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Kinds of Study Used Terms modified by Study Used Selected AbstractsBusiness students' perception of corporate social responsibility: the United States, China, and IndiaCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2010Alan Wong Abstract This study used a questionnaire to assess perceptive differences in corporate social responsibility among business students in the United States, China, and India. The study finds that American and Indian respondents attached more importance to the noneconomic aspects of social responsibility than Chinese respondents. Chinese students were more accepting of making facilitating payments to get things moving. Indian respondents placed more emphasis on philanthropy while the US group emphasized legal obligations. In the choice of business goals, there is generally little difference between the three nationality groups. The two main goals selected are taking care of owners' interests and consumers' needs. The study's findings have implications for business school curriculum, public policy, and multinational corporations. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] A CROSS-CULTURAL EXAMINATION OF THE LINK BETWEEN CORPORAL PUNISHMENT AND ADOLESCENT ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR,CRIMINOLOGY, Issue 1 2000RONALD L. SIMONS Several studies with older children have reported a positive relationship between parental use of corporal punishment and child conduct problems. This has lead some social scientists to conclude that physical discipline fosters antisocial behavior. In an attempt to avoid the methodological difficulties that have plagued past research on this issue, the present study used a proportional measure of corporal punishment, controlled for earlier behavior problems and other dimensions of parenting, and tested for interaction and curvilinear effects. The analyses were performed using a sample of Iowa families that displayed moderate use of corporal punishment and a Taiwanese sample that demonstrated more frequent and severe use of physical discipline, especially by fathers. For both samples, level of parental warmth/control (i.e., support, monitoring, and inductive reasoning) was the strongest predictor of adolescent conduct problems. There was little evidence of a relationship between corporal punishment and conduct problems for the Iowa sample. For the Taiwanese families, corporal punishment was unrelated to conduct problems when mothers were high on warmth/control, but positively associated with conduct problems when they were low on warmtwcontrol, An interaction between corporal punishment and warmth/Wcontro1 was found for Taiwanese fathers as well. For these fathers, there was also evidence of a curvilinear relationship, with the association between corporal punishment and conduct problems becoming much stronger at extreme levels of corporal punishment. Overall, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that it is when parents engage in severe forms of corporal punishment, or administer physical discipline in the absence of parental warmth and involvement, that children feel angry and unjustly treated, defy parental authority, and engage in antisocial behavior. [source] Are fish oils an effective therapy in mental illness , an analysis of the dataACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 1 2000Ian D. Maidment Objective: To review the literature regarding the use of fish oils in the treatment of psychiatric illness. Method: A Medline search was conducted in September 1999. Results: Five papers have investigated omega-3 fatty acids levels in depression. One study used omega-3 fatty acids as an adjunctive therapy in bipolar disorder. Four studies used fatty acids as an adjunctive therapy in schizophrenia. Conclusion: There is a great deal of current research in this field. While omega-3 fatty acids levels may be lowered in depression, there are no data suggesting that omega-3 fatty acids are effective. One paper indicates that omega-3 fatty acids are effective in bipolar disorders. The data on schizophrenia are conflicting. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids have proved effective. Most of the evidence suggests that the main effect is an improvement in negative symptoms. One recent study showed that omega-3 fatty acids had no effect on negative symptoms. [source] Rapid plant diversity assessment using a pixel nested plot design: A case study in Beaver Meadows, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USADIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 4 2007Mohammed A. Kalkhan ABSTRACT Geospatial statistical modelling and thematic maps have recently emerged as effective tools for the management of natural areas at the landscape scale. Traditional methods for the collection of field data pertaining to questions of landscape were developed without consideration for the parameters of these applications. We introduce an alternative field sampling design based on smaller unbiased random plot and subplot locations called the pixel nested plot (PNP). We demonstrate the applicability of the PNP design of 15 m × 15 m to assess patterns of plant diversity and species richness across the landscape at Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Colorado, USA in a time (cost)-efficient manner for field data collection. Our results produced comparable results to a previous study in the Beaver Meadow study (BMS) area within RMNP, where there was a demonstrated focus of plant diversity. Our study used the smaller PNP sampling design for field data collection which could be linked to geospatial information data and could be used for landscape-scale analyses and assessment applications. In 2003, we established 61 PNP in the eastern region of RMNP. We present a comparison between this approach using a sub-sample of 19 PNP from this data set and 20 of Modified Whittaker nested plots (MWNP) of 20 m × 50 m that were collected in the BMS area. The PNP captured 266 unique plant species while the MWNP captured 275 unique species. Based on a comparison of PNP and MWNP in the Beaver Meadows area, RMNP, the PNP required less time and area sampled to achieve a similar number of species sampled. Using the PNP approach for data collection can facilitate the ecological monitoring of these vulnerable areas at the landscape scale in a time- and therefore cost-effective manner. [source] Fourteen to 17-year-olds' experience of ,risky' drinking,a cross-sectional survey undertaken in south-east EnglandDRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 3 2004Dr LESTER M. COLEMAN Abstract In the UK, young people's alcohol consumption is considered an important social and health problem, and is the focus of government strategy and intervention. There is widespread concern that many young people are drinking