Medication Moderates Link Between ADHD and Some Intimate Partner Violence Measures

Intimate partner violence (IPV), is a significant public health concern involving physical or psychological threats from a current or former romantic partner. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2014). Previous investigations have revealed that nearly half of all women and men have suffered from psychological aggression by an intimate partner at some point (Black et al., 2011). While IPV affects both genders, females suffer more than five million IPV incidents each year and nearly two million injuries (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2003). While many predictors have been linked to IPV, we focused on Attention-Deficit/Hyperac­tivity Disorder (ADHD) and related variables

Facilitating Successful Failures

Approximately 80,000 businesses fail each year in the United States. This article presents an original empirical study of over 400 business restructuring professionals focused on a critical, arguably contributing factor to these failures—the conduct of boards of directors and management. Anecdotal evidence suggests that management of distressed companies often bury their heads in the sand until it is too late to remedy the companies’ problems, a phenomenon commonly called “ostrich syndrome.” The data confirm this behavior, show a prevalent use of loss framing, and suggest trends consistent with prospect theory. The article draws on these data and behavioral economics to examine the genesis and contours of this problem. It then discusses potential changes to applicable law and introduces a new “meet and confer” process for encouraging timely restructuring negotiations. The meet and confer process is designed to promote meaningful changes in management conduct and to facilitate more “successful failures.” Policymakers should adopt regulations fostering that mentality, rather than rewarding fear or ignorance in the face of failure

Activist Investors, Distressed Companies, and Value Uncertainty

Hedge funds, private equity firms, and other alternative investment funds are frequently key players in corporate restructurings. Most commentators agree that the presence of a fund can change the dynamics of a chapter 11 case. They cannot agree, however, on the impact of this change—i.e., do funds create or destroy enterprise value? This essay contributes to the dialogue by analyzing data from chapter 11 cases in which funds are in a position to influence the debtor’s exit strategy. The data shed light on what such funds might achieve in chapter 11 cases and the potential implications for debtors and their other stakeholders. Although additional research is needed, the preliminary data suggest that the value of fund participation in chapter 11 cases likely depends on whom you ask and where they sit in the particular debtor’s capital structure

The Effectiveness of a Far Lateral L5-S1 Microdiscectomy in Pain Reduction

Diagnosis of far lateral disc herniations has become more common in recent years. This study describes the surgical procedure used for L5-S1 far lateral disc herniations, shows the benefits derived from a far lateral approach and retrospectively evaluates the outcome of the surgery. Eight patients were included in the study, five females and three males. The mean age was 62 years (range, 45-77 years). VAS pain scale, OSW index and SF-36 forms were used to evaluate the surgical outcome. Both the VAS pain scale and OSW index were improved postoperatively. The SF-36 scores were significantly lower (p\u3c0.05) for the far lateral patients compared to both the low back pain population and the U.S. aged 55-64 year population

Determinants of Wealth Fluctuation: Changes in Hard-To-Measure Economic Variables in a Panel Study

Measuring fluctuation in families’ economic conditions is the raison d’être of household panel studies. Accordingly, a particularly challenging critique is that extreme fluctuation in measured economic characteristics might indicate compounding measurement error rather than actual changes in families’ economic wellbeing. In this article, we address this claim by moving beyond the assumption that particularly large fluctuation in economic conditions might be too large to be realistic. Instead, we examine predictors of large fluctuation, capturing sources related to actual socio-economic changes as well as potential sources of measurement error. Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we study between-wave changes in a dimension of economic wellbeing that is especially hard to measure, namely, net worth as an indicator of total family wealth. Our results demonstrate that even very large between-wave changes in net worth can be attributed to actual socio-economic and demographic processes. We do, however, also identify a potential source of measurement error that contributes to large wealth fluctuation, namely, the treatment of incomplete information, presenting a pervasive challenge for any longitudinal survey that includes questions on economic assets. Our results point to ways for improving wealth variables both in the data collection process (e.g., by measuring active savings) and in data processing (e.g., by improving imputation algorithms)

Estimating the public health impact of the effect of herpes simplex virus suppressive therapy on plasma HIV-1 viral load.

