Do output contractions trigger democratic change?

Does faster economic growth increase pressure for democratic change, or reduce it? Using data for 154 countries for the period 1963-2007, we examine the short-run relationship between economic growth and moves toward and away from greater democracy. To address the potential endogeneity of economic growth, we use variation in precipitation, temperatures, and commodity prices as instruments for a country’s rate of economic growth. Our results indicate that more rapid economic growth reduces the short-run likelihood of institutional change toward democracy. Output contractions due to adverse weather shocks appear to have a particularly important impact on the timing of democratic change.economic growth, democratization, weather, commodity prices

Do Output Contractions Trigger Democratic Change?

Does faster economic growth increase pressure for democratic change, or reduce it? Using data for 154 countries for the period 1963-2007, we examine the short-run relationship between economic growth and moves toward and away from greater democracy. To address the potential endogeneity of economic growth, we use variation in precipitation, temperatures, and commodity prices as instruments for a country’s rate of economic growth. Our results indicate that more rapid economic growth reduces the short-run likelihood of institutional change toward democracy. Output contractions due to adverse weather shocks appear to have a particularly important impact on the timing of democratic change.weather, democratization, economic growth, commodity prices

Numbers and Costs of Occupational Injury and Illness in Low-Wage Occupations

Economists have estimated the medical and productivity costs of workplace injuries and illnesses for U.S. workers in all occupations. The slow economic recovery, however, has shifted job creation toward low-wage jobs and industries. This paper provides the first estimates of the numbers and costs of occupational injury and illness in low-wage occupations during the Great Recession, specifically in 2010. To generate these estimates, I use critical definitions and assumptions to identify low-wage occupations, to define medical and productivity costs, and to note which occupations are omitted from the data and results. The paper reports on costs in 65 low-wage occupations for four classes of injury and illness: nonfatal injuries, nonfatal illnesses, fatal injuries, and fatal illnesses. I estimate 596 fatal injuries and 1,625,152 nonfatal ones, costing $441 million and$28.3 billion in 2010. For illnesses, the estimates are 12,415 fatal and 87,857 nonfatal cases, with costs of $8.77 billion and$1.53 billion. Seven low-wage occupations account for a substantial share of the injuries and illnesses, and the greatest total costs: retail salespersons ($4.5 billion); janitors and cleaners ($4.1 billion); maids and housekeeping cleaners ($3.1 billion); stock clerks and order fillers ($2.7 billion); food preparation and serving workers ($2.1 billion); restaurant cooks ($1.8 billion); and cashiers ($1.8 billion). These estimates suggest that workers in low-wage occupations contribute significantly more medical and productivity costs than is generally assumed

Metrology for Bio Systems

The current paper addresses the advent of next generation bio system focussed Micro Nano Manufacturing Technologies (MNMT). These products and processes have placed significant new emphasis on specification and quality control systems, especially if these product and processes are to achieve economic scale up. Bio technology products and processes are a core element of MNMT and structured surfaces can be a key element in enabling bio system function. There examples of the application of such surfaces in bio systems for functions such as diverse as anti fouling and oseointegration. However a deficit exists in terms of metrology for bio structured surfaces and identifying suitable measurands and instrumentation remains a challenge for production engineers. Functional modelling would seem to point towards a better way of specifying metrology however for bio systems these are rare and often extensive function testing and clinical trials are used to inform the metrology selection. In the present paper the development of MNMT bio systems is discussed in the metrology context and several examples of developing metrology challenges. Four such bio related systems are discussed the solutions are outlined. The case studies cover traditional prosthetic implants, micro fluidic devices, cellular attachment and manufacture of cellular scaffolds

Are Low Wages Risk Factors for Hypertension?

Objective: Socio-economic status (SES) is strongly correlated with hypertension. But SES has several components, including income and correlations in cross-sectional data need not imply SES is a risk factor. This study investigates whether wages-the largest category within income-are risk factors. Methods: We analysed longitudinal, nationally representative US data from four waves (1999, 2001, 2003 and 2005) of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. The overall sample was restricted to employed persons age 25-65 years, n = 17 295. Separate subsamples were constructed of persons within two age groups (25-44 and 45-65 years) and genders. Hypertension incidence was self-reported based on physician diagnosis. Our study was prospective since data from three base years (1999, 2001, 2003) were used to predict newly diagnosed hypertension for three subsequent years (2001, 2003, 2005). In separate analyses, data from the first base year were used to predict time-to-reporting hypertension. Logistic regressions with random effects and Cox proportional hazards regressions were run. Results: Negative and strongly statistically significant correlations between wages and hypertension were found both in logistic and Cox regressions, especially for subsamples containing the younger age group (25-44 years) and women. Correlations were stronger when three health variables-obesity, subjective measures of health and number of co-morbidities-were excluded from regressions. Doubling the wage was associated with 25-30% lower chances of hypertension for persons aged 25-44 years. Conclusions: The strongest evidence for low wages being risk factors for hypertension among working people were for women and persons aged 25-44 years

