Local Labor Market Conditions and the Jobless Poor: How Much Does Local Job Growth Help in Rural Areas?

The employment outcomes of a group of jobless poor Oregonians are tracked in order to analyze the relative importance of local labor market conditions on their employment outcomes. Local job growth increases the probability that a jobless poor adult will get a job and shortens the length of time until she finds a job. After accounting for both the effects of personal demographic characteristics and local job growth, there is little evidence that the probability of employment or the duration of joblessness differs in rural compared with urban areas.employment, local labor markets, rural labor markets, rural poverty, unemployment, welfare reform, Labor and Human Capital,

EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES FOR LOW-INCOME ADULTS IN RURAL AND URBAN LABOR MARKETS

This study analyzes the impact of local labor market conditions on the probability of employment and duration of employment for low-income adults in Oregon. We find that economic conditions (lower employment growth and higher unemployment rates) help to explain the less successful employment outcomes for low-income adults in non-metro areas.rural labor markets, employment, low-income workers, Labor and Human Capital,

Alcohol Intake Between Menarche and First Pregnancy: A Prospective Study of Breast Cancer Risk

Background: Adult alcohol consumption during the previous year is related to breast cancer risk. Breast tissue is particularly susceptible to carcinogens between menarche and first full-term pregnancy. No study has characterized the contribution of alcohol consumption during this interval to risks of proliferative benign breast disease (BBD) and breast cancer. Methods: We used data from 91005 parous women in the Nurses’ Health Study II who had no cancer history, completed questions on early alcohol consumption in 1989, and were followed through June 30, 2009, to analyze breast cancer risk. A subset of 60093 women who had no history of BBD or cancer in 1991 and were followed through June 30, 2001, were included in the analysis of proliferative BBD. Relative risks (RRs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard regression. Results: We identified 1609 breast cancer cases and 970 proliferative BBD cases confirmed by central histology review. Alcohol consumption between menarche and first pregnancy, adjusted for drinking after first pregnancy, was associated with risks of breast cancer (RR = 1.11 per 10g/day intake; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00 to 1.23) and proliferative BBD (RR = 1.16 per 10g/day intake; 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.32). Drinking after first pregnancy had a similar risk for breast cancer (RR = 1.09 per 10g/day intake; 95% CI = 0.96 to 1.23) but not for BBD. The association between drinking before first pregnancy and breast neoplasia appeared to be stronger with longer menarche to first pregnancy intervals. Conclusions: Alcohol consumption before first pregnancy was consistently associated with increased risks of proliferative BBD and breast cancer

Valve-sparing and valve-replacing techniques for aortic root replacement in patients with Marfan syndrome: Analysis of early outcome

ObjectiveA prospective, international registry study was initiated to provide contemporary comparative data on short-term clinical outcomes after aortic valve-sparing and aortic valve-replacing root operations in patients with Marfan syndrome. The purpose of this initial report is to describe the study design and to compare early outcomes in the first 151 enrolled patients.MethodsWe assessed 30-day outcomes in 151 patients who met strict Ghent diagnostic criteria for Marfan syndrome and underwent aortic root replacement with either valve-replacing (n = 46) or valve-sparing techniques (n = 105) at one of 18 participating centers. In the valve replacement group, a mechanical composite valve graft was used in 39 (85%) patients and a bioprosthetic valve in 7 (15%). In the valve-sparing group, David V procedures were performed in 57 (54%) patients, David I in 38 (36%), David IV in 8 (8%), Florida sleeve in 1 (1%), and Yacoub remodeling in 1 (1%).ResultsNo in-hospital or 30-day deaths occurred. Despite longer crossclamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times in the valve-sparing group, there were no significant between-group differences in postoperative complications. Thirty-day valve-related complications occurred in 2 (4%) patients undergoing valve replacement and in 3 (3%) undergoing valve-sparing procedures (P = .6).ConclusionsThe analysis of early outcomes revealed that valve-sparing techniques were the most common approach to root replacement in patients with Marfan syndrome in these centers. The complexity of valve-sparing root replacement did not translate into any demonstrable adverse early outcomes. Subsequent analysis will compare the 3-year durability of these two surgical approaches

