173 research outputs found
Transformations Groups of the Andersson-Perlman Cone
No full text. An Andersson-Perlman cone is a certain subcone\Omega\Gamma K) of the symmetric cone\Omega of a Euclidean Jordan algebra. We exhibit a subgroup of the automorphism group of\Omega which operates transitively on \Omega\Gamma K) and show that \Omega\Gamma K) is a simply-connected submanifold of\Omega . 1. Introduction. Andersson-Perlman cones in the setting of Euclidean Jordan algebras (henceforth abbreviated as AP cones) were introduced by H. Massam and the author in [MN] as a generalization of certain cones defined by the statisticians S. A. Andersson and M. D. Perlman for real symmetric matrices [AP]. All mathematical results in [AP] were generalized in [MN] to the setting of Euclidean Jordan algebras, except the existence of transitive transformation groups which play a predominant role in the development in [AP]. In fact, the paper [MN] stresses a different, perhaps more direct approach to the description of Andersson-Perlman cones by employing Peirce decompositions and Frobeniu..
Massive Cellular Angiofibroma of the Vulva
No full textCellular angiofibromas of the vulva are uncommon, and usually small and circumscribed. A massive cellular angiofibroma extending into the pelvis is described.Peer reviewe
Report on the International Public Management Network Research Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
No full textThe paper reports on the 2004 Conference of the International Public Management Network "Third Generation Reform in Brazil and Other Nations: Achieving Governmental, Social and Economic Realignment" . The author, a rapporteur at that Conference, offers his view about the critical elements presented by the different speakers, and recaps some suggestions aimed at ensuring a higher success of reform of whatever generation
Drinking in transition: trends in alcohol consumption in Russia 1994-2004.
No full textBACKGROUND: Heavy alcohol consumption is widespread in Russia, but studying changes in drinking during the transition from Communism has been hampered previously by the lack of frequent data. This paper uses 1-2 yearly panel data, comparing consumption trends with the rapid concurrent changes in economic variables (notably around the "Rouble crisis", shortly preceding the 1998 survey round), and mortality. METHODS: Data were from 9 rounds (1994-2004) of the 38-centre Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey. Respondents aged over 18 were included (>7,000 per round). Trends were measured in alcohol frequency, quantity per occasion (by beverage type) and 2 measures of potentially hazardous consumption: (i) frequent, heavy spirit drinking (≥80 g per occasion of vodka or samogon and >weekly) (ii) consuming samogon (cheap home-distilled spirit). Trends in consumption, mean household income and national mortality rates (in the same and subsequent 2 years) were compared. Finally, in a subsample of individual male respondents present in both the 1996 and 1998 rounds (before and after the financial crash), determinants of changes in harmful consumption were studied using logistic regression. RESULTS: Frequent, heavy spirit drinking (>80 g each time, ≥weekly) was widespread amongst men (12-17%) throughout, especially in the middle aged and less educated; with the exception of a significant, temporary drop to 10% in 1998. From 1996-2000, samogon drinking more than doubled, from 6% to 16% of males; despite a decline, levels were significantly higher in 2004 than 1996 in both sexes. Amongst women, frequent heavy spirit drinking rose non-significantly to more than 1% during the study. Heavy frequent male drinking and mortality in the same year were correlated in lower educated males, but not in women. Individual logistic regression in a male subsample showed that between 1996 and1998, those who lost their employment were more likely to cease frequent, heavy drinking; however, men who commenced drinking samogon in 1998 were more likely to be rural residents, materially poor, very heavy drinkers or pessimistic about their finances. These changes were unexplained by losses to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Sudden economic decline in late 1990s Russia was associated with a sharp, temporary fall in heavy drinking, and a gradual and persistent increase in home distilled spirit consumption, with the latter more common amongst disadvantaged groups. The correlation between heavy drinking and national mortality in lower educated men is interesting, but the timing of RLMS surveys late in the calendar year, and the absence of any correlation between drinking and the subsequent year's mortality, makes these data hard to interpret. Potential study limitations include difficulty in measuring multiple beverages consumed per occasion, and not specifically recording "surrogate" (non-beverage) alcohols
La théorie de Selig Perlman : une étude critique
