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BACKGROUND: It is well known that early start of drug use can lead users to psychosocial problems in adulthood, but its relationship with users’ direct healthcare costs has not been well established OBJECTIVES: To estimate the direct healthcare costs of drug dependency treated at a community mental health service, and to ascertain whether early start of drug use and current drug use pattern may exert influences on these costs. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective cross-sectional study conducted at a community mental health service in a municipality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: The relationships between direct healthcare costs from the perspective of the public healthcare system, age at start of drug use and drug use pattern were investigated in a sample of 105 individuals. A gamma-distribution generalized linear model was used to identify the cost drivers of direct costs. RESULTS: The mean monthly direct healthcare costs per capita for early-start drug users in 2020 were 1,181.31 Brazilian reais (BRL) (274.72 United State dollars (USD) according to purchasing power parity (PPP)) and 1,355.78 BRL (315.29 USD PPP) for late-start users. Early start of drug use predicted greater severity of cannabis use and use of multiple drugs. The highest direct costs were due to drug dependence combined with alcohol abuse, and due to late start of drug use. CONCLUSIONS: Preventive measures should be prioritized in public policies, in terms of strengthening protective factors before an early start of drug use.

This cross-sectional study utilized responses from 46,537 students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 in 166 high schools across the state of Colorado via the 2019 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey to: (1) quantify the association between high school start times and student sleep duration and (2) investigate the associations between school start times and student mental health. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were used to investigate associations between school start times and self-reported demographic, sleep, and mental health factors. Survey-weighted multivariate regression modeling was used to investigate associations between school start times, sleep duration, and mental health. Schools with late start times (≥8:30 a.m.) saw 32.2% (95% Confidence Interval: 29.5–35.0) of students sleeping 8 h or more relative to 23.2% (22.0–24.4) in schools with very early start times (&lt, 8:00 a.m.). For every 15 min later school start time, students’ sleep duration was 4.6 (3.4–5.9) min longer. Students attending schools with very early start times had 1.10 (0.95–1.27) times the odds of attempting suicide compared to those attending schools with later start times, while students at schools with early starts (8:00–8:29 a.m.) were associated with 1.11 (0.98–1.27) times the odds. Schools with later school start times had a statistically significantly higher proportion of students sleeping 8+ hours. Schools with start times before 8:30 a.m. had 10–11% higher odds of students attempting suicide compared to schools with late start times, though these differences were not statistically significant. Student mental health should continue to be investigated when assessing the potential impacts of delayed school start times.

In recent years, the incidence of tuberculosis in pregnancy in the industrialised countries has increased. Tuberculosis in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for the mother and child. Even if no figures are available for Germany, an increase in the number of tuberculosis cases among pregnant women can be assumed due to the migratory flows; current data from the USA, for example, also show an increasing incidence of tuberculosis in pregnant women in recent years. The physiological and immunological changes that occur during pregnancy are likely to have a negative impact on the course of the disease and may make it more difficult to confirm the diagnosis. There are no internationally standardised recommendations for diagnosing latent tuberculosis infections. When screening for TB is performed in specific risk populations, an Interferon-γ Release Assay (IGRA) should preferably be carried out according to the current study data. If corresponding symptoms are present and an IGRA test is positive, further diagnostics are indicated, also in pregnancy. If tuberculosis is confirmed, the fact that a woman is pregnant must not delay the initiation of anti-tuberculosis therapy, as an early start of therapy is associated with a more favourable outcome for both mother and child. The common first-line therapeutic drugs may also be used during pregnancy and are considered safe. The treatment of latent tuberculosis during pregnancy is disputed.

