THE INFLUENCE OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS ON FATHERS’ BEHAVIORS AND ATTITUDES

The present study examines the impact of young, poor, unwed fathers on their family by investigating the influence of depressive symptom frequency on fathers’ relationship with their children and partners. Couples from seven American cities with populations over 200,000 were recruited and interviewed about such areas of life as romantic and parental relationships, health, and employment at the hospital within 24 hours after the birth of their child. An Item Response Theory (IRT) within-group analysis of the 1,759 African-, Caucasian-, Hispanic-, Asian-, and Native American fathers in the study yielded a 3-class clustering of depressive symptoms. Class 1 fathers had the lowest frequency of depressive symptom expression; class 2 fathers had a low frequency; and class 3 fathers had low to medium rates of depressive symptoms. Multivariate statistics revealed that depressive class membership predicted domestic violence toward fathers’ partners but not affection toward their children. The importance of the parental behavior of teaching children about life, however, varied by class, with class 2 fathers most highly endorsing this behavior. Implications of young, unwed, poor fathers' behaviors and attitudes toward their children and romantic partners will be discussed in terms of men's contributions to family life.

Benzene formation in the inner regions of protostellar disks

Benzene (c-C6H6) formation in the inner 3 AU of a protostellar disk can be efficient, resulting in high abundances of benzene in the midplane region. The formation mechanism is different to that found in interstellar clouds and in protoplanetary nebulae, and proceeds mainly through the reaction between allene (C3H4) and its ion. This has implications for PAH formation, in that some fraction of PAHs seen in the solar system could be native rather than inherited from the interstellar medium.Comment: 9 pages, 2 colour figures, to be published in the Astrophysical Journal Letter

O\u27odham Himdag as a Source of Strength and Wellness Among the Tohono O\u27odham of Southern Arizona and Northern Sonora, Mexico

The Tohono O\u27odham are fostering strength and wellness in their community by translating increased economic self-sufficiency and resources derived from gaming into social, health, and educational services which maintain their tribal traditions, thereby providing an effective path toward the maintenance of cultural identity, or O\u27odham Himdag. Cultural identity serves as a source of client strength and as a protective factor contributing to client wellness. O\u27odham Himdag describes a way of life, encompassing Tohono O\u27odham culture. This article is a theoretical exploration of O\u27odham Himdag as a path toward cultural identity among the Tohono O\u27odham of Southern Arizona and Northern Sonora, Mexico. It addresses the importance of tribes developing their own services within tribal values and describes O\u27odham Himdag as a path to health and wellness, with practice examples drawn from the literature and interviews with mental health, health, and lay practitioners belonging to and serving the Tohono O\u27odham

Predictors of utilisation of dental care services in a nationally representative sample of adults.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify the predictors of utilisation of dental care services in Ireland. PARTICIPANTS: The 2007 Irish Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition is a cross-sectional study, conducted in 2006/2007 (n = 10,364), by interviews at home to a representative sample of adults aged 18 years or over. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate the influence of socioeconomic, predisposing and enabling factors on the odds of males and females having a dental visit in the past year. RESULTS: The significant predictors of visiting the dentist in the past year were for males: having 3rd level education, employment status, earning 50,000 euros or more, location of residence, use of a car, brushing frequently, and dentition status. For females, the predictors were being between 25-34 or 55-64 years-old, education level, earning 50,000 euros or more, location of residence, use of a car, brushing frequently and dentition status. CONCLUSIONS: Predictors of the use of dental services vary by gender. Predictors common to both genders were education level, higher income, location of residence, use of a car, brushing frequently and dentition status. Many of the predictors of dental visiting in the past year are also related to social inequalities in health. These predictors may be useful markers of impact for policies designed to address inequalities in access to oral health services

Immunological and nutritional factors in elderly people in low-level care and their association with mortality