No full textL'auteur analyse du point de vue méthodologique et du point de vue substantif la thèse exposée par Selig Perlman dans« A Theory of the Labor Movement ». Il en examine la consistance intrinsèque, l’utilité et les faiblesses. Il conclut que la théorie de Perlman est fondamentalement une apologie anti-marxiste dirigée principalement contre des propositions de Lénine. Une telle approche apporte une conception incomplète et normative du phénomène syndical. C'est pourquoi la thèse de Perlman demeure au niveau de généralisations dont l’utilité est limitée. En effet, considérant la base de la solidarité, les buts, les méthodes et les comportements syndicaux, elle ne fournit qu'une explication partielle, parfois subjective, des diverses composantes de faction syndicale.In this article, the author provides a systematic and detailed analysis of the theory of Selig Perlman, and submits it to a critical evaluation, both in terms of methodology and substance. The following is a brief outline of Perlman's approach.In his methodology, Perlman relies on three analytical elements: 1) three factors: the Power of subsistence of the capitalist system, the degree of influence of intellectuals upon organized labor, the level of maturity of the working class;2) three characteristics: the strength of the institution of private ownership, the degree of class consciousness among labor, the inadequacy of political tools;3) the psychology of manual labor.The essence of Perlman's theory may be outlined in the following manner. At the basis of labor solidarity is « the consciousness of scarcity of opportunity ». This explains why the role of trade unions is to control job opportunities; « job control » is based on « job interests ». For this purpose economic action, through collective agreements and strikes, appears to be the most effective approach. Political action may play, at best, a supplementary role. This approach is bound to lead to equality in industrial relations and to democratization in the economic structure; this may be attained without going through class warfare and without introducing a socialist or a communist system.A critical analysis of Perlman's theory brings out a number of points of methodological character:a) Essentially, the theory is an anti-Marxist apology of the stability of the capitalist system, mainly directed against the position of Lenin. At the basis of the divergence between Perlman and Lenin is the different evaluation of the role of the « intelligentsia ».b) Despite Perlman's claim to the contrary, he provides only a partial definition of trade unionism. This definition presents a scheme for a specific functional model; only through extension by means of a normative projection it becomes a general model for a true trade unionism.c) The analytical variables are not independent one from another, and because of this their interrelation cannot be significant. The three factors are defined, in part, each one by means of the others. The three characteristics are a descriptive elaboration of the three factors within the American context. Psychological categories are implicit in the definition of the third factor.d) The depreciatory concept of the « intelligentsia » reflects a subjective and biased approach to the problem of leadership in trade unionism. According to Perlman's definition, leaders who rose from the ranks of labor represent the concept of a « stable and responsible » trade unionism; in contrast, intellectuals, that is, « educated non-manualists », who enter the labor world introduce with them radicalism and revolutionary program of action, or advocate political action within trade unionism, in terms of Perlman's definition.With regard to the substance of Perlman's theory, this writer suggests the following points for consideration:a) The psychological approach ( « the consciousness of scarcity of opportunities »), despite some inconsistencies in definition and despite the fact that it may be regarded as typical for a particular group only, provides room for some useful generalizations; yet these generalizations are of limited character and cannot lead to theoretical conclusions. They reflect one element in workers' motivation to join the union and to support its activities. This element, in itself, cannot explain the process of labor organization, nor the occupational and territorial differentiation in the degree of unionization. Moreover, its origin is in the assumption of a state of chronic underemployment — a condition which is least favorable to labor solidarity.b) The concept of « job control » is related exclusively to occupational goals.c) Perlman sees in the joint system of control the most advantageous alternative; in his view, the autonomous system of control has no advantages, and control by external factors has an entirely secondary significance. By emphasizing collective negotiations he grossly underrestimates the importance of various forms of mutual assistance. Also, Perlman was not able, unfortunately, to provide a clear distinction between political activities of non-occupational character (revolutionary and other) and the utilization of political levers as a supplementary tool in realization of occupational and semi-occupational goals.d) The idealistic concept of « parity » in industrial relations cannot be ignored. Its eventual realization will call for a framework different from that provided by Perlman; under modem conditions the solution for existing problems often cannot be found on local level and has to rely on the dynamic intervention of a new interested party — the state
Determinants of self rated health and mortality in Russia - are they the same?
