bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Confounding and studies of ‘moderate’ alcohol consumption: the case of drinking frequency and implications for low‐risk drinking guidelines
Authors: Naimi Timothy S. , Xuan Ziming , Brown David W. , Saitz Richard 
Published: October 2012

AbstractAimsMany observational studies suggest that increased drinking frequency is associated with reduced mortality among those with low‐dose alcohol consumption. The purpose of this paper was to examine whether frequent drinkers consume lower‐risk amounts during drinking days or have favorable risk factor profiles compared with those who drink less frequently, and discuss implications for the larger debate about the limitations of non‐randomized studies about ‘moderate’ drinking and the development of low‐risk drinking guidelines.MethodsData from the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey were used to characterize alcohol consumption characteristics and their relationship with risk factors among adult drinking men who consumed an average of fewer than two drinks per day and adult drinking adult women who consumed an average of less than one drink per day.ResultsThose who drank relatively infrequently (14 or fewer days per month) consumed more during drinking days, were more likely to exceed the US Dietary Guidelines drinking limits (41.0% versus 9.7%) and had a larger proportion of drinking days that included binge drinking (13.4% versus 4.3%). Infrequent drinkers also had a higher prevalence of 13 of 15 risk factors assessed. Findings from analyses of those aged ≥40 years were similar.ConclusionsAmong those with low average alcohol consumption, infrequent drinkers drink more during drinking days and have unfavorable risk factors profiles compared with more frequent drinkers, suggesting that confounding may contribute to favorable associations with ‘moderate’ average alcohol consumption and increased drinking frequency observed in non‐randomized studies.
Evidence for sexual isolation as a prezygotic barrier to gene flow between morphologically divergent species of Rhagoletis fruit flies
Authors: HOOD GLEN R. , EGAN SCOTT P. , FEDER JEFFREY L. 
Published: October 2012

1. Certain groups of fruit flies in the genus Rhagoletis (Diptera: Tephritidae) are exemplars for sympatric speciation via host plant shifting. Flies in these species groups are morphologically similar and overlap in their geographic ranges, yet attack different, non‐overlapping sets of host plants. Ecological adaptations related to differences in host choice and preference have been shown to be important prezygotic barriers to gene flow between these taxa, as Rhagoletis flies mate on or near the fruit of their respective host plants. Non‐host‐related assortative mating is generally absent or present at low levels between these sympatrically diverging fly populations.2. However, some Rhagoletis taxa occasionally migrate to ‘non‐natal’ plants that are the primary hosts of other, morphologically differentiated fly species in the genus. These observations raise the question of whether sexual isolation may reduce courtship and copulation between morphologically divergent species of Rhagoletis flies, contributing to their prezygotic isolation along with host‐specific mating.3. Using reciprocal multiple‐choice mating trials, we measured sexual isolation among nine species pairs of morphologically differentiated Rhagoletis flies. Complete sexual isolation was observed in eight of the nine comparisons, while partial sexual isolation was observed in the remaining comparison.4. We conclude that sexual isolation can be an effective prezygotic barrier to gene flow contributing to substantial reproductive isolation between many morphologically distinct Rhagoletis species, even in the absence of differential host plant choice and host‐associated mating.
Nutritional status, dietary habits, nutritional knowledge and self‐care assessment in a group of older adults attending community centres in Pavia, Northern Italy
Authors: Turconi G. , Rossi M. , Roggi C. , Maccarini L. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractBackgroundThe population of industrialised countries is ageing as a consequence of an increase in life expectancy. As a result of the increasing ageing process, the assessment of nutritional status and dietary habits, as well as the assessment of self‐care, is needed to plan selected actions aimed at improving the quality of life in the third and fourth life spans.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was carried out on a randomly selected sample of 200 healthy older adults (≥65 years old), attending community centres for older people in Pavia, Northern Italy. Ninety‐two percent of the recruited subjects participated in the survey. Anthropometric measurements and the Mini Nutritional Assessment were performed. Dietary habits, nutritional knowledge and self‐care were investigated using a questionnaire administered by two dietitians.ResultsThe majority of subjects were low socio‐economic status and overweight [mean (SD) body mass index = 28.4 (4.3) kg/m2], 12% were malnourished according to their Mini Nutritional Assessment score and the majority of the arm muscle circumference measurements were below the 10th percentile, predicting accelerated loss of lean mass, even in the healthy independently living older adults. Only 30% of the sample had adequate dietary habits, whereas the ability to self‐care was good for the whole sample.ConclusionsThe unhealthy and unbalanced diet, frequently too rich in sugar and fats and low in protein intake, might explain being overweight and the loss of lean mass in the study subjects.
The duration of fibre‐optic intubation is increased by cricoid pressure. A randomised double‐blind study
Authors: ARENKIEL B. , SMITT M. , OLSEN K. S. 
Published: October 2012