in a ,risky' way. That is, they are often drinking large amounts of alcohol in a single session, in unsupervised locations. This small-scale, quantitative study used a shortened adaptation of the Adolescent Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (AEQ) to examine 14 , 17-year-olds' experience of ,risky' drinking. The results suggest that a major transition towards first ever drunkenness occurs between the ages of 14 and 15. Young people of this age are more likely to be getting very drunk in unsupervised, and potentially more harmful, locations. It is suggested that using this questionnaire could offer the potential to obtain a rapid and reliable indication of young people's propensity towards possible alcohol-related harm. [source] Neighbour-regulated mortality: the influence of positive and negative density dependence on tree populations in species-rich tropical forestsECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 8 2003Halton A. Peters Abstract Density-dependent mortality has long been posited as a possible mechanism for the regulation of tropical forest tree density. Despite numerous experimental and phenomenological investigations, the extent to which such mechanisms operate in tropical forests remains unresolved because the demographical signature of density dependence has rarely been found in extensive investigations of established trees. This study used an individual-based demographical approach to investigate the role of conspecific and heterospecific neighbourhood crowding on tree mortality in a Panamanian and a Malayan tropical forest. More than 80% of the species investigated at each site were found to exhibit density-dependent mortality. Furthermore, most of these species showed patterns of mortality consistent with the Janzen,Connell hypothesis and the rarely explored hypothesis of species herd protection. This study presents some of the first evidence of species herd protection operating in tree communities. [source] Black Employment, Segregation, and the Social Organization of Metropolitan Labor MarketsECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2007Niki T. Dickerson Abstract: This broad analysis of the employment of blacks in metropolitan areas examines the role of residential segregation in comparison with four other key structural explanations for racial metropolitan inequality: industrial composition, minority concentration, immigration, and the racial disparity in skills. The goal of the analysis was to determine whether the spatial configuration of blacks relative to whites in a metropolitan area influences the employment rates of black men and black women in the context of the structural conditions of the local labor market. The study expanded the analysis of space and work beyond an emphasis on the physical distance between black communities and jobs to a broader conceptualization of residential segregation as a structural feature of the entire metropolitan labor market that is representative of its social organization with regard to race. Using a longitudinal data set of the structural characteristics of the 95 largest U.S. cities from the 1980, 1990, and 2000 decennial censuses, the study used a cross-sectional analysis of the cities in 2000 and a fixed-effects analysis to assess the impact of five dimensions of residential segregation and the four other structural factors on the employment of blacks across different labor markets and across time within each labor market. The results revealed that when the other structural characteristics are controlled, the employment rates of blacks are lower in more segregated cities and decrease as cities become more segregated over time. The clustering and evenness dimensions of residential segregation were the most determinative of black employment. [source] Evaluation of the methoxytriazine herbicide prometon using a short-term fathead minnow reproduction test and a suite of in vitro bioassaysENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 8 2006Daniel L. Villeneuve Abstract Prometon is one of the most consistently detected herbicides in the U.S. environment. However, no previous assessment of the potential for prometon or related methoxytriazine herbicides to act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals has been conducted. This study used an array of in vitro bioassays to assess whether prometon, atraton, terbumeton, or secbumeton might act as potent (ant)agonists of the aryl hydrocarbon, estrogen, androgen, or glucocorticoid receptors or as aromatase inhibitors or inducers in vitro. Potential effects of prometon were also evaluated using a 21-d fathead minnow reproduction assay. Concentrations of methoxytriazines, as great as 1 mg/L (4.4 ,M), did not induce significant dioxin-like responses in H4IIE-luc cells, estrogenic responses in MVLN cells, or androgen or glucocorticoid receptor,mediated responses in MDA-kb2 cells, nor did the methoxytriazines significantly affect aromatase activity in vitro. In the fathead minnow assay, exposure to 20, 200, or 1,000 ,g prometon/L significantly reduced the weight of the male fat pad (an androgen-responsive tissue) relative to body weight. Exposure to 20 ,g prometon/L significantly increased female plasma testosterone concentrations, but the effect was not observed at greater concentrations. Overall, prometon did not significantly reduce fecundity over the 21-d exposure, nor were other endpoints, including plasma vitellogenin and estradiol concentrations, brain and ovary aromatase activity, and male tubercle index, significantly affected. Evidence from our work suggests that prometon may cause subtle endocrine and/or reproductive effects in fathead minnows, but no clear mechanism of action was observed. The relevance of these effects to hazard assessment for the pesticide is uncertain. [source] Determining toxicity of lead and zinc runoff in soils: Salinity effects on metal partitioning and on phytotoxicityENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 12 2003Daryl P. Stevens Abstract When assessingcationic metal toxicity in soils, metals are often added to soil as the chloride, nitrate, or sulfate salts. In many studies, the effects of these anions are ignored or discounted; rarely are appropriate controls included. This study used five soils varying in pH, clay content, and organic matter to determine whether salinity from counter-ions contributed to or confounded metal phytotoxicity. Varying rates of Pb and Zn were applied to soils with or without a leaching treatment to remove the metal counter-ion (NO3 -). Lactuca sattva (lettuce) plants were grown in metal-treated soils, and plant dry weights were used to determine median effective concentrations where there was a 50% reduction in yield (EC50s) on the basis of total metals measured in the soil after harvest. In two of the five soils, leaching