425 research outputs found
PERSPECTIVES ON COMPETITIVE BIDDING: RETIREMENT OF ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE FARMLAND
The USDA has used bidding to enroll land into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and may use similar mechanisms to implement other policy instruments in which some or all agricultural land cropping rights are acquired to protect or increase environmental amenities. Experience with the CRP suggests that current enrollees are being compensated in excess of the lowest payment they would be willing to accept in exchange for loss of cropping rights. While it may be prohibitively expensive to estimate such reservation prices on all potential CRP parcels, it is likewise difficult to design a bidding mechanism that induces landowners to reveal these values. While the competitive bidding and contingent valuation literatures provide some guidance, the problem of designing a cost effective bidding mechanism for land retirement does not conform precisely to situations in which theoretical, experimental or case study results have been reported. Despite this, realistic incremental changes in the CRP's current bidding mechanism that induce competitive behavior among bidders appear to portend significant savings in government outlays.Land Economics/Use,
Beach Quality and Recreational Values: A Pictorialized Stated Preference Analysis of Residents and Tourists
Much of Hawaiiâs economy relies on its unique marine environments, which are threatened by degradation from stormwater runoff. Using a stated preference method of choice-based conjoint (CBC) analysis, based on stylized photographs, this study examines both residentsâ and visitorsâ marginal value for levels of attributes associated with Hawaiian beach recreation. Each attribute (sand quality, water quality, congestion and water safety conditions) was significant for both residents and tourists, with water quality being the single most important attribute. There is little distinction between resident and tourist marginal value, except for a greater value lost for below average water quality among tourists.Nonmarket Valuation, WTP, Beach, Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,
Real-world clinical experience in the ConnectÂź chronic lymphocytic leukaemia registry: a prospective cohort study of 1494 patients across 199 US centres.
The clinical course of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is heterogeneous, and treatment options vary considerably. The ConnectÂź CLL registry is a multicentre, prospective observational cohort study that provides a real-world perspective on the management of, and outcomes for, patients with CLL. Between 2010 and 2014, 1494 patients with CLL and that initiated therapy, were enrolled from 199 centres throughout the USA (179 community-, 17 academic-, and 3 government-based centres). Patients were grouped by line of therapy at enrolment (LOT). We describe the clinical and demographic characteristics of, and practice patterns for, patients with CLL enrolled in this treatment registry, providing patient-level observational data that represent real-world experiences in the USA. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses were performed on 49·3% of patients at enrolment. The most common genetic abnormalities detected by FISH were del(13q) and trisomy 12 (45·7% and 20·8%, respectively). Differences in disease characteristics and comorbidities were observed between patients enrolled in LOT1 and combined LOT2/â„3 cohorts. Important trends observed include the infrequent use of genetic prognostic testing, and differences in patient characteristics for patients receiving chemoimmunotherapy combinations. These data represent experiences of patients with CLL in the USA, which may inform treatment decisions in everyday practice
Neorealism and the Organization of American States (OAS): an examination of CARICOM rationality toward Venezuela and the United States
Since 2017, CARICOM member states have been divided in the positions they take on Organization of American States (OAS)
resolutions addressing political instability in Venezuela. This article uses a neorealism framework to determine whether or
not the provision of energy investments by Venezuela and the United States to CARICOM member countries is an attempt
on their part to skew the OAS voting mechanism in their national interests. The article also examines the extent to which
CARICOM member statesâ response to Venezuelaâs and United Statesâ interest in the OAS demonstrates a pattern of
rationality. The findings suggest that though the OAS provides a medium for states to negotiate mutually beneficial solutions,
states are rational actors and even where they do corporate, dominant states may try to manifest their self-interest
Lifeworld Inc. : and what to do about it
Can we detect changes in the way that the world turns up as they turn up? This paper makes such an attempt. The first part of the paper argues that a wide-ranging change is occurring in the ontological preconditions of Euro-American cultures, based in reworking what and how an event is produced. Driven by the security â entertainment complex, the aim is to mass produce phenomenological encounter: Lifeworld Inc as I call it. Swimming in a sea of data, such an aim requires the construction of just enough authenticity over and over again. In the second part of the paper, I go on to argue that this new world requires a different kind of social science, one that is experimental in its orientationâjust as Lifeworld Inc isâbut with a mission to provoke awareness in untoward ways in order to produce new means of association. Only thus, or so I argue, can social science add to the world we are now beginning to live in
Impact of proteoglycanâ4 and parathyroid hormone on articular cartilage
Proteoglycanâ4 ( Prg4 ) protects synovial joints from arthropathic changes by mechanisms that are incompletely understood. Parathyroid hormone (PTH), known for its anabolic actions in bone, increases Prg4 expression and has been reported to inhibit articular cartilage degeneration in arthropathic joints. To investigate the effect of Prg4 and PTH on articular cartilage, 16âweekâold Prg4 mutant and wildâtype mice were treated with intermittent PTH (1â34) or vehicle control daily for six weeks. Analyses included histology of the knee joint, microâCT of the distal femur, and serum biochemical analysis of type II collagen fragments (CTXâII). Compared to wildâtype littermates, Prg4 mutant mice had an acellular layer of material lining the surfaces of the articular cartilage and menisci, increased articular cartilage degradation, increased serum CTXâII concentrations, decreased articular chondrocyte apoptosis, increased synovium SDFâ1 expression, and irregularly contoured subchondral bone. PTHâtreated Prg4 mutant mice developed a secondary deposit overlaying the acellular layer of material lining the joint surfaces, but PTHâtreatment did not alter signs of articular cartilage degeneration in Prg4 mutant mice. The increased joint SDFâ1 levels and irregular subchondral bone found in Prg4 mutant mice introduce novel candidate mechanisms by which Prg4 protects articular cartilage. © 2012 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31: 183â190, 2013Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94686/1/22207_ftp.pd
Common trust and personal safety issues: a systematic review on the acceptability of health and social interventions for persons with lived experience of homelessness
Background:
Persons experiencing homelessness and vulnerable housing or those with lived experience of homelessness have worse health outcomes than individuals who are stably housed. Structural violence can dramatically affect their acceptance of interventions. We carried out a systematic review to understand the factors that influence the acceptability of social and health interventions among persons with lived experience of homelessness.
