Post-traumatic stress disorder: Findings from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-being

Background. We report on the epidemiology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the Australian community, including information on lifetime exposure to trauma, 12-month prevalence of PTSD, sociodemographic correlates and co-morbidity. Methods. Data were obtained from a stratified sample of 10641 participants as part of the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-being. A modified version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to determine the presence of PTSD, as well as other DSM-IV anxiety, affective and substance use disorders. Results. The estimated 12-month prevalence of PTSD was 1.33%, which is considerably lower than that found in comparable North American studies. Although females were at greater risk than males within the subsample of those who had experienced trauma, the large gender differences noted in some recent epidemiological research were not replicated. Prevalence was elevated among the never married and previously married respondents, and was lower among those aged over 55. For both men and women, rape and sexual molestation were the traumatic events most likely to be associated with PTSD. A high level of Axis I co-morbidity was found among those persons with PTSD Conclusions. PTSD is a highly prevalent disorder in the Australian community and is routinely associated with high rates of anxiety, depression and substance disorders. Future research is needed to investigate rates among other populations outside the North American continent.

Sexual behaviours and the risk of head and neck cancers: a pooled analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium

Background Sexual contact may be the means by which head and neck cancer patients are exposed to human papillomavirus (HPV). Methods We undertook a pooled analysis of four population-based and four hospital-based case-control studies from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium, with participants from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, India, Italy, Spain, Poland, Puerto Rico, Russia and the USA. The study included 5642 head and neck cancer cases and 6069 controls. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) of associations between cancer and specific sexual behaviours, including practice of oral sex, number of lifetime sexual partners and oral sex partners, age at sexual debut, a history of same-sex contact and a history of oral-anal contact. Findings were stratified by sex and disease subsite. Results Cancer of the oropharynx was associated with having a history of six or more lifetime sexual partners [OR = 1.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01, 1.54] and four or more lifetime oral sex partners (OR = 2.25, 95% CI 1.42, 3.58). Cancer of the tonsil was associated with four or more lifetime oral sex partners (OR = 3.36, 95 % CI 1.32, 8.53), and, among men, with ever having oral sex (OR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.09, 2.33) and with an earlier age at sexual debut (OR = 2.36, 95% CI 1.37, 5.05). Cancer of the base of the tongue was associated with ever having oral sex among women (OR = 4.32, 95% CI 1.06, 17.6), having two sexual partners in comparison with only one (OR = 2.02, 95% CI 1.19, 3.46) and, among men, with a history of same-sex sexual contact (OR = 8.89, 95% CI 2.14, 36.8). Conclusions Sexual behaviours are associated with cancer risk at the head and neck cancer subsites that have previously been associated with HPV infection.

Early Iron Age Pottery: A Quantitative Approach, Proceedings of the International Round Table organized by the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece (Athens, November 28-30, 2008)

Quantitative approaches in ceramology are gaining ground in excavation reports, archaeological publications and thematic studies. Hence, a wide variety of methods are being used depending on the researchers' theoretical premise, the type of material which is examined, the context of discovery and the questions that are addressed. The round table that took place in Athens on November 2008 was intended to offer the participants the opportunity to present a selection of case studies on the basis of which methodological approaches were discussed. The aim was to define a set of guidelines for quantification that would prove to be of use to all researchers. Contents: 1) Introduction (Samuel Verdan); 2) Isthmia and beyond. How can quantification help the analysis of EIA sanctuary deposits? (Catherine Morgan); 3) Approaching aspects of cult practice and ethnicity in Early Iron Age Ephesos using quantitative analysis of a Protogeometric deposit from the Artemision (Michael Kerschner); 4) Development of a ceramic cultic assemblage: Analyzing pottery from Late Helladic IIIC through Late Geometric Kalapodi (Ivonne Kaiser, Laura-Concetta Rizzotto, Sara Strack); 5) 'Erfahrungsbericht' of application of different quantitative methods at Kalapodi (Sara Strack); 6) The Early Iron Age sanctuary at Olympia: counting sherds from the Pelopion excavations (1987-1996) (Birgitta Eder); 7) L'aire du pilier des Rhodiens à Delphes: Essai de quantification du mobilier (Jean-Marc Luce); 8) A new approach in ceramic statistical analyses: Pit 13 on Xeropolis at Lefkandi (David A. Mitchell, Irene S. Lemos); 9) Households and workshops at Early Iron Age Oropos: A quantitative approach of the fine, wheel-made pottery (Vicky Vlachou); 10) Counting sherds at Sindos: Pottery consumption and construction of identities in the Iron Age (Stefanos Gimatzidis); 11) Analyse quantitative du mobilier céramique des fouilles de Xombourgo à Ténos et le cas des supports de caisson (Jean-Sébastien Gros); 12) Defining a typology of pottery from Gortyn: The material from a pottery workshop pit, (Emanuela Santaniello); 13) Quantification of ceramics from Early Iron Age tombs (Antonis Kotsonas); 14) Quantitative analysis of the pottery from the Early Iron Age necropolis of Tsikalario on Naxos (Xenia Charalambidou); 15) Finding the Early Iron Age in field survey: Two case studies from Boeotia and Magnesia (Vladimir Stissi); 16) Pottery quantification: Some guidelines (Samuel Verdan)

