had been recurrence of infection with the same strain(s), selection of particular strains or infection with new strains of C. albicans. Forty patients with long-standing Candida-associated denture stomatitis were assigned either cyclodextrin itraconazole solution or itraconazole capsules (100mg b.d. for 15 days). Palatal erythema was measured and imprint cultures undertaken at baseline and at 15 days, four weeks and six months after treatment commenced. Yeast isolates were formally identified and chromosomal DNA was extracted from pairs of isolates from those patients with C. albicans present at baseline and six months after treatment commenced. Southern blotting of EcoRI-digested chromosomal DNA was performed using the C. albicans-specific 27A repetitive element as a probe. Eighteen of 36 patients were infected with C. albicans at baseline and six months after treatment commenced. Overall, 13 genetically different strains of C. albicans were found. However, in 17 of 18 patients, the C. albicans strains isolated prior to itraconazole therapy and six months later were the same. Thus recurrence of denture stomatitis in these individuals was due to re-colonisation by the original strain, rather than re-infection with a different strain. Key words: Genotyping, C. albicans, denture stomatitis

Effects of dietary restriction on neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases

Recent and accumulating work in experimental animal models and humans shows that diet has a much more pervasive and prominent role than previously thought in modulating neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative mechanisms leading to some of the most common chronic central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Chronic or intermittent food restriction has profound effects in shaping brain and peripheral metabolism, immunity, and gut microbiome biology. Interactions among calorie intake, meal frequency, diet quality, and the gut microbiome modulate specific metabolic and molecular pathways that regulate cellular, tissue, and organ homeostasis as well as inflammation during normal brain aging and CNS neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer\u27s disease, Parkinson\u27s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and multiple sclerosis, among others. This review discusses these findings and their potential application to the prevention and treatment of CNS neuroinflammatory diseases and the promotion of healthy brain aging

Using new and innovative technologies to assess clinical stage in early intervention youth mental health services: Evaluation study

Background: Globally there is increasing recognition that new strategies are required to reduce disability due to common mental health problems. As 75% of mental health and substance use disorders emerge during the teenage or early adulthood years, these strategies need to be readily accessible to young people. When considering how to provide such services at scale, new and innovative technologies show promise in augmenting traditional clinic-based services. Objective: The aim of this study was to test new and innovative technologies to assess clinical stage in early intervention youth mental health services using a prototypic online system known as the Mental Health eClinic (MHeC). Methods: The online assessment within the MHeC was compared directly against traditional clinician assessment within 2 Sydney-based youth-specific mental health services (headspace Camperdown and headspace Campbelltown). A total of 204 young people were recruited to the study. Eligible participants completed both face-to-face and online assessments, which were randomly allocated and counterbalanced at a 1-to-3 ratio. These assessments were (1) a traditional 45- to 60-minute headspace face-to-face assessment performed by a Youth Access Clinician and (2) an approximate 60-minute online assessment (including a self-report Web-based survey, immediate dashboard of results, and a video visit with a clinician). All assessments were completed within a 2-week timeframe from initial presentation. Results: Of the 72 participants who completed the study, 71% (51/72) were female and the mean age was 20.4 years (aged 16 to 25 years); 68% (49/72) of participants were recruited from headspace Camperdown and the remaining 32% (23/72) from headspace Campbelltown. Interrater agreement of participants’ stage, as determined after face-to-face assessment or online assessment, demonstrated fair agreement (kappa=.39, P\u3c.001) with concordance in 68% of cases (49/72). Among the discordant cases, those who were allocated to a higher stage by online raters were more likely to report a past history of mental health disorders (P=.001), previous suicide planning (P=.002), and current cannabis misuse (P=.03) compared to those allocated to a lower stage. Conclusions: The MHeC presents a new and innovative method for determining key clinical service parameters. It has the potential to be adapted to varied settings in which young people are connected with traditional clinical services and assist in providing the right care at the right tim

Population screening for hereditary cancer syndromes: opinions from Amazon Mechanical Turks

The current standard of care in genetic testing for hereditary cancer syndromes is to offer genetic testing to individuals who meet certain criteria based on personal and/or family history of cancer. With the recent advances in testing technology, it has become feasible to consider genetic testing on a wider scale. There has been a debate by experts in the field of cancer genetics of whether the family history-based approach should be supplemented or replaced with a population-screening based approach. The purpose of this study was to examine the interest level and motivations of individuals in the general population for genetic testing of genes associated with hereditary cancer as well as identify psychosocial implications. This study surveyed individuals in the dominant market of crowdsourcing used by researchers in the academic setting, Amazon Mechanical Turks. The majority of the participants in this study (73%, n = 861) indicated that they would currently be interested in taking a genetic test for cancer. After this initial interest question, the participants were presented with six possible result scenarios. After the scenarios were presented, the participants were again asked a question regarding interest level in genetic testing for hereditary cancer. Of the 861 participants who answered this question, 40 (4.9%) of those who initially indicated an interest on having genetic testing for hereditary cancer at some point in life, stated that they would never take such a genetic test. This data suggests that the need for informed consent and patient understanding of the test is needed. The survey responses indicated a wide variety of emotional and psychological stresses may occur as a result of genetic testing and indicates the need for additional support and resources to be in place before the implementation of a population-screening program for any genes related to hereditary cancer. A population-screening program for hereditary cancer would be a public health intervention with the goal of identifying all mutation-carriers. However, there could possibly be serious medical, psychosocial, ethical and legal ramifications should such a program like this be implemented before more research and serious thought is given into the proper infrastructure

Timing of Cattle Graze as a Management Tool for Plant and Invertebrate Communities in the Centennial Valley, Montana

Grazing is an important natural disturbance in the western US. While many studies have focused on the effects of grazing intensity and frequency, little is known about the importance of graze timing and how it can affect plant and invertebrate community structure and productivity. Timing may be a critical factor for promoting ecological heterogeneity, biological diversity, and abundance of food resources for native birds. Our primary goal is to understand how timing of graze and climate variability interact to influence plant and invertebrate communities throughout the growing season in wet meadows and grasslands in the Centennial Valley of southwest Montana. In 2011, control (no graze), early graze (beginning June 15), and traditional late graze (beginning July 15) treatments were established and replicated in a heterogeneous, irrigated, wet meadow habitat. From June-September, plant and invertebrate communities were quantitatively sampled to examine dynamics of biomass and diversity. In 2012, a similar experimental design will be implemented in a less-disturbed and drier native grassland. A new component will examine interactions between climate variability and timing by incorporating a water-addition treatment to simulate the extra moisture resulting from a wet year. We predict that increased climate variability will likely impact wet meadow and grassland habitat plant and insect phenology, with timing of graze becoming particularly critical during dry years. We will discuss results from 2011 and where we plan to go in 2012 with the water-addition treatment