Investment intermediaries in economic development: Linking public pension funds to urban revitalization

It is difficult for large investors, such as pension funds, to make investments in EDMs because they must make very large investments. The investments in communities of need, however, are usually small. The most successful strategy to overcome these two problems is for investors to work in concert with intermediaries that can aggregate the investments and community partners that understand both the need of communities and know how to tell “the story” to investors.

Validating a network hub in leukaemia stem cells

No abstract available

Analgesic prescribing trends in a national sample of older veterans with osteoarthritis: 2012-2017

Few investigations examine patterns of opioid and nonopioid analgesic prescribing and concurrent pain intensity ratings before and after institution of safer prescribing programs such as the October 2013 Veterans Health Administration system-wide Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI) implementation. We conducted a quasi-experimental pre–post observational study of all older U.S. veterans (≥50 years old) with osteoarthritis of the knee or hip. All associated outpatient analgesic prescriptions and outpatient pain intensity ratings from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2016, were analyzed with segmented regression of interrupted time series. Standardized monthly rates for each analgesic class (total, opioid, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, acetaminophen, and other study analgesics) were analyzed with segmented negative binomial regression models with overall slope, step, and slope change. Similarly, segmented linear regression was used to analyze pain intensity ratings and percentage of those reporting pain. All models were additionally adjusted for age, sex, and race. Before OSI implementation, total analgesic prescriptions showed a steady rise, abruptly decreasing to a flat trajectory after OSI implementation. This trend was primarily due to a decrease in opioid prescribing after OSI. Total prescribing after OSI implementation was partially compensated by continuing increased prescribing of other study analgesics as well as a significant rise in acetaminophen prescriptions (post-OSI). No changes in nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug prescribing were seen. A small rise in the percentage of those reporting pain but not mean pain intensity ratings continued over the study period with no changes associated with OSI. Changes in analgesic prescribing trends were not paralleled by changes in reported pain intensity for older veterans with osteoarthritis

A review of legal and policy constraints to aquaculture in the US northeast

Throughout the northeastern United States, aquaculture operators face a wide variety of laws and regulations that govern the manner in which they plan, site, and operate aquaculture facilities. Many local, state, and federal laws and regulations have been designed to enable aquaculture to exist as a viable industry and to flourish. It is obvious that aquaculture cannot be conducted in the absence of a legal system that establishes property rights, provides a means for the enforcement of these rights, and ensures the safety of the product for consumers. Although a legal framework is necessary for aquaculture to exist as an industry, there are many instances where uninformed, outdated, or inappropriate regulatory regimes impede aquaculture development (DoC 1999; MCZM 1995; Ewart et al. 1995; Rychlak and Peel 1993; Bye 1990; DeVoe and Mount 1989; Kennedy and Breisch 1983; NRC 1978). Inconsistencies in the law can lead to an uncertain legal environment for aquaculturists.1 Regulators are put in the conflicting position of promoting the development of the industry and regulating its effect on other uses of the land and sea (DeVoe 1999; NRC 1992). Operators are sometimes forced to undertake activities while lacking adequate information or a complete understanding of laws and regulations. Conflicts and concerns often may be left unresolved until an issue is brought before an adjudicatory body. Legal constraints such as these detract from the stability and certainty that otherwise would facilitate sustainable aquaculture development, slowing or halting the growth of the industry, or perhaps even leading to its decline. Such constraints make the statements quoted above as true today as they were 35 years ago. Policies that both facilitate and constrain aquaculture have been reviewed by a number of commentators (McCoy 2000; Brennan 1999; Barr 1997; Reiser and Bunsick 1999; Reiser 1997; Hopkins et al. 1997; Rychlak and Peel 1993; Eichenberg and Vestal 1992; Wildsmith 1982; Kane 1970). In 1981, the US Fish and Wildlife Service sponsored a comprehensive review of aquaculture regulation across the nation (the “Aspen Report”). The report’s authors identified at least 120 federal laws that, at that time, either directly (50 laws) or indirectly (70 laws) affected aquaculture. Further, the authors found more than 1,200 statutes regulating aquaculture in 32 states (ASC 1981). An important finding of the Aspen Report was that aquaculture businesses must obtain at least 30 permits, on average, in order to site and operate their businesses. McCoy (2000) concludes from his review of the Aspen Report and other studies that aquaculture may be the most highly regulated industry in America.2 In its responses to periodic surveys of constraining factors, the industry seems to agree with McCoy by consistently ranking legal and regulatory constraints near the top of the list of factors. Wypyszinszki et al. (1992) begin to assemble the body of law relating to marine aquaculture in the US Northeast, although their work remains unfinished due to insufficient resources. A number of excellent analyses emerged from that effort, including a study of the public trust doctrine by Eichenberg and Vestal (1992) and a study of “reverse regulation” of the oyster industry in Long Island Sound.3 Here we examine a range of aquaculture policies in an effort to identify those laws and regulations that may impede development unnecessarily within the northeastern United States. Through a survey of industry and government officials and a review of the literature, we find that specific laws and policies or the absence of laws and policies can be argued to impose constraints on growth in certain segments of the industry.Funding was provided by the Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center through Grant number 98-38500-5917 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperative State, Research, Education, and Extension Service (USDA-CSREES)

More Money, More Trust? Target and Observer Differences in the Effectiveness of Financial Overcompensation to Restore Trust.

Recent research revealed that despite its financial costs, overcompensation is not more effective to restore trust in the perpetrator than equal compensation. In a lab experiment (N = 115), we compared the effects of these compensation sizes for both targets of the compensation and noninvolved observers. It was revealed that overcompensation did not yield superior outcomes than equal compensation. Specifically, for targets overcompensation resulted in lower levels of trust than equal compensation, while for observers equal compensation and overcompensation resulted in similar levels of trust. This finding suggests that overcompensation is not a cost-effective trust repair strategy, neither for the targets nor for third party observers. Other implications are discussed as well

Duration of Posttraumatic Amnesia Predicts Neuropsychological and Global Outcome in Complicated Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVES: Examine the effects of posttraumatic amnesia (PTA) duration on neuropsychological and global recovery from 1 to 6 months after complicated mild traumatic brain injury (cmTBI). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 330 persons with cmTBI defined as Glasgow Coma Scale score of 13 to 15 in emergency department, with well-defined abnormalities on neuroimaging. METHODS: Enrollment within 24 hours of injury with follow-up at 1, 3, and 6 months. MEASURES: Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended, California Verbal Learning Test II, and Controlled Oral Word Association Test. Duration of PTA was retrospectively measured with structured interview at 30 days postinjury. RESULTS: Despite all having a Glasgow Coma Scale Score of 13 to 15, a quarter of the sample had a PTA duration of greater than 7 days; half had PTA duration of 1 of 7 days. Both cognitive performance and Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale outcomes were strongly associated with time since injury and PTA duration, with those with PTA duration of greater than 1 week showing residual moderate disability at 6-month assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Findings reinforce importance of careful measurement of duration of PTA to refine outcome prediction and allocation of resources to those with cmTBI. Future research would benefit from standardization in computed tomographic criteria and use of severity indices beyond Glasgow Coma Scale to characterize cmTBI