Cost of lifetime immunosuppression coverage for kidney transplant recipients.

On January 1, 2000, Medicare extended the coverage of immunosuppression medications from 3 years to life for elderly and disabled kidney transplant recipients. This research estimates the impact of extending this lifetime coverage to all kidney transplant recipients on Medicare\u27s cash flows. The study finds that extending coverage to all kidney transplant recipients would have increased Medicare\u27s net cash outflows if the coverage were extended for patients of all income levels. There is evidence that extending coverage to only patients in the lowest income quartile could have resulted in a net cost savings to Medicare

Review of \u3cem\u3eThe Environment: Its Role in Psychosocial Functioning and Psychotherapy.\u3c/em\u3e Carolyn Saari. Reviewed by Timothy Page.

Book review of Carolyn Saari, The Environment: Its Role in Psychosocial Functioning and Psychotherapy. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002. $49.50 hardcover,$22.00 papercover

Chromium, Tryptophan, and Picolinate in Diets for Pigs and Poultry.

Six experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of supplemental dietary tryptophan (TRP), picolinate (Pic), CrCl\sb3\cdot6H\sb2O, chromium picolinate (CrPic), or a combination of Pic and CrCl\sb3\cdot6H\sb2O on growth performance, liver mineral concentrations, insulin, growth hormone, organ weights, and serum and carcass traits of pigs. One experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of chromium picolinate (CrPic) on serum cholesterol (CH), egg CH, egg quality, and egg production of laying hens. Dietary TRP, Pic, CrCl\sb3\cdot6H\sb2O, and a combination of Pic and CrCl\sb3\cdot6H\sb2O did not affect growth performance, liver mineral concentrations, insulin, growth hormone, and serum and carcass traits of pigs. The effects of CrPic on pig growth performance, growth hormone, and insulin were not consistent. Organ weights were not affected (P $\u3e$.10) by CrPic. However, CrPic, when provided at the 100 or 200 ppb level of Cr, increased (P $\u3c$.01) loin eye area and percentage of muscling, reduced (P $\u3c$.01) 10th rib fat thickness, and reduced (P $\u3c$.05) serum CH in growing-finishing pigs. Chromium was equally effective in pigs from the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Swine Unit as well as pigs from a different ancestral source. The effects of graded levels of CrPic also were evaluated in laying hens. Egg CH, Haugh units, and specific gravity of eggs were not affected (P $\u3e$.10) by CrPic supplementation. Egg crude protein and percentage of egg fat were inconsistently reduced (P $\u3c$.10) by CrPic. However, egg production was increased (P $\u3c$.04) and serum CH was reduced (P $\u3c$.08) by CrPic, especially at 100 and 200 ppb Cr. Supplemental dietary CrPic increases muscling and decreases fat and serum CH in growing-finishing pigs. Laying hen egg production also is increased and serum CH is reduced by CrPic supplementation

Oxytetracycline tags in pink salmon fry applied by immersion and detected by fluorescence spectrometry

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1989I investigated the feasibility of using spectrophotofluorescence as a quantitative method of analyzing pink salmon fry otoliths for the presence of oxytetracycline (antibiotic). I exposed twenty-four groups of pink salmon fry (approximately 250 individuals each) to solutions of oxytetracycline ranging in concentration from unexposed to 2000 ppm, and in duration of exposure from one to twelve hours. Otoliths from unexposed fry had the lowest mean fluorescence (log e [mean flu. units] = -1.77). Otoliths from fry exposed to 500 ppm for twelve hours had the highest fluorescence (log e [mean flu. units] = 0.899). Fluorescence increased nonlinearly with duration of exposure. There is a linear increase of fluorescence with exposure up to 500 ppm; above which fluorescence decreases. Pink salmon fry exposed to OTC in solution absorb detectable amounts of OTC in their otoliths. These amounts of OTC can be quantitatively measured by spectrofluorometry

Behavioral responses to public insurance programs: Three essays

Evaluating the effectiveness of public programs requires an understanding of how these programs affect the choices of individuals and households. For example, the program design of Social Security and Medicare may affect how much people work. While these effects are not intended goals of the programs, proper evaluation of these programs requires analyzing costs and benefits from all sources, even those that may be unintended. Given the growing number of uninsured individuals, currently 47 million, policy makers are considering an expanded role for government in the provision of health insurance. With any expansion may come secondary effects, such as those on labor supply, which must be accounted for and considered when deciding on the proper structure and parameters of the policy. Although the goal of expanding current public health insurance programs would be to cover more individuals, this goal might not be achieved if the public were not well informed about eligibility and enrollment procedures. The three essays in my dissertation consider how the Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs affect the decisions made by households with regard to retirement, labor supply, and program enrollment. The results of these studies provide useful information for evaluating current programs that will be useful for guiding future public policy decisions

New Mothers’ Psychological Experience and Behavioral Interactions with their Infants in the First 12 Months

We examined the psychological dimensions of parents’ perceptions of their infant children and their own abilities as parents at two observation points in a racially and socio-economically diverse sample of 174 mothers. Parenting perceptions and life circumstances were hypothesized to predict interactive behavior observed in the home. Baseline assessments were conducted in hospital, within 36 hr of delivery. Follow-up assessments were conducted in their homes when the children were 6 to 12 months old. Of five major psychological constructs studied, only parents’ perceptions of children, represented particularly by empathic responsiveness and absence of role-reversal, predicted the quality of behavioral interactions in the home. Perceptions of children were themselves predicted by parents’ perceptions of the quality of care they themselves received from their own parents, and by lifestyle stress. Our findings suggest that clinical interventions with parents should include a focus on strengthening reflective capacities with respect to caregiving experiences, and empathic responsiveness to their children

A trade union perspective on industrial policy regimes in France, Germany, Denmark, China, Singapore and South Korea: What lessons for the United Kingdom?

