Impact Of Female Research Articles

Outcomes of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in Populations with Obesity and Their Risk of Developing Colorectal Cancer: Where Do We Stand? An Umbrella Review on Behalf of TROGSS-The Robotic Global Surgical Society.

Introduction: Obesity is a chronic disease associated with increased risk for several cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC), a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. The majority of CRC cases are associated with modifiable risk factors. Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is a proven, durable, and successful intervention for obesity. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of MBS on CRC risk through measures of association, such as relative risk (RR) and odds ratio (OR). Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Embase was conducted to identify systematic reviews (SR) and meta-analyses examining the relationship between obesity treated with MBS and CRC incidence. The PICO framework guided inclusion criteria, and three independent reviewers screened articles using Rayyan software. Quality assessment was performed using AMSTAR2. Results: Of 1336 screened articles, 10 SR met inclusion criteria, encompassing 53,452,658 patients. Meta-analyses consistently showed a significant reduction in CRC risk following MBS in patients with severe obesity. Risk reductions were reported by Liu et al. (RR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.32-0.67, p < 0.01), Chierici et al. (RR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.28-0.75, p = 0.018), Wilson et al. (RR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.53-0.88, p = 0.003), and Pararas et al. (RR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.40-0.80, p < 0.001). Sensitivity analyses supported these findings. For colon cancer, Liu and Chierici both reported an RR of 0.75 (95% CI: 0.46-1.21, p = 0.2444) with significant heterogeneity (I2 = 89%). A trend towards reduced rectal cancer risk (RR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.40-1.39, p = 0.3523) was noted but limited by fewer studies. Sex-specific analyses revealed protective effects in both sexes, with a more pronounced impact in females (RR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.37-0.79, p = 0.0014). Conclusions: This umbrella review synthesizes current evidence on the impact of MBS on CRC risk, highlighting a consistent protective association. The findings also indicate a potential risk reduction for both colon and rectal cancer, with a more pronounced effect observed among females compared to males. Given the profound implications of MBS on cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality, further high-quality, long-term studies are essential to deepen our understanding and optimize its role in cancer prevention and patient care.

Dietary phytoestrogens recalibrate socioemotional behavior in C57Bl/6J mice in a sex- and timing-dependent manner.

Dietary phytoestrogens recalibrate socioemotional behavior in C57Bl/6J mice in a sex- and timing-dependent manner.

β-Carotene Impacts the Liver MicroRNA Profile in a Sex-Specific Manner in Mouse Offspring of Western Diet-Fed Mothers: Results from Microarray Analysis by Direct Hybridization.

Maternal unbalanced diets cause adverse metabolic programming and affect the offspring's liver microRNA (miRNA) profile. The liver is a site of β-carotene (BC) metabolism and a target of BC action. We studied the interaction of maternal Western diet (WD) and early-life BC supplementation on the epigenetic remodeling of offspring's liver microRNAs. Mouse offspring of WD-fed mothers were given a daily placebo (controls) or BC during suckling. Biometric parameters and liver miRNAome by microarray hybridization were analyzed in newly weaned animals. BC sex-dependently impacted the liver triacylglycerol content. The liver miRNAome was also differently affected in male and female offspring, with no overlap in differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs between sexes and more impact in females. Bioinformatic analysis of DE miRNA predicted target genes revealed enrichment in biological processes/pathways related to metabolic processes, regulation of developmental growth and circadian rhythm, liver homeostasis and metabolism, insulin resistance, and neurodegeneration, among others, with differences between sexes. Fifty-five percent of the overlapping target genes in both sexes identified were targeted by DE miRNAs changed in opposite directions in males and females. The results identify sex-dependent responses of the liver miRNA expression profile to BC supplementation during suckling and may sustain further investigations regarding the long-term impact of early postnatal life BC supplementation on top of an unbalanced maternal diet.

