bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A longitudinal study of blood pressure in a national survey of children.
Authors: Hait H I , Lemeshow S , Rosenman K D
Published: November 2008

Blood pressure changes over a three- to four-year period were studies in a cohort of 2,168 children examined during the US Heath Examination Survey. The sample used is a representative subset of a national probability sample. Significant positive correlations between initial and follow-up blood pressures were observed. In addition, relatively obese children tended to demonstrate higher blood pressures within age-race-sex specific subgroups.
The incidence and severity of burn injuries following Project Burn Prevention.
Authors: MacKay A M , Rothman K J
Published: November 2008

Project Burn Prevention, an educational program about burn safety, was implemented in the Greater Boston area from October 1977 through May 1978. The program consisted of three components: a media campaign, a school-initiated intervention, and a community-initiated intervention. Estimates of burn incidence and severity of injury because of scald, flame, electrical or contact burns, or smoke inhalation were made on all patients coming to target- or comparison-area hospitals for a four-year period before the program, the eight months during the program, and the 12 months after the program. Analysis of burn incidence during and after the interventions showed that the school-initiated intervention did not reduce the incidence or severity of burn injuries. The community-initiated intervention may have brought about a moderate, temporary reduction in the rate of burn injuries, although the increase in burn incidence observed for the media campaign of educational messages broadcast to the Greater Boston area suggests that the more plausible explanation for this effect is random variation in burn incidence.
An assessment of health hazard/health risk appraisal.
Authors: Wagner E H , Beery W L , Schoenbach V J , Graham R M
Published: November 2008

A state-of-the-art review of a widely-used health promotion technique, the health hazard/health risk appraisal (HHA/HRA), was conducted. The review included preparing a 212-item annotated bibliography, compiling an inventory of 217 programs that have used HHA/HRA, holding discussions with HHA/HRA developers and users, conducting formal site visits to 15 HHA/HRA programs, and consultation with experts on epidemiology, biostatistics, and behavioral science as well as developers and users of HHA/HRA. Programs use HHA/HRA primarily as a promotional device, as a tool for structuring education about health-related behaviors, and as a motivational device for stimulating behavioral change. The scientific basis for HHA/HRA risk predictions is problematic, but their arithmetic imprecision is of less concern than insufficiency of the scientific evidence for certain behavioral recommendations, and inaccuracies in client-supplied data. Widely-held beliefs in HHA/HRA's efficacy for motivating behavioral change cannot be substantiated from available evidence, nor can the assumed absence of adverse effects. The importance of this particular health promotion technique appears to have been exaggerated.
Pediatric counseling and subsequent use of smoke detectors.
Authors: Miller R E , Reisinger K S , Blatter M M , Wucher F
Published: November 2008

Effects of a brief educational and purchase program concerning home fires and smoke detectors by two pediatricians were compared to "routine" counseling without such a program using two groups each of 120 patients of well children. Inspection performed four to six weeks after the office visits showed that of 55 experimental group parents without detectors prior to the program, 26 purchased and 19 installed them correctly. No control group parents did so.
The economic value of life: linking theory to practice.
Authors: Landefeld J S , Seskin E P
Published: November 2008

Human capital estimates of the economic value of life have been routinely used in the past to perform cost-benefit analyses of health programs. Recently, however, serious questions have been raised concerning the conceptual basis for valuing human life by applying these estimates. Most economists writing on these issues tend to agree that a more conceptually correct method to value risks to human life in cost-benefit analyses would be based on individuals.' "willingness to pay" for small changes in their probability of survival. Attempts to implement the willingness-to-pay approach using survey responses or revealed-preference estimates have produced a confusing array of values fraught with statistical problems and measurement difficulties. As a result, economists have searched for a link between willingness to pay and standard human capital estimates and have found that for most individuals a lower bound for valuing risks to life can be based on their willingness to pay to avoid the expected economic losses associated with death. However, while these studies provide support for using individual's private valuation of forgone income in valuing risks to life, it is also clear that standard human capital estimates cannot be used for this purpose without reformulation. After reviewing the major approaches to valuing risks to life, this paper concludes that estimates based on the human capital approach--reformulated using a willingness-to-pay criterion--produce the only clear, consistent, and objective values for use in cost-benefit analyses of policies affecting risks to life. The paper presents the first empirical estimates of such adjusted willingness-to-pay/human capital values.
Cambodian disaster relief: refugee camp medical care.
Authors: Feldstein B , Weiss R
Published: November 2008

The lack of available data impedes the efficient delivery of health care in disaster situations. We present organizational information and patient data based on review of 924 consecutive admissions seen during our three-month experience as refugee camp pediatricians at Khao-I-Dang Holding Center for Kampucheans in Thailand. Most patients had severe and multiple common diseases, with pneumonia, diarrhea, measles, and meningitis having the highest incidence. To optimize care, the gathering and distribution of epidemiologic data, the development of laboratory facilities and treatment protocols, standardization of supplies, and the initiation of programs for disease prevention must be stressed.
A nutritional analysis of the Food Stamp Program.
Authors: Whitfield R A
Published: November 2008