Correlation of the IJK Roadmeter to the International Roughness Index, MLR-91-5, 1992

The Iowa Department of Transportation has been determining a present serviceability index (PSI) on the primary highway system since 1968. A CHLOE profilometer has been used as the standard for calibrating the Roadmeters that do the system survey. The current Roadmeter, an IJK Iowa DOT developed unit, is not considered an acceptable Roadmeter for determining the FHWA required International Roughness Index (IRI). Iowa purchased a commercial version of the South Dakota type profile (SD Unit) to obtain IRI. This study was undertaken to correlate the IRI to the IJK Roadmeter and retire the Roadmeter. One hundred forty-seven pavement management sections (IPMS) were tested in June and July 1991 with both units. Correlation coefficients and standard error of estimates were: r' Std. Error PCC pavements 0.81 0.15 Composite pavements 0.71 0.18 ACC pavements 0.77 0.17 The correlation equations developed from this work will allow use of the IRI to predict the IJK Roadmeter response with sufficient accuracy. Trend analysis should also not be affected.

Early Iron Age Pottery: A Quantitative Approach. Proceedings of the International Round Table organized by the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece (Athens, Novembre 28-30, 2008).

Quantitative approaches in ceramology are gaining ground in excavation reports, archaeological publications and thematic studies. Hence, a wide variety of methods are being used depending on the researchers' theoretical premise, the type of material which is examined, the context of discovery and the questions that are addressed. The round table that took place in Athens on November 2008 was intended to offer the participants the opportunity to present a selection of case studies on the basis of which methodological approaches were discussed. The aim was to define a set of guidelines for quantification that would prove to be of use to all researchers. Contents: 1) Introduction (Samuel Verdan); 2) Isthmia and beyond. How can quantification help the analysis of EIA sanctuary deposits? (Catherine Morgan); 3) Approaching aspects of cult practice and ethnicity in Early Iron Age Ephesos using quantitative analysis of a Protogeometric deposit from the Artemision (Michael Kerschner); 4) Development of a ceramic cultic assemblage: Analyzing pottery from Late Helladic IIIC through Late Geometric Kalapodi (Ivonne Kaiser, Laura-Concetta Rizzotto, Sara Strack); 5) 'Erfahrungsbericht' of application of different quantitative methods at Kalapodi (Sara Strack); 6) The Early Iron Age sanctuary at Olympia: counting sherds from the Pelopion excavations (1987-1996) (Birgitta Eder); 7) L'aire du pilier des Rhodiens à Delphes: Essai de quantification du mobilier (Jean-Marc Luce); 8) A new approach in ceramic statistical analyses: Pit 13 on Xeropolis at Lefkandi (David A. Mitchell, Irene S. Lemos); 9) Households and workshops at Early Iron Age Oropos: A quantitative approach of the fine, wheel-made pottery (Vicky Vlachou); 10) Counting sherds at Sindos: Pottery consumption and construction of identities in the Iron Age (Stefanos Gimatzidis); 11) Analyse quantitative du mobilier céramique des fouilles de Xombourgo à Ténos et le cas des supports de caisson (Jean-Sébastien Gros); 12) Defining a typology of pottery from Gortyn: The material from a pottery workshop pit, (Emanuela Santaniello); 13) Quantification of ceramics from Early Iron Age tombs (Antonis Kotsonas); 14) Quantitative analysis of the pottery from the Early Iron Age necropolis of Tsikalario on Naxos (Xenia Charalambidou); 15) Finding the Early Iron Age in field survey: Two case studies from Boeotia and Magnesia (Vladimir Stissi); 16) Pottery quantification: Some guidelines (Samuel Verdan).

Governance by Contract? The impact of the International Finance Corporation's Social Conditionality on Worker Organization and Social Dialogue

This study considers the question of the relationship between private labour regulation and workers' capacity to take collective action through the lens of an empirical study of the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) 'performance standards' system of social and environmental conditionality. The study covered some 150 IFC client businesses in four world regions, drawing on data made public by the IFC as well as the results of a dedicated field survey that gathered information directly from workers, managers and union representatives. The study found that the application of the performance standards system has had remarkably little impact on union membership and social dialogue. In those few cases where change could be causally linked to the standards, the effect depended on the presence of workers' organizations that already had the capacity to take effective action on behalf of their members. The study also uncovered some prima facie evidence of breaches of freedom of association rights occurring with no reaction from IFC. The study concludes that the lack of impact is largely due to the private contractual structure that supposedly guarantees standards compliance.

