United States Federal Trade Commission: Organization, Jurisdiction, and Procedure (in German)

A summary of the organization, jurisdiction, and policy initiatives of the Federal Trade Commission aimed toward European readers

United States Federal Trade Commission: Organization, Jurisdiction, and Procedure (in German)

A summary of the organization, jurisdiction, and policy initiatives of the Federal Trade Commission aimed toward European readers

Muscarinic Cholinergic Receptor Agonist and Peripheral Antagonist for Schizophrenia

Background: The muscarinic receptor agonist xanomeline has antipsychotic properties and is devoid of dopamine receptor-blocking activity but causes cholinergic adverse events. Trospium is a peripherally restricted muscarinic receptor antagonist that reduces peripheral cholinergic effects of xanomeline. The efficacy and safety of combined xanomeline and trospium in patients with schizophrenia are unknown. Methods: In this double-blind, phase 2 trial, we randomly assigned patients with schizophrenia in a 1:1 ratio to receive twice-daily xanomeline-trospium (increased to a maximum of 125 mg of xanomeline and 30 mg of trospium per dose) or placebo for 5 weeks. The primary end point was the change from baseline to week 5 in the total score on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS; range, 30 to 210, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms of schizophrenia). Secondary end points were the change in the PANSS positive symptom subscore, the score on the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) scale (range, 1 to 7, with higher scores indicating greater severity of illness), the change in the PANSS negative symptom subscore, the change in the PANSS Marder negative symptom subscore, and the percentage of patients with a response according to a CGI-S score of 1 or 2. Results: A total of 182 patients were enrolled, with 90 assigned to receive xanomeline-trospium and 92 to receive placebo. The PANSS total score at baseline was 97.7 in the xanomeline-trospium group and 96.6 in the placebo group. The change from baseline to week 5 was -17.4 points with xanomeline-trospium and -5.9 points with placebo (least-squares mean difference, -11.6 points; 95% confidence interval, -16.1 to -7.1; P<0.001). The results for the secondary end points were significantly better in the xanomeline-trospium group than in the placebo group, with the exception of the percentage of patients with a CGI-S response. The most common adverse events in the xanomeline-trospium group were constipation, nausea, dry mouth, dyspepsia, and vomiting. The incidences of somnolence, weight gain, restlessness, and extrapyramidal symptoms were similar in the two groups. Conclusions: In a 5-week trial, xanomeline-trospium resulted in a greater decrease in the PANSS total score than placebo but was associated with cholinergic and anticholinergic adverse events. Larger and longer trials are required to determine the efficacy and safety of xanomeline-trospium in patients with schizophrenia

Using an Antecedent Prompting Method to Teach an Extended Communication Sequence to Children with Autism Using a Speech Generating Device

Children with autism spectrum disorder often have severely limited speech and language development and these children might therefore benefit from alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) intervention. While there is an extensive literature demonstrating effective procedures for teaching children with developmental disabilities and severe communication to use AAC, studies in this area have mainly focused on teaching relatively short and single-function communicative exchanges, such as teaching the person to request access to a preferred object by producing one communication act, such as by selecting a single symbol on a speech-generating device. While requesting access to a preferred object is useful, it would also seem important for children to be able to engage in more extended and multi-functional communication exchanges. However, there is little research into the development and evaluation of procedures for teaching more extended, multi-function communication sequences, such as teaching the child to (a) first greet his or her listener, (b) then make a request for a general object (“I want a snack.”), (c) then make a request for a specific object (“I want popcorn.”), and (d) then thank the listener for providing the requesting item. Furthermore, there is no published literature teaching communicative behaviours on a speech-generating device using the antecedent prompting procedure. The aim of this research is to determine whether children with developmental disabilities and severe communication impairment can learn to produce such extended and multi-functional communication sequences by systematically implementing the antecedent prompting procedure with an iPad-based speech-generating device. Study 1 used a multiple baseline design to evaluate the effectiveness of the antecedent prompt to teach a 4-step communicative exchange on an iPad®-based speech-generating device set with a progressive display. Participants were required to discriminate between two icons at a time, and the progressive display guided them through four screens, or the four steps, of the communicative exchange. All five participants (4 boys, 1 girl, aged 6 to 10 years) who participated in this study mastered the 4-step communicative exchange in four sessions on average. Study 2 was identical to Study 1, except the iPad®-based speech-generating device was set with a static screen. Participants (4 boys, aged 6 to 10 years) were required to discriminate between 12 icons simultaneously and select the appropriate icon for each step of the exchange. Of the participants, three were performing the sequence correctly after one session on average, one student did not reach mastery criteria but the average number of his communicative exchanges per interaction increased. Considering the positive outcomes and rapid rate of acquisition from both studies, future research should consider implementing the antecedent prompt when teaching communication interventions to minimally verbal children with autism on a speech-generating device.</p

