Association between perceived social support and induced abortion: A study in maternal health centers in Lima, Peru.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the association between perceived social support and induced abortion among young women in Lima, Peru. In addition, prevalence and incidence of induced abortion was estimated. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A cross-sectional study enrolling women aged 18-25 years from maternal health centers in Southern Lima, Peru, was conducted. Induced abortion was defined as the difference between the total number of pregnancies ended in abortion and the number of spontaneous abortions; whereas perceived social support was assessed using the DUKE-UNC scale. Prevalence and incidence of induced abortion (per 100 person-years risk) was estimated, and the association of interest was evaluated using Poisson regression models with robust variance. A total of 298 women were enrolled, mean age 21.7 (± 2.2) years. Low levels of social support were found in 43.6% (95%CI 38.0%-49.3%), and 17.4% (95%CI: 13.1%- 21.8%) women reported at least one induced abortion. The incidence of induced abortion was 2.37 (95%CI: 1.81-3.11) per 100 person-years risk. The multivariable model showed evidence of the association between low perceived social support and induced abortion (RR = 1.94; 95%CI: 1.14-3.30) after controlling for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: There was evidence of an association between low perceived social support and induced abortion among women aged 18 to 25 years. Incidence of induced abortion was similar or even greater than rates of countries where abortion is legal. Strategies to increase social support and reduce induced abortion rates are needed

Comparison of the Halpha equivalent width of HII regions in a flocculent and a grand design galaxy: possible evidences for IMF variations

We present here a study of the Halpha equivalent widths of the flocculent galaxy NGC 4395 and the grand design galaxy NGC 5457. A difference between the mean values of the Halpha equivalent widths for the two galaxies has been found. Several hypotheses are presented in order to explain this difference: differences in age, metallicity, star formation rate, photon leakage and initial mass function. Various tests and Monte Carlo models are used to find out the most probable cause of this difference. The resultsshow that the possible cause for the difference could be a variation in the initial mass function. This difference is such that it seems to favor a fraction of more massive stars in the grand design galaxy when compared with the flocculent galaxy. This could be due to a change of the environmental conditions due to a density wave.Comment: 29 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Perceived stress and high fat intake: A study in a sample of undergraduate students.

OBJECTIVES: Different studies have reported the association between perceived stress and unhealthy diet choices. We aimed to determine whether there is a relationship between perceived stress and fat intake among undergraduate medical students. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A cross-sectional study was performed including first-year medical students. The outcome of interest was the self-report of fat intake assessed using the Block Screening Questionnaire for Fat Intake (high vs. low intake), whereas the exposure was perceived stress (low/normal vs. high levels). The prevalence of high fat intake was estimated and the association of interest was determined using prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Models were created utilizing Poisson regression with robust standard errors. Data from 523 students were analyzed, 52.0% female, mean age 19.0 (SD 1.7) years. The prevalence of high fat intake was 42.4% (CI: 38.2%-46.7%). In multivariate model and compared with those with lowest levels of stress, those in the middle (PR = 1.59; 95%CI: 1.20-2.12) and highest (PR = 1.92; 95%CI: 1.46-2.53) categories of perceived stress had greater prevalence of fat intake. Gender was an effect modifier of this association (p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Greater levels of perceived stress were associated with higher fat intake, and this association was stronger among males. More than 40% of students reported having high fat consumption. Our results suggest the need to implement strategies that promote decreased fat intake