Conflicting claims made both for and against the Food Stamp program have never been based on empirical evidence of its effects on the adequacy and the quality of diets of poor people. In this study, individual diets are measured against dietary standards appropriate for individuals and models of nutritional adequacy are constructed which make possible a determination of the program's impact on many different components of human nutrition. Two types of multiple regression models of nutrient sufficiency--ratios of dietary intake to standard as well as nutrient densities--were developed with dietary recall data from 181 and 195 subjects, respectively. These subjects were selected in a random, probability sample of a low-income area of Tulsa. Oklahoma in 1978 and all had annual household incomes which placed them at or below the poverty level. Separate models were developed for each of six nutrients, calories, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C, and a large number of covariates were included in these models to isolate the effects due to program participation. The results suggest that the effects of food stamps are not uniformly positive nor are they similar to the effects which could be expected under a less expensive system of direct cash payments.
The effect of the dental setting on blood pressure measurement.
Authors: DiAngelis N , Luepker R V
Published: November 2008

Hypertension screening is a common activity in dental offices. However, this setting may elevate blood pressure, resulting in excessive patient concern and referrals. To experimentally test this question, blood pressure was measured in 60 subjects in a dental setting and a medical setting. Systolic and diastolic pressure differences were small but significantly higher (4.5 mmHg and 5.5 mmHg, respectively) in the dental setting.
Prevalence of self-reported depressive symptoms in young adolescents.
Authors: Schoenbach V J , Kaplan B H , Wagner E H , Grimson R C , Miller F T
Published: November 2008

To investigate the significance and measurement of depressive symptoms in young adolescents, 624 junior high school students were asked to complete the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) during home interviews. In 384 usable symptom scales, item-scale correlations (most were above .50), inter-item correlations, coefficient alpha (.85), and patterns of reported symptoms were reasonable. Persistent symptoms were reported more often by Blacks, especially Black males. Prevalence of persistent symptoms in Whites was quite close to reported figures for adults, ranging from 1 per cent to 15 per cent in adolescent males and 2 per cent to 13 per cent in adolescent females. Adolescents reported persistent vegetative symptoms less often and psychosocial symptoms more often. Reports of symptoms without regard to duration were much more frequent in the adolescents, ranging from 18 per cent to 76 per cent in White males, 34 per cent to 76 per cent in White and Black females, and 41 per cent to 85 per cent in Black males. The results support the feasibility of using a self-report symptom scale to measure depressive symptoms in young adolescents. Transient symptoms reported by adolescents probably reflect their stage of development, but persistent symptoms are likely to have social psychiatric importance.
Indochinese refugee fertility rates and pregnancy risk factors, Oregon.
Authors: Hopkins D D , Clarke N G
Published: November 2008

Matching 471 Oregon birth certificates with official Indochinese arrival lists reveals a fertility rate of 126.7, 1.8 times the US rate of 68.5. Greater maternal and infant risk rates were noted, particularly for Hmong. Data indicate improvements in obtaining prenatal care and in reducing the number of low birth weight infants for refugees who have resided in the US three or more months: however, the improvements appear to be reversed after 12 months of US residency.
Infant botulism in the United States: an epidemiologic study of cases occurring outside of California.
Authors: Morris J G , Snyder J D , Wilson R , Feldman R A
Published: November 2008

Data were obtained for the 96 hospitalized cases of infant botulism reported to the Centers for Disease Control between 1976-1980 from all states other than California. Forty-one cases were associated with Clostridium botulinum type A, 53 with type B, one with type F, and one with a strain of C. botulinum capable of producing both type B and F toxin. Cases occurred in 25 states; the disease was more common in the western part of the United States, with the highest attack rates reported for Utah and New Mexico. Birth-weights of hospitalized infants with infant botulism tended to be high compared with birth-weights in the United States population. Mothers of infants with infant botulism tended to be older and better educated than mothers in the general population. Seventy per cent of infants had been predominantly breast-fed; breast-feeding in type B cases was associated with a significantly older age at onset of illness.
The temporal relation between cigarette smoking and pancreatic cancer.
Authors: Weiss W , Benarde M A
Published: November 2008

Temporal trends in US cigarette smoking prevalence rates 1920 to 1978, were related to temporal trends in US pancreatic cancer mortality rates in both sexes. In males, the rise and fall in smoking prevalence was followed by a rise and recent fall in cancer rates. In females, the later rise in smoking prevalence has been accompanied by a rise in cancer rate, and a recent slight decline in smoking rate has been associated with a slowing of the rise in cancer rate.
The contribution of hypertension to mortality in the US: 1968, 1977.
Authors: Wing S , Manton K G
Published: November 2008

