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Executives have enjoyed the benefits of Executive Deferred Compensation (EDC) plans for years. Designed for an organization's top management and/or highly compensated employees, these nonqualified plans (also known as Top [...]

Every summer the U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) conducts the Leader Development Assessment Course (LDAC) for several thousand upcoming senior-year cadets. This study describes respiratory illnesses at 2009 ROTC LDAC after the emergence of the novel H1N1 influenza pandemic. This retrospective cohort study examines 5554 cadets and 1,616 cadres from 2009, and 5180 LDAC 2008 cadets. Respiratory clinic visits for 2009 cadets were higher than 2009 cadres and 2008 cadets, at 8.7, 2.0, and 4.2 visits per 1000 person-days available, respectively (p < 0.001). Further, respiratory illness hospitalizations and isolations were higher for 2009 cadets than cadres (p = 0.020). Although substantial efforts were made to prevent respiratory infections, there was considerable impact from respiratory illnesses, in the context of the novel H1N1 influenza pandemic, among 2009 ROTC LDAC participants. Our experience offers important lessons for future LDAC planning and for similar close quarters living circumstances.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including "Cry Me a River," by Mike White in the April 2010 issue, "An Education" in the April 2010 issue, and "Dances With Wolves" in the April 2010 issue.

We describe the epidemiology of outpatients newly diagnosed with chronic alcoholic liver disease and describe predictors of cirrhosis and referral for specialty care.

To examine a wide range of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics as potential predictors of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among chronic liver disease (CLD) patients, with a focus on CAM therapies with the greatest potential for hepatotoxicity and interactions with conventional treatments.

Metrics are statistics that characterize the quality, productivity, speed (performance), or cost of one or more clinical data management activities. Even though clinical data management metrics have been used for decades, little effort has been made to standardize definitions of metrics or publish their values (“practices”). Participants in a Drug Information Association (DIA) roundtable conference on metrics, organized by Ron Fitzmartin, began discussions that could lead to standardization and publication of metrics and practices. The participants discussed a wide variety of clinical data management and biostatistical metrics, assigned subjective priority (importance) levels, created descriptions for many, and estimated current and best practices for some. Noting that clinical data management procedures vary widely, that actual procedures profoundly affect practices, and that little is known publicly about current or best practices, the participants were reluctant to place great confidence in their estimates of best and current practices.

A method is presented for preparing a strongly hemagglutinating, non-pyrogenic extract from navy beans. This extract is high in protein content. The method demonstrates that the proteins of the bean which may be extracted by water are not fever-producing unless contaminated by bacteria or products of bacterial action.

NORRIS,1 in 1947, reported on 336 cases of parathyroid adenoma which he had been able to collect from the literature between 1903 and 1947. He suggested that during the subsequent 10 years all cases of parathyroid adenoma warranted publication. With this in mind, we are presenting a summary of all the cases of primary hyperparathyroidism that have been seen at the Lahey Clinic since the first case was diagnosed in 1933; eight of these cases have been reported previously.2No attempt will be made to review the history of the knowledge of parathyroid diseases or the extensive literature on parathyroid physiology. The history of hyperparathyroidism has been reviewed in an interesting fashion by Albright,3 and the pathophysiology has been discussed in detail by Albright and Reifenstein.4Although there is some diversity of opinion concerning the basic mechanism through which the parathyroid hormone acts, the ultimate effect of an excess of

The 2003 Rotterdam diagnostic criteria established a diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) as the presence of at least 2 of the 3 features: oligoamenorrhea, hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovary (PCO) morphology (high antral follicle count AFC defined as the presence of 12 or more follicles 2 to 9 mm in either ovary and/or an ovarian volume VOL greater than 10 cm3). AFC decreases with age during the reproductive years in normal women without PCOS and it has been suggested that the same is true in women with PCOS. Among normal ovulatory women, the age-specific prevalence of isolated PCO is unknown.

How are we going to support young women with children back into the children's workforce?

The author comments on the government's decision to raise the percentage of childcare costs met through the tax credit system to 80 percent, and the possibility that working mothers may choose to stay home rather than work in nurseries.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including "Tories Talk to New PVI Policy Group," published on October 22, 2009, and on the Mps launch inquiry on funding formula that appeared in the November 12, 2009 edition.

Several letter to the editor is presented about the Great Britain Office of Standards in Education (Ofsted) and the European Youth Parliament (EYP).