The allometry of non-employment. What can compositional data analysis tell us about labour market performance across the UK's regions?

The low levels of unemployment recorded in the UK in recent years are widely cited asevidence of the country’s improved economic performance, and the apparent convergence of unemployment rates across the country’s regions used to suggest that the longstanding divide in living standards between the relatively prosperous ‘south’ and the more depressed ‘north’ has been substantially narrowed. Dissenters from theseconclusions have drawn attention to the greatly increased extent of non-employment(around a quarter of the UK’s working age population are not in employment) and themarked regional dimension in its distribution across the country. Amongst these dissenters it is generally agreed that non-employment is concentrated amongst oldermales previously employed in the now very much smaller ‘heavy’ industries (e.g. coal,steel, shipbuilding).This paper uses the tools of compositiona l data analysis to provide a much richer picture of non-employment and one which challenges the conventional analysis wisdom about UK labour market performance as well as the dissenters view of the nature of theproblem. It is shown that, associated with the striking ‘north/south’ divide in nonemployment rates, there is a statistically significant relationship between the size of the non-employment rate and the composition of non-employment. Specifically, it is shown that the share of unemployment in non-employment is negatively correlated with the overall non-employment rate: in regions where the non-employment rate is high the share of unemployment is relatively low. So the unemployment rate is not a very reliable indicator of regional disparities in labour market performance. Even more importantly from a policy viewpoint, a significant positive relationship is found between the size ofthe non-employment rate and the share of those not employed through reason of sicknessor disability and it seems (contrary to the dissenters) that this connection is just as strong for women as it is for men

Enhancing fault management performance of two-step QoS routing algorithms in GMPLS networks

In this paper a novel methodology aimed at minimizing the probability of network failure and the failure impact (in terms of QoS degradation) while optimizing the resource consumption is introduced. A detailed study of MPLS recovery techniques and their GMPLS extensions are also presented. In this scenario, some features for reducing the failure impact and offering minimum failure probabilities at the same time are also analyzed. Novel two-step routing algorithms using this methodology are proposed. Results show that these methods offer high protection levels with optimal resource consumption

Moderating effects of management control systems and innovation on performance. Simple methods for correcting the effects of measurement error for interaction effects in small samples

In the accounting literature, interaction or moderating effects are usually assessed by means of OLS regression and summated rating scales are constructed to reduce measurement error bias. Structural equation models and two-stage least squares regression could be used to completely eliminate this bias, but large samples are needed. Partial Least Squares are appropriate for small samples but do not correct measurement error bias. In this article, disattenuated regression is discussed as a small sample alternative and is illustrated on data of Bisbe and Otley (in press) that examine the interaction effect of innovation and style of use of budgets on performance. Sizeable differences emerge between OLS and disattenuated regression

Trypanosoma cruzi: parasite persistence in tissues in chronic chagasic Brazilian patients

Chagas disease in the chronic phase may develop into cardiac and/or digestive forms. The pathogenesis of the disease is not yet clear and studies have been carried out to elucidate the role of parasite persistence in affected organs. The aim of this study was to detect and quantify Trypanosoma cruzi in paraffin-embedded tissue samples from chronic patients using NPCR (nested polymerase chain reaction) and QPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) methods. These results were correlated to anatomopathological alterations in the heart and gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Of the 23 patients studied, 18 presented the cardiac form and five presented the cardiodigestive form of Chagas disease. DNA samples were randomly isolated from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections of heart and GIT tissue of 23 necropsies and were analyzed through NPCR amplification. T. cruzi DNA was detected by NPCR in 48/56 (85.7%) heart and 35/42 (83.3%) GIT samples from patients with the cardiac form. For patients with the cardiodigestive form, NPCR was positive in 12/14 (85.7%) heart and in 14/14 (100%) GIT samples. QPCR, with an efficiency of 97.6%, was performed in 13 samples (11 from cardiac and 2 from cardiodigestive form) identified previously as positive by NPCR. The number of T. cruzi copies was compared to heart weight and no statistical significance was observed. Additionally, we compared the number of copies in different tissues (both heart and GIT) in six samples from the cardiac form and two samples from the cardiodigestive form. The parasite load observed was proportionally higher in heart tissues from patients with the cardiac form. These results show that the presence of the parasite in tissues is essential to Chagas disease pathogenesis.