The contribution of hypertension to total mortality in the United States in 1968 and 1977 is assessed through multiple cause death rates for all mentions of hypertension and the death certificate prevalence of hypertension. Age-adjusted declines in the hypertension death rates were 32.8 per cent for non-White females, 30.4 per cent for non-White males, 30.3 per cent for White females, and 25.2 per cent for White males. Declines for younger non-Whites were the greatest, about 50 per cent, although their rates were more than twice the White rates in both years. Death certificate prevalence also declined for all four groups with the greatest (16.5 per cent) for non-White males and the least (10.4 per cent) for White males, who only showed declines at older ages. The age trajectory of death certificate prevalence reached a peak at ages 50-69 for non-Whites and ages 60-79 for Whites, with lower prevalence at the most advanced ages. Large declines in the contribution of hypertension to mortality observed in death certificate data are particularly striking in light of the probability that any bias would be toward better detection and reporting over the 10 years.
Uses of the 1980 census for Hispanic health services research.
Authors: Giachello A L , Bell R , Aday L A , Andersen R M
Published: November 2008

The 1980 Census data provide a valuable resource for health services research on Hispanics. Hispanics are the fastest growing minority group in the United States and yet there is a paucity of large-scale empirical research on their health care and access needs. This paper describes how the census can assist in: 1) estimating the overall health care needs of this group, 2) identifying target groups within the Hispanic population who may have special health care problems (e.g., children, elderly, pregnant women, etc.); and 3) using other data sources to improve the quality of studies carried out on Hispanics. It also discusses problems in using the census for Hispanic health services research and some strategies for dealing with these problems.
Coitus-related cervical cancer risk factors: trends and differentials in racial and religious groups.
Authors: Hendershot G E
Published: November 2008

Data from nationally representative surveys conducted in 1965 and 1976 are presented which describe differences between women of different religious and racial groups with respect to the prevalence of primary marriage and use of barrier methods of contraception. These practices were significantly less likely among Black women and significantly more likely among Jewish women than among comparison groups, which is consistent with the hypothesis that cervical cancer risk is related to coital behaviors.
Risk of pregnancy among adolescent schoolgirls participating in a measles mass immunization program.
Authors: Mann J M , Montes J M , Hull H F , Greenberg N , Kalishman N , Pressman A E , Kennedy S G , Iddings C T
Published: November 2008

A large measles vaccination program in the Albuquerque, New Mexico public schools in 1981, conducted according to US Public Health Service guidelines, was studied to determine rates of pregnancy among adolescent vaccinees. Pre-vaccination counseling of 1,922 clinic attendees prevented seven pregnant girls from being vaccinated. Despite counseling, of 1,913 female vaccinees age 13-18 years old, two were pregnant at the time of vaccination (1.05 pregnancies per 1,000 vaccinees) and an additional four girls became pregnant in the three months after vaccination (2.1 pregnancies per 1,000 vaccinees). Data supporting low or absent fetal risks from measles and rubella vaccine, combined with the low pregnancy rate among vaccinees documented in this study, support the reasonableness of the recommended strategy for measles and rubella vaccination of secondary schoolgirls.
Is health care use equivalent across social groups? A diagnosis-based study.
Authors: Yelin E H , Kramer J S , Epstein W V
Published: November 2008

Previous studies of medical care utilization have controlled for medical need by signs or symptoms or broad disease classifications. The present study uses both symptoms and discrete diagnoses to control for medical need in order to determine if the use of ambulatory and hospital care differs by race, income, education, insurance coverage, or region. Using data from the 1976 National Health Interview Survey, we found that there were no consistent differences in the number of physician visits made in a year by these characteristics, medical need held constant. Lack of insurance coverage was associated with fewer hospitalizations in a year for five of nine chronic diseases under review. Race was associated with fewer hospitalizations for two conditions prevalent among minorities. These effects were not evident when medical need was controlled solely by signs or symptoms.
Complications in cesarean and non-cesarean deliveries: United States, 1980.
Authors: Taffel S M , Placek P J
Published: November 2008

Using 1980 National Hospital Discharge Survey data, complications reported for cesarean and non-cesarean deliveries coded by the Ninth Revision ICD-CM are compared. While over 16 per cent of all deliveries in 1980 were by C-section, 94 per cent of the deliveries where maternal-infant disproportion was noted were by C-section, and this complication was noted in one-fourth of all C-section deliveries. Similarly, where malposition or malpresentation of the fetus was evident, 59 per cent of the mothers were delivered by C-section, and this complication was noted in one-sixth of all C-section deliveries. C-sections were also associated with placenta praevia, pre-eclampsia, infections of the genito-urinary tract, anemia, multiple births, and were almost universal for mothers who had had a previous C-section delivery. Competing explanations for the rise in C-sections from 5.5 per cent of deliveries in 1970 to 16.5 per cent in 1980 are discussed in the context of these findings.
Age of walking and mental retardation.
Authors: Kaminer R K , Jedrysek E
Published: November 2008

The age of independent walking was noted for 200 retarded children aged 30-60 months living in the community. The onset of walking tended to be later in more severely retarded children, but early walkers were found even among the most retarded. The majority of children with mild, moderate, and severe retardation walked by 17 months. Only in the group which was profoundly retarded did the majority begin to walk after 17 months. Onset of walking before 17 months is usual in retarded children and is compatible with all levels of mental retardation.
Effects of maternal education, age, and parity on fatal infant accidents.
Authors: Wicklund K , Moss S , Frost F
Published: November 2008

