Analysis of serious non-AIDS events among HIV-infected adults at Latin American sites

Acquired immune deficiency appears to be associated with serious non-AIDS (SNA)-defining conditions such as cardiovascular disease, liver and renal insufficiency and non-AIDS-related malignancies. We analysed the incidence of, and factors associated with, several SNA events in the LATINA retrospective cohort.

Cross-cultural examination of the structure of the Revised American Pain Society Patient Outcome Questionnaire (APS-POQ-R)

This study investigated the cross-cultural factor stability and internal consistency of the Revised American Pain Society Patient Outcome Questionnaire (APS-POQ-R); a measure of the quality of postoperative pain management employed internationally. We conducted exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of APS-POQ-R data from two point-prevalence studies comprising 268 and 311 surveys of Danish and Australian medical-surgical patients. Parallel analysis indicated four and three factor solutions for Danish and Australian patients respectively, which accounted for 58.1% and 52.9% of variance. Internal consistency was unsatisfactory among both Danish (Cronbach α=.54) and Australian (Cronbach α=.63) cohorts. There was a high degree of between-group similarity in item-factor loadings of variables coded as "pain experience", but not "pain management". This reflected cross-cultural differences in ratings of treatment satisfaction. For Danish patients, satisfaction was associated with the degree of pain severity and activity interference whereas for Australian patients, satisfaction was associated with their perceived ability to participate in treatment. To facilitate further cross-cultural comparison, we compared our findings to past research conducted in the U.S. and Iceland. EFA supported the construct validity of the APS-POQ-R as a measure of "pain experience", but indicated that items measuring "pain management" may vary cross-culturally. Findings highlighted the need for further validation of the APS-POQ-R internationally. PERSPECTIVE: This study revealed the APS-POQ-R as a valid measure of postoperative pain experience for Danish and Australian patients. Measures of patients' perception of pain management were not robust to group differences in treatment expectations and demonstrated cross-cultural instability. Results highlighted difficulties in establishing stable cross-cultural, cross-population subscales for the APS-POQ-R.

Benefits of education at the intensive margin: childhood academic performance and adult outcomes among American immigrants

Using the Children of the Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS), we examine the associationbetween education at the intensive margin and twenty pecuniary and non-pecuniary adultoutcomes among first- and second-generation American immigrant youth. Education at theintensive margin is measured by two widely used standardized math and reading test scores,national percentile rankings on these tests and cumulative grade point average (GPA) in bothmiddle and high school. Our findings provide evidence that the academic achievement ofimmigrant children in early adolescence is an accurate predictor of later life outcomes. Wealso examine a novel hypothesis that relative academic performance of immigrant children inhigh school compared to middle school, which could be an indicator of change in adolescentaspirations and motivation as well as the degree of adaptation and assimilation to the hostcountry, has an effect on their adult outcomes even after controlling for the levels ofacademic performance in middle and high school. The results suggest that an improvementin GPA from middle school to high school is associated with favorable adult outcomes.Several sensitivity tests confirm the robustness of main findings.

Brutalism, metabolism and its American parallel : encounters in Skopje and in the architecture of Georgi Konstantinovski

Abstract Massive, raw concrete structures – the likes of the Telecommunications Building (1972–81) by Janko Konstantinov; the campus of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University (1974) by Marko Musˇicˇ; the National Hydraulic Institute (1972) by Krsto Todorovski; and the Bank Complex (1970) by R. Lalovik and O. Papesˇ – have led to the production of an enduring monumental presence and helped inspire Skopje’s title as the “Brutalist capital of the world”. These works followed Kenzo Tange’s introduction of Japanese Metabolism to Skopje through his role in the 1965 United Nations sponsored reconstruction competition. The unique position of a Non-Aligned Yugoslavia staged and facilitated architectural and professional exchange during the Cold War. Each trajectory and manifestation illustrates the complex picture of international architectural exchange and local production. Skopje and its numerous Brutalist edifices is an elucidative story, because it represents a meeting point between Brutalism, Metabolism and its American parallel. This article discusses, in particular, the Skopje Archive Building (1966) and the “Goce Delcˇev” Student Dormitory (1969) – two buildings designed by the architect Georgi Konstantinovski, realised on his return from a Masters program at Yale University and employment within I. M. Pei’s New York office. Their architecture illustrates the simultaneous preoccupations of leading architects at the time in regaining a conceptual ground made explicit through a complete and apprehensible image. From this particular position, the article explores the question of ethics and aesthetics central to Banham’s outline of the “New Brutalism”.