Factors Associated with Achieving HbA1c Targets in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a major global public health concern, particularly due to its complications and associated mortality and morbidity. Ethnic differences in the epidemiology of diabetes necessitate population-specific studies to identify factors influencing glycemic control. Objectives: This study aimed to identify demographic and clinical factors associated with achieving HbA1c targets in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at the Yazd Diabetes Center in Iran. Methods: In this retrospective study, data were extracted from the medical records of 3,454 patients with type 2 diabetes at the Yazd Diabetes Research Center (March 2020 - December 2022). Data analysis was performed using chi-squared tests, t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and logistic regression in R version 4.0.2. Results: The cohort, predominantly female (59%) and primarily educated at the elementary level (65%), had an average age of 59.5 years (SD = 10) and a mean diabetes duration of 10.7 years (SD = 7.6). In the multivariable logistic regression model, older age (B = 0.03, OR = 1.03 per year, P &lt; 0.001) and higher education level (secondary school B = 0.664, OR = 1.94, P &lt; 0.001; academic education B = 0.834, OR = 2.30, P &lt; 0.001) remained significant independent predictors of achieving HbA1c &lt; 7%. The interaction term revealed that each additional year of diabetes duration led to a 3% greater reduction in the odds of achieving HbA1c &lt; 7% for females compared to males (B = -0.029, OR = 0.97, P = 0.011), indicating gender-specific impacts of diabetes duration. Conclusions: This study found that demographic factors, including older age and higher education levels, were significantly associated with better glycemic control. The duration of diabetes negatively affected HbA1c outcomes, with a more pronounced impact in females than in males.

Exploring the effect of disc displacement on the risk and severity of condylar erosion in adult temporomandibular disorder patients: A CBCT and MRI study.

The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between types of disc displacement (DD) diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the risk (presence or absence) and severity of condylar erosion (CE) graded using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in adult Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) patients. A total of 353 TMD patients (283 females, 70 males) underwent MRI scans to categorise DD as normal (NA), anterior displacement with reduction (ADDR), or anterior displacement without reduction (ADDNR). CE severity was graded on a scale of 0-3 (absence, mild, moderate or severe) using CBCT. To establish the plausibility and cut-off points for CE diagnosis, the severity of CE was then further divided into three classifications: Grade 0 versus 1 + 2 + 3; Grades 0 + 1 versus 2 + 3; Grades 0 + 1 + 2 versus 3. Logistic regression analysis was performed, adjusting for age, gender and joint correlation. ADDNR significantly increased the risk of CE compared with NA (OR = 10.04, 95% CI: [6.41, 15.73]) and showed a significant increase in CE severity across all classifications (ORs = 10.04-18.95). The effects of ADDNR were significant in both genders (p < .001) and had a greater impact in females. ADDR was predominantly associated with mild CE. ADDNR significantly increased the risk and severity of CE independent of gender when compared to NA, whereas ADDR was mainly associated with mild CE. Slight cortical discontinuity may represent a subclinical diagnosis requiring further investigation.

Sexual Harassment and its Impact in Females at Workplace in Dhanusha District, Madhesh Province, Nepal

INTRODUCTION: The violence of sexual harassment at workplace is problematic issue in the community for females. It has a direct bearing on the workplace productivity as well as the development of the society. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the effects of sexual harassment on health and daily performances of female employees. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Descriptive study was carried out in Dhanusha district of Madhesh province of Nepal from March, 2022 to April 2022. The study was conducted in different organizations (workplace) situated in Dhanusha district which were selected purposely. The sample size was 120 working females. Banks, schools, hospitals, and shopping centres were the selected female working places in this study. Face to face interview was conducted through structured questionnaire for the 120 females who gave the permission for interview. RESULTS: The present study demonstrated that 61.67 % respondents exhibited to possess the knowledge about sexual harassment however, 38.33% of the female respondents demonstrated to be unaware about sexual harassment at their workplace. Among the total numbers of female participating in the research, 29% of the females had experienced the incidence of sexual harassment. Majority of respondents (25.71%) working efficacy had reduced after being suffered from sexual harassment and 5.71% had changed their job. 5.71% females suffered from headache and body ache, 5.71% suffered from high blood pressure, 22.86% suffered from anorexia, 20% suffered from restlessness/insomnia, 17.14% suffered from fatigue, 14.29% suffered from anxiety, 11.43% faced depression and 2.86% had lost their body weight. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual harassment for females at work place affects them physically as well as mentally. Therefore, awareness programme should be conducted time to time and anti-sexual harassment policy should be implemented at workplace.