Muros de escollera en urbanizaciones

The uneven and slopes terrain force us to intervene with rigid or flexible containment structures. Containment structures tend to be mostly of reinforced concrete or steel sheet piling. For some time, the use of stone jetties as containment structures and permanent stabilization in housing estates is being imposed. This type of structure has been used successfully in slopes of roads and jetties on port. When moving it to suburbia has disparaged some aspects, both design and calculation, not taking into account actions in risk areas, or eliminating essential components as filters and drain components. This document analyzes the work of intervention in two works affected in Motril (Granada, Spain) and Almeria (Spain), where the breakwaters were utilized, reaching recidivism in one of them. Guide for the design and construction of breakwaters in roadworks from the Ministry of Public Works in 1998, revised in 2006, [3] is a valuable document but requires a Decalogue of specific instructions for use in works of urbanization, in general of lower volume, and with the largest number of meetings of surfaces. Three-dimensionality is usually an important factor to take into account.Los desniveles y pendientes del terreno nos obligan a intervenir mediante estructuras de contención, rígidas o flexibles. Las estructuras de contención suelen ser en su mayor parte de hormigón armado o tablestacas metálicas. Desde hace algún tiempo se está imponiendo la utilización de escolleras de piedra como estructuras de contención y estabilización permanentes en urbanizaciones. Este tipo de estructuras ya habían sido usadas con éxito en taludes de carreteras y espigones de puerto. Al trasladarse a las urbanizaciones se ha menospreciado algunos aspectos, tanto de diseño y cálculo, no teniendo en cuenta las acciones sísmicas en zonas de riesgo como Motril, o eliminando componentes esenciales como filtros y drenajes. El presente documento analiza los trabajos de intervención realizados en dos obras siniestradas en Motril y Almería (España), donde se utilizaron las escolleras, uno de ellos incluso reincidente. La Guía para el diseño y construcción de escolleras en obras de carreteras del Ministerio de Fomento de 1998, revisada en 2006, es un valioso documento pero precisa de un decálogo de instrucciones precisas para su uso en obras de urbanización, en general de menor volumen, y con mayor número de encuentros de superficies. La tridimensionalidad suele ser un factor importante a tener en cuenta

Dopant-dependent impact of Mn-site doping on the critical-state manganites: R0.6Sr0.4MnO3 (R=La, Nd, Sm, and Gd)

Versatile features of impurity doping effects on perovskite manganites, $R_{0.6}$Sr$_{0.4}$MnO$_{3}$, have been investigated with varying the doing species as well as the $R$-dependent one-electron bandwidth. In ferromagnetic-metallic manganites ($R$=La, Nd, and Sm), a few percent of Fe substitution dramatically decreases the ferromagnetic transition temperature, leading to a spin glass insulating state with short-range charge-orbital correlation. For each $R$ species, the phase diagram as a function of Fe concentration is closely similar to that for $R_{0.6}$Sr$_{0.4}$MnO$_{3}$ obtained by decreasing the ionic radius of $R$ site, indicating that Fe doping in the phase-competing region weakens the ferromagnetic double-exchange interaction, relatively to the charge-orbital ordering instability. We have also found a contrastive impact of Cr (or Ru) doping on a spin-glass insulating manganite ($R$=Gd). There, the impurity-induced ferromagnetic magnetization is observed at low temperatures as a consequence of the collapse of the inherent short-range charge-orbital ordering, while Fe doping plays only a minor role. The observed opposite nature of impurity doping may be attributed to the difference in magnitude of the antiferromagnetic interaction between the doped ions.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Colombia's Armed Conflict and Dental Caries among Adults.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to determine the association between residing in municipalities with armed conflict and dental caries among adults in Colombia. METHODS: Data from 9194 18-79-year-olds, who participated in the Fourth National Oral Health Survey in 2014, were linked with information on the presence and intensity of the armed conflict experienced in their municipality of residence between 2000 and 2012 (extracted from the Resource Centre for Conflicts Analysis). Dental caries was determined through clinical examinations and summarised using the numbers of decayed teeth (DT), decayed and filled teeth (DFT) and decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT). Two-level negative binomial regression models were fitted, with adults nested within municipalities, to test the association between armed conflict indicators and caries outcomes after adjustment for covariates. RESULTS: The mean DT, DFT and DMFT scores were 1.75 (SD=2.36), 6.03 (SD=4.53), and 10.27 (SD=7.11), respectively. Of the 197 municipalities included in the analysis, 12.2% experienced conflict permanently and 18.3% experienced high intensity conflict. In crude analysis, adults living in municipalities with more presence and intensity of armed conflict had lower DT and DMFT, but not DFT scores. After adjustment for covariates, only the (high) intensity of conflict was associated with lower DT (Rate Ratio: 0.64; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.47-0.87), DFT (RR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.71-0.95) and DMFT scores (RR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.74-0.89). CONCLUSIONS: This study found that Colombian adults residing in municipalities with high intensity of conflict had lower levels of untreated disease and caries experience

Transgenic Rescue of the LARGEmyd Mouse: A LARGE Therapeutic Window?