The politics of the environment: a survey

The book is a collection of cutting edge essay on the politics of the environment covering and analysing important topics, such as the Kyoto protocol and deforestation, this book provides extensive coverage of all aspects of environmental politics. This unbiased survey is of interest to students, academics, business people and general researchers. Four sections present a thorough overview of current issues in the politics of the environment in historical perspective. The first section consists of essays written by a variety of academic and other experts on topics including Globalization: The Environment and Development Debate; The State, International Relations and the Environment; Environmental Movements; Mass Media and Environmental Politics; and The Ethical Dimensions of Global Environmental Change

The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-long form overestimates self-reported physical activity of Brazilian adults

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

The top 20 multinationals in Chile in 2010: retail, forestry and transport lead the international expansion

Incluye bibliografía

Content comparison of health status measures for obesity based on the international classification of functioning, disability and health

OBJECTIVE: To compare the content covered by twelve obesity-specific health status measures using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). DESIGN: Obesity-specific health status measures were identified and then linked to the ICF separately by two trained health professionals according to standardized guidelines. The degree of agreement between health professionals was calculated by means of the kappa (kappa) statistic. Bootstrapped confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. The obesity-specific health-status measures were compared on the component and category level of the ICF. MEASUREMENTS: welve condition-specific health-status measures were identified and included in this study, namely the obesity-related problem scale, the obesity eating problems scale, the obesity-related coping and obesity-related distress questionnaire, the impact of weight on quality of life questionnaire (short version), the health-related quality of life questionnaire, the obesity adjustment survey (short form), the short specific quality of life scale, the obesity-related well-being questionnaire, the bariatric analysis and reporting outcome system, the bariatric quality of life index, the obesity and weight loss quality of life questionnaire and the weight-related symptom measure. RESULTS: In the 280 items of the eight measures, a total of 413 concepts were identified and linked to the 87 different ICF categories. The measures varied strongly in the number of concepts contained and the number of ICF categories used to map these concepts. Items on body functions varied form 12% in the obesity-related problem scale to 95% in the weight-related symptom measure. The estimated kappa coefficients ranged between 0.79 (CI: 0.72, 0.86) at the component ICFs level and 0.97 (CI: 0.93, 1.0) at the third ICF's level. CONCLUSION: The ICF proved highly useful for the content comparison of obesity-specific health-status measures. The results may provide clinicians and researchers with new insights when selecting health-status measures for clinical studies in obesity.

Developing ICF Core Sets for persons with sleep disorders based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health

BACKGROUND: With the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), we can now rely on a globally agreed-upon framework and system for classifying the typical spectrum of problems in the functioning of persons given the environmental context in which they live. ICF Core Sets are subgroups of ICF items selected to capture those aspects of functioning that are most likely to be affected by sleep disorders. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to outline the developmental process for the ICF Core Sets for Sleep. METHODS: The ICF Core Sets for Sleep will be defined at an ICF Core Sets Consensus Conference, which will integrate evidence from preliminary studies, namely (a) a systematic literature review regarding the outcomes used in clinical trials and observational studies, (b) focus groups with people in different regions of the world who have sleep disorders, (c) an expert survey with the involvement of international clinical experts, and (d) a cross-sectional study of people with sleep disorders in different regions of the world. CONCLUSION: The ICF Core Sets for Sleep are being designed with the goal of providing useful standards for research, clinical practice and teaching. It is hypothesized that the ICF Core Sets for Sleep will stimulate research that leads to an improved understanding of functioning, disability, and health in sleep medicine. It is of further hope that such research will lead to interventions and accommodations that improve the restoration and maintenance of functioning and minimize disability among people with sleep disorders throughout the world.

Characteristics and comprehensiveness of adult HIV care and treatment programmes in Asia-Pacific, sub-Saharan Africa and the Americas: results of a site assessment conducted by the International epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) Collaboration