O-089 Using ChatGPT to answer patient questions about fertility: the quality of information generated by a deep learning language model

Abstract Study question What is the quality of information provided by ChatGPT when using common patient questions as prompts? Summary answer Overall, the quality of the information generated by ChatGPT was high with little evidence of commercial bias. What is known already People seeking fertility-related information rely on internet sources when deciding on reproductive planning and assisted conception. The quality of information within the commercial landscape of infertility treatment is poor. ChatGPT, a variant of Generative Pre-trained Transformer v3 (GPT-3), is a language model that uses deep learning to generate human-like text. Given prompts, it generates answers by predicting the next word in the sequence based on patterns learned from training data. The training data for GPT-3 is not curated, but a snapshot of the Web, which includes all kinds of information, including biases that may exist within sources. Study design, size, duration Ten common patient questions were used as prompts. Three questions related to fertility awareness (impact of female/ male age on fertility and fertile window in the menstrual cycle), one to the chance of success with IVF, one to elective egg freezing, one to the benefits of add-ons, one to PCOS and pregnancy, one to choosing a fertility clinic, and one to how many IVF cycles should be attempted. Participants/materials, setting, methods Two experts independently scored the quality of the information generated by the ChatGPT using a scoring matrix with a range of 0 to 7 where higher scores indicate higher quality. Text was rated against humanistic answers based on how well it corresponded (0-3), evidence of commercial bias or controversial claims (no = 1, yes=0), use of accurate proportions/ statistics and whether it was stated that medical advice should be sought (yes=1, no = 0). Main results and the role of chance The scores returned by the two experts were closely aligned with only one point difference for one of the answers. This discrepancy was resolved through discussion. While none of the answers received the maximum score of 7, 6/10 scored 5 or more and 3 received a score of 3-4. Only one answer, the answer to the question about the benefits of add-ons, scored less than 3. This was also the only question where the response had evidence of commercial bias and one of only two that made claims that could be considered controversial. Limitations, reasons for caution The scoring method used in this study has not been validated and is exploratory in nature as this area of evaluation is emerging. However, the use of expert evaluation is common when assessing the performance of machine learning models and often used to fine-tune their parameters and improve their performance. Wider implications of the findings It is known that people seeking fertility-related information rely heavily on online sources such as clinic websites, consumer advocacy organisations, patient support groups and social media. Our findings suggests that ChatGPT may be a useful tool for patients seeking factual and unbiased information regarding fertility and fertility treatment. Trial registration number Not applicable

Psoriatic Arthritis in Males and Females: Differences and Similarities.

To assess any differences and similarities in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) between sexes. Any possible differences of psoriasis and its potential impact on disease burden between sexes with PsA were also evaluated. Cross-sectional analysis of two longitudinal PsA cohorts. The impact of psoriasis on the PtGA was evaluated. Patients were stratified in four groups based on BSA. The median PtGA was then compared between the four groups. Moreover, a multivariate linear regression analysis was performed in order to evaluate associations between PtGA and skin involvement, split by sexes. We enrolled 141 males and 131 females: PtGA, PtPnV, tender, swollen joint count, DAPSA, HAQ-DI, PsAID-12 were statistically significant higher in females (p ≤ 0.05). PASS "yes" was deemed more in males than in females and BSA was higher in males. MDA was present more in males than females. When the patients were stratified on BSA, median PtGA was not different between males and females with BSA = 0. Instead, in females with BSA > 0, a higher PtGA was observed compared to males with BSA > 0. There was not a statistically significant association between skin involvement and PtGA at linear regression analysis, even if a trend seems to be present in female. Psoriasis is more present in males, but it seems to be related to a worse impact in females. In particular, a possible role of psoriasis as an influencing factor the PtGA was found. Moreover, female PsA patients tended to have more disease activity, worse function, and higher disease burden.