Introduction: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) has been considered a safe option of therapy in end-stage renal disease patients with urgent need of dialysis. Recently, it was proposed that Urgent-Start-PD (US-PD) be defined when PD starts within 72 hours after catheter placement and “early start” PD (ES-PD) when PD starts between 3 and 14 days after. We aimed to compare demographic and clinical characteristics between patients in US-PD and ES-PD as well as 30-day complications, 6-month hospitalization, and dropout rate. Methods: Adult patients starting PD within 14 days after catheter insertion (October/2016 - February/2019) were included and divided into US-PD group and ES-PD group based on the their PD initiation time. Clinical and demographic data, fill volume for the first PD session, 30-day complications, 6-month hospitalization, and dropout rate were assessed. Results: In our study, 72 patients were analyzed (US-PD=40, ES-PD=32) with mean age of 53.2±15.2 years old. No differences between US-PD and ES-PD regarding demographic characteristics, 30-day complications, 6-month hospitalization, and dropout events were found. The most frequent short-term complication in patients who started PD urgently was leakage. The most common cause of dropout was transfer to HD. Conclusion: Fifty five percent of our sample started PD less than 72 hours after catheter insertion. The lack of difference in the measured outcomes compared to patients that had therapy initiated after this period encourages the use of urgent PD when needed. RESUMO Introdução: A diálise peritoneal (DP) tem sido considerada uma opção segura de terapia em pacientes com doença renal terminal com necessidade urgente de diálise. Recentemente, foi proposto que a DP de início urgente (US-PD) fosse definida quando a DP iniciar dentro de 72 horas após o implante do cateter, e a DP de "início precoce" (ES-PD) quando a DP iniciar entre 3 e 14 dias após o procedimento. Nosso objetivo foi comparar características demográficas e clínicas entre pacientes em US-PD e ES-PD, bem como complicações em 30 dias, internação por 6 meses e taxa de saída do tratamento. Métodos: Pacientes adultos iniciando DP em até 14 dias após a inserção do cateter (outubro/2016 - fevereiro/2019) foram incluídos e divididos no grupo US-PD ou ES-PD com base no tempo de início da DP. Dados clínicos e demográficos, volume de preenchimento na primeira sessão de DP, complicações em 30 dias, hospitalização por 6 meses e taxa de saída foram avaliados. Resultados: Em nosso estudo, 72 pacientes foram analisados (US-PD = 40, ES-PD = 32) com média de idade de 53,2 ± 15,2 anos. Não foram encontradas diferenças entre US-PD e ES-PD em relação às características demográficas, complicações em 30 dias, hospitalização por 6 meses e saída do tratamento. A complicação de curto prazo mais frequente nos pacientes que iniciaram a DP com urgência foi o extravasamento de líquido peritoneal. A causa mais comum de saída foi a transferência para HD. Conclusão: Mais da metade da nossa amostra iniciou a DP menos de 72 horas após a inserção do cateter. A falta de diferença nos desfechos mensurados em comparação com os pacientes que iniciaram o tratamento após esse período incentiva o uso de US-PD quando necessário.

Communicating hospitality and tourism research has been at the core of the journal aim since the early start in 2001. The aim of the current paper is to provide an overview of the first 20 years of hospitality research in Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, to draw some lines to international hospitality research, and to propose a future research agenda. The review provides a brief account of the main themes addressed in Nordic hospitality research including (1) hospitality as a concept and practice, (2) business strategy, (3) hospitality operations, (4) service encounters as performative work, (5) human resource management, and (6) labour market perspectives. Potential research avenues are outlined.

In the conditions of the central zone of the North Caucasian region of Russia, in recent years, a tendency has been noted to increase the negative impact of low-temperature stressors of the winter and spring periods on walnut plants (Juglans regia L). The purpose of the study is to identify the most valuable genotypes for creating walnut varieties with increased resistance to cold stress, promising for cultivation in the south of Russia. Modern programs and methods of breeding and variety study were used. The results of a long-term study (2019-2021) of collection samples of walnuts growing in the conditions of the central zone of the North Caucasus region are presented. Highlighted hybrid forms of walnut with an early start of the growing season: 17-2-41, 17-3-44, 17-2-35, 17-2-26 (from hybrid families Ideal f. p., I -Yu-50 f. p.); and especially valuable for breeding and production genotypes with a late start of the growing season: 17-3-48, 17-3-16, 17-3-22, 17-3-19 (Dachny f. p., Ya-B-84 f. p.). It has been established that all hybrid seedlings from families (Ideal f. p., Ya-Yu-50 f. p., Ya-Yu-40 f. p., Dachny f. p.) of walnut are moderately resistant to returnable spring Frost.