INTRODUCTION HIV care and treatment programmes worldwide are transforming as they push to deliver universal access to essential prevention, care and treatment services to persons living with HIV and their communities. The characteristics and capacity of these HIV programmes affect patient outcomes and quality of care. Despite the importance of ensuring optimal outcomes, few studies have addressed the capacity of HIV programmes to deliver comprehensive care. We sought to describe such capacity in HIV programmes in seven regions worldwide. METHODS Staff from 128 sites in 41 countries participating in the International epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS completed a site survey from 2009 to 2010, including sites in the Asia-Pacific region (n=20), Latin America and the Caribbean (n=7), North America (n=7), Central Africa (n=12), East Africa (n=51), Southern Africa (n=16) and West Africa (n=15). We computed a measure of the comprehensiveness of care based on seven World Health Organization-recommended essential HIV services. RESULTS Most sites reported serving urban (61%; region range (rr): 33-100%) and both adult and paediatric populations (77%; rr: 29-96%). Only 45% of HIV clinics that reported treating children had paediatricians on staff. As for the seven essential services, survey respondents reported that CD4+ cell count testing was available to all but one site, while tuberculosis (TB) screening and community outreach services were available in 80 and 72%, respectively. The remaining four essential services - nutritional support (82%), combination antiretroviral therapy adherence support (88%), prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) (94%) and other prevention and clinical management services (97%) - were uniformly available. Approximately half (46%) of sites reported offering all seven services. Newer sites and sites in settings with low rankings on the UN Human Development Index (HDI), especially those in the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief focus countries, tended to offer a more comprehensive array of essential services. HIV care programme characteristics and comprehensiveness varied according to the number of years the site had been in operation and the HDI of the site setting, with more recently established clinics in low-HDI settings reporting a more comprehensive array of available services. Survey respondents frequently identified contact tracing of patients, patient outreach, nutritional counselling, onsite viral load testing, universal TB screening and the provision of isoniazid preventive therapy as unavailable services. CONCLUSIONS This study serves as a baseline for on-going monitoring of the evolution of care delivery over time and lays the groundwork for evaluating HIV treatment outcomes in relation to site capacity for comprehensive care.

International online survey to assess current practice in equine anaesthesia.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY Multicentre Confidential Enquiries into Perioperative Equine Fatalities (CEPEF) have not been conducted since the initial CEPEF Phases 1-3, 20 years ago. OBJECTIVES To collect data on current practice in equine anaesthesia and to recruit participants for CEPEF-4. STUDY DESIGN Online questionnaire survey. METHODS An online questionnaire was prepared and the link distributed internationally to veterinarians possibly performing equine anaesthesia, using emails, posters, flyers and an editorial. The questionnaire included 52 closed, semiclosed and open questions divided into 8 subgroups: demographic data, anaesthetist, anaesthesia management (preoperative, technical equipment, monitoring, drugs, recovery), areas of improvements and risks and motivation for participation in CEPEF-4. Descriptive statistics and Chi-squared tests for comparison of categorical variables were performed. RESULTS A total of 199 questionnaires were completed by veterinarians from 14 different countries. Of the respondents, 43% worked in private hospitals, 36% in private practices and 21% in university teaching hospitals. In 40 institutions (23%) there was at least one diplomate of the European or American colleges of veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia on staff. Individual respondents reported routinely employ the following anaesthesia monitoring modalities: electrocardiography (80%), invasive arterial blood pressures (70%), pulse oximetry (60%), capnography (55%), arterial blood gases (47%), composition of inspired and expired gases (45%) and body temperature (35%). Drugs administered frequently or routinely as part of a standard protocol were: acepromazine (44%), xylazine (68%), butorphanol (59%), ketamine (96%), diazepam (83%), isoflurane (76%), dobutamine (46%), and, as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, phenylbutazone (73%) or flunixin meglumine (66%). Recovery was routinely assisted by 40%. The main factors perceived by the respondents to affect outcome of equine anaesthesia were the preoperative health status of the animal and training of the anaesthetist. CONCLUSIONS Current practice in equine anaesthesia varies widely, and the study has highlighted important topics relevant for designing a future prospective multicentre cohort study (CEPEF-4). The Summary is available in Chinese - see Supporting information.

Medical educators: How they define themselves - Results of an international web survey.

BACKGROUND Little is known about medical educators' self-definition. AIMS The aim of this study is to survey an international community of medical educators focusing on the medical educators' self-definition. METHODS Within a comprehensive, web-based survey, an open question on the participants' views of how they would define a "medical educator" was sent to 2200 persons on the mailing list of the Association for Medical Education in Europe. The free text definitions were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis. RESULTS Of the, 200 medical educators invited to participate, 685 (31.1%) provided a definition of a "medical educator". The qualitative analysis of the free text definitions revealed that medical educators defined themselves in 13 roles, primarily as "Professional Expert", "Facilitator", "Information Provider", "Enthusiast", "Faculty Developer", "Mentor", "Undergraduate and Postgraduate Trainer", "Curriculum Developer", "Assessor and Assessment Creator", and "Researcher". CONCLUSIONS Our survey revealed that medical educators predominantly define themselves as "Professional Experts" and identified 12 further self-defined roles of a medical educator, several of which not to have been reported previously. The results can be used to further the understanding of our professional identity.