No full textBACKGROUND: Research into Russia's health crisis during the 1990s includes studies of both mortality and self-rated health, assuming that the determinants of the two are the same. In this paper, we tested this assumption, using data from a single study on both outcomes and socioeconomic, lifestyle and psychological predictor variables. METHODS: We analysed data from 7 rounds (1994-2001) of the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey, a panel study of a general population sample (11,482 adults aged over 18 living in households of 2 or more people). Self-rated health was measured on a 5 point scale and dichotomised by combining responses "very poor" and "poor" into poor health. Deaths (n = 782) during a mean follow up of 4.1 years were reported by another household member. Associations between several predictor variables and poor or very poor self-rated health and mortality were measured using logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards analysis respectively. RESULTS: Poor self-rated health was significantly associated with mortality; hazard ratios, compared with very good, good or average health, were 1.69 (1.36-2.10) in men and 1.74 (1.38-2.20) in women. Low education predicted both mortality and poor self-rated health, but income predicted subjective health more strongly. Smoking doubled the risk of death but was unrelated to subjective wellbeing. Frequent drinkers experienced greater mortality than occasional drinkers, despite reporting better health. In contrast, dissatisfaction with life predicted poor self-rated health, but not mortality. CONCLUSION: Differences between the predictors of subjective health and mortality, even though these outcomes were strongly associated, suggest that influences on subjective health are not restricted to serious disease. These findings also suggest the presence of risk factors for relatively sudden deaths in apparently well people, although further research is required. Meanwhile, caution is required when using studies of self-rated health in Russia to understand the determinants of mortality
An analysis of trends and determinants of health insurance and healthcare utilisation in the Russian population between 2000 and 2004: the 'inverse care law' in action.
No full textBACKGROUND: The break-up of the USSR brought considerable disruption to health services in Russia. The uptake of compulsory health insurance rose rapidly after its introduction in 1993. However, by 2000 coverage was still incomplete, especially amongst the disadvantaged. By this time, however, the state health service had become more stable, and the private sector was growing. This paper describes subsequent trends and determinants of healthcare insurance coverage in Russia, and its relationship with health service utilisation, as well as the role of the private sector. METHODS: Data were from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey, an annual household panel survey (2000-4) from 38 centres across the Russian Federation. Annual trends in insurance coverage were measured (2000-4). Cross-sectional multivariate analyses of the determinants of health insurance and its relationship with health care utilisation were performed in working-age people (18-59 years) using 2004 data. RESULTS: Between 2000 and 2004, coverage by the compulsory insurance scheme increased from 88% to 94% of adults; however 10% of working-age men remained uninsured. Compulsory health insurance coverage was lower amongst the poor, unemployed, unhealthy and people outside the main cities. The uninsured were less likely to seek medical help for new health problems. 3% of respondents had supplementary (private) insurance, and rising utilisation of private healthcare was greatest amongst the more educated and wealthy. CONCLUSION: Despite high population insurance coverage, a multiply disadvantaged uninsured minority remains, with low utilisation of health services. Universal insurance could therefore increase access, and potentially contribute to reducing avoidable healthcare-related mortality. Meanwhile, the socioeconomically advantaged are turning increasingly to a growing private sector
Investigating the Role of DIS3L2 in Perlman Syndrome and Wilms Tumor
No full textThe general metadata -- e.g., title, author, abstract, subject headings, etc. -- is publicly available, but access to the submitted files is restricted to UT Southwestern campus access and/or authorized UT Southwestern users.Wilms tumor, while the most common pediatric kidney tumor, has a poorly understood etiology. Several recent studies have uncovered a role for loss of let-7 in its pathogenesis. One crucial mechanism through which let-7 expression is controlled is via the activity of the RNA-binding protein LIN28, which binds the precursor of let-7 and mediates the addition of a series of uridines to the 3′ end. This oligouridylation marks pre-let-7 for degradation by the exoribonuclease DIS3L2. Loss-of-function mutations in DIS3L2 lead to the Perlman congenital overgrowth syndrome, characterized by high neonatal mortality and, interestingly, a strong predisposition to Wilms tumor. Furthermore, DIS3L2 has been found to be deleted or mutated in some cases of sporadic Wilms tumor. The importance of let-7 in Wilms tumorigenesis and a purported role for DIS3L2 in the LIN28-let-7 pathway have led to speculation that aberrant let-7 expression underlies Wilms tumor susceptibility in DIS3L2-deficient contexts.