increased the EC50s significantly for Zn by 1.4- to 3.7-fold. In three of the five soils, leaching increased the EC50s significantly for Pb by 1.6- to 3.0-fold. The shift in EC50s was not a direct result of toxicity of the nitrate ion but was an indirect effect of the salinity increasing metal concentrations in soil solution and increasing its bioavailability for a given total metal concentration. In addition, calculation of potential salinity changes in toxicological studies from the addition of metals exhibiting strong sorption to soil suggested that if the anion associated with the metal is not leached from the soil, direct salinity responses could also lead to significant overestimation of the EC50 for those metals. These findings question the relevance of the application of single-metal salts to soils as a method of assessing metal phytotoxicity when, in many cases in our environment, Zn and Pb accumulate in soil over a period of time and the associated counter-ions are commonly removed from the soil during the accumulation process (e.g., roof and galvanized tower runoff). [source] ,You can't go without a fag . . . you need it for your hash',a qualitative exploration of smoking, cannabis and young peopleADDICTION, Issue 1 2004Amanda Amos ABSTRACT Aims To examine the relationship between smoking tobacco and cannabis use among smokers in their mid-to-late teens. Design and participants Two qualitative studies in Scotland. One study used semistructured paired interviews involving 99 16,19-year-old smokers, the other comprised eight focus groups involving 46 15,16-year-old smokers. Measurement The interviews and focus groups explored the role and meaning of smoking in the participants' lives, smoking histories and future cessation intentions and how these related to other aspects of their lives, particularly cannabis use. Findings Cannabis use was regarded as an important and enjoyable aspect of many of the participants' lives. Importantly, cannabis use and cigarette smoking were linked inextricably. Several reported how smoking joints had been a ,gateway' to smoking cigarettes. While most wanted to quit smoking cigarettes, cannabis use reinforced their cigarette smoking and few wanted to stop using cannabis. Conclusion National studies need to be conducted to examine how widespread the problem identified is and tobacco control initiatives and smoking cessation treatment services need to consider urgently how to overcome the barrier that a desire on the part of young people to continue cannabis smoking poses to achieving a reduction in tobacco use. [source] Disability payments, drug use and representative payees: an analysis of the relationshipsADDICTION, Issue 7 2003James A. Swartz ABSTRACT Aims This study attempted to determine: if US federal cash disability payments increase the use of cocaine or opiates among those requalifying for supplemental security income (SSI) disability benefits compared with those who lost benefits; if drug use peaks at the beginning of the month after the receipt of the disability cash disbursement; and if money management by representative payees of requalifying SSI recipients suppresses drug use. Design A multi-site, prospective, 2 year longitudinal design was used with follow-up interviews conducted every 6 months. Urine samples were collected at the final three follow-up interviews. Setting Data were collected in Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA, and Seattle, WA, USA. Participants This study used a randomly selected sample of 740 former recipients of SSI who had received disability benefits for drug addiction and alcoholism (DA&A) in 1996, were between the ages of 21 and 59 years, had not received concurrent social security disability insurance and provided testable urine samples and complete self-report data for at least one follow-up interview. Measurements Independent variables included demographics, SSI status at follow-up, representative payee status, drug treatment participation and income. Time of drug testing was operationalized as the first 10 days of the month versus the last 20,21 days based on when the urine sample was collected. The dependent variables were cocaine and opiate use, determined by urinalysis results. Findings Participants were 28% more likely to test positive for cocaine use in the first 10 days of the month than later in the month. This effect was general across all subjects and was not restricted to those receiving SSI benefits. No such effect was found for opiate use. Receiving SSI benefits did not increase cocaine or opiate use generally, nor did having a representative payee suppress use. Conclusions The findings do not support the contentions that federal cash benefits appreciably increase drug use or that representative payees discourage use, at least when use is defined dichotomously. The ,check effect' for cocaine use appears to be general and not confined to those receiving federal cash benefits. The lack of a ,check effect' for opiate use is probably the result of the difference between a relatively steady state of opiate use associated with addiction and a binge pattern of cocaine use triggered by suddenly flush resources. [source] Differential galanin receptor-1 and galanin expression by 5-HT neurons in dorsal raphé nucleus of rat and mouse: evidence for species-dependent modulation of serotonin transmissionEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 3 2003Jari A. Larm Abstract Galanin and galanin receptors are widely expressed by neurons in rat brain that either synthesize/release and/or are responsive to, classical transmitters such as ,-aminobutyric acid, acetylcholine, noradrenaline, histamine, dopamine and serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT). The dorsal raphé nucleus (DRN) contains , 50% of the 5-HT neurons in the rat brain and a high percentage of these cells coexpress galanin and are responsive to exogenous galanin in vitro. However, the precise identity of the galanin receptor(s) present on these 5-HT neurons has not been previously established. Thus, the current study used a polyclonal antibody for the galanin receptor-1 (GalR1) to examine the possible expression of this receptor within the DRN of the rat and for comparative purposes also in the mouse. In the rat, intense GalR1-immunoreactivity (IR) was detected in a substantial population of 5-HT-immunoreactive neurons in the DRN, with prominent receptor immunostaining associated with soma and proximal dendrites. GalR1-IR was also observed in many cells within the adjacent median raphé nucleus. In mouse DRN, neurons exhibited similar levels and distribution of 5-HT-IR to that in the rat, but GalR1-IR was undetectable. Consistent with this, galanin and GalR1 mRNA were also undetectable in mouse DRN by in situ hybridization histochemistry, despite the detection of GalR1 mRNA (and GalR1-IR) in adjacent cells in the periaqueductal grey and other midbrain areas. 