OBJECTIVE: Trials of herpes simplex virus (HSV) suppressive therapy among HSV-2/HIV-1-infected individuals have reported an impact on plasma HIV-1 viral loads (PVLs). Our aim was to estimate the population-level impact of suppressive therapy on female-to-male HIV-1 sexual transmission. DESIGN AND METHODS: By comparing prerandomization and postrandomization individual-level PVL data from the first two HSV suppressive therapy randomized controlled trials in sub-Saharan Africa, we estimated the effect of treatment on duration of asymptomatic infection and number of HIV-1 transmission events for each trial. RESULTS: Assuming that a reduction in PVL is accompanied by an increased duration of HIV-1 asymptomatic infection, 4-6 years of HSV suppressive therapy produce a 1-year increase in the duration of this stage. To avert one HIV-1 transmission requires 8.8 [95% confidence interval (CI), 5.9-14.9] and 11.4 (95% CI, 7.8-27.5) women to be treated from halfway through their HIV-1 asymptomatic period, using results from Burkina Faso and South African trials, respectively. Regardless of the timing of treatment initiation, 51.6 (95% CI, 30.4-137.0) and 66.5 (95% CI, 36.7-222.6) treatment-years are required to avert one HIV-1 infection. Distributions of set-point PVL values from sub-Saharan African populations suggest that unintended adverse consequences of therapy at the population level (i.e. increased HIV-1 transmission due to increased duration of infection) are unlikely to occur in these settings. CONCLUSION: HSV suppressive therapy may avert relatively few HIV-1 transmission events per person-year of treatment. Its use as a prevention intervention may be limited; however, further research into its effect on rate of CD4 cell count decline and the impact of higher dosing schedules is warranted

Reducing Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission in Africa: a model-based evaluation of intervention strategies.

BACKGROUND: Over the past decade malaria intervention coverage has been scaled up across Africa. However, it remains unclear what overall reduction in transmission is achievable using currently available tools. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We developed an individual-based simulation model for Plasmodium falciparum transmission in an African context incorporating the three major vector species (Anopheles gambiae s.s., An. arabiensis, and An. funestus) with parameters obtained by fitting to parasite prevalence data from 34 transmission settings across Africa. We incorporated the effect of the switch to artemisinin-combination therapy (ACT) and increasing coverage of long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs) from the year 2000 onwards. We then explored the impact on transmission of continued roll-out of LLINs, additional rounds of indoor residual spraying (IRS), mass screening and treatment (MSAT), and a future RTS,S/AS01 vaccine in six representative settings with varying transmission intensity (as summarized by the annual entomological inoculation rate, EIR: 1 setting with low, 3 with moderate, and 2 with high EIRs), vector-species combinations, and patterns of seasonality. In all settings we considered a realistic target of 80% coverage of interventions. In the low-transmission setting (EIR approximately 3 ibppy [infectious bites per person per year]), LLINs have the potential to reduce malaria transmission to low levels (90%) or novel tools and/or substantial social improvements will be required, although considerable reductions in prevalence can be achieved with existing tools and realistic coverage levels. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions using current tools can result in major reductions in P. falciparum malaria transmission and the associated disease burden in Africa. Reduction to the 1% parasite prevalence threshold is possible in low- to moderate-transmission settings when vectors are primarily endophilic (indoor-resting), provided a comprehensive and sustained intervention program is achieved through roll-out of interventions. In high-transmission settings and those in which vectors are mainly exophilic (outdoor-resting), additional new tools that target exophagic (outdoor-biting), exophilic, and partly zoophagic mosquitoes will be required

Grazing reduces bee abundance and diversity in saltmarshes by suppressing flowering of key plant species