BACKGROUND: This study examines associations between markers of nutritional status and lymphocyte subsets and seeks to determine if lymphocyte profile is predictive of survival in elderly Australians residing in aged care facilities. Aged yet still ambulatory subjects (n = 88, 73% female) living in low-level care and requiring minimal assistance were studied for 143 weeks. At baseline when participants were aged (mean ± SD) 86.0 ± 5.9 years, dietary intake was determined by 3-day weighed food record, body composition was assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and a venous blood sample was taken. RESULTS: At baseline assessment, study participants were consuming nutrient-poor diets and most had symptoms of chronic disease. Although overweight, 40% exhibited sarcopenia. Markers of nutritional status did not relate closely to immune cell numbers (absolute or relative), which on average were within the normal range. Men had lower numbers of CD3(+)CD4(+) cells (CD4(+) T cells), a higher proportion of CD3(−) CD16(±) CD56(±) (natural killer (NK) cells) and a higher ratio of NK: CD4(+) T cells than women (all P < 0.05). The main age-related changes evident were decreased T cells, particularly low CD4(+) T cell counts, and increased numbers of CD19(+) (B-cell) and NK cells. During the 143 week duration of follow-up, about one quarter of the study participants died, with death more likely in men than women (P < 0.01). Poor survival was predicted by the presence of decreased numbers of CD4(+) T cells (hazard ratio (HR) 0.919, P < 0.01) and expanded numbers of NK cells (HR 1.085, P < 0.05) in the blood, and therefore the presence of a high NK: CD4(+) T cell ratio (HR 30.521, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The NK: CD4(+) T cell ratio may potentially have clinical utility for predicting longevity in elderly populations. Further studies are needed in other elderly populations to confirm this finding

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in regional and remote Indigenous Australians

Background: Despite Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people having increased risk factors for OSA (diabetes, obesity) and high levels of comorbid associated conditions (chronic non-communicable diseases), there are currently no published data relating to the nature of sleep related breathing disorders affecting Indigenous adults. Aims/Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the use of sleep diagnostic tests, the risks, and cofactors, and outcomes of the care of Indigenous and non-indigenous Australian adults in regional and remote Australia in whom sleep related breathing disorders have been diagnosed. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 200 sequential subjects: 100 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and 100 non-Indigenous Australians in northern Queensland and Central Australia. Results: Results showed overall Indigenous Australians were 1.8 times more likely to have a positive diagnostic sleep study performed compared with non-indigenous patients, 1.6 times less likely in central Australia and 3.4 times more likely in far north Queensland. All regional and remote residents accessed diagnostic sleep studies at a rate less than Australia overall (31/100,000/y compared with 575/100,000/y). Discussion: Appropriate and more accessible diagnostic and treatment sleep services are required in regional and remote Australia. Further research is required to validate appropriate screening tools and pathways of care especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Massachusetts on the Move: The Intersection of Talent, Transportation, and Housing

The Massachusetts Business Roundtable (MBR) collaborated with a team from the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) from the University of Massachusetts Boston to interview business leaders to explore the important intersection of talent, transportation, and housing on the state’s economy. The ELP Team obtained the insights of 15 key business leaders, industry experts as well as public policy organizations on these important issues and their impact across the Commonwealth. This research seeks to capture the views of stakeholders throughout Massachusetts. The ELP Team surveyed the landscape by reviewing trends and current research on these policy issues

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Traveling without a passport: ‘Original’ streaming content in the transatlantic distribution ecosystem

The speed and breadth with which global television is crossing borders has been accelerated by legal web-delivered platforms, particularly services like Netflix and Amazon Video internationally and Hulu in the US. These sites are developing impressive reputations as prolific producers of “Original” content, but this designation as “Original” obscures the national origins of imported programming to claim all creative credit for the SVOD distributor. We identify a distinctive shift from long-standing practices surrounding imports on both sides of the Atlantic through the paratextual framing practices of particular SVODs. To identify these programs as ‘Original’ content communicates exclusivity and freshness, but when this identification is used falsely it erases the production and exhibition histories of the shows in their originating countries and threatens the global diversity of content, the viability of independent producers, and the localism that has been central to broadcasting from its origins