Accidents are a major cause of death among children. Using computerized linked birth and death record information, this study examined the relationship of selected parental factors to the risk of infant accidental death. The analyses suggest that maternal age and education are inversely related to infant accident mortality while mother's parity is directly related. Accident mortality rate differentials by educational level were more evident for certain categories of accidents.
The effectiveness of automobile safety regulation: evidence from the FARS data.
Authors: Orr L D
Published: November 2008

In a paper published in the August 1981 issue of this Journal, Leon Robertson attempts to measure the effects of the vehicle safety and occupant protection standards implemented in the 1960s. Data from the Fatal Accident Reporting System are used. Additional statistical analysis with these data reveals a multicollinearity problem that makes the prediction of the effects of regulation uncertain. There is also bias in regression results due to the inappropriate inclusion of truck data in the regressions. Regressions on the car data reveal a lifesaving effect of regulation that, at best, is one-fourth the value reported by Robertson.
Long-term effect of vasectomy on coronary heart disease.
Authors: Perrin E B , Woods J S , Namekata T , Yagi J , Bruce R A , Hofer V
Published: November 2008

We investigated the association between coronary heart disease (CHD) and vasectomy in a population of 10,632 men who were under surveillance for multiple CHD risk factors during participation in a university-based exercise testing program. We conducted a mail survey with telephone follow-up to determine the vasectomy status of individuals in the population. Responses were obtained from 6,159 individuals. The 4.944 males on whom information was complete enough to be included in the multivariate analysis comprised the study population. Among the 1,383 (28 per cent) vasectomized males in the study populations, the interval from vasectomy to the time of the survey ranged from less than one year to 37 years with a mean duration of 15 years. Although increased relative risks for CHD were found to be associated with family history of CHD, high blood pressure and smoking in this population, the relative risk of CHD associated with vasectomy was not increased in general, nor was it increased when the vasectomized males were classified by time since vasectomy. Likewise, serum antisperm-antibody titers were not predictive of CHD among vasectomized men. These studies support the findings from previous investigations of populations with shorter average post-vasectomy experience in which vasectomy has been shown to be unassociated with altered risk of CHD in humans.
Two methods of estimating the target population for public maternity services programs.
Authors: Payne S M , Strobino D M
Published: November 2008

One difficulty in estimating the target population for public health programs is identifying a current and appropriate indicator of the low-income population. Using data from Mississippi and Maryland, we determined that educational attainment of women giving birth is a feasible substitute for census data in estimating the low-income maternity population, and that vital statistics data offer several advantages for estimating the maternity services target population over census data.
Coronary heart disease mortality trends in Minnesota, 1960-80: the Minnesota Heart Survey.
Authors: Gillum R F , Hannan P J , Prineas R J , Jacobs D R , Gomez-Marin O , Luepker R V , Baxter J , Kottke T E , Blackburn H
Published: November 2008

Age-adjusted mortality rates and trends from coronary heart disease (CHD) in Minnesota for the years 1960 to 1980 differed among eight health service areas. Regression of ten socioeconomic and demographic factors and intensive care and coronary care unit beds on area CHD mortality levels and slopes revealed a significant positive association only for levels of welfare income-maintenance assistance with CHD mortality levels; there were no associations with trends. Further studies are needed to explain variation within states of CHD mortality rate levels and trends.
Education, consent, and counseling in sickle cell screening programs: report of a survey.
Authors: Farfel M R , Holtzman N A
Published: November 2008

In 1980, we surveyed screening facilities to determine the extent of sickle cell screening and to assess compliance with Maryland regulations. Approximately 52,000 persons were screened per year in Maryland by local health departments, hospitals, primary care centers, correctional facilities, and units dedicated entirely to screening. Thirteen thousand persons were screened without informed consent. Many facilities were deficient in providing education and counseling as well as in obtaining informed consent. Units dedicated entirely to screening were most compliant with the state regulations.
Citizen action for environmental health: report on a survey of community organizations.
Authors: Freudenberg N
Published: November 2008

A convenience sample of 242 community organizations involved in environmental health issues was surveyed regarding each group's goals, activities, and problems. The 110 groups that replied identified 153 health-threatening hazards including toxic waste dumps, pesticide spraying, and air or water pollution. The most common health conditions which respondents attributed to these hazards were cancer, respiratory problems, birth defects, and reproductive difficulties. The goal identified most frequently was the correction of the specific hazard facing their community. To achieve this aim, groups engaged in a variety of activities including research, public education, demonstrations, lobbying, and legal action. Most groups reported extensive and helpful interactions with scientists or health professionals. Respondents reported problems in obtaining information from local health officials, other government agencies, and industry. A majority of the groups rated their efforts at environmental health protection as being very or somewhat successful. The implications of these findings for local health officials are discussed.
Citizen cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and use in a metropolitan area: the Minnesota Heart Survey.
Authors: Murphy R J , Luepker R V , Jacobs D R , Gillum R F , Folsom A R , Blackburn H
Published: November 2008