Refining Per Se Unfair Trade Practices

North Carolina’s “unfair or deceptive acts or practices” statute, section 75-1.1 of the North Carolina General Statutes, is a central feature of North Carolina litigation. The statute allows lucrative remedies, but it defines prohibited conduct with only vague standards. Courts have difficulty applying these standards in any detail, so they often use analytical shortcuts in decisions under the statute. One key shortcut under section 75-1.1 is the “per se violation.” A per se violation arises when actions that violate a source of law outside section 75-1.1—a different statute, a regulation, or a nonstatutory doctrine—automatically violate section 75-1.1 as well. A per se violation has a transformative effect: in one stroke, it turns a claim for single damages into a claim for treble damages and possible attorney fees. Courts in section 75-1.1 cases have struggled to decide when to carry out, and when to refuse, this transformation. They have accepted and rejected per se theories with no explanation or with question-begging explanations. They have also sidestepped the problems with a per se theory by applying a number of variations on per se theories. This variety of approaches leaves courts and lawyers to guess at what analysis to apply in future cases. The courts can end this confusion by sharpening the per se theory and replacing parts of it. In many instances, the General Assembly has announced, directly or indirectly, that a violation of a given statute is also a violation of section 75-1.1. Courts should continue to apply these per se violations. In all other cases, however, courts should ask whether the conduct that makes up a separate violation satisfies the tests for unfairness under section 75-1.1. The tests for unfairness already address violations of separate statutes and other expressions of public policy. This streamlined approach will strengthen the analysis of per se and non-per-se violations alike

