The Community Safety Net and Prescription Drug Access for Low-Income, Uninsured People

Examines strategies adopted by hospitals and community health centers to maintain access to affordable brand name and generic prescription drugs. Based on site visits to twelve nationally representative communities

The health and well-being of older adults with dual sensory impairment (DSI) in four countries

Objectives Dual sensory impairment (DSI) is a combination of vision and hearing impairments that represents a unique disability affecting all aspects of a person’s life. The rates of DSI are expected to increase due to population aging, yet little is known about DSI among older adults (65+). The prevalence of DSI and client characteristics were examined among two groups, namely, older adults receiving home care services or those residing in a long-term care (LTC) facility in four countries (Canada, US, Finland, Belgium). Methods Existing data, using an interRAI assessment, were analyzed to compare older adults with DSI to all others across demographic characteristics, functional and psychosocial outcomes. Results In home care, the prevalence of DSI across the four countries ranged from 13.4% to 24.6%; in LTC facilities, it ranged from 9.7% to 33.9%. Clients with DSI were more likely to be 85+, have moderate/severe cognitive impairment, impairments in activities of daily living, and have communication difficulties. Among residents of LTC facilities, individuals with DSI were more likely to be 85+ and more likely have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Having DSI increased the likelihood of depression in both care settings, but after adjusting for other factors, it remained significant only in the home care sample. Conclusions While the prevalence of DSI cross nationally is similar to that of other illnesses such as diabetes, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease, we have a limited understanding of its affects among older adults. Raising awareness of this unique disability is imperative to insure that individuals receive the necessary rehabilitation and supportive services to improve their level of independence and quality of life

Gamma-band synchronization in the macaque hippocampus and memory formation

Increasing evidence suggests that neuronal synchronization in the gamma band (30–100 Hz) may play an important role in mediating cognitive processes. Gamma-band synchronization provides for the optimal temporal relationship between two signals to produce the long-term synaptic changes that have been theorized to underlie memory formation. Although neuronal populations in the hippocampus oscillate in the gamma range, the role of these oscillations in memory formation is still unclear. To address this issue, we recorded neuronal activity in the hippocampus while macaque monkeys performed a visual recognition memory task. During the encoding phase of this task, hippocampal neurons displayed gamma-band synchronization. Additionally, enhanced gamma-band synchronization during encoding predicted greater subsequent recognition memory performance. These changes in synchronization reflect enhanced coordination among hippocampal neurons and may facilitate synaptic changes necessary for successful memory encoding

Markierungsversuche und Modellierung zur Bewertung der Gefährdung eines Trinkwasserbrunnens

Kurzfassung: In einem Porengrundwasserleiter aus Niederterrassenschottern bei Pratteln, Schweiz, wurde ein Markierungsversuch mit Uranin durchgeführt, um die Gefährdung eines Trinkwasserbrunnens durch ein 760 m talaufwärts gelegenen Ablagerungsstandort zu bewerten. Dabei wurde eine maximale Abstandsgeschwindigkeit von 127 m/d und ein Wiedererhalt von 0,93 % festgestellt. Der Tracer wurde auch in zwei intermediären Beobachtungsbrunnen nachgewiesen. Diese Studie diskutiert die Ursachen dieser hohen Fließgeschwindigkeit. Durch drei verschiedene analytische Modelle konnten die Durchgangskurven simuliert und Transportparameter bestimmt werden. Erst die Anwendung eines zweidimensionalen numerischen Modells (FEFLOW) mit vereinfachter Geometrie liefert aber eine hydrogeologisch konsistente, mögliche Erklärung aller Versuchsergebnisse. Demnach handelt es sich vermutlich um einen relativ homogenen Grundwasserleiter. Der steile Gradient (6 ‰) und die hohe Durchlässigkeit (3 · 10-2 m/s) verursachen die hohen Fließgeschwindigkeiten. Der Hauptteil der Tracerwolke strömt seitlich an den Brunnen vorbei. Durch später durchgeführte Kleinpumpversuche wurde diese Modellvorstellung weitgehend bestätigt. Diese Befunde sollten bei Schutz- und Sanierungskonzepten berücksichtigt werde

Information sharing and credit : firm-level evidence from transition countries

We investigate whether information sharing among banks has affected credit market performance in the transition countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, using a large sample of firm-level data. Our estimates show that information sharing is associated with improved availability and lower cost of credit to firms. This correlation is stronger for opaque firms than transparent ones and stronger in countries with weak legal environments than in those with strong legal environments. In cross-sectional estimates, we control for variation in country-level aggregate variables that may affect credit, by examining the differential impact of information sharing across firm types. In panel estimates, we also control for the presence of unobserved heterogeneity at the firm level, as well as for changes in macroeconomic variables and the legal environment

Statistical Physics and Light-Front Quantization

Light-front quantization has important advantages for describing relativistic statistical systems, particularly systems for which boost invariance is essential, such as the fireball created in a heavy ion collisions. In this paper we develop light-front field theory at finite temperature and density with special attention to quantum chromodynamics. We construct the most general form of the statistical operator allowed by the Poincare algebra and show that there are no zero-mode related problems when describing phase transitions. We then demonstrate a direct connection between densities in light-front thermal field theory and the parton distributions measured in hard scattering experiments. Our approach thus generalizes the concept of a parton distribution to finite temperature. In light-front quantization, the gauge-invariant Green's functions of a quark in a medium can be defined in terms of just 2-component spinors and have a much simpler spinor structure than the equal-time fermion propagator. From the Green's function, we introduce the new concept of a light-front density matrix, whose matrix elements are related to forward and to off-diagonal parton distributions. Furthermore, we explain how thermodynamic quantities can be calculated in discretized light-cone quantization, which is applicable at high chemical potential and is not plagued by the fermion-doubling problem.Comment: 30 pages, 3 figures; v2: Refs. added, minor changes, accepted for publication in PR

High Energy Nuclear Collisions: Theory Overview

We review some basic concepts of Relativistic Heavy Ion Physics and discuss our understanding of some key results from the experimental program at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). We focus in particular on the early time dynamics of nuclear collisions, some result from lattice QCD, hard probes and photons.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures; delivered at ISNP 2009, published in Praman