5-HT neuron activity in the DRN is primarily regulated via 5-HT1A autoreceptors, via inhibition of adenylate cyclase and activation of inward-rectifying K+ channels. Notably, the GalR1 receptor subtype signals via identical mechanisms and our findings establish that galanin modulates 5-HT neuron activity in the DRN of the rat via GalR1 (auto)receptors. However, these studies also identify important species differences in the relationship between midbrain galanin and 5-HT systems, which should prompt further investigations in relation to comparative human neurochemistry and which have implications for studies of animal models of relevant neurological conditions such as stress, anxiety and depression. [source] Characterization of sequence variations in human histone H1.2 and H1.4 subtypesFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 14 2005Bettina Sarg In humans, eight types of histone H1 exist (H1.1,H1.5, H1°, H1t and H1oo), all consisting of a highly conserved globular domain and less conserved N- and C-terminal tails. Although the precise functions of these isoforms are not yet understood, and H1 subtypes have been found to be dispensable for mammalian development, it is now clear that specific functions may be assigned to certain individual H1 subtypes. Moreover, microsequence variations within the isoforms, such as polymorphisms or mutations, may have biological significance because of the high degree of sequence conservation of these proteins. This study used a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatographic method to detect sequence variants within the subtypes. Two deviations from wild-type H1 sequences were found. In K562 erythroleukemic cells, alanine at position 17 in H1.2 was replaced by valine, and, in Raji B lymphoblastoid cells, lysine at position 173 in H1.4 was replaced by arginine. We confirmed these findings by DNA sequencing of the corresponding gene segments. In K562 cells, a homozygous GCC,GTC shift was found at codon 18, giving rise to H1.2 Ala17Val because the initial methionine is removed in H1 histones. Raji cells showed a heterozygous AAA,AGA codon change at position 174 in H1.4, corresponding to the Lys173Arg substitution. The allele frequency of these sequence variants in a normal Swedish population was found to be 6.8% for the H1.2 GCC,GTC shift, indicating that this is a relatively frequent polymorphism. The AAA,AGA codon change in H1.4 was detected only in Raji cells and was not present in a normal population or in six other cell lines derived from individuals suffering from Burkitt's lymphoma. The significance of these sequence variants is unclear, but increasing evidence indicates that minor sequence variations in linker histones may change their binding characteristics, influence chromatin remodeling, and specifically affect important cellular functions. [source] Behaviour of walleye, Sander vitreus, and largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, exposed to different wave intensities and boat operating conditions during livewell confinementFISHERIES MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2005C. D. SUSKI Abstract, During live-release angling tournaments in North America, fish are typically retained in livewells onboard boats during the angling day. Mortality of fish occurs at some tournaments, and wave intensities and livewell conditions may influence mortality levels. This study used two species of fish targeted in live-release angling tournaments in North America (largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides L. and walleye Sander vitreus L.) to quantify the response(s) of fish in livewells to different wave treatments. Video analyses revealed that largemouth bass were active during low intensity disturbances, but during violent boat movements tended to settle to the bottom of the livewell and orient to face the direction of the disturbance. Walleye were less active than bass for all treatments, and additionally did not orient to face the direction of disturbance, consequently contacting the side of the livewell during boat rocking. These results are considered in the context of mortality at live-release tournaments. [source] Genetic influences on behavioral inhibition and anxiety in juvenile rhesus macaquesGENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 4 2008J. Rogers In humans and other animals, behavioral responses to threatening stimuli are an important component of temperament. Among children, extreme behavioral inhibition elicited by novel situations or strangers predicts the subsequent development of anxiety disorders and depression. Genetic differences among children are known to affect risk of developing behavioral inhibition and anxiety, but a more detailed understanding of genetic influences on susceptibility is needed. Nonhuman primates provide valuable models for studying the mechanisms underlying human behavior. Individual differences in threat-induced behavioral inhibition (freezing behavior) in young rhesus monkeys are stable over time and reflect individual levels of anxiety. This study used the well-established human intruder paradigm to elicit threat-induced freezing behavior and other behavioral responses in 285 young pedigreed rhesus monkeys. We examined the overall influence of quantitative genetic variation and tested the specific effect of the serotonin transporter promoter repeat polymorphism. Quantitative genetic analyses indicated that the residual heritability of freezing duration (behavioral inhibition) is h2 = 0.384 (P = 0.012) and of ,orienting to the intruder' (vigilance) is h2 = 0.908 (P = 0.00001). Duration of locomotion and hostility and frequency of cooing were not significantly heritable. The serotonin transporter polymorphism showed no significant effect on either freezing or orienting to the intruder. Our results suggest that this species could be used for detailed studies of genetic mechanisms influencing extreme behavioral inhibition, including the identification of specific genes that are involved in predisposing individuals to such behavior. [source] Serotonergic genes modulate amygdala activity in major depressionGENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 7 2007U. Dannlowski Serotonergic genes have been implicated in the pathogenesis of depression probably via their influence on neural activity during emotion processing. This study used an imaging genomics approach to investigate amygdala activity in major depression as a function of common functional polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and the serotonin receptor 1A gene (5-HT1A -1019C/G). In 27 medicated patients with major depression, amygdala responses to happy, sad and angry faces were assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging at 3 