Global typologies of coastal wetland status to inform conservation and management

Global-scale conservation initiatives and policy instruments rely on ecosystem indicators to track progress towards targets and objectives. A deeper understanding of indicator interrelationships would benefit these efforts and help characterize ecosystem status. We study interrelationships among 34 indicators for mangroves, saltmarsh, and seagrass ecosystems, and develop data-driven, spatially explicit typologies of coastal wetland status at a global scale. After accounting for environmental covariates and gap-filling missing data, we obtained two levels of clustering at 5 and 18 typologies, providing outputs at different scales for different end users. We generated 2,845 cells (1° (lat) × 1° (long)) globally, of which 29.7% were characterized by high land- and marine-based impacts and a high proportion of threatened species, 13.5% by high climate-based impacts, and 9.6% were refuges with lower impacts, high fish density and a low proportion of threatened species. We identify instances where specific actions could have positive outcomes for coastal wetlands across regions facing similar issues. For example, land- and marine-based threats to coastal wetlands were associated with ecological structure and function indicators, suggesting that reducing these threats may reduce habitat degradation and threats to species persistence. However, several interdimensional relationships might be affected by temporal or spatial mismatches in data. Weak relationships mean that global biodiversity maps that categorize areas by single indicators (such as threats or trends in habitat size) may not be representative of changes in other indicators (e.g., ecosystem function). By simplifying the complex global mosaic of coastal wetland status and identifying regions with similar issues that could benefit from knowledge exchange across national boundaries, we help set the scene for globally and regionally coordinated conservation

The relationship between workers' self-reported changes in health and their attitudes towards a workplace intervention: lessons from smoke-free legislation across the UK hospitality industry

Background: The evaluation of smoke-free legislation (SFL) in the UK examined the impacts on exposure to second-hand smoke, workers’ attitudes and changes in respiratory health. Studies that investigate changes in the health of groups of people often use self-reported symptoms. Due to the subjective nature it is of interest to determine whether workers’ attitudes towards the change in their working conditions may be linked to the change in health they report. Methods: Bar workers were recruited before the introduction of the SFL in Scotland and England with the aim of investigating their changes to health, attitudes and exposure as a result of the SFL. They were asked about their attitudes towards SFL and the presence of respiratory and sensory symptoms both before SFL and one year later. Here we examine the possibility of a relationship between initial attitudes and changes in reported symptoms, through the use of regression analyses. Results: There was no difference in the initial attitudes towards SFL between those working in Scotland and England. Bar workers who were educated to a higher level tended to be more positive towards SFL. Attitude towards SFL was not found to be related to change in reported symptoms for bar workers in England (Respiratory, p = 0.755; Sensory, p = 0.910). In Scotland there was suggestion of a relationship with reporting of respiratory symptoms (p = 0.042), where those who were initially more negative to SFL experienced a greater improvement in self-reported health. Conclusions: There was no evidence that workers who were more positive towards SFL reported greater improvements in respiratory and sensory symptoms. This may not be the case in all interventions and we recommend examining subjects’ attitudes towards the proposed intervention when evaluating possible health benefits using self-reported methods. Keywords: ‘Self-Reported Health’, Attitudes, ‘Workplace Intervention’, ‘Public Health Intervention

Serum amyloid A primes microglia for ATP-dependent interleukin-1\u3b2 release

Acute-phase response is a systemic reaction to environmental/inflammatory insults and involves production of acute-phase proteins, including serum amyloid A (SAA). Interleukin-1\u3b2 (IL-1\u3b2), a master regulator of neuroinflammation produced by activated inflammatory cells of the myeloid lineage, in particular microglia, plays a key role in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic diseases of the peripheral nervous system and CNS. IL-1\u3b2 release is promoted by ATP acting at the purinergic P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) in cells primed with toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands

Spectrum of centrosome autoantibodies in childhood varicella and post-varicella acute cerebellar ataxia