The Role of Religion in Gender Inequality in Ghana: The Christian Perspective

This article seeks to discuss how religion affects gender inequality in Ghana. Religious teachings and beliefs play an important role in either promoting or hindering gender equality. Defining ‘‘religion’’ with a common definition has become a major enterprise for theologians. From the biblical perspective, the impact of females is rarely felt, due to the socio-cultural injunctions purported to have come from the Graeco-Roman world. The subjugation of women is still common in all spheres of life including Ghana and religion has a role to play in this phenomenon. Using the works of various scholars, this article explored the extent of the influence of religion on gender inequality from the Christian perspective. It was observed that despite its influence on social development, Religion has not promoted the needed gender equality in Ghana. The church and society, therefore, need to confront the issue of gender inequality and sanction women’s equality with their male counterparts. This study adds to the existing literature on the need to break gender inequality in all spheres of life in this 21st century. Keywords: Religion, Culture, Patriarchy, Gender Inequality.

Research on temporal and spatial evolution of public's response to the mandatory waste separation policy based on big data mining

Research on temporal and spatial evolution of public's response to the mandatory waste separation policy based on big data mining

Determinants of Militancy and its Effects on Education in Districts Mohmand of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Purpose: The main objective of this study is to investigate the determinants of militancy and its effect on education in terms of students’ dropout in District Mohmand of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, in 2018-19.&#x0D; Methodology: The review depends on essential information and a sum of 358 families has been acquired through the Yamane Formula. The information has been investigated through the Chi-Square test just as the Multiple Linear Regression Model by means of SPSS programming.&#x0D; Findings: The chi-square experimental outcome observed a critical relationship between understudies exiting and diverse financial variables, to be specific militancy, pay, early marriage, family size, schooling, and family framework. The impact of militancy was additionally seen after disaggregation of information into male and female and revealed a high impact in females contrasted with their male partners. Assessed relapse examination shows that understudy dropout is emphatically connected with the distance of respondents' homes to the nearest school, family size, militancy and family system.&#x0D; Implications: The review prescribes that the public authority needs to control the Pak-Afghan line and spotlight on the decrease of destitution, work on the monetary turn of events, and increment the instructive spending plan.

Advanced but not mild liver disease is a predictor of decreased survival in children with cystic fibrosis, with far greater impact in females: A 27-year real-life cohort study

Advanced but not mild liver disease is a predictor of decreased survival in children with cystic fibrosis, with far greater impact in females: A 27-year real-life cohort study

The Female Impact in the World of Neurodegeneration.