This meta-analysis examined the effects of the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) for young children with autism on developmental outcome measures. The 12 included studies reported results from 640 children with autism across 44 unique effect sizes. The aggregated effect size, calculated using a robust variance estimation meta-analysis, was 0.357 (p = 0.024), which is a moderate effect size with a statistically significant overall weighted averaged that favored participants who received the ESDM compared to children in control groups, with moderate heterogeneity across studies. This result was largely driven by improvements in cognition (g = 0.412) and language (g = 0.408). There were no significant effects observed for measures of autism symptomology, adaptive behavior, social communication, or restrictive and repetitive behaviors.

Introduction: Prader-Willi-Syndrom (PWS) is a rare multisystem genetic disorder characterized by hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction. Various characteristic clinical features and several endocrinological problems such as hypogonadism, hypothyroidism, Growth hormone (GH) and adrenal deficiency have been described. Since GH-Therapy (GHT) was approved the physical benefits of the treatment have been established in many studies. It is now recommended to start treatment as soon as possible. The aim of this study is to shed light on possible differences in height, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism between children with PWS in whom GHT was initiated either during or after their first year of life. Patients and Methods: This retrospective longitudinal study included 62 children (31 males) with genetically confirmed PWS in whom fasting morning blood samples and auxological parameters were obtained before start of therapy and semi-annually thereafter. The early treatment cohort A consisted of 21 (11 males) infants who were recruited at 0.3–0.99 yrs (mean 0.72 yrs) for GHT. The later treatment cohort B entailed 41 individuals (20 males) in whom GHT was initiated at 1.02–2.54 yrs (mean 1.42 yr). Results: Auxology: Mean length/height-SDSPWS differed significantly throughout the entire observation period between the groups: 1 yr: A: 0.37 (±0.83) vs B: 0.05 (±0.56); 5 yrs: A: 0.81 (±0.67) vs. B: 0.54 (±0.64); p=0.012). No significant differences were found in BMI, lean body mass or percent body fat. Endocrinological Parameters: Mean IGF-I SDS in group A did not differ significantly from group B and mean IGF-I SDS were mostly below 0 SDS (within normal range) in both groups.Lipid Metabolism: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was statistically significantly lower in Group A than in Group B during the entire course of the study (LDL: 1 yr: A: 79 (±20) mg/dl vs. B: 90 (±19) mg/dl; 5 yrs: A: 91(±18) mg/dl vs. 104 (±26) mg/dl; p=0.024).Carbohydrate Metabolism: Significant differences in mean fasting insulin levels and HOMA-IR between the two groups were found (fasting insulin p=0.012; HOMA-IR p=0.006). Significant differences in HbA1c and blood glucose levels were also determined between the two groups (HbA1c: p

This protocol article describes the project Functional Writing in the Primary Years, which received funding in late 2018 and was started in August 2019. The Functional Writing in Primary School (FUS) project aims to increase the quality of teaching and learning writing in the first years of schooling. A large-scale, mixed-methods study, the FUS project investigates the effects of an early start with functional writing, focusing on young students’ development as writers and their ability to use writing as a tool for learning and communication. The project also investigates teachers’ writing instruction and professional development. The protocol describes the project’s rationale and major methodological aspects and culminates in a concluding discussion about possible caveats.