Global declines in pollinator populations and associated services make it imperative to identify and sensitively manage valuable habitats. Coastal habitats such as saltmarshes can support extensive flowering meadows, but their importance for pollinators, and how this varies with land-use intensity, is poorly understood. We hypothesised that saltmarshes provide important bee foraging habitat, and that livestock grazing either suppresses or enhances its value by reducing the abundance - or increasing the diversity - of flowering plants. To test these hypotheses, we surveyed 11 saltmarshes in Wales (UK) under varying grazing management (long-term ungrazed, extensively grazed, intensively grazed) over three summers and investigated causal pathways linking grazing intensity with bee abundance and diversity using a series of linear mixed models. We also compared observed bee abundances to 11 common terrestrial habitats using national survey data. Grazing reduced bee abundance and richness via reductions in the flower cover of the two key food plants: sea aster Tripolium pannonicum and sea lavender Limonium spp. Grazing also increased flowering plant richness, but the positive effects of flower richness did not compensate for the negative effects of reduced flower cover on bees. Bee abundances were approximately halved in extensively grazed marshes (relative to ungrazed) and halved again in intensively grazed marshes. Saltmarsh flowers were primarily visited by honeybees Apis mellifera and bumblebees Bombus spp. in mid and late summer. Compared to other broad habitat types in Wales, ungrazed saltmarshes ranked highly for honeybees and bumblebees in July-August, but were relatively unimportant for solitary bees. Intensively grazed saltmarshes were amongst the least valuable habitats for all bee types. Under appropriate grazing management, saltmarshes provide a valuable and previously overlooked foraging habitat for bees. The strong effects of livestock grazing identified here are likely to extend geographically given that both livestock grazing and key grazing-sensitive plants are widespread in European saltmarshes. We recommend that long-term ungrazed saltmarshes are protected from grazing, and that grazing is maintained at extensive levels on grazed marshes. In this way, saltmarshes can provide forage for wild and managed bee populations and support ecosystem services

Commencement of the Class of 2015

Let me conclude my remarks this morning with a quote from Countee Cullen, a poet of the Harlem Renaissance who graduated from NYU, then Harvard University. He said, “For we must be one thing or the other, an asset or a liability, the sinew in your wing to help you soar, or the chain to bind you to earth” (Countee Cullen). Class of 2015, I ask: Will you be an asset or a liability? Class of 2015, will you give back and pay it forward? Class of 2015, will you invest in this world? Will you advance the human condition? Will you create opportunities for others? Will you make a positive impact? Will you help people and our planet? By saying yes, by saying “we will”—you will soar! Ladies and gentlemen, I present you the Class of 2015—the Class that will continue to soar! Thank you. And now, it brings me great pleasure and it is my great honor to accept the Class of 2015. By the authority vested in me as President of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy and on behalf of the Board of Trustees and the State of Illinois, I accept these students as graduates of IMSA and proclaim them as worthy to receive their Diplomas and Medallions. José M. Torres, Ph.D

Risk factors for UK Plasmodium falciparum cases

Background An increasing proportion of malaria cases diagnosed in UK residents with a history of travel to malaria endemic areas are due to Plasmodium falciparum. Methods In order to identify travellers at most risk of acquiring malaria a proportional hazards model was used to estimate the risk of acquiring malaria stratified by purpose of travel and age whilst adjusting for entomological inoculation rate (EIR) and duration of stay in endemic countries. Results Travellers visiting friends and relatives and business travellers were found to have significantly higher hazard of acquiring malaria (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) relative to that of holiday makers 7.4, 95% CI 6. 4-8. 5, p < 0. 0001 and HR 3.4, 95% CI 2.9-3.8, p < 0. 0001, respectively). All age-groups were at lower risk than children aged 0-15 years. Conclusions These estimates of the increased risk for these groups accounting for exposure should be used to inform programmes to improve awareness of the risks of malaria when travelling