Scientific research fuels advances in medicine, but the contributions of individual scientists, especially women, are often underappreciated. The field of neuroscience is vast, with many important gaps in knowledge remaining; thus, it is imperative for women to be able to contribute. A pivotal 2018 study revealed that women were still shockingly underrepresented in academic neurology, representing only 30.8% of academic neurologists (McDermott et al., 2018). Of additional concern, this gender gap grows with increasing academic rank, with only 13.8% of neurology professors being women (McDermott et al., 2018). Although women have faced much adversity in the field of neuroscience, there have been pioneers who have paved a path for other women. Moreover, these women made important contributions that enhanced scientific understanding of neurodegeneration and neurodegenerative diseases. The purpose of this paper is to highlight notable, but underappreciated, female neuroscientists and their important contributions to modern understanding of neurodegeneration. Overview of Neurodegeneration The term neurodegeneration is a mixture of two words—“neuro”, which refers to nerve cells and then “degeneration”, which refers to progressive damage. The term in its entirety, “neurodegeneration”, can be used to describe various conditions that result in the loss of nerve structure and function. This deterioration of neural structures results in a loss of cognitive abilities such as memory and decision making (Murman, 2015). Loss of neural function is a key hallmark in many neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and many rare disorders (Przedborski et al., 2003). An important area of research is exploring the mechanisms that underlie neurodegeneration and plasticity; this includes investigation of proteins implicated in AD (e.g., tau; amyloid-beta) and Parkinson's (e.g., alpha-synuclein). Tau is a protein found in the brain that serves to stabilize microtubules (Gao et al., 2018); tau hyperphosphorylation results in its aggregation into insoluble tangles, a characteristic biomarker of AD. Another characteristic feature of AD is the aggregation of amyloid beta protein into extracellular deposits known as amyloid plaques (Bloom, 2014). Alpha-synuclein is a neuronal protein that normally regulates trafficking of synaptic vesicles for neurotransmitter release. If mutated, the once soluble protein aggregates into insoluble fibrils forming Lewy bodies, a hallmark feature of PD (Stefanis, 2012). Notably, there are currently no known therapies that can prevent or reverse neurodegeneration. Rather, for each particular disease, medications may be available that reduce symptom burden and improve quality of life. Ongoing research efforts focus on the similarities between neurodegenerative these diseases in the hope of 1 day finding a cure. In this manuscript, notable contributions of women to neurodegeneration research are highlighted. These contributions are vast and include discoveries about neuronal pathways, proteins, vascular effects on neurodegeneration, nerve growth factor, and novel imaging techniques. In total, 12 female neuroscientists are celebrated below, namely: Rita Levi-Montalcini, Valina L. Dawson, Eva-Maria Mandelkow, Tara Spires-Jones, Maria Grazia Spillantini, Miia K. Kivipelto, Vivian Tabar, Marian Diamond, Elizabeth Roboz-Einstein, Cecile Vogt-Mugnier, Patricia Goldman-Rakic, and Anita Harding. A timeline of select key advancements in neurodegeneration research is provided below (see Figure 1). Open in a separate window Figure 1 The above timeline outlines a few key events that contributed to knowledge of neurodegeneration. Some of the events shown are the first descriptions of neurodegenerative diseases, others are key discoveries regarding the mechanisms of neurodegeneration, one is a clinical trial.

The impact of females’ economic well-being on fertility: Race and ethnicity

As women’s labor participation has increased, the fertility rate has decreased. However, there is little research addressing economic well-being among females and the effect of females’ economic well-being on the fertility rate. Through this study, we examines the effects of females’ economic well-being on fertility and differences in the association across ethnicity/race. The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 was used. 3734 females were selected for the final sample. The sample consists of 1834 non-Hispanic Whites, 1175 African Americans, and 725 Hispanics. Ordinary Linear Regression Analyses and Logistic Regression Analyses were conducted. There were ethnic/racial disparities in economic well-being amongst females. Poverty was positively associated with both having more children and higher numbers of miscarriages/stillbirths. Interaction effects were found: African Americans and Hispanics moderated the association between poverty and number of children. This research contributes to further understanding ethnic/racial disparities between females’ economic well-being and fertility.

Acne vulgaris: prevalence, severity, and impact on quality of life and self-esteem among Egyptian adolescents

BackgroundAcne vulgaris is the most common dermatoses affecting adolescents with significant impact on their quality of life (QoL). The current study aimed to estimate the prevalence of acne, severity, and its impact on QoL and self-esteem among Egyptian adolescents.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 787 students were selected using multistage stratified random sampling from 12 secondary schools in Alexandria, Egypt. Data was collected using a self-reported questionnaire, and clinical examination was performed. Severity of acne and its impact on QoL and self-esteem were assessed using the Global Acne Grading System (GAGS), Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI), and Coopersmith self-esteem scale, respectively.ResultsPrevalence of self-reported acne was 34.7%. Females significantly reported acne more frequently than males (39.1% vs. 30.3%, p = 0.009). Prevalence of clinically confirmed acne was 24.4%, with higher rates among females (28.6%) than males (20.2%, p = 0.006). The majority of students had mild acne (75.5%). CADI showed that 11.4% had severe disability. A significant medium positive correlation between GAGS and CADI was found (r = 0.338, p < 0.01). Among acne group, low self-esteem was more prevalent among females (67.0%) than males (45.0%, p = 0.004).ConclusionsAcne is a common problem among Egyptian school-aged adolescents with higher prevalence and impact in females. Our findings should alert health professionals and school authorities to timely identify, manage, and educate adolescents with acne.