BackgroundIn some categories of patients, a rapid sequence induction using a fibre‐optic method may be indicated. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of cricoid pressure (CP) on the duration of fibre‐optic intubation. The hypothesis was that CP would prolong the intubation time.MethodsThe study was a randomised, double‐blind, cross‐over study. The patients were intubated twice, in a randomised way, using a flexible fibrescope once with and once without CP. The intubation time and the visualisation of the glottis were registered. If the intubation was not completed within 180 s, it was registered as failed. CP was standardised to a pressure of 30 N. The data are given as the mean (standard deviation) or median [interquartile] (range).ResultsFifty patients were included, with a mean age of 53 years (14.6) and mean body mass index of 26.4 (4.3). Three intubations without and 13 intubations with CP failed. The durations of intubation without and with CP were 59 s [53–79 s] (34–144 s) and 75 s [67–104 s] (43–179 s), respectively (P < 0.001).ConclusionThe study showed that CP prolongs the duration of fibre‐optic intubation in patients with Mallampati grades 1–2.
Prevalence of saphenous nerve injury after adductor‐canal‐blockade in patients receiving total knee arthroplasty
Authors: HENNINGSEN M. H. , JÆGER P. , HILSTED K. L. , DAHL J. B. 
Published: October 2012

BackgroundAdductor‐canal‐blockade is a new technique for pain relief after knee surgery. This block could cause nerve injury and the aim of this follow‐up study was to determine the prevalence of saphenous nerve injury in patients receiving adductor‐canal‐blockade for pain treatment after total knee arthroplasty.MethodsAll patients included in two former studies of adductor‐canal‐blockade following total knee arthroplasty were invited to participate in this follow‐up study 3–6 months after surgery. We examined the cutaneous area on the medial aspect of the lower leg (medial crural branch of the saphenous nerve), as well as the anterior, posterior, lateral and infrapatellar part of the affected and contralateral lower leg. Sensory function was tested with pinprick (sharp and blunt needle), temperature discrimination (cold disinfectant swabs) and light brush.ResultsWe included 97 patients. None of the patients [0–5.3% (99% confidence interval)] had sensory changes related to temperature or light brush corresponding to the medial crural branch of the saphenous nerve, but 10 patients could not discriminate between blunt and sharp stimulation with a needle. In the infrapatellar area of the operated knee, 76 patients could not discriminate between blunt and sharp stimulation with a needle, 81 patients could not discriminate between cold and warmth, and 82 patients displayed an altered sensation to light brush.ConclusionWe found no indications of saphenous nerve injury caused by the adductor‐canal‐blockade at the mid‐thigh level. However, 84% of the patients had signs of injury to the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve in the operated leg. Such findings are well‐known complications to the surgical procedure.
Common theme for drugs effective in overactive bladder treatment: Inhibition of afferent signaling from the bladder
Authors: Hood Brandy , Andersson Karl‐Erik 
Published: October 2012

AbstractThe overactive bladder syndrome and detrusor overactivity are conditions that can have major effects on quality of life and social functioning. Antimuscarinic drugs are still first‐line treatment. These drugs often have good initial response rates, but adverse effects and decreasing efficacy cause long‐term compliance problems, and alternatives are needed. The recognition of the functional contribution of the urothelium/suburothelium, the autonomous detrusor muscle activity during bladder filling and the diversity of nerve transmitters involved has sparked interest in both peripheral and central modulation of overactive bladder syndrome/detrusor overactivity pathophysiology. Three drugs recently approved for treatment of overactive bladder syndrome/detrusor overactivity (mirabegron, tadalafil and onabotulinum toxin A), representing different pharmacological mechanisms; that is, β‐adrenoceptor agonism, phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibition, and inhibition of nerve release of efferent and afferent transmitters, all seem to have one effect in common: inhibition of the afferent nervous activity generated by the bladder during filling. In the present review, the different mechanisms forming the pharmacological basis for the use of these drugs are discussed.
Recurrent rhabdomyosarcoma after adjuvant chemotherapy for stage I non‐seminomatous germ cell tumor with malignant transformation
Authors: Ushida Hiroshi , Koizumi Shuichi , Katoh Kenjiro , Okabe Hidetoshi , Okada Yusaku , Okamoto Keisei 
Published: October 2012