To assess the prevalence and utility of citizen cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training, a systematic population-based sample of Minneapolis-St. Paul area adults, age 25-74 years, was interviewed in 1980-81. Twenty-three per cent were CPR trained. Of these, 13 percent have encountered out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and 38 per cent reported using their skills in such an emergency. Most of those performing out-of-hospital CPR (59 per cent) were health professionals. Only 19 per cent of trainees have maintained their certification by retraining within one year.
Cancer of the breast, colon, ovary, and testis in the United States: rates 1970-78 from a hospital reporting system.
Authors: Porter J B , Walker A M , Jick H
Published: November 2008

We have explored the use of data from the Commission on Professional and Hospital Activities-Professional Activity Study ( CPHA -PAS) for ascertaining information on cancer incidence, with regional breakdowns. Extirpative surgical procedures were linked with discharge diagnoses to provide estimates of numbers of incident cases. We calculated incidence rates for four cancers: breast, colon, ovary, and testis. CPHA -PAS inferred rates corresponded closely to those of other reporting systems for breast cancer in most age groups, and for colonic and testicular cancer in some age groups. Ovarian cancer rates were consistently underestimated. We conclude that a cancer incidence reporting scheme based on hospital discharge data can work for certain cancers, and be very inexpensive and efficient. It must, however, be used with care.
The cost of head trauma in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1970-74.
Authors: Grabow J D , Offord K P , Rieder M E
Published: November 2008

A study of the total cost of head injury in Olmsted County, Minnesota, with the costs projected to the United States population, revealed that the annual cost for head trauma in the US can be estimated at approximately +12.5 billion using a 6 per cent discount rate. The nonmedical costs accounted for more than 92 per cent (+11.5 billion) of the total cost, while direct medical costs amounted to +1.0 billion.
Tetanus immunization of adult members of an HMO.
Authors: Mullooly J P
Published: November 2008

Thirty-nine per cent of 1,900 randomly selected adult Health Plan members received one or more tetanus injections during a 10-year period of continuous eligibility. Age-specific immunization rates decreased from 47 per cent for 20-39 year olds to 28 per cent for those over age 70. Nearly half of the elderly, age 60+, received a booster of tetanus toxoid rather than tetanus-diphtheria toxoids as recommended by the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee of the Centers for Disease Control. Access to care does not appear to be a sufficient condition for achieving recommended levels of immunization, especially among the elderly.
Mental disorders among physical disability determination patients.
Authors: Leeper J D , Badger L W , Milo T
Published: November 2008

Persons claiming physical disability who were evaluated at a primary care health center in a small southern city were administered the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Fifty-six per cent of the 43 patients were found to have one or more psychiatric disorders. The relationship between physical disability and psychiatric disorders needs to be recognized in the disability evaluation system.
Severity of illness within DRGs: impact on prospective payment.
Authors: Horn S D , Sharkey P D , Chambers A F , Horn R A
Published: November 2008

This study compares the financial impact of a Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) prospective payment system with that of a Severity of Illness-adjusted DRG prospective payment system. The data base of about 106,000 discharges is from 15 hospitals, all of which had a Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) DRG case mix index greater than 1. In order to pool the data over the 15 hospitals, all charges were converted to costs, normalized to Fiscal Year 1983, and adjusted for medical education and wage levels. The findings showed that, for the study population as a whole, DRGs explained 28 per cent of the variability in resource use per case while Severity of Illness-adjusted DRGs explained 61 per cent of the variability in resource use per case. When we simulated prospective payment systems based on DRGs and on Severity-adjusted DRGs, we found that the financial impact of the two systems differed by very little in some hospitals and by as much as 35 per cent of total operating costs in other hospitals. Thus, even with a data set that is relatively homogeneous (with respect to the HCFA DRG case mix index definition of hospitals), we found substantial inequities in payment when DRGs were not adjusted for Severity of Illness. These findings suggest that, with a more representative set of hospitals, the difference between unadjusted and Severity-adjusted DRG-based prospective payment could be greater than 35 per cent of a hospital's total operating costs.
The public/private mix in the funding and delivery of health services: an international survey.
Authors: Navarro V
Published: November 2008

Two recently published international surveys show that industrialized Western countries with the greatest government funding and administration of health services have the greatest population coverage and the lowest administrative costs. Countries with central government administration and fiscal controls have the greatest ability to control health care expenditures. Current United States focus on the private sector may be misplaced.
A demonstration of lack of variability among six tuberculin skin test readers.
Authors: Perez-Stable E J , Slutkin G
Published: November 2008

The variability of tuberculin skin test readings among six trained and experienced readers was evaluated using a modified sliding caliper method. Each of 537 tests were read independently by two readers. There were 23 disagreements between paired readers resulting in an overall interobserver reliability of 95.7 per cent. In 82 per cent of the paired readings the results were different by 2 mm or less. The observer lack of variability was likely due to the training and experience of the readers.
Physicians' attitudes and practices toward CPR training in family members of patients with coronary heart disease.
Authors: Goldberg R J , DeCosimo D , St Louis P , Gore J M , Ockene J K , Dalen J E
Published: November 2008