Beyond interdependence: Economic security and Sino-American-Australian trilateralism

Chinas economic and politico-military development is placing considerable strain on the established framework of the trilateral relationship between itself, the United States, and Australia. Specifically, Chinas rise is generating security concerns that are politicizing economic relations between the three states. A more guarded approach to economic collaboration will transform trilateralism, which up to now has been characterized by the scope allowed for the discrete pursuit of security and economic relations. This will force political authorities to carefully consider their policy priorities and further strain relations between the states, as well as supporting a more cautious approach to China on the part of the United States and Australia.

Volatility dynamics in the term structure of Latin American sovereign international bonds

We examine the nature of volatility dynamics in the term structure of sovereign bonds issued in international markets by major Latin American countries. Focusing only on the U.S. dollar-denominated sovereign international bonds, this study shows the heterogeneous nature of volatility effects that affect the term structure of individual countries in Latin America. Considering the significance of the Argentine credit event in the region, we also account for any change in dynamics following the Argentine default in 2001 by subsampling the pre- and postdefault windows. We also find some evidence of liquidity-driven volatility interaction in the term structure.

Invasive Aquatic Invasion: The Spread of Variable Leaf Milfoil in Maine

Variable leaf milfoil, Myriophyllum heterophyllum, has been present in Maine since 1970. We created an analysis area including seventeen infestation sites and all bodies of water within a forty mile buffer. We also eliminated all water locations with a size less than 7,101 km2, the size of the smallest infestation site, Shagg Pond. Within those specifications we randomly selected seventeen un-infested bodies of water and used them as our uncontaminated sample. We looked for relationships between presence and number of boat launches, and proximity to a populated area. Using the Mann-Whitney test, we compared the sample size of non-infested lakes to the infested lakes. We found there was no significant difference in all three variables on the infestation of variable leaf milfoil.

Wind Power in Maine: Balancing Conservation and Energy Production

An expedited permitting area has been created to facilitate the development of wind power projects in Maine. The purpose of this project was to investigate the impact of removing areas of conservation interest from the expedited permitting area. We found that the removal of these areas impacts the total wind potential of the state, in an amount proportional to the size of the area removed. The impact on the total wind potential ranged from 0.46-29.0% decrease, depending on the calculation scenario used. These findings may have implications for future policy decisions concerning wind power development.

Possible Migration Routes Through Maine by Vernal Migrants

In this study we evaluate the possibility of two routes of migration into the state of Maine. The first possible route would be for migrants to continue along the coast, north of the Maine/New Hampshire border, and later swinging inland across the interior. The second path is for migrants who come up the east coast and straight into Maine, spreading across the state as they move north. In order to evaluate these possible routes we utilize a citizen-science project that measures the spring arrival dates of migrants according to the biophysical regions of Maine (Wilson 2007). Independent t-Tests and maps indicate that there is a trend of birds continuing along the coast before moving inland; six of the nine species show this pattern. Of the nine birds studied, only the eastern phoebe showed a significant trend of moving directly inland and moving across the state. Two birds show non-significant patterns of migration which could indicate insufficient data, or random migration patterns. The results are not conclusive because several of the biophysical regions have less reporting, and so the relationships among regions regarding arrival dates are skewed. Continued data collection and analysis is recommended.