Enhanced clearing of Candida biofilms on a 3D urothelial cell in vitro model using lysozyme-functionalized fluconazole-loaded shellac nanoparticles

Candida urinary tract biofilms are increasingly witnessed in nosocomial infections due to reduced immunity of patients and the hospital ecosystem. The indwelling devices utilized to support patients with urethral diseases that connect the unsterilized external environment with the internal environment of the patient are another significant source of urinary tract biofilm infections. Recently, nanoparticle (NP)-associated therapeutics have gained traction in a number of areas, including fighting antibiotic-resistant bacterial biofilm infection. However, most studies on nanotherapeutic delivery have only been carried out in laboratory settings rather than in clinical trials due to the lack of precise in vitro and in vivo models for testing their efficiency. Here we develop a novel biofilm-infected 3D human urothelial cell culture model to test the efficiency of nanoparticle (NP)-based antifungal therapeutics. The NPs were designed based on shellac cores, loaded with fluconazole and coated with the cationic enzyme lysozyme. Our formulation of 0.2 wt% lysozyme-coated 0.02 wt% fluconazole-loaded 0.2 wt% shellac NPs, sterically stabilised by 0.25 wt% poloxamer 407, showed an enhanced efficiency in removing Candida albicans biofilms formed on 3D layer of urothelial cell clusteroids. The NP formulation exhibited low toxicity to urothelial cells. This study provides a reliable in vitro model for Candida urinary tract biofilm infections, which could potentially replace animal models in the testing of such antifungal nanotechnologies. The reproducibility and availability of a well-defined biofilm-infected 3D urothelial cell culture model give valuable insights into the formation and clearing of fungal biofilms and could accelerate the clinical use of antifungal nanotherapeutics

Rehabilitation Therapy in Older Acute Heart Failure Patients (REHAB-HF) trial: Design and rationale.

BACKGROUND: Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is a leading cause of hospitalization in older persons in the United States. Reduced physical function and frailty are major determinants of adverse outcomes in older patients with hospitalized ADHF. However, these are not addressed by current heart failure (HF) management strategies and there has been little study of exercise training in older, frail HF patients with recent ADHF. HYPOTHESIS: Targeting physical frailty with a multi-domain structured physical rehabilitation intervention will improve physical function and reduce adverse outcomes among older patients experiencing a HF hospitalization. STUDY DESIGN: REHAB-HF is a multi-center clinical trial in which 360 patients ≥60 years hospitalized with ADHF will be randomized either to a novel 12-week multi-domain physical rehabilitation intervention or to attention control. The goal of the intervention is to improve balance, mobility, strength and endurance utilizing reproducible, targeted exercises administered by a multi-disciplinary team with specific milestones for progression. The primary study aim is to assess the efficacy of the REHAB-HF intervention on physical function measured by total Short Physical Performance Battery score. The secondary outcome is 6-month all-cause rehospitalization. Additional outcome measures include quality of life and costs. CONCLUSIONS: REHAB-HF is the first randomized trial of a physical function intervention in older patients with hospitalized ADHF designed to determine if addressing deficits in balance, mobility, strength and endurance improves physical function and reduces rehospitalizations. It will address key evidence gaps concerning the role of physical rehabilitation in the care of older patients, those with ADHF, frailty, and multiple comorbidities

Characterisation of wear areas on UHMWPE total knee replacement prostheses through study of their areal surface topographical parameters

Total knee replacement is one of the most common elective surgeries in the world, and presents a number of challenges related to the wear of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). This paper presents an analysis of the surface topographical properties of the worn and unworn condylar surfaces on a small cohort of both wear simulated and retrieved prostheses of varying designs. A number of measurement points were taken on each prostheses in a mixture of worn and unworn areas through the use of focus-variation microscopy (FVM), a non-contact method of surface measurement. Surface areal parameters were extracted from this data to analyse and search for patterns within the data. It was found that in general, worn implant surfaces appear to show smoother, less peak dominated surfaces than unworn area. It was also found that wear simulated and retrieved implants display similar characteristics of surface topography. In addition, variation was noted between different designs of TKR device, with posterior stabilised designs found to be peak dominated and cruciate retaining type implants being valley dominated

HONO Measurement by Differential Photolysis

Nitrous acid (HONO) has been quantitatively measured in situ by differential photolysis at 385 and 395 nm, and subsequent detection as nitric oxide (NO) by the chemiluminescence reaction with ozone (O3). The technique has been evaluated by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy to provide a direct HONO measurement in a simulation chamber and compared side by side with a long absorption path optical photometer (LOPAP) in the field. The NO-O3 chemiluminescence technique is robust, well characterized, and capable of sampling at low pressure, whilst solid-state converter technology allows for unattended in situ HONO measurements in combination with fast time resolution and response