Labor Market Institutions and Wage Inequality in the OECD : A Closer Look at Recent Trends in the Labor Market

This thesis studies the impact of labor market institutions on the development of the wage dispersion, using panel data on 20 OECD countries between 1973 and 2012. This thesis uses the empirical model from the paper by Koeniger et al. (2007), “Labor Market Institutions and Wage Inequality” as a starting point, with extended data series and additional countries included to look at the effect of institutions in a longer time frame. The thesis states that the results in Koeniger et al. (2007), where labor market institutions like; overall employment protection, unemployment benefit replacement and duration, tax wedge, union density and coordination and minimum wage, have a compressing effect on wage dispersion both when the time series are revised and when the data set is extended. This thesis also investigates the effect of resent developments in the labor market; where most OECD countries have a higher share of workers on temporary contracts and high immigration rates, on wage dispersion. To this end, I have included a split measure of employment protection legislation (EPL) for temporary and permanent positions and a measure of immigration. When the overall measure of EPL is replaced by the EPL measures for temporary and permanent positions, I find that the two measures have opposite effects on the wage dispersion. I find that stricter levels of EPL for permanent positions are associated with an increase in the wage dispersion; wile stricter levels of EPL for temporary contracts have a compressing effect on the wage dispersion. I also find that higher levels of immigration are associated with an increase in the level of wage dispersion, and that this effect is most evident in the lower half of the wage distribution

På sosiale medier er vi alle forfattere av vår egen selvbiografi

publishedVersio

Diet-induced obese mouse hearts tolerate an acute high fatty acid exposure that also increases ischemic tolerance

An ischemic insult is accompanied by an acute increase in circulating fatty acid (FA) levels, which can induce adverse changes related to cardiac metabolism/energetics. Although chronic hyperlipidemia contributes to the pathogenesis of obesity-/diabetes-related cardiomyopathy, it is unclear how these hearts are affected by an acute high FA-load. We hypothesize that adaptation to chronic FA exposure enhances the obese hearts’ ability to handle an acute high FA-load. Diet-induced obese (DIO) and age-matched control (CON) mouse hearts were perfused in the presence of low- or high FA-load (0.4 and 1.8 mM, respectively). Left ventricular (LV) function, FA oxidation rate, myocardial oxygen consumption, and mechanical efficiency were assessed, followed by analysis of myocardial oxidative stress, mitochondrial respiration, protein acetylation, and gene expression. Finally, ischemic tolerance was determined by examining LV functional recovery and infarct size. Under low-FA conditions, DIO hearts showed mild LV dysfunction, oxygen wasting, mechanical inefficiency, and reduced mitochondrial OxPhos. High FA-load increased FA oxidation rates in both groups, but this did not alter any of the above parameters in DIO hearts. In contrast, CON hearts showed FA-induced mechanical inefficiency, oxidative stress, and reduced OxPhos, as well as enhanced acetylation and activation of PPARα-dependent gene expression. While high FA-load did not alter functional recovery and infarct size in CON hearts, it increased ischemic tolerance in DIO hearts. Thus, this study demonstrates that acute FA-load affects normal and obese hearts differently and that chronically elevated circulating FA levels render the DIO heart less vulnerable to the disadvantageous effects of an acute FA-load

Cryoballoon vs. radiofrequency catheter ablation: insights from NOrwegian randomized study of PERSistent Atrial Fibrillation (NO-PERSAF study)

Aims Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is still regarded as a cornerstone for treatment of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). This study evaluated the effectiveness of PVI performed with cryoballoon ablation (CBA) in comparison with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with persistent AF. Methods and results  A total of 101 patients with symptomatic persistent AF were enrolled and randomized (1:1) to CBA or RFA groups and followed up for 12 months. The primary endpoint was any documented recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmia (ATA) lasting longer than 30 s following a 3-month blanking period. Secondary endpoints were procedure-related complications, procedure and ablation duration, and fluoroscopy time. The ATA-free survival curves were estimated by Kaplan–Meier method and analysed by the log-rank test. According to intention-to-treat analysis, freedom from ATA was achieved in 36 out of 52 patients in the CBA group and 30 out of 49 patients in the RFA group (69.2% vs. 61.2%, P = 0.393). No difference in AF recurrence was found between the two groups (27.5% in CBA vs. 38.0% in RFA, P = 0.258), and less atrial flutter recurrence was documented in the CBA group compared with the RFA group (3.9% vs. 18.0%, P = 0.020). The procedure and ablation duration were significantly shorter in the CBA group (160 ± 31 vs. 197 ± 38 min, P  0.05). Conclusion  Compared with RFA, PVI performed by CBA led to shorter procedure and ablation duration, with less atrial flutter recurrence and similar freedom from ATA at 12-month follow-up.publishedVersio