HEDS-lasten ja nuorten kuntoutukseen motivointi

Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli kartoittaa, mitä kuntoutukseen motivoinnin keinoja hEDS-lapsien ja nuorien vanhemmilla on ja mitä haasteita he ovat kohdanneet kuntoutukseen motivointiin liittyen. Tutkimuksen kohderyhmänä oli perheet, joihin kuuluu hEDS-diagnoosin saaneita lapsia tai nuoria. Tutkimuksia eritoten hEDS-lasten ja nuorten motivoinnista ei ole aiemmin tehty. HEDS on sidekudossairaus, jonka aiheuttajana on poikkeavuudet kollageenirakenteissa. Kun kollageeni on epänormaalia, sidekudos heikkenee ja aiheuttaa epävakautta nivelissä, ihossa ja kudoksissa. HEDS:aa sairastavien hoito on yksilöllisten oireiden mukaista. Hoitona käytetään pääsääntöisesti kuntoutusta, johon kuuluu fysioterapia, apuvälineet, kipulääkitys sekä sidekudosoireiden hoito. On tutkittu, että perheet kohtaavat haasteita hEDS-lasten ja nuorten kuntoutukseen sitoutumisessa. Tavoitteena olikin löytää kuntoutukseen motivoinnin keinoja ja ymmärtää, että mitä haasteita motivointiin liittyy. Tutkimusmenetelmäksi valikoitui kvalitatiivinen tutkimus. Aineisto kerättiin teemahaastattelumenetelmällä puhelimitse ja nauhoitettiin call-recorder sovellusta käyttäen. Haastatteluun osallistui kuusi perhettä. Kerätty aineisto analysoitiin aineistolähtöisellä sisällönanalyysi-menetelmällä. Tutkimuksen mukaan hEDS-lapsilla ja nuorilla voi olla fyysisiä, psyykkisiä sekä sosiaalisia haasteita. Nämä haasteet vaikuttavat heidän toimintakykyynsä ja sitä kautta kuntoutukseen motivoitumiseen. Vanhemmat pystyvät omalla toiminnallaan ja esimerkillään vaikuttamaan lasten ja nuorten motivoitumiseen. HEDS-lasten ja nuoret voimavarat ovat yksilölliset, mutta kipu on kaikkia yhdistävä tekijä. Kipu asettaa motivoinnin haasteita vanhemmille ja vaatii heiltä vankkaa sitoutumista. HEDS-lasten ja nuorten vanhempien voimavarat tulisi huomioida terveydenhuollon ammattihenkilöiden toimesta ja heille tulisi tarjota tukea ja ohjausta. Sairauden tietoisuuden lisääminen vaikuttaisi olevan tärkeää ja tarpeellista. HEDS-tietämys on vaihtelevaa myös terveydenhuollon ammattilaisten keskuudessa. Pystytäänkö tämän hetkisillä tiedoilla ja taidoilla tarjoamaan kaikille hEDS-potilaille samantasoista hoitoa? Jatkossa voisikin tutkia esim. terveydenhuollon ammattilaisten tietotasoa.The purpose of this research was to determine what methods parents use to motivate their hEDS-children and adolescents in rehabilitation and what challenges the families face. The research target group was families with children or adolescents diagnosed with hEDS. There are no previous studies of motivating hEDS-children and adolescents. HEDS is a connective tissue disorder and it is caused by abnormalities in the collagen structure. When collagen is abnormal, the connective tissue is weakened, and this causes instability of joints, skin and tissues. The treatment of hEDS is based on individual symptoms and the main treatment is rehabilitation which includes physiotherapy, mobility aids, pain medication and treatment of connective tissue symptoms. Previous studies show that families experience challenges in adhering hEDS-children to rehabilitation. The study aimed to find methods of motivating hEDS-children and adolescents and understand what the challenges are when it comes to motivating. Qualitative research method was used in this study. The research material was collected through the phone by using theme interview method. The phone calls were recorded with Call-recorder application. Altogether six families participated in the study. The collected material was analyzed by using material based content analysis. Based on our research hEDS-children and adolescents can have physical, psychological and social challenges. These challenges affect their ability to function and through that to their rehabilitation motivation. Parents can affect their children’s motivation with their own actions and example. HEDS-children and adolescents have individual resources, but based on our research they have one common factor, pain. That makes motivating a challenge for parents and requires strong commitment. Health care professionals should pay attention to the parents' resources and offer them support and guidance. It seems like it would be important and useful to spread the awareness of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Acknowledgment of EDS varies among health care professionals. The question remains, is it possible to offer equal treatment for all the hEDS-patients with the knowledge and skills available at this moment. In the future, a research about the EDS-awareness among healthcare professionals could be necessary

Father Timothy Sawchak Oral History

Oral histories created by University of Kansas students, staff and faculty as part of the Religion in Kansas Project are archived at http://hdl.handle.net/1808/12524 in KU ScholarWorks, the digital repository of the University of Kansas.Oral history with Father Timothy Sawchak conducted by Lev Smyth in Overland Park, Kansas on March 23rd, 2018. This interview is conducted with Father Tim, the priest of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, an OCA (Orthodox Church in America) Church in Overland Park, Kansas. Father Tim discusses the unique qualities of the Orthodox Church in America, how the Orthodox Church in America differs from some ethnically-rooted branches of Orthodoxy, and how it relates to conversions to Eastern Orthodoxy in the Midwest. This interview was conducted for the Religion in Kansas Project as part of semester-long internship with the University of Kansas Department of Religious Studies