It is still unclear, though, how loss of DIS3L2 could lead to altered let-7 levels, as the uridylated pre-let-7 species that DIS3L2 degrades is believed to be a dead-end product that cannot be further processed by DICER into mature let-7. Thus far, regulation of mature let-7 levels by DIS3L2 has only been examined in a limited number of cell lines. To determine whether DIS3L2 regulation of let-7 differs in a broader set of cell types, we used genome-editing to knockout DIS3L2 in a wide-ranging panel of cell lines with differing levels of LIN28 expression. Consistent with prior reports, loss of DIS3L2 had no effect on mature let-7 expression in these cell lines.
However, it remained possible that the regulation of let-7 by DIS3L2 differed in cell populations relevant to Wilms tumor pathogenesis in vivo. Thus, to examine DIS3L2 function in these contexts, we used CRISPR-Cas9 to generate mouse lines harboring either Dis3l2-null alleles or mutations commonly observed in Perlman syndrome. Interestingly, Dis3l2 mutants recapitulated some aspects of Perlman syndrome, including neonatal mortality and genitourinary abnormalities, but not overgrowth or Wilms tumor. Moreover, the phenotype that results from the most common Perlman mutation is the same as that seen in the Dis3l2 loss-of-function mouse model, suggesting that the DIS3L2 mutations reported in Perlman syndrome are indeed loss-of-function.
Finally, we examined the molecular function of DIS3L2 in isolated primary nephron progenitor cells (NPCs), a likely cell of origin of Wilms tumors, from Dis3l2-null and wild-type embryos. Consistent with our findings in the cell lines, loss of DIS3L2 in NPCs does not affect let-7 expression or activity, yet leads to upregulation of Igf2, which is reported to be overexpressed in 70-80% of Wilms tumors. Therefore, Igf2 poses an attractive candidate for both overgrowth and oncogenesis associated with DIS3L2 loss
Trends in family planning in Russia, 1994-2003.
No full textCONTEXT: Although Russian women have adequate knowledge of modern contraceptives, their level of use of these methods has been low, and abortion rates remain relatively high. METHODS: In 1994-2003, sexually active women aged 18-49 were interviewed about their contraceptive use as part of the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey. Trends in contraceptive use were examined. Multivariate analyses were conducted to identify characteristics associated with reliable contraceptive use (IUD use or consistent oral contraceptive use) in 1994 and 2003. RESULTS: In each year, about 25% of sexually active women had used no contraceptive method in the past month, and 20% had used traditional methods. Prevalence of barrier method use increased from 9% to 21% between 1994 and 2003, while that of IUD use declined from 34% to 21%. These changes were especially pronounced in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and among younger women. Common reasons for nonuse were irregular sexual relations (cited by 29% of nonusers in 2003), desire for pregnancy (22%), perceived inability to get pregnant (15%), feeling that contraceptives are uncomfortable or unpleasant (15%), health problems (11%) and the availability of abortion (6%). In 1994 and 2003, the odds of reliable contraceptive use were elevated among women with at least a secondary education (odds ratios, 1.5-1.7), and were reduced among smokers (0.6-0.7). CONCLUSIONS: Modern, effective contraceptive use has not increased among sexually active Russian women. Growing use of barrier contraceptives may reflect HIV awareness. Obstacles to effective contraceptive use, such as attitudes and health service factors, need further clarification
Diabetes during the Russian transition.
No full textAIMS: To study trends in diabetes awareness and care in post-transition Russia, at a time of increased all-cause and diabetic mortality and disrupted health care. METHODS: Trends in diabetes awareness (a self-reported doctor diagnosis) and diabetic treatment were recorded over eight rounds (1994-2003) of the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey, a 38 centre panel study, in respondents aged over 18 (over 7000/round). Logistic regression was used in 2 individual years (1994 and 2003) to study the determinants of diagnosis further. RESULTS: Throughout the study, diabetes awareness was three times more frequent in women (6%) than men (2%). Awareness was lower in rural and less-educated respondents, and these geographic and socioeconomic differences widened during the study. High body mass index predicted diabetes awareness in women, but did not explain gender or socioeconomic differences. More than half those reporting a diabetic diagnosis reported receiving no conventional medical treatment, and insulin use was less frequent than in Western populations. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of diabetic awareness was much lower than studies of diabetes prevalence based on biochemical criteria (9%), and there were unexplained gender and socioeconomic variations. Reported treatment rates were low. Unrecognised and undertreated diabetes may underlie a substantial burden of potentially preventable morbidity in Russia
- …