Comparison of the SF6D, the EQ5D, and the oswestry disability index in patients with chronic low back pain and degenerative disc disease

Background The need for cost effectiveness analyses in randomized controlled trials that compare treatment options is increasing. The selection of the optimal utility measure is important, and a central question is whether the two most commonly used indexes - the EuroQuol 5D (EQ5D) and the Short Form 6D (SF6D) – can be used interchangeably. The aim of the present study was to compare change scores of the EQ5D and SF6D utility indexes in terms of some important measurement properties. The psychometric properties of the two utility indexes were compared to a disease-specific instrument, the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), in the setting of a randomized controlled trial for degenerative disc disease. Methods In a randomized controlled multicentre trial, 172 patients who had experienced low back pain for an average of 6 years were randomized to either treatment with an intensive back rehabilitation program or surgery to insert disc prostheses. Patients filled out the ODI, EQ5D, and SF-36 at baseline and two-year follow up. The utility indexes was compared with respect to measurement error, structural validity, criterion validity, responsiveness, and interpretability according to the COSMIN taxonomy. Results At follow up, 113 patients had change score values for all three instruments. The SF6D had better similarity with the disease-specific instrument (ODI) regarding sensitivity, specificity, and responsiveness. Measurement error was lower for the SF6D (0.056) compared to the EQ5D (0.155). The minimal important change score value was 0.031 for SF6D and 0.173 for EQ5D. The minimal detectable change score value at a 95% confidence level were 0.157 for SF6D and 0.429 for EQ5D, and the difference in mean change score values (SD) between them was 0.23 (0.29) and so exceeded the clinical significant change score value for both instruments. Analysis of psychometric properties indicated that the indexes are unidimensional when considered separately, but that they do not exactly measure the same underlying construct. Conclusions This study indicates that the difference in important measurement properties between EQ5D and SF6D is too large to consider them interchangeable. Since the similarity with the “gold standard” (the disease-specific instrument) was quite different, this could indicate that the choice of index should be determined by the diagnosis

PENERAPAN ALAT PERAGA MODEL SEL DALAM MENINGKATKAN HASIL BELAJAR SISWA PADA POKOK BAHASAN SEL DI SMAN 1 SURANENGGALA KABUPATEN CIREBON

DIAN MARYANI: Penerapan Alat Peraga Model Sel Dalam Meningkatkan Hasil Belajar Siswa Pada Pokok Bahasan Sel Kelas XI Di SMAN 1 Suranenggala Kab. Cirebon Penelitian ini dilatar belakangi oleh hasil belajar siswa yang belum tercapai, karena belum adanya sarana dan prasarana yang memadai sehingga pembelajaran masih menggunakan metode ceramah. Oleh karena itu perlu adanya kreativitas seorang guru untuk menciptakan dan membuat serta menerapkan suatu alat peraga dalam proses pembelajaran untuk meningkatkan daya ingat siswa sehingga hasil belajar siswa meningkat. Proses belajar mengajar merupakan proses komunikasi antar siswa dan guru. Untuk mempermudah suatu proses komunikasi dibutuhkan suatu media untuk menyampaikan konsep agar pembelajaran lebih mudah dipahami oleh siswa. Oleh karena itu dibutuhkan peran dan kreativitas guru dalam menyesuaikan media alat peraga dengan materi. Penggunaan media alat peraga membantu siswa untuk meningkatkan daya ingat karena dalam media alat peraga mampu merangsang panca indera yang meliputi indera pendengaran dan indera penglihatan yang mampu merangsang siswa dalam memahami dan mengingat materi pembelajaran sehingga mampu meningkatkan hasil belajar siswa. Tekhnik pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan menggunakan tes tertulis (pre tes dan post test) dan angket. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah seluruh siswa kelas XI SMAN 1 Suranenggala yang 234 siswa. Pengambilan sampel dalam penelitian ini dilakukan secara acak, sampel dalam penelitian ini diambil 1 kelas eksperimen yaitu kelas XI ipa 2 yang terdiri dari 40 siswa dan kelas kontrol pada kelas XI IPA 4 yang terdiri dari 40 siswa.data hasil penelitian kemudian dianalisis dengan menggunakan SPSS 16 for windows melalui uji normalitas, homogenitas, dan uji T. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian dapat disimpulkan bahwa: 1). penerapan alat peraga model sel pada pokok bahasan sel perlu dilaksanakan karena dapat meningkatkan daya ingat siswa sehingga mempengaruhi hasil belajar 2). adanya perbedaan peningkatan hasil belajar yang signifikan antara siswa yang menggunakan alat peraga dan yang tanpa alat peraga, Hal ini diketahui dari analisis data soal-soal pre test dan pos test yang diberikan kepada siswa kelas XI 2 (kelas eksperimen) di SMAN 1 Surannenggala, diperoleh data peningkatan rata-rata total skor pre test ke skor post test sebesar 39,78 atau lebih besar dari pada kelas kontrol yang mengalami kenaikan sebesar 3,75, Berdasarkan hasil uji mann whitney diperoleh nilai signifikan 0,000 dengan probabilitas < 0,05. Ho ditolak dan ha diterima. 3). Penerapan alat peraga model sel pada pembelajaran biologi sangat baik untuk diterapkan, hal ini bisa dilihat dari hasil respon siswa terhadap penggunaan media alat peraga ternyata hampir seluruh 77,5% siswa berpendapat bahwa pembelajaran dengan menggunakan alat peraga dapat meningkatkan hasil belajar siswa

