Cyber and traditional bullying victimization as a risk factor for mental health problems and suicidal ideation in adolescents

Purpose: To examine whether traditional and cyber bullying victimization were associated with adolescent's mental health problems and suicidal ideation at two-year follow-up. Gender differences were explored to determine whether bullying affects boys and girls differently. Methods: A two-year longitudinal study was conducted among first-year secondary school students (N = 3181). Traditional and cyber bullying victimization were assessed at baseline, whereas mental health status and suicidal ideation were assessed at baseline and follow-up by means of self-report questionnaires. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess associations between these variables while controlling for baseline problems. Additionally, we tested whether gender differences in mental health and suicidal ideation were present for the two types of bullying. Results: There was a significant interaction between gender and traditional bullying victimization and between gender and cyber bullying victimization on mental health problems. Among boys, traditional and cyber bullying victimization were not related to mental health problems after controlling for baseline mental health. Among girls, both traditional and cyber bullying victimization were associated with mental health problems after controlling for baseline mental health. No significant interaction between gender and traditional or cyber bullying victimization on suicidal ideation was found. Traditional bullying victimization was associated with suicidal ideation, whereas cyber bullying victimization was not associated with suicidal ideation after controlling for baseline suicidal ideation. Conclusions: Traditional bullying victimization is associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation, whereas traditional, as well as cyber bullying victimization is associated with an increased risk of mental health problems among girls. These findings stress the importance of programs aimed at reducing bullying behavior, especially because early-onset mental health problems may pose a risk for the development of psychiatric disorders in adulthood

Risky music listening, permanent tinnitus and depression, anxiety, thoughts about suicide and adverse general health

Objective: To estimate the extent to which exposure to music through earphones or headphones with MP3 players or at discotheques and pop/rock concerts exceeded current occupational safety standards for noise exposure, to examine the extent to which temporary and permanent hearing-related symptoms were reported, and to examine whether the experience of permanent symptoms was associated with adverse perceived general and mental health, symptoms of depression, and thoughts about suicide. Methods: A total of 943 students in Dutch inner-city senior-secondary vocational schools completed questionnaires about their sociodemographics, music listening behaviors and health. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations. Results: About 60% exceeded safety standards for occupational noise exposure; about one third as a result of listening to MP3 players. About 10% of the participants experienced permanent hearing-related symptoms. Temporary hearing symptoms that occurred after using an MP3 player or going to a discotheque or pop/rock concert were associated with exposure to high-volume music. However, compared to participants not experiencing permanent hearing-related symptoms, those experiencing permanent symptoms were less often exposed to high volume music. Furthermore, they reported at least two times more often symptoms of depression, thoughts about suicide and adverse self-assessed general and mental health. Conclusions: Risky music-listening behaviors continue up to at least the age of 25 years. Permanent hearing-related symptoms are associated with people's health and wellbeing. Participants experiencing such symptoms appeared to have changed their behavior to be less risky. In order to induce behavior change before permanent and irreversible hearingrelated symptoms occur, preventive measurements concerning hearing health are needed

Hosting elite sport events to target recreational sport participation: an interrupted time series analysis

Increasing sport participation by hosting elite sport events is a muchdebated policy. This study evaluated the effect of hosting elite sport events on sport participation against the background of a shift in focus towards targeting recreational sport participation. We included 10 international elite sport events organised between 2000 and 2017 in the city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Sport-specific participation in the pastyear was obtained from abiannual cross-sectional survey. Per event, interrupted time series analyses were employed using 3 pre- and post-event measures. Data were summarised by means of random-effects metaanalyses. We tested for group differences to evaluate if events organised in the period with amore explicit aim to target recreational sport participation, and associated policies, had alarger impact. Three events concerning cycling, table tennis and gymnastics were followed by an increase in sport-specific participation 1-year after the event was organised, whereas the korfball event was followed by adecrease. The pooled effect of the 10 events did not show any change in sport-specific participation (0.2%-point (95% CI: −0.3; 0.8)). Significant group differences by period were found. More recent events targeting sport participation were followed by an increase in sport-specific participation (1.1%-point (95% CI: 0.0; 2.1)), but not for other events (−0.3%-point (95% CI: −0.6; 0.1)). No group differences were found for the number of visitors and location. Hosting elite sport events that explicitly target sport participation may increase sport participation among citizens. Longitudinal data following individuals over time are needed to support this finding