Evaluation of RbCl and CrCl3 as markers of Triatoma brasiliensis (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) nymphs: persistence and influence of Rb and Cr on triatomine biology

In order to mark Triatoma brasiliensis, the vector of Chagas disease in Brazil, two chemical compounds, rubidium chloride (RbCl) and chromium chloride (CrCl3), were tested. First, 199 N2-N5 nymphs were fed on blood with 0.025M RbCl. Rb marker positivity ranged from 2.5% (N3)-70% (N2), with a maximum persistence of 98 days. Second, 265 N2-N5 nymphs were fed on blood containing 0.0015M CrCl3. Cr marker positivity ranged up to 93% (N5), with a maximum persistence of 119 days. Finally, we blood fed 213 T. brasiliensis to investigate whether CrCl3 altered the biology of this insect. The developmental time of T. brasiliensis was unaltered, but the survival of the Cr-marked group was lower than that of the control group. Differences in the mean fecundity of the control (mean of 156.1) and experimental (mean of 135.6) groups were not statistically significant and 100% of the egg batches of females Cr-marked as nymphs were positive. In conclusion, CrCl3 is a useful tool for marking T. brasiliensis nymphs due to its high positivity and persistence.

Clinical performance of cervical restorations: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To carry out a meta-analysis in order to assess the influencing factors on retention loss and marginal discoloration of cervical restorations made of composites and glass ionomer (derivates). METHODS: The literature was searched for prospective clinical studies on cervical restorations with an observation period of at least 18 months. RESULTS: Fifty clinical studies involving 40 adhesive systems matched the inclusion criteria. On average, 10% of the cervical fillings were lost and 24% exhibited marginal discoloration after 3 years. The variability ranged from 0% to 50% for retention loss and from 0% to 74% for marginal discoloration. Hardly any secondary caries was detected. When linear mixed models with a study and experiment effect were used, the analysis revealed that the adhesive/restorative class had the most significant influence, with 2-step self-etching adhesive systems performing best and 1-step self-etching adhesive systems performing worst; 3-step etch-and-rinse systems, glass ionomers/resin-modified glass ionomers, 2-step etch-and-rinse systems and polyacid-modified resin composites were ranked in between. Restorations placed in teeth whose dentin/enamel had been prepared/roughened showed a statistically significant higher retention rate than those placed in teeth with unprepared dentin (p<0.05). Beveling of the enamel and the type of isolation used (rubberdam/cotton rolls) had no significant influence. SIGNIFICANCE: The clinical performance of cervical restorations is significantly influenced by the type of adhesive system used and/or the adhesive class to which the system belonged and whether the dentin/enamel is prepared or not. 2-Step self-etching- and 3-step etch&rinse systems shall be chosen over 1-step self-etching systems and glass ionomer derivates. The dentin (and enamel) surface shall be roughened before placement of the restoration.

The persistence of multifocal colonisation by a single ABC genotype of Candida albicans may predict the transition from commensalism to infection

Candida albicans is a common member of the human microbiota and may cause invasive disease in susceptible populations. Several risk factors have been proposed for candidaemia acquisition. Previous Candida multifocal colonisation among hospitalised patients may be crucial for the successful establishment of candidaemia. Nevertheless, it is still not clear whether the persistence or replacement of a single clone of C. albicans in multiple anatomical sites of the organism may represent an additional risk for candidaemia acquisition. Therefore, we prospectively evaluated the dynamics of the colonising strains of C. albicans for two groups of seven critically ill patients: group I included patients colonised by C. albicans in multiple sites who did not develop candidaemia and group II included patients who were colonised and who developed candidaemia. ABC and microsatellite genotyping of 51 strains of C. albicans revealed that patients who did not develop candidaemia were multiply colonised by at least two ABC genotypes of C. albicans, whereas candidaemic patients had highly related microsatellites and the same ABC genotype in colonising and bloodstream isolates that were probably present in different body sites before the onset of candidaemia.