The Impact of Assignments and Quizzes on Exam Grades: A Difference-in-Difference Approach

Using data on students at a Canadian business school, this article studies the effect of homework assignments and in-class quizzes on exam performance. Based on a difference-in-difference approach, assignments had a statistically discernible positive impact on exam grades for the overall sample. When broken down by gender, assignments had a positive impact on exam grades for males but no statistically discernible impact for females. Quizzes had no statistically discernible impact overall or for either gender. When broken down by student residency status, both assignments and quizzes positively impacted exam grades for international students, but there was no statistically discernible impact of assignments or quizzes for domestic students.

OR07-2 Elucidating The Mechanisms Of Action Of Mkrn3 In A Novel Mouse Model Of Delayed Puberty.

Makorin Ring Finger Protein 3 (MKRN3) is an important neuroendocrine player in the control of pubertal timing. Loss-of-function mutations in MKRN3 are the most common genetic cause of central precocious puberty. Mice have high levels of hypothalamic Mkrn3 expression in the juvenile period, which rapidly decline peripubertally and are low in adulthood, consistent with a role of Mkrn3 as an inhibitor of pubertal onset. Its protein structure includes an E3 ubiquitin ligase domain, suggesting that it may act by targeting proteins for degradation. In this study, we explored the mechanisms of action of Mkrn3 in a novel rodent model of delayed puberty. Female mice that received bilateral intracerebroventricular injections at postnatal day (PND) 1 with recombinant virus expressing Mkrn3 had delayed vaginal opening and first estrus, compared to control-virus injected animals, with subsequent normal cyclicity and fertility. Interestingly, male mice did not exhibit delayed puberty onset, determined by preputial separation, following Mkrn3 overexpression through the same paradigm. There was no effect of Mkrn3 overexpression on mean body weight in either males or females between PND 21 and PND 60. Mkrn3 mRNA levels were increased in the mediobasal hypothalamus and in the preoptic area at PND 28 in both sexes and at PND 60 in males (females not collected) compared to control-virus injected mice. Mkrn3 protein levels were also increased compared to control-virus injected animals in the mediobasal hypothalamus of female mice at PND 28. Surprisingly, Kiss1, Tac2, and Pdyn mRNA levels were increased in the mediobasal hypothalamus in females at PND 28 and in males at PND 60 following Mkrn3 overexpression, compared to controls. Kiss1r, Tac1, Tacr1, Dlk1, Kcnk9 and Lin28b mRNA levels in the mediobasal hypothalamus were not affected by Mkrn3 overexpression. There was no compensatory change in Mkrn1 or Mkrn2 mRNA expression. In the preoptic area, Gnrh1 mRNA was not affected, and in the pituitary, Lhb, Fshb, and Gnrhr mRNA levels were not altered in the setting of Mkrn3 overexpression. Cumulatively, these data suggest that Mkrn3 may act downstream of Kiss1 mRNA, potentially by acting as an E3 ligase as its structure suggests; with the resultant downregulation of the pituitary-gonadal axis leading to subsequent activation of KNDy neurons because of reduced sex steroid negative feedback. A sex difference in the pubertal phenotype in response to Mkrn3 overexpression was observed, suggesting that Mkrn3 may have a greater impact in females than males. The results of this study also suggest that persistent expression of MKRN3 may lead to the phenotype of constitutional delay of puberty in children. In conclusion, this model implicates MKRN3 as a contributor to delaying the onset of puberty in addition to its well-established role in central precocious puberty.

Adjustment for survey non-representativeness using record-linkage: refined estimates of alcohol consumption by deprivation in Scotland.

