In-Season vs. Out-of-Season Academic Performance of College Student-Athletes

There is a commonly held belief within the intercollegiate athletics community that student-athletes perform better academically during their season of athletics competition than they do outside the season of competition. The thought is that the structured nature of the playing season leads to more structure in student-athletes’ academic lives and better academic performance. However, it is difficult to find empirical studies supporting this belief. A series of three studies was conducted to assess whether there is a difference in the grade-point average and credits earned of student-athletes in their season of competition vs. their off-season. These three studies are distinguished by NCAA membership division (Division I, Division II or Division III) and the specific nature of the data available in each of those divisions. The Division III study served as a pilot and examined over 3,000 student-athlete records at eight schools. The Division II study included nearly 12,000 student-athletes at 92 schools, and the Division I study involved analysis of a census of Division I student-athletes at over 325 colleges and universities followed term-by-term for up to four years. The separate divisional studies came to similar conclusions. Generally, the academic performance of student-athletes was shown to be better outside the season of competition than during the season—contrary to the conventional wisdom. The negative in-season effects were stronger in sports known to have high in-season time demands (e.g., Division I football, baseball and softball) and among student-athletes who entered college less well prepared academically

Maternal body weight and gestational diabetes differentially influence placental and pregnancy outcomes

Context: Maternal obesity and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) can both contribute to adverse neonatal outcomes. The extent to which this may be mediated by differences in placental metabolism and nutrient transport remains to be determined. Objective: Our objective was to examine whether raised maternal body mass index (BMI) and/or GDM contributed to a resetting of the expression of genes within the placenta that are involved in energy sensing, oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic pathways. Methods: Pregnant women from Spain were recruited as part of the “Study of Maternal Nutrition and Genetics on the Foetal Adiposity Programming” survey at the first antenatal visit (12–20 weeks of gestation) and stratified according to prepregnancy BMI and the incidence of GDM. At delivery, placenta and cord blood were sampled and newborn anthropometry measured. Results: Obese women with GDM had higher estimated fetal weight at 34 gestational weeks and a greater risk of preterm deliveries and cesarean section. Birth weight was unaffected by BMI or GDM; however, women who were obese with normal glucose tolerance had increased placental weight and higher plasma glucose and leptin at term. Gene expression for markers of placental energy sensing and oxidative stress, were primarily affected by maternal obesity as mTOR was reduced, whereas SIRT-1 and UCP2 were both upregulated. In placenta from obese women with GDM, gene expression for AMPK was also reduced, whereas the downstream regulator of mTOR, p70S6KB1 was raised. Conclusions: Placental gene expression is sensitive to both maternal obesity and GDM which both impact on energy sensing and could modulate the effect of either raised maternal BMI or GDM on birth weight

One-pot synthesis of dihalogenated ring-fused benzimidazolequinones from 3,6-Dimethoxy-2-(cycloamino)anilines using hydrogen peroxide and hydrohalic acid

3,6-Dimethoxy-2-(cycloamino)­anilines undergo 4- or 6-electron oxidations to afford novel ring-fused halogenated benzimidazoles or benzimidazole­quinones using H2O2/HCl or H2O2/HBr. Cl2 and Br2 are capable of the same oxidative transformation to the benzimidazole­quinones. Labeling experiments indicate that water is necessary for oxidation of the para-dimethoxybenzenes to the corresponding quinones

The modified Glasgow prognostic score in prostate cancer: results from a retrospective clinical series of 744 patients