Effect of serum sample inactivation on the performance of latex agglutination test for paracoccidioidomycosis serodiagnosis

Paracoccidioidomycosis is diagnosed from the direct observation of the causative agent, but serology can facilitate and decrease the time required for diagnosis. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of serum sample inactivation on the performance of the latex agglutination test (LAT) for detecting antibodies against Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. The sensitivity of LAT from inactivated or non-inactivated samples was 73% and 83%, respectively and the LAT selectivity was 79% and 90%, respectively. The LAT evaluated here was no more specific than the double-immunodiffusion assay. We suggest the investigation of other methods for improving the LAT, such as the use of deglycosylated antigen.

Basic life support teaching in the second year pregraduate medical curriculum: quality of acquisition after 6 months

Purpose of the study: Basic life support (BLS) and automated externaldefibrillation (AED) represent important skills to be acquired duringpregraduate medical training. Since 3 years, our medical school hasintroduced a BLS-AED course (with certification) for all second yearmedical students. Few reports about quality and persistence over timeof BLS-AED learning are available to date in the medical literature.Comprehensive evaluation of students' acquired skills was performedat the end of the 2008 academic year, 6 month after certification.Materials and methods: The students (N = 142) were evaluated duringa 9 minutes «objective structured clinical examination» (OSCE) station.Out of a standardized scenario, they had to recognize a cardiac arrestsituation and start a resuscitation process. Their performance wererecorded on a PC using an Ambuman(TM) mannequin and the AmbuCPR software kit(TM) during a minimum of 8 cycles (30 compressions:2 ventilations each). BLS parameters were systematically checked. Nostudent-rater interactions were allowed during the whole evaluation.Results: Response of the victim was checked by 99% of the students(N = 140), 96% (N = 136) called for an ambulance and/or an AED. Openthe airway and check breathing were done by 96% (N = 137), 92% (N =132) gave 2 rescue breaths. Pulse was checked by 95% (N=135), 100%(N = 142) begun chest compression, 96% (N = 136) within 1 minute.Chest compression rate was 101 ± 18 per minute (mean ± SD), depthcompression 43 ± 8 mm, 97% (N = 138) respected a compressionventilationratio of 30:2.Conclusions: Quality of BLS skills acquisition is maintained during a6-month period after a BLS-AED certification. Main targets of 2005 AHAguidelines were well respected. This analysis represents one of thelargest evaluations of specific BLS teaching efficiency reported. Furtherfollow-up is needed to control the persistence of these skills during alonger time period and noteworthy at the end of the pregraduatemedical curriculum.

Persistence of experimental Rocio virus infection in the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus)

Rocio virus (ROCV) is an encephalitic flavivirus endemic to Brazil. Experimental flavivirus infections have previously demonstrated a persistent infection and, in this study, we investigated the persistence of ROCV infection in golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). The hamsters were infected intraperitoneally with 9.8 LD50/0.02 mL of ROCV and later anaesthetised and sacrificed at various time points over a 120-day period to collect of blood, urine and organ samples. The viral titres were quantified by real-time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The specimens were used to infect Vero cells and ROCV antigens in the cells were detected by immunefluorescence assay. The levels of antibodies were determined by the haemagglutination inhibition technique. A histopathological examination was performed on the tissues by staining with haematoxylin-eosin and detecting viral antigens by immunohistochemistry (IHC). ROCV induced a strong immune response and was pathogenic in hamsters through neuroinvasion. ROCV was recovered from Vero cells exposed to samples from the viscera, brain, blood, serum and urine and was detected by qRT-PCR in the brain, liver and blood for three months after infection. ROCV induced histopathological changes and the expression of viral antigens, which were detected by IHC in the liver, kidney, lung and brain up to four months after infection. These findings show that ROCV is pathogenic to golden hamsters and has the capacity to cause persistent infection in animals after intraperitoneal infection.