Methods:
We searched through eight bibliographic databases and selected grey literature sources for articles that were published between 1994 and 2019. We selected primary studies that reported on the experiences of homeless populations interacting with practitioners and service providers working in permanent supportive housing, case management, interventions for substance use, income assistance, and women- and youth-specific interventions. Each study was independently assessed for its methodological quality. We used a framework analysis to identify key findings and used the GRADE-CERQual approach to assess confidence in the key findings.
Findings:
Our search identified 11,017 citations of which 35 primary studies met our inclusion criteria. Our synthesis highlighted that individuals were marginalized, dehumanized and excluded by their lived homelessness experience. As a result, trust and personal safety were highly valued within human interactions. Lived experience of homelessness influenced attitudes toward health and social service professionals and sometimes led to reluctance to accept interventions. Physical and structural violence intersected with low self-esteem, depression and homeless-related stigma. Positive self-identity facilitated links to long-term and integrated services, peer support, and patient-centred engagement.
Conclusions:
Individuals with lived experience of homelessness face considerable marginalization, dehumanization and structural violence. Practitioners and social service providers should consider anti-oppressive approaches and provide, refer to, or advocate for health and structural interventions using the principles of trauma-informed care. Accepting and respecting others as they are, without judgment, may help practitioners navigate barriers to inclusiveness, equitability, and effectiveness for primary care that targets this marginalized population
HRâpQCT measures of bone microarchitecture predict fracture : systematic review and metaâanalysis
HRâpQCT is a nonâinvasive imaging modality for assessing volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) and microarchitecture of cancellous and cortical bone. The objective was to (i) assess fractureâassociated differences in HRâpQCT bone parameters and (ii) to determine if HRâpQCT is sufficiently precise to reliably detect these differences in individuals. We systematically identified 40 studies that used HRâpQCT (39/40 used XtremeCT scanners) to assess 1291â3253 and 3389â10,687 individuals with and without fractures, respectively, ranging in age from 10.9 to 84.7âyears with no comorbid conditions. Parameters describing radial and tibial bone density, microarchitecture, and strength were extracted and percentage differences between fracture and control subjects were estimated using a random effects metaâanalysis. An additional metaâanalysis of shortâterm in vivo reproducibility of bone parameters assessed by XtremeCT was conducted to determine whether fractureâassociated differences exceeded the least significant change (LSC) required to discern measured differences from precision error. Radial and tibial HRâpQCT parameters, including failure load, were significantly altered in fracture subjects, with differences ranging from â2.6% (95% CI: â3.4 to â1.9) in radial cortical vBMD to â12.6% (95% CI: â15.0 to â10.3) in radial trabecular vBMD. Fractureâassociated differences reported by prospective studies were consistent with those from retrospective studies, indicating that HRâpQCT can predict incident fracture. Assessment of study quality, heterogeneity and publication biases verified the validity of these findings. Finally, we demonstrated that fractureâassociated deficits in total and trabecular vBMD, and certain tibial cortical parameters, can be reliably discerned from HRâpQCTârelated precision error and can be used to detect fractureâassociated differences in individual patients. Although differences in other HRâpQCT measures, including failure load, were significantly associated with fracture, improved reproducibility is needed to ensure reliable individual crossâsectional screening and longitudinal monitoring. In conclusion, our study supports the use of HRâpQCT in clinical fracture prediction
Lisht as a New Kingdom glass-making site with its own chemical signature
Lisht is one of a few New Kingdom sites with known glass-working debris. Here, we present evidence for the primary production of glass at Lisht, including crucible fragments and semi-finished glass. We also provide 12 new chemical analyses of glass from Lisht, including trace elements. We argue that the glass made at Lisht has a specific chemical signature within the broader range of Late Bronze Age glass compositions from Egypt, further underlining the former existence of primary glass production there and offering the possibility of identifying Lisht-made glass elsewhere in Egypt and beyond
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