Tesla. Patients were genotyped for the 5-HT1A -1019C/G and the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, including the newly described 5-HTT-rs25531 single nucleotide polymorphism. Risk allele carriers for either gene showed significantly increased bilateral amygdala activation in response to emotional stimuli, implicating an additive effect of both genotypes. Our data suggest that the genetic susceptibility for major depression might be transported via dysfunctional neural activity in brain regions critical for emotion processing. [source] Cost savings in migraine associated with less chest pain on new triptan therapy.HEADACHE, Issue 3 2003JT Wang Am J Manag Care. 2002 Feb;8(3 Suppl):S102-S107 Objectives: This article constructs an economic model to estimate cost of chest-pain-related care in migraine patients receiving almotriptan 12.5 mg compared with those receiving sumatriptan 50 mg. Study Design: This population-based, retrospective cohort study used data from the MEDSTAT Marketscan database (Ann Arbor, Michigan) to quantify incidence and costs of chest-pain-related diagnoses and procedures. After a 6-month exclusion period, the study used a pre-post design, with baseline and treatment periods defined, respectively, as 5 months before and after receiving sumatriptan therapy. An economic model was constructed to estimate annual cost savings per 1,000 patients receiving almotriptan instead of sumatriptan as a function of differing rates of chest pain. Annual direct medical cost avoided was calculated for a hypothetical health plan covering 1 million lives. Results: Among a cohort of 1,390 patients, the incidence of chest-pain-related diagnoses increased significantly (43.6%) with sumatriptan, from 110 during the baseline period to 158 during the treatment period (P = .003). Aggregate costs for chest-pain-related diagnoses and procedures increased 33.1%, from $22,713 to $30,234. Payments for inpatient hospital services rose 10-fold; costs for primary care visits and outpatient hospital visits rose 53.1% and 14.4%, respectively. Payments for angiography increased from $0 to $462, and costs for chest radiographs and electrocardiograms increased 58.7% and 31.2%, respectively. Sumatriptan treatment was associated with a 3-fold increase in payments for services for painful respiration and other chest pain. The model predicted $11,215 in direct medical cost savings annually per 1000 patients treated with almotriptan instead of sumatriptan. Annual direct medical costs avoided for the health plan totaled $195,913. Conclusion: Using almotriptan instead of sumatriptan will likely reduce the cost of chest-pain-related care for patients with migraine headaches. Comment: In my view, this study takes conjecture a step too far. The lower reported chest adverse events (AEs) reported in clinical trials where all AEs are scrutinized will not necessarily lead to lower reporting in the clinic. This hypothesis remains to be proven in a well-designed post-marketing surveillance program, untarnished by commercial sponsorship. Until such an independent prospective study is carried out, the extrapolations described here and in similar papers are pure conjecture and should be classed as the lowest grade of evidence on a par with uncorroborated clinical opinion. DSM [source] Self-efficacy, social support and service integration at medical cannabis facilities in the San Francisco Bay area of CaliforniaHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 1 2008Amanda E. Reiman PhD MSW Abstract In an effort to examine and possibly utilise the community-based, bottom-up service design of medical cannabis facilities in the San Francisco Bay area of California, 130 adults who had received medical cannabis recommendations from a physician were surveyed at seven facilities to describe the social service aspects of these unique, community-based programmes. This study used an unselected consecutive sample and cross-sectional survey design that included primary data collection at the medical cannabis facilities themselves. In this exploratory study, individual level data were collected on patient demographics and reported patient satisfaction as gathered by the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire III. Surveys were filled out onsite. In the case of a refusal, the next person was asked. The refusal rate varied depending on the study site and ranged between 25% and 60%, depending on the facility and the day of sampling. Organisational-level data, such as operating characteristics and products offered, created a backdrop for further examination into the social services offered by these facilities and the attempts made by this largely unregulated healthcare system to create a community-based environment of social support for chronically ill people. Informal assessment suggests that chronic pain is the most common malady for which medical cannabis is used. Descriptive statistics were generated to examine sample- and site-related differences. Results show that medical cannabis patients have created a system of dispensing medical cannabis that also includes services such as counselling, entertainment and support groups , all important components of coping with chronic illness. Furthermore, patients tend to be male, over 35, identify with more than one ethnicity, and earn less than US$20 000 annually. Levels of satisfaction with facility care were fairly high, and higher than nationally reported satisfaction with health care in the USA. Facilities tended to follow a social model of cannabis care, including allowing patients to use medicine onsite and offering social services. This approach has implications for the creation and maintenance of a continuum of care among bottom-up social and health services agencies. [source] International survey on willingness-to-pay (WTP) for one additional QALY gained: what is the threshold of cost effectiveness?HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 4 2010Takeru Shiroiwa Abstract Although the threshold of cost effectiveness of medical interventions is thought to be £20,000,£30,000 in the UK, and $50,000,$100,000 in the US, it is well known that these values are unjustified, due to lack of explicit scientific evidence. We measured willingness-to-pay (WTP) for one additional quality-adjusted life-year gained to determine the threshold of the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. Our study used the Internet to compare WTP for the additional year of survival in a perfect status of health in Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Taiwan, Australia, the UK, and the US. The research utilized a double-bound dichotomous choice, and analysis by the nonparametric Turnbull method. WTP values were JPY 5 million (Japan), KWN 68 million (ROK), NT$ 2.1 million (Taiwan), £23,000 (UK), AU$ 64,000 (Australia), and US$ 62,000 (US). The discount rates of outcome were estimated at 6.8% (Japan), 3.7% (ROK), 1.6% (Taiwan), 2.8% (UK), 1.9% (Australia), and 3.2% (US). Based on the current study, we suggest new classification of cost-effectiveness plane and methodology for decision making. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Effects of Geography and Spatial Behavior on Health Care Utilization among the Residents of a Rural RegionHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 1 2005Thomas A. Arcury Objective. This analysis determines the importance of geography and spatial behavior as predisposing and enabling factors in rural health care utilization, controlling for demographic, social, cultural, and health status factors. Data Sources. A survey of 1,059 adults in 12 rural Appalachian North Carolina counties. Study Design. This cross-sectional study used a three-stage sampling design stratified by county and ethnicity. Preliminary analysis of health services utilization compared weighted proportions of number of health care visits in the previous 12 months for regular check-up care, chronic care, and acute care across geographic, sociodemographic, cultural, and health variables. Multivariable logistic models identified independent correlates of health services utilization. Data Collection Methods. Respondents answered standard survey questions. They located places in which they engaged health related and normal day-to-day activities; these data were entered into a geographic information system for analysis. Principal Findings. Several geographic and spatial behavior factors, including having a driver's license, use of provided rides, and distance for regular care, were significantly related to health care utilization for regular check-up and chronic care in the bivariate analysis. In the multivariate model, having a driver's license and distance for regular care remained significant, as did several predisposing (age, gender, ethnicity), enabling (household income), and need (physical and mental health measures, number of conditions). Geographic measures, as predisposing and enabling factors, were related to regular check-up and chronic care, but not to acute care visits. Conclusions. These results show the importance of geographic and spatial behavior factors in rural health care utilization. They also indicate continuing inequity in rural health care utilization that must be addressed in public policy. [source] Benefit-Cost Analysis of Addiction Treatment: Methodological Guidelines and Empirical Application Using the DATCAP and ASIHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 2 2002Michael T. French Objective. To provide detailed methodological guidelines for using the Drug Abuse Treatment Cost Analysis Program (DATCAP) and Addiction Severity Index (ASI) in a benefit-cost analysis of addiction treatment. Data Sources/Study Setting. A representative benefit-cost analysis of three outpatient programs was conducted to demonstrate the feasibility and value of the methodological guidelines. Study Design. Procedures are outlined for using resource use and cost data collected with the DATCAP. Techniques are described for converting outcome measures from the ASI to economic (dollar) benefits of treatment. Finally, principles are advanced for conducting a benefit-cost analysis and a sensitivity analysis of the estimates. Data Collection/Extraction Methods. The DATCAP was administered at three outpatient drug-free programs in Philadelphia, PA, for 2 consecutive fiscal years (1996 and 1997). The ASI was administered to a sample of 178 treatment clients at treatment entry and at 7-months postadmission. Principal Findings. The DATCAP and ASI appear to have significant potential for contributing to an economic evaluation of addiction treatment. The benefit-cost analysis and subsequent sensitivity analysis all showed that total economic benefit was greater than total economic cost at the three outpatient programs, but this representative application is meant to stimulate future economic research rather than justifying treatment per se. Conclusions. This study used previously validated, research-proven instruments and methods to perform a practical benefit-cost analysis of real-world treatment programs. The study demonstrates one way to combine economic and clinical data and offers a methodological foundation for future economic evaluations of addiction treatment. [source] Hypoxia modulates cholinergic but not opioid activation of G proteins in rat hippocampusHIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 10 2007V.S. Hambrecht Abstract Intermittent hypoxia, such as that associated with obstructive sleep apnea, can cause neuronal death and neurobehavioral dysfunction. The cellular and molecular mechanisms through which hypoxia alter hippocampal function are incompletely understood. This study used in vitro [35S]guanylyl-5,- O -(,-thio)-triphosphate ([35S]GTP,S) autoradiography to test the hypothesis that carbachol and DAMGO activate hippocampal G proteins. In addition, this study tested the hypothesis that in vivo exposure to different oxygen (O2) concentrations causes a differential activation of G proteins in the CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus (DG) regions of the hippocampus. G protein activation was quantified as nCi/g tissue in CA1, CA3, and DG from rats housed for 14 days under one of three different oxygen conditions: normoxic (21% O2) room air, or hypoxia (10% O2) that was intermittent or sustained. Across all regions of the hippocampus, activation of G proteins by the cholinergic agonist carbachol and the mu opioid agonist [D-Ala2, N-Met-Phe4, Gly5] enkephalin (DAMGO) was ordered by the degree of hypoxia such that sustained hypoxia > intermittent hypoxia > room air. Carbachol increased G protein activation during sustained hypoxia (38%), intermittent hypoxia (29%), and room air (27%). DAMGO also activated G proteins during sustained hypoxia (52%), intermittent hypoxia (48%), and room air (43%). Region-specific comparisons of G protein activation revealed that the DG showed significantly less activation by carbachol following intermittent hypoxia and sustained hypoxia than the CA1. Considered together, the results suggest the potential for hypoxia to alter hippocampal function by blunting the cholinergic activation of G proteins within the DG. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Geostatistical interpolation of space,time rainfall on Tamshui River basin, TaiwanHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 23 2007Shin-Jen Cheng Abstract Taiwan suffers from heavy storm rainfall during the typhoon season. This usually causes large river runoff, overland flow, erosion, landslides, debris flows, loss of power, etc. In order to evaluate storm impacts on the downstream basin, a real-time hydrological modelling is used to estimate potential hazard areas. This can be used as a decision-support system for the Emergency Response Center, National Fire Agency Ministry, to make ,real-time' responses and minimize possible damage to human life and property. This study used 34 observed events from 14 telemetered rain-gauges in the Tamshui River basin, Taiwan, to study the spatial,temporal characteristics of typhoon rainfall. In the study, regionalized theory and cross-semi-variograms were used to identify the spatial-temporal structure of typhoon rainfall. The power form and parameters of the cross-semi-variogram were derived through analysis of the observed data. In the end, cross-validation was used to evaluate the performance of the interpolated rainfall on the river basin. The results show the derived rainfall interpolator represents the observed events well, which indicates the rainfall interpolator can be used as a spatial-temporal rainfall input for real-time hydrological modelling. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Modelling two-dimensional steady-state groundwater flow and flow sensitivity to boundary conditions in blanket peat complexesHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 2 2005D. R. Lapen Abstract This study used a two-dimensional steady-state finite-element groundwater flow model to simulate groundwater flow in two Newfoundland blanket peat complexes and to examine flow system sensitivity to changes in water table recharge and aquifer properties. The modelling results were examined within the context of peat-forming processes in the two complexes. Modelled flow compared favourably with observed flow. The sensitivity analyses suggested that more highly decomposed bog peat along bog margins probably has/had a positive impact on net peat accumulation within bog interiors. Peat with lower hydraulic conductivity along bog margins effectively impedes lateral drainage, localizes water table drawdown to extreme bog margins, and elevates water tables along bog interiors. Peat formation and elevated water tables in adjacent poor fens/laggs currently rely on placic and ortstein horizons impeding vertical drainage and water flow inputs from adjacent bogs. Modest reductions in atmospheric recharge were found to govern bog-flow-system geometries in a way that would adversely affect paludification processes in adjacent fens/laggs. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Motor acquisition rate in Brazilian infantsINFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2009Virlaine Bardella Lopes Abstract This study used the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) with the aim of characterizing motor acquisition rate in 70 healthy 0,6-month-old Brazilian infants, as well as comparing both emergence (initial age) and establishment (final age) of each skill between the study sample and the AIMS normative data. New motor skills were continuously acquired from 0 to 6 months of age by the Brazilian infants, but their acquisition rate was non-linear. When compared to the AIMS sample, Brazilian infants achieved lower percentiles, and their initial age to acquire skills requiring greater antigravity demand was higher. In contrast, Brazilian infants stopped exhibiting primitive patterns earlier, and their final age to acquire antigravity skills was lower. These differences in motor development are suggested to be a consequence of different parental practices and not necessarily indicate motor delay. Thus, the AIMS normative values should be adapted to cultural particularities so as to avoid that infants are misclassified as at risk for motor delay. Furthermore, an adequate assessment of motor development should consider not only the age at which a skill is emerged, but also the age at which such a skill is established in the infant's motor repertoire. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Infertility among couples in a population-based study in Iran: prevalence and associated risk factorsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANDROLOGY, Issue 3 2008Mohammad Reza Safarinejad Summary To explore the prevalence and risk factors of infertility in Iran, a total of 12 285 ever-married women aged 15,50 years old and their husbands (if available) were interviewed by 82 female general practitioners and answered a self-administered questionnaire on several aspects of infertility. They were identified from the national population in 30 counties, and invited to a confidential interview. Data were obtained about their age, education, marital status, toxic habits, medical history, disabilities and illnesses, help-seeking, economy, ethnicity, geographic location, contraceptive use and age at which they had first intercourse. This study used the definition of childlessness proposed by World Health Organization: ,the woman has never conceived despite cohabitation and exposure to pregnancy for a period of 2 years'. The overall prevalence of infertility was 8% (95% CI: 3.2,15.0). The weighted national estimate of primary infertility was 4.6% (95% CI: 3.6,5.2). There was a pronounced regional pattern in the levels of primary infertility. The primary infertility increased significantly from 2.6 to 4.3 to 5.5% for the 1985,1989, 1990,1994 and 1995,2000 marriage cohorts. The prevalence of secondary infertility was 3.4% (95% CI: 2.4,5.1). Overall the prevalence of infertility falls within a relatively wide range being high in the Southern counties, and low in the Northern counties. The probability of first pregnancy at the end of 2 years of marriage was 0.78 for all ever-married women. The prevalence of infertility increased with age (linear chi-square 198.012, 1 d.f., p = 0.01). The age pattern of infertility also varies quite markedly across the counties analysed. No effect of race was detected; neither the intercept (analysis of covariance p = 0.36) nor the slope of the age relationship was influenced by race (analysis of covariance p = 0.41). Infertility were observed as significantly higher in the presence of history of tubo-ovarian surgery [odds ratio (OR): 1.43; 95% CI: 1.28,2.23; p = 0.01], salpingitis (OR: 2.34; 95% CI: 1.31,4.3; p = 0.016), ectopic pregnancy (OR: 2.45; 95% CI: 1.90,3.44; p = 0.04), varicocele (OR: 2.85; 95% CI: 1.61,5.20; p = 0.01) and cryptorchidism (OR: 3.81; 95% CI: 2.51,4.28; p = 0.031). This study provides a quantitative estimate of the prevalence and main risk factors for infertility in Iranian couples. Yet, further studies on the cause of primary and secondary infertility and geographical variations in the incidence and prevalence of infertility in Iran are needed. [source] Sex-specific familial risks of urinary bladder cancer and associated neoplasms in SwedenINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 9 2009Justo Lorenzo Bermejo Abstract Male gender and a family history of cancer are established