Surgery with disc prosthesis versus rehabilitation in patients with low back pain and degenerative disc: two year follow-up of randomised study

Objective To compare the efficacy of surgery with disc prosthesis versus non-surgical treatment for patients with chronic low back pain

Assessment of cardiac remodeling in asymptomatic mitral regurgitation for surgery timing: a comparative study of echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Early surgery is recommended for asymptomatic severe mitral regurgitation (MR), because of increased postoperative left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in patients with late surgery. On the other hand, recent reports emphasized a "watchful waiting" process for the determination of the proper time of mitral valve surgery. In our study, we compared magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transthoracic echocardiography to evaluate the LV and left atrial (LA) remodeling; for better definitions of patients that may benefit from early valve surgery.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Twenty-one patients with moderate to severe asymptomatic MR were evaluated by echocardiography and MRI. LA and LV ejection fractions (EFs) were calculated by echocardiography and MRI. Pulmonary veins (PVs) were measured from vein orifices in diastole and systole from the tangential of an imaginary circle that completed LA wall. Right upper PV indices were calculated with the formula; (Right upper PV diastolic diameter- Right upper PV systolic diameter)/Right upper PV diastolic diameter.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In 9 patients there were mismatches between echocardiography and MRI measurements of LV EF. LV EFs were calculated ≥60% by echocardiography, meanwhile < 60% by MRI in these 9 patients. Severity of MR evaluated by effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA) didn't differ with preserved and depressed EFs by MRI (p > 0.05). However, both right upper PV indices (0.16 ± 0.06 vs. 0.24 ± 0.08, p: 0.024) and LA EFs (0.19 ± 0.09 vs. 0.33 ± 0.14, p: 0.025) were significantly decreased in patients with depressed EFs when compared to patients with normal EFs.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>MRI might be preferred when small changes in functional parameters like LV EF, LA EF, and PV index are of clinical importance to disease management like asymptomatic MR patients that we follow up for appropriate surgery timing.</p

Estimating the prevalence of food risk increasing behaviours in UK kitchens

© 2017 Jones et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Foodborne disease poses a serious threat to public health. In the UK, half a million cases are linked to known pathogens and more than half of all outbreaks are associated with catering establishments. The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has initiated the UK Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in which commercial food establishments are inspected and scored with the results made public. In this study we investigate the prevalence of food risk increasing behaviours among chefs, catering students and the public. Given the incentive for respondents to misreport when asked about illegal or illicit behaviours we employed a Randomised Response Technique designed to elicit more accurate prevalence rates of such behaviours. We found 14% of the public not always hand-washing immediately after handling raw meat, poultry or fish; 32% of chefs and catering students had worked within 48 hours of suffering from diarrhoea or vomiting. 22% of the public admitted having served meat “on the turn” and 33% of chefs and catering students admitted working in kitchens where such meat was served; 12% of the public and 16% of chefs and catering students admitted having served chicken at a barbeque when not totally sure it was fully cooked. Chefs in fine-dining establishment were less likely to wash their hands after handling meat and fish and those who worked in award winning restaurants were more likely to have returned to work within 48 hours of suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting. We found no correlation between the price of a meal in an establishment, nor its Food Hygiene Rating Score, and the likelihood of any of the food malpractices occurring

Optical dip probes for near-infrared spectroscopic glucose sensing in peritoneal fluid

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibilities of using near infrared spectroscopic measurements to detect and quantify glucose concentration in peritoneal fluid samples. This was done with a fibre dip probe in samples obtained from patients at St. Olavs Hospital. The measurements was done by transflection in small sample volumes, hoping to shed some light the eventual future application of this method in an implantable glucose sensor. The acquired spectra were analysed with the use of the multivariate calibration techniques PCA and PLSR. Particular useful wavelengths were identified by MWPLSR