Washington Pension System Review

The purpose of this study is to analyze the incidence of Total Permanent Disability (TPD)pensions in Washington State's workers' compensation program. Concerns exist at both thelegislature and in the Department of Labor and Industries as there appears to have been a sharp upturn in the number of pensions awarded since late in the 1990s. This report examines the factors that may be causally related to any upsurge in such awards. Our task is to evaluate pension incidence for both the state fund and the self-insured populations, with a view towards identifying causes of the trend in both sectors, although we concentrate more on the state fund Cclaims due to data limitations

Correspondence of maternal and paternal perception of school-aged children’s sleep with in-home sleep- electroencephalography and diary-reports of children’s sleep

Objective: Parents are often the first to report children’s sleep difficulties. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the accuracy of parent reports by examining the correspondence of maternal and paternal reports of children’s sleep with in-home electroencephalography (EEG) sleep assessment and sleep diary reports. Methods: A total of 143 children (57 formerly very preterm born children) aged 7–12 years underwent one night of in-home sleep-EEG, mothers and fathers reported children’s sleep-related behavior by using the German version of the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire, and children and parents together completed a sleep diary of children’s sleep. Results: Less EEG-derived total sleep time (TST) was associated with increased mother questionnaire reports of sleep duration problems, while less sleep efficiency (SE) and longer sleep onset latency (SOL) were associated with increased mother questionnaire reports of sleep onset delay. For fathers, only longer SOL was related to increased father questionnaire reports of sleep onset delay. The above-mentioned associations did not change with children’s increasing age and did not differ for boys and girls. More parent questionnaire reports of sleep duration problems, sleep onset delay, and night wakings were related to shorter diary-reports of sleep duration, increased sleep latency, and more nocturnal awakenings, respectively. Conclusions: Mother questionnaire reports of children’s sleep corresponded moderately with objective measures of TST, SE, and SOL assessed with in-home sleep-EEG. Both mother and father questionnaire reports of children’s sleep duration problems, sleep onset delay, and night wakings were related to diary- reports of children’s sleep

A Phase I/IIA Clinical Study With A Chimeric Mouse-Human Monoclonal Antibody To The V3 Loop Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Gp120

A phase I/IIA clinical trial with the chimeric mouse-human monoclonal antibody CGP 47 439 to the principal neutralization determinant in the V3 region of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) strain IIIB envelope protein gp 120 is reported. The trial was an uncontrolled single-center, open-label, multidose tolerability, immunogenicity, and pharmacokinetic study in homosexual men with advanced HIV disease. Patient groups were formed on the basis of the reactivity of the antibody with the gp 120 of their HIV-1 isolates. Intravenous infusions of 1, 10, and 25 mg of antibody were followed by seven escalated doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg, every 3 weeks. The antibody was well tolerated; no toxicity was observed. Some patients showed a transient but insignificant antibody response to the antibody with no apparent adverse reactions or accelerated elimination of it. Substantial serum levels of the antibody were maintained with a mean t1/2β of 8-16 days. A virus burden reduction was observed in some patient

Formative Assessment to Support Students’ Competences in Inquiry-Based Science Education

Inquiry-based education has been part of innovative science teaching for the last few decades. With the competence orientation now underlying many national curricula, one of the emerging questions is how the development of student competences can be fostered in the context of inquiry-based science education. One approach to supporting students in their learning is formative assessment, which is, however, not frequently used in a structured way in daily teaching practice. The aim of this study therefore is to explore what kinds of measures might support science teachers in implementing formative assessment activities in their inquiry-based education. For this, firstly, we investigated the challenges that occur on a classroom level when using formative assessment methods in inquiry-based science education from teachers’ perspectives. Secondly, we analyzed the teachers’ suggestions on measures of support. Based on the respective results, this paper discusses implications for an implementation of structured formative assessment in inquiry-based science education to enhance student competences

Food Control by Government Laboratories: Innovation, Flexibility, and No Restrictions by Reglementation

Part of the work carried out by the government laboratories is devoted to permanent control of some critical foods and involves well-established and standardized methods. Another part, however, particularly the detection of frauds or poor manufacturing practices, presupposes advanced analytical techniques and flexible politics: an agile sense for hot subjects must be combined with good contacts providing the important information and innovative method development to find ways to obtain the evidence required. As shown for examples, ever new methods and approaches are needed, because the fraud and the negligent worker rapidly adjust to the methods applied for the control – in the end, the analysis may even protect a well arranged fraud. The swindler needs certainty about what the government chemists analyze and what methods they apply, and is, therefore, interested in paralyzing the work of the control, e.g. by requiring that only methods approved by time-consuming procedures are accepted by the court. The control must try to surprise and to create commotion, keeping everyone alert