Background and aimsAnalytical approaches to addressing survey non‐participation bias typically use only demographic information to improve estimates. We applied a novel methodology which uses health information from data linkage to adjust for non‐representativeness. We illustrate the method by presenting adjusted alcohol consumption estimates for Scotland.DesignData on consenting respondents to the Scottish Health Surveys (SHeSs) 1995–2010 were linked confidentially to routinely collected hospital admission and mortality records. Synthetic observations representing non‐respondents were created using general population data. Multiple imputation was performed to compute adjusted alcohol estimates given a range of assumptions about the missing data. Adjusted estimates of mean weekly consumption were additionally calibrated to per‐capita alcohol sales data.SettingScotland.Participants13 936 male and 18 021 female respondents to the SHeSs 1995–2010, aged 20–64 years.MeasurementsWeekly alcohol consumption, non‐, binge‐ and problem‐drinking.FindingsInitial adjustment for non‐response resulted in estimates of mean weekly consumption that were elevated by up to 17.8% [26.5 units (18.6–34.4)] compared with corrections based solely on socio‐demographic data [22.5 (17.7–27.3)]; other drinking behaviour estimates were little changed. Under more extreme assumptions the overall difference was up to 53%, and calibrating to sales estimates resulted in up to 88% difference. Increases were especially pronounced among males in deprived areas.ConclusionsThe use of routinely collected health data to reduce bias arising from survey non‐response resulted in higher alcohol consumption estimates among working‐age males in Scotland, with less impact for females. This new method of bias reduction can be generalized to other surveys to improve estimates of alternative harmful behaviours.

High Blood Pressure States in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults Associate Accelerated Vascular Aging, with a Higher Impact in Females' Arterial Properties.

The aims of the study were to determine (1) whether the presence of High blood pressure (HBP) states in the youth associate a steeper rate of age-related change in arterial geometrical and wall properties with respect to subjects with no previous cardiovascular risk factor (CRF) exposure, (2) in which parameters and in what magnitude, and (3) the existence of a gender-related difference in the impact of this condition on arterial properties. 300 individuals (mean/range: 15/4-29 years; 133 females) were included. Two groups were assembled: (1) Reference: nonprevious exposure to traditional CRF and (2) HBP: subjects with arterial hypertension and/or elevated blood pressure (BP) levels during the study. Additionally, HBP subjects were separated in BP-related subgroups. Measured parameters were (1) central (aortic) arterial BP and aortic pulse wave analysis parameters, (2) carotid and femoral artery local (pressure-strain elastic modulus) and regional (pulse wave velocity; PWV) stiffness, and (3) arterial diameters and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). Age-related changes in these parameters (absolute values and z-scores) were explored by obtaining simple linear regression models for each group. HBP presented a steeper rate of change (accelerated vascular aging; VA) for most of the parameters assessed, mainly in central (aortic) hemodynamics. VA increased as the HBP level got higher. Both males' and females' aging rates were affected by this condition, but females presented a more marked relative age-related increase with HBP exposure. HBP states in the youth gradually associate accelerated VA, with a progressive hemodynamic-structural-functional onset of damage, with females presenting a more marked relative HBP-associated arterial repercussion.

Impact of fluency disorders: A comparison of perceptions of typical speakers and persons with fluency disorders

Stuttering and cluttering are both fluency disorders, albeit having largely opposite characteristics. The common thread however is the contribution of the environment towards the two disorders.AimThe present study assessed how impact of stuttering and cluttering is perceived by two populations-typical speakers and persons with fluency disorders.Methods: Seventy-six adults responded to each of six pre-recorded speaker stimulus samples (1 male, 1 female with stuttering, cluttering and typical speech) by filling out an impact scale for stuttering and cluttering. The impact scores thus obtained were compared across the disorder of the speaker stimulus, the gender of the speaker stimulus, the disorder of the participants and the gender of the participants.Results: Results revealed that the perception of impact of fluency disorders is not vastly different across typical speakers and persons with fluency disorders. Impact of stuttering is perceived to be much higher than that of cluttering. The stuttering stereotype does exist, though it seems to be magnified by persons with stuttering as compared to typical speakers. For a disorder of the same severity, impact in females is perceived to be lesser than in males.Conclusion: The findings have considerable implications in therapy for fluency disorders, and also indicate an urgent need for educating the general public about cluttering.