A survey of 482 physicians practicing in central and western Massachusetts was carried out to examine attitudes and reported practices toward cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training for family members of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Seventy-nine per cent of physicians felt that CPR training was important for the family members of patients with CHD yet only 6 per cent actually provided information about CPR to families. Further studies are indicated to determine why physician behavior is at odds with their stated beliefs and to guide appropriate remedial action.
Selected perinatal factors and child abuse.
Authors: Benedict M I , White R B
Published: November 2008

A matched pair case-control study was conducted to compare birth weights, gestations, and length of hospital stay (LOS) of 532 children subsequently reported as physically abused with comparable data from a group of control children matched on age, sex, race, and maternal education. Our results indicated a moderate association between both low birthweight and very short gestation with physical abuse. Results for LOS were inconclusive.
Drugs and stillbirth.
Authors: Porter J B , Hunter-Mitchell J , Jick H , Walker A M
Published: November 2008

In a case-control study spanning five years' experience at Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, we could demonstrate no plausible association between the use of spermicides, oral contraceptives, Bendectin, or antibiotics prior to conception and the occurrence of 73 nontraumatic stillbirths.
A worksite smoking modification competition: potential for public health impact.
Authors: Klesges R C , Vasey M M , Glasgow R E
Published: November 2008

We evaluated the effectiveness of a worksite smoking cessation/reduction program both with and without formal competition for monetary prizes in five worksites (n = 107). A greater percentage of eligible smokers participated in the competition (88 per cent) than the non-competition (53 per cent) condition. Treatment outcome among participants was generally equivalent across conditions, but at a six-month follow-up, nonabstinent subjects in the competition condition had lower levels of carbon monoxide than subjects in the non-competition condition. On a worksite-wide basis, a higher percentage of employees quit smoking in the competition condition (16 per cent) compared to the non-competition (7 per cent).
Screening for coinfection with Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Oregon public health clinic patients.
Authors: Skeels M R , Sokolow R , Hubbard C V , Foster L R
Published: November 2008

During 1984, we screened 1,710 local public health clinic patients for Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Six patients (0.35 per cent) were positive for Cryptosporidium, and 214 (12.5 per cent) were positive for Giardia. One patient was positive for both parasites. In contrast to other reported studies, no evidence was found for an association between the two parasites (odds ratio = 1.39, 95 per cent CI 0.16, 11.8). The apparent prevalence of Cryptosporidium in our study population was lower than has been reported previously. More laboratory screening could contribute to a better understanding of the distribution of Cryptosporidium and its role in human diarrheal disease, especially in immunocompetent patients.
A cluster of injuries at a water slide in Washington State.
Authors: Paulozzi L J , McKnight B , Marks S D
Published: November 2008

Interviews were conducted with 46 people injured on a newly opened water slide in Washington State during the summer of 1983, and 46 age-matched controls. The injuries included nine concussions and eight spinal fractures. The odds ratio associated with being 10 per cent over ideal body weight, adjusted for age and sex, was 1.6 (95% C.I. 1.1-2.5). Three of eight people with spinal fractures were riding with another person between their legs, compared with two of 38 other injured riders (OR = 10.8, 95% C.I. 1.8-63.5).
The role of poultry and meats in the etiology of Campylobacter jejuni/coli enteritis.
Authors: Harris N V , Weiss N S , Nolan C M
Published: November 2008

To determine the role of meats as possible sources of infection leading to Campylobacter jejuni/coli (CJC) enteritis, 218 cases and 526 controls were selected from the King County Group Health Cooperative (GHC) population from April 1982 through September 1983. All subjects were interviewed regarding food consumption one week prior to case onset. Consumption of chicken and cornish game hen were both associated with more than a doubling of the risk of CJC enteritis: for chicken (relative risk = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.6-3.6), and for game hen, (RR = 3.3, 95% CI = 1.1-9.8). The consumption of raw or rare chicken was even more strongly associated (RR = 7.6, 95% CI = 2.1-27.6). Strains of CJC bearing R factors for tetracycline were equally as likely as tetracycline-susceptible strains to have been acquired from chicken and game hens. Processed turkey sandwich meats (RR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.0-2.9) raw or rare fish (RR = 4.0, 95% CI = 1.1-14.5) and shellfish (RR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.1-2.1) were the only other meats reported to have been eaten significantly (p less than .05) more often by cases than by controls. These data along with the results of bacteriologic sampling of meats from King County retail food markets during the same period suggest that ingestion of contaminated chicken is a primary source of CJC enteritis, contributing to approximately half of the cases.
Profiles of physician practice and patient severity of illness.
Authors: Horn S D , Horn R A , Moses H
Published: November 2008