<p>Background: As the incidence of prostate cancer continues to rise steeply, there is an increasing need to identify more accurate prognostic markers for the disease. There is some evidence that a higher modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) may be associated with poorer survival in patients with prostate cancer but it is not known whether this is independent of other established prognostic factors. Therefore the aim of this study was to describe the relationship between mGPS and survival in patients with prostate cancer after adjustment for other prognostic factors.</p> <p>Methods: Retrospective clinical series on patients in Glasgow, Scotland, for whom data from the Scottish Cancer Registry, including Gleason score, Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin, six months prior to or following the diagnosis, were included in this study.</p> <p>The mGPS was constructed by combining CRP and albumin. Five-year and ten-year relative survival and relative excess risk of death were estimated by mGPS categories after adjusting for age, socioeconomic circumstances, Gleason score, PSA and previous in-patient bed days.</p> <p>Results: Seven hundred and forty four prostate cancer patients were identified; of these, 497 (66.8%) died during a maximum follow up of 11.9 years. Patients with mGPS of 2 had poorest 5-year and 10-year relative survival, of 32.6% and 18.8%, respectively. Raised mGPS also had a significant association with excess risk of death at five years (mGPS 2: Relative Excess Risk = 3.57, 95% CI 2.31-5.52) and ten years (mGPS 2: Relative Excess Risk = 3.42, 95% CI 2.25-5.21) after adjusting for age, socioeconomic circumstances, Gleason score, PSA and previous in-patient bed days.</p> <p>Conclusions: The mGPS is an independent and objective prognostic indicator for survival of patients with prostate cancer. It may be useful in determining the clinical management of patients with prostate cancer in addition to established prognostic markers.</p&gt

An Investigation of sexuality and life satisfaction of institutionalized aged

One concern of this study is sexuality among the aged, since every person, regardless of age, is a sexual being. Society, however, has been slow to recognize this fact and has not accepted sexual activity among the aged. Along with the lack of social sanctioning, elderly persons are very susceptible to the myriad of myths, half-truths, misinformation, and incomplete data which affect their attitudes toward sexuality. Furthermore, older persons are susceptible to negative stereotypes of themselves as sexual beings. However, the effect of actual sexual activity upon overall life satisfaction among the aged has yet to be determined. Because there has been no empirical evidence concerning this, the degree of relationship between sexual activity and life satisfaction remains unknown. Since human beings remain sexual throughout life, and a large proportion of the elderly are institutionalized, this study will focus attention on the relationship between life satisfaction and sexuality among the institutionalized aged. It is important for social workers to explore these concepts, as empirically validated knowledge can be used as guidelines for professional values and practice

The relationship between T-lymphocyte infiltration, stage, tumour grade and survival in patients undergoing curative surgery for renal cell cancer

The present study examined the relationship between tumour stage, grade, T-lymphocyte subset infiltration and survival in patients who had undergone potentially curative surgery for renal clear-cell cancer (n=73). Intratumoural CD4+ T-lymphocyte infiltrate was associated with poor cancer-specific survival, independent of grade, in this cohort

Relationship of antecedent stressful life events to childhood and family history of anxiety and the course of panic disorder

OBJETIVO: Os autores examinaram a freqüência de eventos vitais significativos (estressores) durante o ano que antecedeu o transtorno do pânico e sua relação com história de ansiedade na infância, história familiar de ansiedade, comorbidades e curso da doença. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: 223 pacientes foram acompanhados em um estudo naturalístico, longitudinal do transtorno do pânico. RESULTADOS: Apesar de 80% dos pacientes com transtorno do pânico referirem a presença de um fator estressor durante o ano anterior ao início da sua doença, sua freqüência é mais elevada em pacientes com história de ansiedade na infância e comorbidade com depressão na vida adulta. CONCLUSÕES: A presença de eventos vitais significativos não está associada com a presença de outros transtornos de ansiedade na vida adulta e nem com história familiar de ansiedade. Apesar de sua associação com história de ansiedade na infância e depressão, a presença de um fator estressor identificável não está associado a severidade ou ao curso do transtorno do pânico.OBJECTIVES: The authors examined the incidence of significant life events during the year prior to the onset of panic disorder and its relationship to childhood and family history of anxiety difficulties, comorbidity, and the course of illness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 223 panic patients were followed in a naturalistic study of panic disorder. RESULTS: Similar to previous reports, antecedent negative life events occurred in the majority (80%) of patients. Patients with a childhood history of anxiety and comorbid adulthood major depression were more likely to report an antecedent, stressful life event. CONCLUSIONS: Antecedent events were not linked with comorbid adulthood anxiety disorders or a family history of anxiety difficulties. Despite its associations with childhood anxiety pathology and adulthood major depression, the presence of an identifiable antecedent at the onset of panic disorder was not associated with the subsequent severity or course of the disorder