Monthly economic review: June 2015

Overview: The Monthly Economic Review is an overview of the New Zealand economy. It includes the latest data on New Zealand’s economic growth, unemployment, inflation, merchandise trade and balance of payments figures, along with certain financial data (such as the Reserve Bank’s official cash rate). The unemployment rate, economic growth and central bank interest rates for several of our main OECD trading partners are also included. Each publication highlights a specific topic of interest. The Monthly Economic Review is produced eleven times per year

Monthly economic review: November 2014

Overview: The Monthly Economic Review is an overview of the New Zealand economy. It includes the latest data on New Zealand’s economic growth, unemployment, inflation, merchandise trade and balance of payments figures, along with certain financial data (such as the Reserve Bank’s official cash rate). The unemployment rate, economic growth and central bank interest rates for several of our main OECD trading partners are also included. Each publication highlights a specific topic of interest. The Monthly Economic Review is produced eleven times per year

Monthly economic review: September 2015

Latest data and events Reserve Bank Governor Graeme Wheeler cut the official cash rate (OCR) by 25 basis points to 2.75 percent on 10 September, returning the OCR to April 2014 levels. The Bank’s 90-day bank bill rate projections point towards a further cut in the OCR, with the ASB Bank expecting another rate cut in October. The BNZ thinks there is a 65 percent chance of a rate cut in October. The ANZ Bank believes that the Reserve Bank is not in a hurry to cut again, while Westpac Bank reckons an October cut is “a close call”. Regional economic activity rose by 0.3 percent in the June quarter according to ANZ Regional Trends, with economic activity increasing in the North Island but falling in the South Island. The Northland region experienced a rise in economic activity of 1.6 percent, while the Southland and Taranaki regions contracted by 1.6 percent over the quarter. New Zealand’s merchandise terms of trade rose unexpectedly in the June quarter, up 1.3 percent. Over the quarter, exported goods prices rose by 2.1 percent while imported goods prices rose by 0.7 percent. Dairy product prices rose by six percent, reflecting the higher prices experienced earlier in the year. A bank economist noted that trade data reflects auction price data after about a three month lag. &nbsp

Monthly economic review: July 2014

Overview: The Monthly Economic Review is an overview of the New Zealand economy. It includes the latest data on New Zealand’s economic growth, unemployment, inflation, merchandise trade and balance of payments figures, along with certain financial data (such as the Reserve Bank’s official cash rate). The unemployment rate, economic growth and central bank interest rates for several of our main OECD trading partners are also included. Each publication highlights a specific topic of interest. The Monthly Economic Review is produced eleven times per year

IGFBP-5 as a biomarker of de-differentiation in hepatocytes

Describes IGFBP-5 as a biomarker of de-differentiation in hepatocytes presented at the 47th Congress of the European-Societies-of-Toxicolog

Black Bottom and Paradise Valley: The Intersection of Race, Class, and Memory in Twentieth Century Detroit

This research follows the evolution of intra-class relations between the Black elite, middle, and working classes within Detroit society from the Reconstruction period to 1936. By analyzing transformations of power and the inherited morals which accompanied these transfers, this essay will demonstrate how class relations within the African American community created distinctions within a designated urban space. This essay argues that Detroit\u27s prominent Paradise Valley grew out of the Black Bottom community, which inextricably links the two separate entities into one. Ultimately, this research refutes historiographical debates which attempt to concretely bind these communities. Moreover, by blending academic debate to the voices of those who inhabited this community, this research also encapsulates the intersectionality of social memory and marries what and how we remember to urban spaces, race, and intra-class relations within Detroit in the early twentieth century

The Effect of Chronic Alcohol Consumption on Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Young Men

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of chronic alcohol consumption on exercise-induced muscle damage of the knee extensors in young men. METHODS: Twenty-one males (age 21.9 ± 1.1 yr; weight 183.4 ± 27.6 lbs; height 174.0 ± 13.1 cm) performed 100 maximal eccentric contractions at 30°/sec of the knee extensors using their non-dominant leg. The isometric and isokinetic muscle strengths (60°/sec and 180°/sec) were measured pre-exercise and immediately, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 96 h, and 120 h post-exercise. Muscle soreness and plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity were measured pre-exercise and 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 96 h, and 120 h post-exercise. Data were analyzed using two-way repeated-measures ANOVA to determine the main effects of time (exercise), group (non-drinker vs. frequent drinker), and their interaction terms. RESULTS: There were significant main effects of time for isometric strength (F6, 114 = 8.11, P \u3c 0.001), isokinetic strength at both 60°/sec ( F6, 114 = 11.02, P \u3c 0.001) and 180°/sec (F6, 114 = 9.88, P \u3c 0.001), muscle soreness (F5, 95 = 26.64, P \u3c 0.001), and plasma CK activity (F5, 70 = 5.15, P \u3c 0.001). There were no significant effects of group or interaction for any of the variables. CONCLUSION: There was not an evident effect of chronic alcohol consumption on exercise-induced muscle damage in young men. This may likely be due to the small sample size, the relatively small magnitude of muscle damage, the time of alcohol consumption relative to the bout of exercise, and the between-subjects study design

Exploring the inequalities of women with learning disabilities deciding to attend, and then accessing cervical and breast cancer screening, using the Social Ecological Model

Background: Women with learning disabilities are less likely to access cervical and breast cancer screening when compared to the general population. The Social Ecological Model (SEM) was used to examine the inequalities faced by women with learning disabilities in accessing cervical and breast cancer screening in England, UK. Methods: The findings from a qualitative systematic review, and a Q methodology study were triangulated. Framework analysis, in line with the SEM, was used to develop an integrated set of findings. Findings: Women with learning disabilities may lack knowledge of cancer symptoms, and cancer screening, as well as being scared about the process and getting the results. The attitudes of family and paid carers towards screening may influence women with learning disabilities’ decisions as to whether screening is seen as favourable; support and training may ensure unbiased perspectives. Barriers were also associated with how cancer screening programmes are designed, such as postal invitations which assumes an ability to read. In addition, screening staff need to be aware of the general needs of people with learning disabilities, such as the benefits of easy-read documents. Lastly, multidisciplinary working is required so reasonable adjustments can be embedded into cancer screening pathways. Conclusion: This paper highlights multiple methods to reduce the inequalities faced by women with learning disabilities, which can be achieved through reasonable adjustments. Embedding reasonable adjustments can support women with learning disabilities in making an informed decision, and accessing screening if they choose to. This may result in women with learning disabilities getting a timely cancer diagnosis

Return to work after stroke: recording, measuring, and describing occupational therapy intervention

Introduction: Existing research on vocational rehabilitation following stroke has been criticised for not describing intervention in sufficient detail for replication or clinical implementation. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of recording and measuring the content of an early stroke-specific vocational rehabilitation intervention delivered to participants in a feasibility randomized controlled trial, using a proforma previously developed for a study of vocational rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury. Method: The proforma was adapted for use in stroke with input from an expert panel and was used to record intervention content, in 10-minute units, following each intervention session. Findings: Twenty-five people, working or in education at the time of stroke, participated in the study. Two thirds of the therapists' time was spent in face-to-face contact (43%) and liaison with the patient and others (20%). Intervention mainly focused on work preparation (21%) and the return to work process (24%). The remaining time was consumed by administration (19%) and travel (18%). Conclusion: The proforma was quick and easy to use and captured the main focus of intervention. This study suggests that it can be used to record stroke-specific vocational rehabilitation intervention content and has potential for wider use in research and clinical practice