This study investigates the receptive L2 proficiency of early and late starters in primary EFL education in the German context. Thus, the L2 reading and listening proficiency of primary EFL learners was assessed at the end of primary schooling in year 4 in two German federal states with different ages of onset. A special focus of the study is on indicators of teaching quality as well as teacher qualification. The study did not find significant differences in the receptive L2 proficiency between early starters and late startes. When controlling for teaching quality or teacher qualification the earlier age of onset or increased amount of exposure did not explain variance in learners’ receptive EFL skills. However, supportive climate as an aspect of teaching quality correlates positively and significantly with learners’ EFL proficiency. In addition, there is a small advantage for children taught by teachers with a major in EFL.

Тревожные расстройства являются вариантом пограничной психической патологии, относящейся к группе невротических расстройств, то есть к психогенно обусловленным болезненным состояниям, характеризующимся многообразием клинических проявлений. Своевременная диагностика и раннее начало адекватной терапии расстройств тревожного спектра позволяет значительно улучшить качество жизни пациентов. в статье рассмотрены феноменологические аспекты тревожных расстройств, особенности диагностики и лечения в общей медицинской сети, в частности описаны рекомендуемые в настоящее время схемы применения препарата Эглонил и преимущества этого лекарственного средства. Эглонил демонстрирует возможности широкого применения при различных вариантах тревожных расстройств, что придает препарату особый статус среди других психотропных соединений. Тривожні розлади є варіантом прикордонної психічної патології, що відноситься до групи невротичних розладів, тобто до психогенно зумовлених хворобливих станів, що характеризується різноманіттям клінічних проявів. Своєчасна діагностика і ранній початок адекватної терапії розладів тривожного спектра дозволяє значно поліпшити якість життя пацієнтів. У статті розглянуті феноменологічні аспекти тривожних розладів, особливості діагностики та лікування в загальній медичній мережі, зокрема описані рекомендовані на сьогодні схеми застосування препарату Еглоніл і переваги цього лікарського засобу. Еглоніл демонструє можливості широкого застосування при різних варіантах тривожних розладів, що надає препарату особливий статус серед інших психотропних сполук. Anxiety disorders are a variant of borderline mental pathology belonging to the group of neurotic disorders, that is, to psychogenically caused by painful conditions characterized by a variety of clinical manifestations. Timely diagnosis and early start of adequate treatment of anxiety spectrum disorders can significantly improve the quality of life of patients. The article discusses the phenomenological aspects of anxiety disorders, especially the diagnosis and treatment in the general medical network, in particular, the currently recommended regimens for using the drug Eglonil and the advantages of this drug are described. Eglonil demonstrates the possibility of widespread use in various types of anxiety disorders, which gives the drug a special status among other psychotropic compounds.

International audience; Carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) catalyze the assembly and breakdown of glycans and glycoconjugates. Some have been discovered, studied and exploited for numerous applications long ago. For instance, amylase and invertase were isolated in the second half of the 19th century and lysozyme was the first enzyme whose 3-D structure was determined. In spite of this early start, the number of families of carbohydrate-active enzymes continues to grow steadily in the early 21st century. This review examines the CAZyme families reported during the last two years and posits that the current expansion will continue in the future, progressively uncovering the massive diversity of glycans whose breakdown requires a large diversity of bespoke enzymes.

Background: Annual seasonal influenza infection is unpredictable, and varies from season to season. Australia experienced a severe season in 2017, followed by a mild season in 2018. In 2019, it featured unusually high inter-seasonal activity followed by a severe H3N2 season, proclaimed by the media as “the worst ever”. Following a severe season in 2017, enhanced vaccines were introduced in 2018 for people aged >65 years.Aim: To compare the seasonal severity of the 2017 and 2019 influenza season.Methods: Data were collated from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) report. Epidemiological trends of seasonal influenza infection were compared between the two years 2017 and 2019. Reported hospitalisations, ICU admissions and deaths were obtained from published sources and compared.Results: A(H3N2) dominated in both years. There was an early start to influenza circulation in 2019 with an unusually high number of cases seen during summer. There was no significant difference in the number of influenza hospitalisations or deaths reported in 2019 and 2017, but the proportion of hospitalisations that were admitted to ICU was significantly lower in 2019 (6.4% vs 8.9%, p