AbstractWe report a rare case of stage I non‐seminomatous testicular germ cell tumor with malignant transformation. The patient received two cycles of chemotherapy (cisplatin, bleomycin and etoposide) tailored to testicular germ cell tumors as an adjuvant therapy after orchiectomy. However, 22 months later, the patient developed a metastasis in the occipital region that consisted of solely rhabdomyosarcoma through malignant transformation of a teratoma component. This case highlights an issue related to adjuvant chemotherapy for testicular germ cell tumors with components of malignant transformation.
Associations between social vulnerability, employment conditions and hazardous alcohol consumption in Chile
Authors: Ansoleaga Elisa , Castillo‐carniglia Alvaro 
Published: October 2012

AbstractIntroduction and AimsStudies from many different countries have found associations between alcohol use, employment and social context. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between hazardous alcohol consumption (HAC), social vulnerability and employment conditions among Chilean adults.Design and MethodsA cross‐sectional study, involving analysis of the 2008 National Survey on Drugs in Chile, was conducted on 8316 economically active men and women aged between 18 and 65 years, who completed the alcohol section of the survey. The participants were selected randomly and data collected through face‐to‐face interviews. Multilevel analysis was used to achieve the study's objectives. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test was used to define HAC.ResultsThere were no significant associations between HAC and employment status or occupational category when controlling for potential confounders. Using the social services sector as a reference, the adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of HAC was 2.60 (1.96–3.46) for those who worked in construction, 2.03 (1.43–2.89) in mining, 1.74 in agriculture (1.16–2.63) and in industry (1.26–2.39), 1.73 (1.31–2.28) in trade, 1.67 (1.29–2.16) in other services and 1.42 (1.01–2.00) in transport. There was no association between the socioeconomic status of the participant's neighbourhood and HAC in the fully adjusted model. The perception of neighbourhood security (third quartile of insecurity) was associated with HAC (odds ratio 1.22; 95% confidence interval 1.02–1.46).Discussion and ConclusionsHAC was independently associated with the participant's economic sector and perception of neighbourhood security in Chilean adults. It is important to perform in‐depth analyses of contextual effects on individual alcohol consumption.
A systematic review of the impact of including both waist and hip circumference in risk models for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and mortality
Authors: Cameron A. J. , Magliano D. J. , Söderberg S. 
Published: October 2012

SummaryBoth a larger waist and narrow hips are associated with heightened risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and premature mortality. We review the risk of these outcomes for levels of waist and hip circumferences when terms for both anthropometric measures were included in regression models. MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched (last updated July 2012) for studies reporting the association with the outcomes mentioned earlier for both waist and hip circumferences (unadjusted and with both terms included in the model). Ten studies reported the association between hip circumference and death and/or disease outcomes both unadjusted and adjusted for waist circumference. Five studies reported the risk associated with waist circumference both unadjusted and adjusted for hip circumference. With the exception of one study of venous thromboembolism, the full strength of the association between either waist circumference or hip circumference with morbidity and/or mortality was only apparent when terms for both anthropometric measures were included in regression models. Without accounting for the protective effect of hip circumference, the effect of obesity on risk of death and disease may be seriously underestimated. Considered together (but not as a ratio measure), waist and hip circumference may improve risk prediction models for cardiovascular disease and other outcomes.
Minimal Groups Increase Young Children's Motivation and Learning on Group‐Relevant Tasks
Authors: Master Allison , Walton Gregory M. 
Published: October 2012

Three experiments (N = 130) used a minimal group manipulation to show that just perceived membership in a social group boosts young children's motivation for and learning from group‐relevant tasks. In Experiment 1, 4‐year‐old children assigned to a minimal “puzzles group” persisted longer on a challenging puzzle than children identified as the “puzzles child” or children in a control condition. Experiment 2 showed that this boost in motivation occurred only when the group was associated with the task. In Experiment 3, children assigned to a minimal group associated with word learning learned more words than children assigned an analogous individual identity. The studies demonstrate that fostering shared motivations may be a powerful means by which to shape young children's academic outcomes.
Participatory Democracy, Decentralization and Local Governance: the Montreal Participatory Budget in the light of ‘Empowered Participatory Governance’
Authors: Patsias Caroline , Latendresse Anne , Bherer Laurence 
Published: October 2012