LARGE is a glycosyltransferase involved in glycosylation of α-dystroglycan (α-DG). Absence of this protein in the LARGEmyd mouse results in α-DG hypoglycosylation, and is associated with central nervous system abnormalities and progressive muscular dystrophy. Up-regulation of LARGE has previously been proposed as a therapy for the secondary dystroglycanopathies: overexpression in cells compensates for defects in multiple dystroglycanopathy genes. Counterintuitively, LARGE overexpression in an FKRP-deficient mouse exacerbates pathology, suggesting that modulation of α-DG glycosylation requires further investigation. Here we demonstrate that transgenic expression of human LARGE (LARGE-LV5) in the LARGEmyd mouse restores α-DG glycosylation (with marked hyperglycosylation in muscle) and that this corrects both the muscle pathology and brain architecture. By quantitative analyses of LARGE transcripts we also here show that levels of transgenic and endogenous LARGE in the brains of transgenic animals are comparable, but that the transgene is markedly overexpressed in heart and particularly skeletal muscle (20–100 fold over endogenous). Our data suggest LARGE overexpression may only be deleterious under a forced regenerative context, such as that resulting from a reduction in FKRP: in the absence of such a defect we show that systemic expression of LARGE can indeed act therapeutically, and that even dramatic LARGE overexpression is well-tolerated in heart and skeletal muscle. Moreover, correction of LARGEmyd brain pathology with only moderate, near-physiological LARGE expression suggests a generous therapeutic window

What is the value of orthodontic treatment?

Orthodontic treatment is as popular as ever. Orthodontists frequently have long lists of people wanting treatment and the cost to the NHS in England was £258m in 2010-2011 (approximately 10% of the NHS annual spend on dentistry). It is important that clinicians and healthcare commissioners constantly question the contribution of interventions towards improving the health of the population. In this article, the authors outline some of the evidence for and against the claims that people with a malocclusion are at a disadvantage compared with those without a malocclusion and that orthodontic treatment has significant health benefits. The authors would like to point out that this is not a comprehensive and systematic review of the entire scientific literature. Rather the evidence is presented in order to stimulate discussion and debate

Comparing the profile of child patients attending dental general anaesthesia and conscious sedation services

Aims To compare the profile of paediatric patients receiving dental treatment under general anaesthesia (GA) or conscious sedation (CS). A second aim was to explore whether there is an overlap between the two patient groups.Design This service evaluation study was based on sociodemographic and clinical data extracted from clinical records of patients attending dental appointments for GA or CS services at King's College Hospital. Sociodemographic and clinical differences between GA and CS groups were explored using logistic regression models.Results Data from 113 children (58 GA and 55 CS) were analysed. There were differences between groups in terms of age and numbers of quadrants and teeth treated, but not in terms of sex, ethnicity or deprivation scores. In the adjusted model, older children and those having more teeth treated were more likely to be in the GA than in the CS group. An overlap between the GA and CS groups was found, with 50% of children aged four to nine years having two to four teeth treated in both groups.Conclusion Age and number of teeth treated were the main characteristics associated with receiving care under GA or CS. Some overlap between children receiving dental treatment under GA or CS existed despite demographic and clinical differences between both groups.</p

Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials on the effectiveness of school-based dental screening versus no screening on improving oral health in children

OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of school-based dental screening versus no screening on improving oral health in children aged 3-18 years by a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION: Three sets of independent reviewers searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and other sources through April 2016 to identify published and nonpublished studies without language restrictions and extracted data. DATA: Primary outcomes included prevalence and mean number of teeth with caries, incidence of dental attendance and harms of screening. Cochrane's criteria for risk of bias assessment were used. RESULTS: A total of five cluster RCTs (of unclear or high risk of bias), including 28,442 children, were meta-analysed. For an intracluster correlation coefficient of 0.030, there was no statistically significant difference in dental attendance between children who received dental screening and those who did not receive dental screening (RR 1.11, 95% 0.97, 1.27). The Chi-square test for heterogeneity and the Higgin's I(2) value indicated a substantial heterogeneity. Only one study reported the prevalence and mean number of deciduous and permanent teeth with dental caries and found no significant differences between the screening and no screening groups. CONCLUSIONS: There is currently no evidence to support or refute the clinical benefits or harms of dental screening. Routine dental screening may not increase the dental attendance of school children, but there is a lot of uncertainty in this finding because of the quality of evidence. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Evidence from the reviewed trials suggests no clinical benefit from school-based screening in improving children's oral health. However, there is a lot of uncertainty in this finding because of the quality of evidence. There is a need to conduct a well-designed trial with an intensive follow-up arm and cost-effectiveness analysis