risk factors for urinary bladder neoplasms. This study used the latest update of the Swedish Family-Cancer Database, which includes 42,255 bladder cancer patients, to investigate the sex-specific incidences and types of tumors in relatives of bladder cancer patients. Men with parents or siblings affected by lung cancer did not show an increased risk of bladder neoplasms. Among women, the familial association was restricted to daughters of women with lung cancer. Brothers showed higher risks than the sons of bladder cancer patients. Men older than 54 years were at an increased risk of bladder cancer only if their fathers or siblings were diagnosed after age 65 years. The present data indicated a limited contribution of smoking to the familial clustering of bladder cancer with other neoplasms. The dependence of the relative risks on the type of familial relationship probably reflected a heterogeneous character of familial aggregation. Age-specific results suggested differential risk factors for tumors diagnosed before 50 years of age versus neoplasms detected later in life. The present data may guide the design of forthcoming gene identification studies and the interpretation of the genome-wide association studies that are about to be published. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Health status impairment and costs associated with COPD exacerbation managed in hospitalINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 7 2007J. F. O'Reilly Summary Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have serious health consequences for patients and are strongly associated with unscheduled healthcare resource use. This study used a preference-based quality of life measure questionnaire (EQ-5D) to evaluate the impact of exacerbation on health status and utility during a patient's admission to hospital and short-term follow-up. Costs of admission were calculated. In total, 149 patients consented to take part in the study representing 222 admissions to hospital. At admission patients reported high levels of problems for all dimensions of the EQ-5D. Mean utility (,0.077) and Visual Analogue Scale (25.9) values indicated great impairment, with 61% of patients having a negative utility value representing a health state equivalent to ,worse than death' at admission. Many problems were still reported at discharge. By 3 months follow-up patients had deteriorated, with percentages of patients reporting problems in mobility (98%) and usual activity (88%) almost back up to admission levels. Health status and utility values were similar regardless of lung function at admission and at discharge. Approximately half of the patients in each category had a negative utility value at admission representing a health state ,worse than death', with similar levels of improvement by discharge. The mean cost of an admission was £2130.34 (SD 1326.09) with only a mean of £110.37 (5%) because of medication. No differences were noted by lung function category. In conclusion, all COPD patients requiring admission for an exacerbation suffer a serious deterioration in health status which, although improves during admission, notably deteriorates by 3 months postdischarge. [source] Implications of system expansion for the assessment of well-to-wheel CO2 emissions from biomass-based transportationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 13 2010Elisabeth Wetterlund Abstract In this paper we show the effects of expanding the system when evaluating well-to-wheel (WTW) CO2 emissions for biomass-based transportation, to include the systems surrounding the biomass conversion system. Four different cases are considered: DME via black liquor gasification (BLG), methanol via gasification of solid biomass, lignocellulosic ethanol and electricity from a biomass integrated gasification combined cycle (BIGCC) used in a battery-powered electric vehicle (BPEV). All four cases are considered with as well as without carbon capture and storage (CCS). System expansion is used consistently for all flows. The results are compared with results from a conventional WTW study that only uses system expansion for certain co-product flows. It is shown that when expanding the system, biomass-based transportation does not necessarily contribute to decreased CO2 emissions and the results from this study in general indicate considerably lower CO2 mitigation potential than do the results from the conventional study used for comparison. It is shown that of particular importance are assumptions regarding future biomass use, as by expanding the system, future competition for biomass feedstock can be taken into account by assuming an alternative biomass usage. Assumptions regarding other surrounding systems, such as the transportation and the electricity systems are also shown to be of significance. Of the four studied cases without CCS, BIGCC with the electricity used in a BPEV is the only case that consistently shows a potential for CO2 reduction when alternative use of biomass is considered. Inclusion of CCS is not a guarantee for achieving CO2 reduction, and in general the system effects are equivalent or larger than the effects of CCS. DME from BLG generally shows the highest CO2 emission reduction potential for the biofuel cases. However, neither of these options for biomass-based transportation can alone meet the needs of the transport sector. Therefore, a broader palette of solutions, including different production routes, different fuels and possibly also CCS, will be needed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Psychometric properties of an interviewer-administered version of the Kessler Psychological Distress scale (K10) among Dutch, Moroccan and Turkish respondentsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 3 2009T. Fassaert Abstract The Kessler Psychological Distress scale (K10) is an instrument that is widely used to screen for mental disorders, but information is lacking on its psychometric qualities in non-Western samples. This study used a population-based sample (N = 725) to assess the reliability and validity of the K10 across ethnic groups in an urban area. The results were generally supportive of the K10 as a reliable and valid instrument to screen for anxiety and depression in all three groups. Cronbach's alpha was high (0.93) and the results indicated the existence of a solid single factor structure. Item bias in relation to ethnic background was minor. In each group, there was good criterion validity with respect to one-month DSM-IV diagnosis for depressive and/or anxiety disorder. The results nevertheless highlight the importance of cross-cultural validation, as we found different cut-off values for ethnic subgroups to obtain optimal sensitivity and specificity for detecting depressive and/or anxiety disorders. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||