AbstractThe intent of this article is to reflect on the notion of empowered participatory governance in order to gain a better understanding of the institutional contexts and parameters that encourage a more participative democracy, and thereby bring to light the political mechanisms that contribute to broadening the decision‐making process. The example we consider is the Montreal Participative Budget (PB). We focus on the impact of decentralization, more specifically on the form this took as the Montreal PB was being elaborated. We examine how much decentralization circumscribes the PB process. The Montreal Participative Budget provides an illustration of the emergence of a participative level in a political context that is, on the whole, hostile to participatory decision making. We suggest that the PB in this context benefits from a new window of opportunity. The chosen example has a dual significance: it underlines the role of temporal contingencies and scales of the process of decentralization in the participative structures at the local level, and it enables us to gain a better grasp of the problem of institutional architectures in implementing participatory democracy by emphasizing the political and social realities underlying new loci for decision making.RésuméCette réflexion entend participer à l'agenda de recherche autour de la Empowered Participatory Governance lancé par Fung et Wright. Après avoir dressé un bilan d'analyses consacrées à différentes expériences participatives, afin de préciser les configurations institutionnelles et politiques favorables à une gouvernance plus participative, nous examinons ces résultats à l'aune du Budget Participatif du Plateau Mont‐Royal à Montréal. Notre étude s'attarde plus particulièrement sur les liens entre décentralisation et démocratie participative, soulignant la nécessité d'une analyse qui prenne en compte les rapports de force entre les acteurs au sein des systèmes de gouvernance antérieurs à l'instauration des instances participatives. Si la présence de mouvements sociaux et de partis politiques, soutenant le projet participatif, s'avère incontournable, un mouvement uniquement bottom up risque également de cantonner la portée transformatrice de la démocratie participative à sa portion congrue.
Controlling the Urban Fabric: The Complex Game of Distance and Proximity in European Upper‐Middle‐Class Residential Strategies
Authors: Andreotti Alberta , Le Galès Patrick , Fuentes Francisco Javier Moreno 
Published: October 2012

AbstractThis article presents an open discussion of the processes of urban secession and gentrification in contemporary European cities, arguing that intergroup social dynamics in urban spaces are generally more complex than either extreme mutual avoidance or the colonization of neighbourhoods by the wealthiest groups. We analyse the residential strategies of urban upper‐middle class managers in various European metropolitan areas through in‐depth semi‐structured interviews to argue that these groups develop complex strategies of proximity and distance in relation to other social groups. The development of these ‘partial exit’ strategies takes place through specific combinations of practices that allow groups to select the dimensions they are willing to share with other social groups, and those in which they prefer a more segregated social environment for themselves and their families. The responses of our interviewees were consistently more nuanced and complex than suggested by a simplistic theory about their drive to withdraw from society, forcing us to develop more sophisticated conceptual frameworks to account for the growing prevalence of multi‐layered identities and spheres of reference and solidarity, specific combinations of elective segregation and local involvement, and more active patterns of mobility combined with local embeddedness.
Variations of the Entrepreneurial City: Goals, roles and visions in Rotterdam's Kop van Zuid and the Glasgow Harbour Megaprojects
Authors: Doucet Brian 
Published: October 2012

AbstractBoth Rotterdam's Kop van Zuid and the Glasgow Harbour waterfront developments are examples of different forms of European urban entrepreneurial megaprojects. They are both situated on formerly vacant land in older industrial cities. In Rotterdam, the municipality has taken the initiative in planning and developing the megaproject, while in Glasgow, this task has been left to the private sector, with the City functioning as a facilitator. While urban entrepreneurialism and megaprojects have been discussed in academic literature for almost three decades, there are too few case studies which delve into the specific visions guiding these projects, the goals which they are meant to achieve and the positions which different actors play. The aim of this article is to analyze the relationship between these visions, goals and positions of actors in megaprojects and whether these relationships can explain how the different outcomes are produced. What we see is that in municipally‐led projects, entrepreneurial goals are more easily formed and implemented than when the public sector acts only as a facilitator to private developers. It will also argue that it is not only structural contexts which are important in determining the types of megaprojects which get built and the success which they achieve, but also the specific values, visions and goals that different stakeholders have.
Social protection to achieve sustainable inclusion: A European imperative in the current economic crisis
Authors: Euzéby Chantal 
Published: October 2012

AbstractPreventing social exclusion has become a critical issue in the European Union (EU) as a result of cutbacks in social expenditure imposed by Member States’ exploding debt. This issue sits at the intersection of employment and training policies and of reforms seeking to adapt social protection systems to the new realities of the present socio‐economic context (population ageing, family instability, massive unemployment, employment insecurity, in‐work poverty and persistent and increasing social inequality). This article will show that promoting social protection as part of a social investment approach is an excellent means of reconciling the objectives of equal opportunity over the life cycle, sustained economic performance (improved structural competitiveness) and strengthened social cohesion in the interest of collective well‐being. Particular emphasis is given to the need to promote universal and individual rights to mobility and lifelong training, which would constitute new social guarantees, offsetting requirements linked to labour market flexibility. The article also emphasizes the importance of incorporating these rights throughout the EU as part of a wider social protection floor. This would offer permanent protection against the risk of exclusion in the Union, promote the economic and social integration sought since the revised Lisbon Strategy (2003‐2005), and create confidence and hope among Europe's citizens.