This submission for a PhD by Published Work brings together five peer-reviewed papers produced between 2010 and 2017, which consider the role and outcomes of industrial policy. It is based on the experiences of France, Germany, Denmark, China, Singapore and South Korea. It considers debates surrounding the desirability of industrial policy at all, as well as discussions considering whether a lighttouch approach, based on David Ricardo’s theory of comparative advantage, or a more radical process, should be pursued. The thesis is framed within the theory of institutional economics. Desk research undertaken for each paper was supplemented by semi-structured interviews conducted while I worked as a Senior Policy Officer at the Trades Union Congress (TUC). Agents within capitalism include trade unions, but the literature on industrial policy does not discuss the institutional role of union practitioners as experts, contributing to the implementation of industrial policy across different models of capitalism. This is a gap that my programme of research seeks to fill. My key findings are: that industrial policy interventions, that is to say, government action taken against market signals, strategically applied, can play a major role in economic development; that transplanting institutions from one model of capitalism to another is problematic, but that developing institutions to take on different responsibilities as economic policy objectives change can overcome ‘path dependency’ constraints within different capitalist models; and that trade unions, using their ‘insider’ status, can shape the development of industrial policy. The contributions to knowledge made by this body of work include the reconceptualizing of industrial relations within the United Kingdom, in order that social partnership is instituted at the company level, to deliver better outcomes for the workforce. My published work has already shaped the debate on the nature of industrial policy through discussion and comment in the national media and through in-depth policy discussions among political leaders and influencers

Bottomonium spectral widths at nonzero temperature using maximum likelihood

We present progress results from the Fastsum collaboration’s programme to determine the spectrum of the bottomonium system as a function of temperature using a variety of approaches. Inthese proceedings, the Maximum Likelihood approach is used with an Ansatz comprising of a Gaussian spectral function for the ground state. Fastsum anisotropic lattices with 2 + 1 dynamicalquark flavours were used with temperatures ranging from 47 to 375 MeV

Surviving Siblings’ Illnesses, Treatments/Health Services over 13 Months after a Sibling’s Death

Two million children experience sibling death annually and have problems that require clinical intervention although few receive such help. Effects on surviving siblings’ mental health has been well documented, however their physical health has not. This study described surviving siblings’ illnesses, treatments/health services at 2, 4, 6, and 13 months post-sibling death. The 132 children (76 girls, 56 boys, M 10.6 years, SD 3.43); 30% Hispanic, 51% Black, 26% White were recruited via hospital ICUs and published obituaries. Using a longitudinal design, parents reported types and numbers of surviving siblings’ illnesses, treatments/health services, and dates post-sibling death. Most of the 207 illnesses and 674 treatments/health services occurred in the first 6 months post-sibling death. While girls had more illnesses (131) than boys (76) and Hispanic children had more illnesses than White or Black children, these differences were not statistically significant. Girls accounted for 66% of the treatments/health services and boys 34%. There was no significant difference in treatments/health service use by gender of the children (F = 1.00, p = .32). Hispanic children had significantly more treatments/health service use than Black children (F = 6.81, p = .002). Sibling death affects surviving siblings’ physical health. Study data document the importance of monitoring the health, treatments and health service use of surviving siblings especially in the first 6 months after a sibling death, regardless of the child’ s gender. On average, Hispanic children had greater health service use, which may warrant greater attention

The Ursinus Weekly, October 12, 1967

Pulitzer winner speaks on economic insight • Students elect USGA committee to co-ordinate students, faculty • Tragedy shocks students; Death of senior mourned • Class officers elected; Frosh choose leaders • Chi Alpha sets program plans • UC freshman tops Curtain Club\u27s cast • Editorial • A hall is not a home • Radio-free Canada • A modest proposal, a satire: For preventing dissent and resentment on the Ursinus campus, and for increasing unity of thought • Poker flats open amid dissent; Latest in do-it-yourself dorms • Rebirth of learning anticipated: Fine arts added to curriculum • WRUC goes AM-FM, plans live sportscasts • Impact of EXPO • College Scholars Program to end cult of courses • Bears outplayed, outclassed in Hopkins debacle • Bears battered by Blue Jays following 6-6 tie with Mules • Booters sweep two in convincing style, soccer year bright • Intramural corner • Moser\u27s two goals assure hockey win • Jayvees open year with double shutout • Greek gleaningshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1178/thumbnail.jp