The performance of laboratory tests in the management of a large outbreak of orally transmitted Chagas disease

Orally transmitted Chagas disease (ChD), which is a well-known entity in the Brazilian Amazon Region, was first documented in Venezuela in December 2007, when 103 people attending an urban public school in Caracas became infected by ingesting juice that was contaminated with Trypanosoma cruzi. The infection occurred 45-50 days prior to the initiation of the sampling performed in the current study. Parasitological methods were used to diagnose the first nine symptomatic patients; T. cruzi was found in all of them. However, because this outbreak was managed as a sudden emergency during Christmas time, we needed to rapidly evaluate 1,000 people at risk, so we decided to use conventional serology to detect specific IgM and IgG antibodies via ELISA as well as indirect haemagglutination, which produced positive test results for 9.1%, 11.9% and 9.9% of the individuals tested, respectively. In other more restricted patient groups, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) provided more sensitive results (80.4%) than blood cultures (16.2%) and animal inoculations (11.6%). Although the classical diagnosis of acute ChD is mainly based on parasitological findings, highly sensitive and specific serological techniques can provide rapid results during large and severe outbreaks, as described herein. The use of these serological techniques allows prompt treatment of all individuals suspected of being infected, resulting in reduced rates of morbidity and mortality.

Performance de l'estimation du poids foetal par echographie pour les foetus < or = 2000 g et les macrosomes (> or = 4000 g) [Performance of ultrasound estimation of fetal weight in fetuses weighing < or = 2000 g and more than 4000 g].

Decreasing perinatal morbidity and mortality is one of the main goals of obstetrics. Prognosis of preterm births depends on gestational age and birthweight. Multidisciplinary management is discussed with the parents according to these two parameters. In other circumstances, a suspected macrosomy will influence the management of the last weeks of pregnancy. Induction of labor or Cesarean delivery will be considered to avoid shoulder dystocia, brachial plexus injury or perinatal asphyxia. Birthweight needs to be estimated with accuracy, and this article describes the efficiency of various ultrasound weight estimation formulae for small and large fetuses.

Music performance anxiety among full-time music students

Introduction Music performance anxiety (MPA, often referred to as "stage fright") is one of the leading severe medical problems among musicians. For about 15-25% of musicians MPA is a serious problem. Particularly high levels of MPA are observed among music students. Musical performance can induce negative emotions, including anxiety, which in some individuals can approach extreme levels of terror and take the form of panic attack, impair the quality of the performance, lead to avoidance of performance situations, and consequently have debilitating effects on the career. Coping efforts used by musicians in their attempts to manage MPA, such as sedatives, alcohol, and β-blockers can have deleterious health side-effects. Music ranks high in the cultural and economic life of Switzerland. In ten university music schools, students from all around the world are educated to become professional musicians. Despite the importance of musical education in Switzerland, data concerning the phenomenon of MPA are largely lacking. Goal and Methods The main goal of this research was to survey the occurrence, experience, and management of MPA among full-time music students in French Swiss conservatories. A questionnaire was developed based on the literature and interviews with music students and teachers and distributed to all the students of the conservatories of Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, and Neuchâtel in the spring 2007. 194 students (61% women) returned the questionnaire. Results The size of the problem: MPA is a major problem for 1/3 of the students (ranks 3 and 4). The consequences of MPA: 22% and 35% of the students think that they have failed exams and auditions, respectively, because of MPA. Further, 25% of the students have already avoided performing and 11% have interrupted public performances because of MPA. Coping with MPA: 90% of the students have never used alcohol prior to performing, whereas 97% and 81%, respectively, have never used recreation drugs and medication. The majority of students use relaxation exercises, respiratory exercises, and meditation techniques to prepare themselves. About ¾ of the students think that the use of alcohol and recreational drugs to manage MPA is never justified. 53% of the students think that the use of medication is justified on some occasions. Need for information and support: 66% of the students would like to receive more support and help to cope with music performance situations. This support should mainly come from their teachers and specialists. 53% of the students know nothing or little about possible means for the management of MPA. About 50% consider themselves not at all or little informed about the possible risks associated with the consumption of alcohol, recreational drugs, and medication for the management of performance situations. 89% would like to know more about MPA and 94% think that this topic should be discussed much more in their musical education at the conservatory. Conclusions The results of this survey indicate that MPA is a major problem for 1/3 of the students with serious consequences on their career. There is a huge need for more information and support on how to manage the stress due to performance situations. The use of alcohol, recreational drugs, and medication is modest but the students are poorly informed about possible side-effects of these coping strategies. It seems clear that more should be done in the French Swiss conservatories about music performance anxiety to inform, educate, and prepare the students for their future professional career.