We report on a study that examined physician practice profiles using two methods of patient classification: the Severity of Illness Index and diagnosis-related groups (DRGs). When used together with conventional management information and DRGs, the Severity of Illness Index permitted useful comparisons to be made among physicians; differences in both case-mix and severity could be estimated. In 37 per cent of the physicians studied, we found differences of more than $10,000 in the apparent impact of a physician on the hospital's financial position, depending on whether one controlled for severity or not. The extent to which these differences in impact could be due to quality of care differences is an area for future research. However, the findings that 37 per cent of the physicians in the study may be wrongly identified as over- or under-utilizers suggest long-term public health consequences of preparing physician profiles based on unadjusted DRGs.
State liquor laws as enablers for impaired driving and other impaired behaviors.
Authors: Waller J A
Published: November 2008

In theory, liquor control laws are meant to promote temperance. In most states, however, a purveyor of alcoholic beverages does not have to stop serving a customer until she/he appears "intoxicated"; this means that many people continue to be served alcohol long after they have reached the legal limit for impaired driving, .10 per cent blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Objective impairment and increased injury risk substantially precede clinical signs of intoxication. State liquor control laws should be changed to establish a maximum permissible number of drinks that may be served so that patrons are unlikely to exceed a maximum BAC (.10 per cent or .15 per cent) and to adopt a BAC of .10 per cent or .15 per cent as presumptive evidence that a patron has been served too much. Currently five states have a cutoff based at least in part on BAC, while the remaining states either have cutoffs based on appearance of intoxication or no cutoff at all.
A SUPREME NATIONAL NEED: COÖRDINATION AND ENLARGEMENT OF FEDERAL HEALTH ACTIVITIES
Authors: Rankin W. S.
Published: November 2008

Too many cooks in health administration is the impending danger, suggests Dr. Rankin. It is time for the A.P.H.A. to insist on a “whole-time” Health Department for the Central Government. Health and medical associations should coöperate to effect this. They should find out what needs to be done and use their influence to have it done.
INFLUENZA-PNEUMONIA AS INFLUENCED BY DISHWASHING IN THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
Authors: Cumming James G.
Published: November 2008

Colonel Cumming extends the trail he blazed in the matter of in-sanitary dishwashing. He finds in institutions that wash by hand in lukewarm water that there was three times the incidence of influenza-pneumonia that there was in institutions with steam dishwashing. His conclusions are based on an institution population of 252,186.
PUBLICITY AND THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST VENEREAL DISEASE
Authors: Everett Ray H.
Published: November 2008

No health officer can afford to ignore the educational value of publicity. But such announcements are so foreign to old-fashioned medical ideas that publicity is needed to give publicity its proper place. This author does good missionary work in outlining what publicity is doing for his specialty.
PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Lumsden L. L.
Published: November 2008

“Save 250,000 human lives in the United States in 1920!” is Surgeon Lumsden's slogan, and he backs it up by outlining how to do it. The world must have increase of man-power. Public health aid is essential. Needs are: whole-time health officers, effective local agencies and coördination of all agencies, and then the American spirit to “go over the top.”
PRESENT STATUS OF PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
Authors: Dowling Oscar
Published: November 2008

That public health administration is really a business is the message of Dr. Dowling. It will not be successful without business methods. These must include well-trained, full-time health officers and adequate appropriations.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTACT INFECTION
Authors: Palmer G. T.
Published: November 2008

This diary of one day's potential contact infection opportunities ought to have its lesson for everyone, health officer or private citizen. It is a story that fits into every man's life and its moral, “Watch and Wash your hands,” is an admirable health slogan.
Cognitive Costs of Navigation Aids in Hypermedia Learning
Authors: Waniek Jacqueline , Ewald Karolin
Published: November 2008

This study examines the cognitive costs of navigation aids in a hypermedia learning task. In a 2(navigable vs. non-navigable) × 2(map vs. content list) experimental design cognitive requirements were measured by users' eye movement data. Additionally, data from users' navigation operations, knowledge acquisition, and subjective evaluation of the hypermedia system were acquired. Results show that cognitive requirements were higher for the map than for the content list, and higher for a non-navigable than a navigable aid. Furthermore, users' navigation behavior was less efficient with a non-navigable than with a navigable aid. Recommendations for the design of aids in hypermedia systems are discussed.
The Market: Catalyst for Rationality and Filter of Irrationality
Authors: List John A. , Millimet Daniel L
Published: November 2008

Assumptions of individual rationality and preference stability provide the foundation for a convenient and tractable modeling approach. While both of these assumptions have come under scrutiny in distinct literatures, the two lines of research remain disjointed. This study begins by explicitly linking the two literatures while providing insights into whether market experience mitigates one specific form of individual rationalityconsistent preferences. Using field experimental data gathered from more than 800 experimental subjects, we find evidence that the market is a catalyst for this type of rationality. The study then focuses on aggregate market outcomes by examining empirically whether individual rationality of this sort is a prerequisite for market efficiency. Using a complementary field experiment, we gathered data from more than 380 subjects of age 6-18 in multi-lateral bargaining markets at a shopping mall. We find that our chosen market institution is a filter of irrationality: even when markets are populated solely by irrational buyers, aggregate market outcomes converge to the intersection of the supply and demand functions.
Aziridine Carboxylates, Carboxamides and Lactones: New Methods for Their Preparation and Their Transformation into α- and β-Amino Acid Derivatives
Authors: Dodd Robert H.
Published: November 2008

