Exploring the Protective Effects of Judaism on Risky Behaviors in College Students

Background: Common risky behaviors among college-aged young adults include risky sexual behaviors and substance use. Purpose: This study examines the protective effects of Judaism on students’ engagement in risky behaviors, building on a body of research on the protective effects of religious beliefs on risky health behaviors. Methods: Validated and reliable measures were used to assess religiosity and risky behaviors through anonymous surveys. Data was collected in Fall 2018 from a small cohort (N=15) of Jewish day school students. Results: Higher religiosity was more associated with delayed sexual activity than substance use behaviors. Judaism and religiosity were more strongly associated with the male participants than for the females. Females had overall higher rates of risky behaviors such as drinking or using drugs before sex (27% compared to 13% for males), not using condoms (62% to 0% for males), and higher rates of binge drinking (62% to 20% for males)

e-Health and the Elderly: How Seniors Use the Internet for Health

Presents findings from a survey that examines how seniors use the Internet to look for information on doctors, research prescription drugs, find providers, manage their weight, follow health policy news, or look up the latest cancer treatments

Examining Sources of Coverage Among Medicare Beneficiaries: Supplemental Insurance, Medicare Advantage, and Prescription Drug Coverage

Provides 2006 data on Medicare enrollees' supplemental and drug coverage. Compares traits of Medicare Advantage enrollees to those of fee-for-service Medicare enrollees, and examines drug coverage and subsidy status among low-income beneficiaries

Current Trends and Future Outlook for Retiree Health Benefits

Documents the increasing costs of retiree benefits for large private sector employers and their retirees. Looks at the response of large employers to the Medicare prescription drug law and the subsidies it provides for maintaining retiree drug coverage

Pitching Private Medicare Plans: An Analysis of Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan Advertising

Analyzes television, print, and radio ads for private Medicare plans to assess what types of information insurers emphasize and de-emphasize, what populations they target, and which type of plan they promote in trying to influence beneficiaries' choices

Social Hierarchies and shelter preference within Orconectes virilis populations.

General EcologyDominance hierarchy in regards to shelter preference was studied using the virile crayfish (Orconectes virilis). Dominance was determined in groups of six individuals, then placed in an enclosure with three treatments of shelter distribution—three to three, four to two, and five to one ratios were used. Data suggested that crayfish distribute themselves among shelters based upon the density of nearby shelters, rather than by the previously established dominance hierarchy. Within the five to one shelter distribution, crayfish generally assorted themselves within hierarchy with regards to shelter distance, with one exception. Individuals of epsilon dominance ranking selected shelters nearest to the alpha ranked crayfish. This behavior suggests that the volatile dominance position of lower-ranked crayfish may cause some individuals to seek safety and higher proportion of resources through submission and proximity to dominant crayfish.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89434/1/Batzer_Busch_Neuman_Quach_2011.pd

HIV-Antiretroviral Therapy Induced Liver, Gastrointestinal, and Pancreatic Injury

The present paper describes possible connections between antiretroviral therapies (ARTs) used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) encountered predominantly in the liver, including hypersensitivity syndrome reactions, as well as throughout the gastrointestinal system, including the pancreas. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has a positive influence on the quality of life and longevity in HIV patients, substantially reducing morbidity and mortality in this population. However, HAART produces a spectrum of ADRs. Alcohol consumption can interact with HAART as well as other pharmaceutical agents used for the prevention of opportunistic infections such as pneumonia and tuberculosis. Other coinfections that occur in HIV, such as hepatitis viruses B or C, cytomegalovirus, or herpes simplex virus, further complicate the etiology of HAART-induced ADRs. The aspect of liver pathology including liver structure and function has received little attention and deserves further evaluation. The materials used provide a data-supported approach. They are based on systematic review and analysis of recently published world literature (MedLine search) and the experience of the authors in the specified topic. We conclude that therapeutic and drug monitoring of ART, using laboratory identification of phenotypic susceptibilities, drug interactions with other medications, drug interactions with herbal medicines, and alcohol intake might enable a safer use of this medication

Combining preschool teacher training with parenting education : a cluster-randomized controlled trial

This paper evaluates a government program in Malawi, which aimed to improve quality at community-based childcare centers and complemented these efforts with a group-based parenting support program. Children in the integrated intervention arm (teacher training and parenting) had significantly higher scores in measures of language and socio-emotional development than children in centers receiving teacher training alone at the 18-month follow-up. However, the study finds no effects on child assessments at the 36-month follow-up. Significant improvements at the centers relating to classroom organization and teacher behavior in the teacher-training only arm did not translate into improvements in child outcomes at either follow-up. The findings suggest that, in resource-poor settings with informal preschools, programs that integrate parenting support within preschools may be more effective than programs that simply improve classroom quality