Initiating chemotherapy usually requires a delay of more than 4 weeks after surgically resecting colorectal cancer. However, there is little evidence regarding the required delay interval. We have previously reported a pilot study to determine the safety and feasibility of early initiation of chemotherapy after resecting primary colorectal cancer with distant metastases. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of early initiation of chemotherapy after resecting colorectal cancer with distant metastases. This phase II study (trial number UMIN000006310) was a prospective, single-arm trial. A total of 20 patients (men, 15 and women, 5) were enrolled. They underwent XELOX therapy (130 mg/m2 oxaliplatin on day 1+1000 mg/m2 capecitabine twice daily on days 1-4) on postoperative day 7 and XELOX+bevacizumab (7.5 mg/kg bevacizumab on day 1) after the second chemotherapy cycle. Baseline characteristics included a median age of 64 (range, 43-72) years. Surgical procedures included right hemicolectomy in six patients, sigmoidectomy in three, anterior resection in five, and Hartmann procedure in six. All patients started chemotherapy on postoperative day 7. Median progression-free survival was 14.9 months; overall response rate was 80%. Disease control rate was 100%. Grade 3 or higher hemotoxicity and grade 3 or higher non-hematological toxicity was noted in 5.0% and 25.0% of patients, respectively. Postoperative complications were observed in two patients (superficial incisional surgical site infection and ileus). Early initiation of chemotherapy after surgery is feasible. These findings suggest future changes of the start time of chemotherapy after surgery.

Objectives: Data indicate that some developmentally and behaviorally based early intervention programs can lead to a range of improvements in children with autism spectrum disorder. However, many such programs call for a fairly intensive amount of intervention. The objective of this preliminary study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a low-intensity therapist delivered intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorder. Methods: The study evaluated the outcomes of 3 hours per week of therapist-delivered early start Denver model intervention (ESDM) over a 12-week period for four preschool-aged boys with autism spectrum disorder. The effects of intervention on communication, imitation, and engagement were evaluated using a non-concurrent multiple probe across participants design. Results: Following the intervention, all four children showed increases in imitation, engagement, and either functional utterances or intentional vocalizations. These results were maintained after 4 weeks and mostly generalized to each child’s mother. Conclusion: These preliminary results suggest that low-intensity therapist delivered ESDM intervention may be of some benefit to children with autism spectrum disorder.

To retrospectively verify whether the positioning of the umbilical venous catheter (UVC) in the delivery room (DR) and the early start of the preheated infusion of 10% glucose solution conditioned temperature and glycemia values of ELBW neonates in the first hours of life.Neonates (In Group I respect to Group II, both at TThe early UVC placement by a dedicated interdisciplinary team is a relevant intervention to carry out during the "Golden minutes" to improve the ELBW stabilization soon after birth.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the early and late start typology of criminal behaviour in major mental disorder can be generalized to different populations than evaluated to date and is replicable in two different countries. A Dutch forensic sample (Sample 1) consisted of 260 reports to the court with early start offenders (n = 62) and late start offenders (n = 198). A Canadian civil psychiatric sample (Sample 2) consisted of file information collected from 78 involuntarily hospitalized civil psychiatric patients with an early start group (n = 38) and a late start group (n = 40). In both samples, early and late starters were compared on different domains. Results showed that in general, early starters have a higher risk of having problems in different domains. There were also differences in the early and late start typology between the Dutch and Canadian samples. Our results partially support the early and late starter typology within two different samples. This study showed that early s...