Statistical M-Estimation and Consistency in Large Deformable Models for Image Warping

The problem of defining appropriate distances between shapes or images and modeling the variability of natural images by group transformations is at the heart of modern image analysis. A current trend is the study of probabilistic and statistical aspects of deformation models, and the development of consistent statistical procedure for the estimation of template images. In this paper, we consider a set of images randomly warped from a mean template which has to be recovered. For this, we define an appropriate statistical parametric model to generate random diffeomorphic deformations in two-dimensions. Then, we focus on the problem of estimating the mean pattern when the images are observed with noise. This problem is challenging both from a theoretical and a practical point of view. M-estimation theory enables us to build an estimator defined as a minimizer of a well-tailored empirical criterion. We prove the convergence of this estimator and propose a gradient descent algorithm to compute this M-estimator in practice. Simulations of template extraction and an application to image clustering and classification are also provided

Interplay of OATP1A/1B/2B1 uptake transporters and ABCB1 and ABCG2 efflux transporters in the handling of bilirubin and drugs

Transmembrane drug transporters can be important determinants of the pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety profiles of drugs. To investigate the potential cooperative and/or counteracting interplay of OATP1A/1B/2B1 uptake transporters and ABCB1 and ABCG2 efflux transporters in physiology and pharmacology, we generated a new mouse model (Bab12), deficient for Slco1a/1b, Slco2b1, Abcb1a/1b and Abcg2. Bab12 mice were viable and fertile. We compared wild-type, Slco1a/1b/2b1-/-, Abcb1a/1b;Abcg2-/- and Bab12 strains. Endogenous plasma conjugated bilirubin levels ranked as follows: wild-type = Abcb1a/1b;Abcg2-/- << Slco1a/1b/2b1-/- < Bab12 mice. Plasma levels of rosuvastatin and fexofenadine were elevated in Slco1a/1b/2b1-/- and Abcb1a/1b;Abcg2-/- mice compared to wild-type, and dramatically increased in Bab12 mice. Although systemic exposure of larotrectinib and repotrectinib was substantially increased in the separate multidrug transporter knockout strains, no additive effects were observed in the combination Bab12 mice. Significantly higher plasma exposure of fluvastatin and pravastatin was only found in Slco1a/1b/2b1-deficient mice. However, noticeable transport by Slco1a/1b/2b1 and Abcb1a/1b and Abcg2 across the BBB was observed for fluvastatin and pravastatin, respectively, by comparing Bab12 mice with Abcb1a/1b;Abcg2-/- or Slco1a/1b/2b1-/- mice. Quite varying behavior in plasma exposure of erlotinib and its metabolites was observed among these strains. Bab12 mice revealed that Abcb1a/1b and/or Abcg2 can contribute to conjugated bilirubin elimination when Slco1a/1b/2b1 are absent. Our results suggest that the interplay of Slco1a/1b/2b1, Abcb1a/1b, and Abcg2 could markedly affect the pharmacokinetics of some, but not all drugs and metabolites. The Bab12 mouse model will represent a useful tool for optimizing drug development and clinical application, including efficacy and safety

Intra-European Movement: Multi-Level or Mismatched Governance?

The case of intra-EU mobility raises significant debate about multi-level governance (MLG) both in analytical terms – how multi-level is governance of intra-EU mobility, what actors are involved and how? – and normative terms – can intra-EU mobility be seen as ‘successful’ multi-level governance? Intra-EU mobility is an area that faces both issue complexity and institutional complexity (Stephenson, 2013, pp. 817) and as such, the governance arrangements are often correspondingly complex. This chapter will attempt to locate the case of intra-EU mobility within the broader literature on multi-level governance and try to draw out lessons for understanding MLG as a practical, analytical and normative concept. This is relevant to both the understanding of intra-EU mobility and the understanding of MLG. On the one hand, additional cases help to support or refute the robustness of our conceptualisation of multi-level governance; on the other hand, MLG as a concept can help us to understand the entanglement of a complex issue that cuts across political and policy bounds. The chapter will first develop a framework of multi-level governance that can be applied to intra-EU migration. Then, the structural, relational and policy factors that affect MLG will be explored in the context of this specific case. The final section will try to craft some answers about what intra-EU migration policy can tell us about multi-level governance, and vice versa