The preparation of a variety of novel aziridine-γ-lactones (3) from carbohydrates is described. In contrast to aziridine-2-carboxylates, the lactones react regiospecifically at C-2 with soft nucleophiles to provide optically pure substituted β-amino acid precursors. Hard nucleophiles react exclusively at the C-3 position to provide α-amino acid precursors. The utility of this methodology was demonstrated by the preparation of (3S,4S)-dihydroxy-L-glutamic acid (DHGA) from the appropriate aziridine-γ-lactone. DHGA was subsequently shown to be a selective partial agonist of mGluR1 receptors. A more concise preparation of aziridine-γ-lactones was achieved by 1,4-Michael addition of benzylamine to 2-O-triflylbutenolides. Use of a 2-O-mesylbutenolide led, under the same conditions, to the corresponding aziridine-2-carboxamides or 2-carboxylates. Finally, a new Evanstype aziridinating agent, Ses-iminoiodinane, was developed and shown to react efficiently with unsaturated substrates to give the corresponding aziridines, whose N-Ses protecting groups can be removed under mild conditions.
Synthesis of Polymers with Electro-optical Properties
Authors: Garay R. O.
Published: November 2008

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Synthesis of Derivatives of Biogenic Amines Labelled with Radioactive Tracers for Brain Imaging
Authors: Vitale Arturo A.
Published: November 2008

Endogenous derivatives of biogenic amines, such as phenethylamines, indolalkylamines and harmines, have been extensively studied as usual constituents of body fluids. Methylated derivatives of indolalkylamines have been also related to mental disorders, e.g. schizophrenia and hallucination.
Biotransformation of Ilicic Alcohol with Aspergillus Niger
Authors: Pous Leticia , Carrizo Roberto , Sanz Marcela Kurina , Gianello José C. , Guerreiro Eduardo
Published: November 2008

3β-hidroxyilicic alcohol was obtained from of ilicic alcohol using cultures of Aspergillus niger.
Octyl Phenol Synthesis Using Natural Clays
Authors: Casuscelli S. , Herrero E. , Fernandez J. , Piqueras M.
Published: November 2008

A series of clay minerals, HB, NB and Al-PILC have been studied in the alkylation reactions of 2-octanol with phenol at 180°C, under conditions of alcohol/phenol = 1 (mole ratio) and W/FAo °= 64,27 ghmol-1. The selectivity of Al-PILC was 77,12% for octyl phenol and 16,5% for dioctyl phenol.
Catalytic Epoxidation of Limonene
Authors: Herrero E. , Casuscelli S. , Fernandez J. , Poncio C. , Rueda M. , Oyola O.
Published: November 2008

The epoxidation of limonene with hidrogen peroxide was studied over zeolite Tibeta (a large pore material) and heteropoly acids on carbono and alumina supported. PW11/C was catalyst the best tested.
Sulfated Polyhydroxysteroids from the Antartic Ophiuroid Gorgonocephalus Chilensis
Authors: Maier M. S. , Araya E. , Seldes A. M.
Published: November 2008

Five disulfated steroids and a mixture of monosulfated steroids were isolated from the ethanolic extract of the antarctic ophiuroid Gorgonocephalus chilensis. The structures were determined by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and FABMS.
Bioactive Steroidal Glycosides from the Starfish Anasterias Minuta
Authors: Chludil H. , Maier M. S. , Seldes A. M.
Published: November 2008

Cytotoxic fractions obtained by purification of the ethanolic extract of Anasterias minuta contain sulfated hexasaccharide glycosides. These compounds show antifungal activity against Cladosporium cucumerinum.
Effect of Substituents on the O-O Bond Rupture of Different Organic Peroxides in Toluene Solution
Authors: Eyler G. N. , Cañizo A. I. , Mateo C. M. , Alvarez E. E. , Nesprías R. K.
Published: November 2008

The thermal decomposition reaction of cyclic organic peroxides was studied in toluene solution in a wide temperature range. The kinetic data show an important substituent effect on the unimolecular homolysis of the O-O bond of these molecules.
Thermal Decomposition Reaction of Acetophenone Cyclic Diperoxide in Solvents of Different Physicochemical Properties
Authors: Mateo C. M. , Cañizo A. I. , Eyler G. N.
Published: November 2008

The thermal decomposition reaction of acetophenone cyclic diperoxide (trans-3,6-dimethyl-3,6-diphenyl-1,2,4,5-tetroxane; APDP) at the initial concentration of c.a. 0.01 mol kg-1 and temperature ranges of 135.5 to 185.0° C has been investigated in dioxane and acetonitrile solutions, and in an 2-propanol/benzene mixture.