G-1 Appeal Activity in the Public Assistance Programs, July 2007

G-1 - Appeal Activity in the Public Assistance Programs

G-1 Appeal Activity in the Public Assistance Programs, October 2007

G-1 - Appeal Activity in the Public Assistance Programs - October 2007

G-1 Appeal Activity in the Public Assistance Programs, November 2007

G-1 - Appeal Activity in the Public Assistance Programs - November 2007

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass vs gastric banding for morbid obesity: a case-matched study of 442 patients.

HYPOTHESIS: Gastric banding (GB) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) are used in the treatment of morbidly obese patients. We hypothesized that RYGBP provides superior results. DESIGN: Matched-pair study in patients with a body mass index (BMI) less than 50. SETTING: University hospital and regional community hospital with a common bariatric surgeon. PATIENTS: Four hundred forty-two patients were matched according to sex, age, and BMI. INTERVENTIONS: Laparoscopic GB or RYGBP. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Operative morbidity, weight loss, residual BMI, quality of life, food tolerance, lipid profile, and long-term morbidity. RESULTS: Follow-up was 92.3% at the end of the study period (6 years postoperatively). Early morbidity was higher after RYGBP than after GB (17.2% vs 5.4%; P<.001), but major morbidity was similar. Weight loss was quicker, maximal weight loss was greater, and weight loss remained significantly better after RYGBP until the sixth postoperative year. At 6 years, there were more failures (BMI>35 or reversal of the procedure/conversion) after GB (48.3% vs 12.3%; P<.001). There were more long-term complications (41.6% vs 19%; P.001) and more reoperations (26.7% vs 12.7%; P<.001) after GB. Comorbidities improved more after RYGBP. CONCLUSIONS: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is associated with better weight loss, resulting in a better correction of some comorbidities than GB, at the price of a higher early complication rate. This difference, however, is largely compensated by the much higher long-term complication and reoperation rates seen after GB.

G-1 Appeal Activity in the Public Assistance Programs, December 2007

The Food Assistance Monthly Participation Report is a monthly summary of Food Assistance program participation, Statewide and for each Iowa county. Breakouts are reported for participants also in the FIP program, those only receiving Food Assistance, and those that are receiving economic assistance under other programs (primarily Medicaid). This report may also be known as the F-1 Report.

Similarities and convergence in G-7 cycles

This paper examines the properties of G-7 cycles using a multicountry Bayesian panelVAR model with time variations, unit specific dynamics and cross country interdependences.We demonstrate the presence of a significant world cycle and show that country specificindicators play a much smaller role. We detect differences across business cycle phasesbut, apart from an increase in synchronicity in the late 1990s, find little evidence of major structural changes. We also find no evidence of the existence of an Euro area specific cycle or of its emergence in the 1990s.

On the sources of business cycles in the G-7

This paper examines sources of cyclical movements in output, inflation and the term structure of interest rates. It employs a novel identification approach which uses the sign of the cross correlation function in response to shocks to catalog orthogonal disturbances. We find that demand shocks are the dominant source output, inflation and term structure fluctuations in six of the G-7 countries. Within the class of demand disturbances, nominal shocks are dominant, but their importance declined after 1982. Furthermore, there are no significant differences in the proportion of term structure variability explained by different structural sources at different horizons.

The HSR on chromosome 1 of the house mouse, Mus domesticus: distribution and frequency in Switzerland.

A total of 357 house mice (Mus domesticus) from 83 localities uniformly distributed throughout Switzerland were screened for the presence of a homogenously staining region (HSR) on chromosome 1. Altogether 47 mice from 11 localities were HSR/+ or HSR/HSR. One sample of 11 individuals all had an HSR/HSR karyotype. Almost all mice with the variant were collected from the Rhone valley (HSR frequency: 61%) and Val Bregaglia (HSR frequency: 81%). For samples from most of the area of Switzerland, the HSR was absent. There was no strong association between the geographic distribution of the HSR and the areas of occurrence of metacentrics. However, at Chiggiogna the HSR was found on Rb (1.3). Possible explanations for the HSR polymorphism are discussed.

Laparoscopic gastric banding: a prospective, randomized study comparing the Lapband and the SAGB: early results.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the results of laparoscopic gastric banding using 2 different bands (the Lapband [Bioenterics, Carpinteria, CA] and the SAGB [Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band; Obtech Medical, 6310 Zug, Switzerland]) in terms of weight loss and correction of comorbidities, short-and long-term complications, and improvement of quality of life in morbidly obese patients SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: During the past 10 years, gastric banding has become 1 of the most common bariatric procedures, at least in Europe and Australia. Weight loss can be excellent, but it is not sufficient in a significant proportion of patients, and a number of long-term complications can develop. We hypothesized that the type of band could be of importance in the outcome. METHODS: One hundred eighty morbidly obese patients were randomly assigned to receive the Lapband or the SAGB. All the procedures were performed by the same surgeon. The primary end point was weight loss, and secondary end points were correction of comorbidities, early- and long-term complications, importance of food restriction, and improvement of quality of life. RESULTS: Initial weight loss was faster in the Lapband group, but weight loss was eventually identical in the 2 groups. There was a trend toward more early band-related complications and more band infections with the SAGB, but the study had limited power in that respect. Correction of comorbidities, food restriction, long-term complications, and improvement of quality of life were identical. Only 55% to 60% of the patients achieved an excess weight loss of at least 50% in both groups. There was no difference in the incidence of long-term complications. CONCLUSIONS: Gastric banding can be performed safely with the Lapband or the SAGB with similar short- and midterm results with respect to weight loss and morbidity. Only 50% to 60% of the patients will achieve sufficient weight loss, and close to 10% at least will develop severe long-term complications.

G-1 Appeal Activity in the Public Assistance Programs

This report contains information on the Appeal Activity in the Public Assistance Programs. Programs included are FIP (Iowa’s TANF program), Title IV-D (Child Support), Food Stamps (USDA Food Assistance Program), Title XIX (Medicaid), Title XX (Social Services Block Grant), Juvenile Parole, State Supplemental Assistance, Other, Food Stamp Fraud, FIP Fraud, RCA (Refugee Cash Assistance) Fraud, and a total for all the programs. This report is issued monthly.