BACKGROUND: Sera from children with post-varicella infections have autoantibodies that react with centrosomes in brain and tissue culture cells. We investigated the sera of children with infections and post-varicella ataxia and related conditions for reactivity to five recombinant centrosome proteins: γγ-enolase, pericentrin, ninein, PCM-1, and Mob1. METHODS: Sera from 12 patients with acute post-varicella ataxia, 1 with post-Epstein Barr virus (EBV) ataxia, 5 with uncomplicated varicella infections, and other conditions were tested for reactivity to cryopreserved cerebellum tissue and recombinant centrosome proteins. The distribution of pericentrin in the cerebellum was studied by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) using rabbit antibodies to the recombinant protein. Antibodies to phospholipids (APL) were detected by ELISA. RESULTS: Eleven of 12 children with post-varicella ataxia, 4/5 children with uncomplicated varicella infections, 1/1 with post-EBV ataxia, 2/2 with ADEM, 1/2 with neuroblastoma and ataxia, and 2/2 with cerebellitis had antibodies directed against 1 or more recombinant centrosome antigens. Antibodies to pericentrin were seen in 5/12 children with post-varicella ataxia but not in any of the other sera tested. IIF demonstrated that pericentrin is located in axons and centrosomes of cerebellar cells. APL were detected in 75% of the sera from children with post-varicella ataxia and 50% of children with varicella without ataxia and in none of the controls. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to show the antigen specificity of anti-centrosome antibodies in children with varicella. Our data suggest that children with post-varicella ataxia have unique autoantibody reactivity to pericentrin

The Lantern Vol. 52, No. 2, Spring 1986

• The Cartoonist • Balance • Haiku • Moment of Truth • There Was a Man • Mad Song / Cassandra\u27s Song • Part I - The Descent • Political Thought • Beast • Questions Yet Unanswered • Aphrodite: A Lover\u27s Lament • The Most Limber Boy • Style And • Thoughts From My Confusion • Andy • Momma Wake Up • In The Suburbs • Tommy • When the Phone Rings • There\u27s Something Soothing • Starting Over • A Day in the Life of a Flower • Pretension • It Seems Like So Long Ago • I Walk Along • Insignificant Man • Variations on a Latin Theme • The Riddle • Roll the Dice - Its Your Turn • This Is Your Day • One Night Stand • Make My Day • You Really Can\u27t Expect • Medusa • Don\u27t Think • Broken Chain • Life...A Hammock? • To My Friend • Ode On a Grecian Keghttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/lantern/1128/thumbnail.jp

A Survey of z>5.8 Quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey I: Discovery of Three New Quasars and the Spatial Density of Luminous Quasars at z~6

We present the results from a survey of i-dropout objects selected from ~1550 deg^2 of multicolor imaging data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, to search for luminous quasars at z>5.8. Objects with i*-z*>2.2 and z*<20.2 are selected, and follow-up J band photometry is used to separate L and T type cool dwarfs from high-redshift quasars. We describe the discovery of three new quasars, at z=5.82, 5.99 and 6.28, respectively. Their spectra show strong and broad Ly alpha+NV emission lines, and very strong Ly alpha absorption, with a mean continuum decrement D_A > 0.90. The ARC 3.5m spectrum of the z=6.28 quasar shows that over a range of 300 A immediately blueward of the Ly alpha emission, the average transmitted flux is only 0.003 +/-0.020 times that of the continuum level, consistent with zero flux, and suggesting a tentative detection of the complete Gunn-Peterson trough. The existence of strong metal lines suggests early chemical enrichment in the quasar enviornment. The three new objects, together with the previously published z=5.8 quasar form a complete color-selected flux-limited sample at z>5.8. We estimate that at $z=6$, the comoving density of luminous quasars at M_1450 < -26.89 (h=0.5, Omega=1)is 1.1x10^-9 Mpc^-3. This is a factor of ~2 lower than that at z~5, and is consistent with an extrapolation of the observed quasar evolution at low-z. We discuss the contribution of quasars to the ionizing background at z~6. The luminous quasars discussed in the paper have central black hole masses of several times 10^9 M_sun by the Eddington argument. Their observed space density provides a sensitive test of models of quasar and galaxy formation at high redshift. (Abridged)Comment: AJ in press (Dec 2001), 40 pages, 10 figures. Updated following referee report; minor change