EUROMON: The multi-country model of De Nederlandsche Bank

This Occasional Study wraps up the modelling work that has been done in recent years regarding DNB’s multi-country model EUROMON. It offers a description of the current version of the model and provides information about its simulation properties through the analysis of variety of standard scenarios. EUROMON is an estimated multi-country model. The current version includes 13 individual country models plus a trade block providing the international linkages between these countries. The 13 countries are the EMU-participants Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Finland, the EU-countries of the United Kingdom, Sweden and Denmark, plus the United States and Japan. The country models all share the same basic structure. Differences mainly relate to distinct values of model parameters and speeds of adjustment, and in some cases to slightly different specifications of equations in order to allow for specific institutional features of individual countries. EUROMON is a neo-Keynesian model in spirit, combining a vertical supply curve in the long run with an important role for demand factors in the short-run determination of output. The model incorporates a wage bargaining framework which makes the long-run supply curve dependent on real factors, such as tax policies. EUROMON is an aggregate model, with no further breakdown in sectors or categories of goods and services. The current version of the model is backward-looking. The study concludes by addressing the main shortcomings and strong features of the model that require further attention

EUROMON: The multi-country model of De Nederlandsche Bank

This Occasional Study wraps up the modelling work that has been done in recent years regarding DNB’s multi-country model EUROMON. It offers a description of the current version of the model and provides information about its simulation properties through the analysis of variety of standard scenarios. EUROMON is an estimated multi-country model. The current version includes 13 individual country models plus a trade block providing the international linkages between these countries. The 13 countries are the EMU-participants Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Finland, the EU-countries of the United Kingdom, Sweden and Denmark, plus the United States and Japan. The country models all share the same basic structure. Differences mainly relate to distinct values of model parameters and speeds of adjustment, and in some cases to slightly different specifications of equations in order to allow for specific institutional features of individual countries. EUROMON is a neo-Keynesian model in spirit, combining a vertical supply curve in the long run with an important role for demand factors in the short-run determination of output. The model incorporates a wage bargaining framework which makes the long-run supply curve dependent on real factors, such as tax policies. EUROMON is an aggregate model, with no further breakdown in sectors or categories of goods and services. The current version of the model is backward-looking. The study concludes by addressing the main shortcomings and strong features of the model that require further attention

Patient preferences and willingness-to-pay for a home or clinic based program of chronic heart failure management: findings from the which? trial

BACKGROUND Beyond examining their overall cost-effectiveness and mechanisms of effect, it is important to understand patient preferences for the delivery of different modes of chronic heart failure management programs (CHF-MPs). We elicited patient preferences around the characteristics and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for a clinic or home-based CHF-MP. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS A Discrete Choice Experiment was completed by a sub-set of patients (n = 91) enrolled in the WHICH? trial comparing home versus clinic-based CHF-MP. Participants provided 5 choices between hypothetical clinic and home-based programs varying by frequency of nurse consultations, nurse continuity, patient costs, and availability of telephone or education support. Participants (aged 71±13 yrs, 72.5% male, 25.3% NYHA class III/IV) displayed two distinct preference classes. A latent class model of the choice data indicated 56% of participants preferred clinic delivery, access to group CHF education classes, and lower cost programs (p<0.05). The remainder preferred home-based CHF-MPs, monthly rather than weekly visits, and access to a phone advice service (p<0.05). Continuity of nurse contact was consistently important. No significant association was observed between program preference and participant allocation in the parent trial. WTP was estimated from the model and a dichotomous bidding technique. For those preferring clinic, estimated WTP was ≈AU$9-20 per visit; however for those preferring home-based programs, WTP varied widely (AU$15-105). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Patient preferences for CHF-MPs were dichotomised between a home-based model which is more likely to suit older patients, those who live alone, and those with a lower household income; and a clinic-based model which is more likely to suit those who are more socially active and wealthier. To optimise the delivery of CHF-MPs, health care services should consider their patients’ preferences when designing CHF-MPs.Jennifer A. Whitty, Simon Stewart, Melinda J. Carrington, Alicia Calderone, Thomas Marwick, John D. Horowitz, Henry Krum, Patricia M. Davidson, Peter S. Macdonald, Christopher Reid, Paul A. Scuffha

Genetic test to stop smoking (GeTSS) trial protocol: randomised controlled trial of a genetic test (Respiragene) and Auckland formula to assess lung cancer risk

Background: A gene-based estimate of lung cancer risk in smokers has been shown to act as a smoking cessation motivator in hospital recruited subjects. The objective of this trial is to determine if this motivator is as effective in subjects recruited from an NHS primary care unit. Method/Design: Subjects will be recruited by mailings using smoking entries on the GP electronic data-base (total practice population = 32,048) to identify smokers who may want to quit. Smoking cessation clinics based on medical centre premises will run for eight weeks. Clinics will be randomised to have the gene-based test for estimation of lung cancer risk or to act as controls groups. The primary endpoint will be smoking cessation at eight weeks and six months. Secondary outcomes will include ranking of the gene-based test with other smoking cessation motivators. Discussion: The results will inform as to whether the gene-based test is both effective as motivator and acceptable to subjects recruited from primary care. Trial registration: Registered with Clinical Trials.gov, Registration number: NCT01176383