In Italy, the 2018 West Nile virus transmission season started early with a high number of cases reported. One-Health surveillance, within the Italian West Nile national preparedness and response plan, detected viral circulation 9 days before symptom-onset of the first confirmed human case; triggering timely implementation of blood and transplant safety measures. This is an example of how functional coordination allows health authorities to use early warning triggers from surveillance systems to implement preventive measures. ispartof: EUROSURVEILLANCE vol:23 issue:32 pages:2-6 ispartof: location:Sweden status: published

Identifying effective, community-based specialized interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder is an international clinical and research priority. We evaluated the effectiveness of the Early Start Denver Model intervention in a group of young children with autism spectrum disorder living in an Italian community compared to a group of Italian children who received treatment as usual. A total of 22 young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder received the Early Start Denver Model in a center-based context for 6 h per week over 6 months. The Early Start Denver Model group was compared to a group of 70 young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder who received treatment as usual for an average of 5.2 h over 6 months. Children in both groups improved in cognitive, adaptive, and social skills after 3 months and 6 months of treatment. Children in the Early Start Denver Model group made larger gains in cognitive and social skills after 3 and 6 months of treatment. The Early Start Denver Model group made larger gains in adaptive skills after 3 months of treatment. Our results are discussed in terms of implications for intervention research and clinical practice. Our study supports the positive impact of the Early Start Denver Model in a non-English-speaking community.

Across the Higher Education (HE) sector student feedback is used to feed into university processes and guide decision making. In this study, data gathered allowed the authors to investigate a hitherto neglected, but important, cohort of successful students – those who succeeded when all the odds were stacked against them. The identified group of students had relatively low predictive probabilities of passing their module, and yet despite all the odds passed. These identified students were interviewed by phone which yielded a much richer data set than is often available from student surveys. The advice they considered to be important to future students included specific guidance to get ahead, to plan and to contact their own academic tutor. Based on this advice an opportunity for future students to have a flexible early start on a specific module was created. A 4% increase in the number of registered students who subsequently started the module was maintained through to module completion.

El envejecimiento de la población española ha llevado a que cada vez sea mayor el número de fracturas de cadera que son atendidas. Son pacientes que por su fragilidad, necesitan una atención especial, siendo las Unidades de Ortogeriatría (UOG), una de las que más beneficios han demostrado. El objetivo principal de este proyecto es evaluar las principales variables, de los pacientes ancianos con fracturas de cadera, atendidas en una UOG de nueva creación, en el Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria. Se realiza un estudio descriptivo observacional de los pacientes ancianos con fractura de cadera ingresados en una planta convencional de Traumatología, y cuáles de ellos son derivados a UOG. Se registró: el tiempo de ingreso, el tipo de fractura e intervención, las sesiones de fisioterapia en hospitalización convencional, en la UOG, en la Unidad de Hospitalización a domicilio (HADO) y cuántos de ellos han necesitado continuar tratamiento de fisioterapia ambulatoria. El inicio precoz de la fisioterapia en hospitalización, que se completa en la UOG y/o el ingreso en HADO, junto con el asesoramiento a las familias y a los pacientes, ha demostrado reducir en un porcentaje muy elevado la necesidad de continuar la rehabilitación ambulatoria. The aging of the Spanish population has led to an increasingly greater number of hip fractures attended by the Spanish Healthcare System in the last years. Those patients, due to their fragility, need special professional attention and consequently, Orthogeriatric Units (UOG) have achieved the highest benefits.The main purpose of this research project is to evaluate the principle variables associated to the elderly affected of hip fracture staying in a new Orthogeriatric Unit created at the Hospital Nuestra Señora de Candelaria in Tenerife, Spain. A descriptive study of the elderly patients diagnosed of hip fracture staying in a conventional Orthopedic Ward was conducted, focusing specifically in those who were transferred to the UOG. The main items to describe were: total time of in-hospital staying, type of hip fracture and the kind of surgery selected, physiotherapist sessions in the conventional Orthopedic Ward, in the UOG and in Home Hospitalization Unit (HADO) as well as the total number of patients that needed to continue ambulatory physiotherapist sessions. As a conclusion, early start of physiotherapist sessions inside the hospital, completed in the UOG and/or in HADO, along with counseling and professional assessment to families and patients, reduced a very high percentage of their need for ambulatory ongoing rehabilitation.

To reduce the risk of excessive arsenic (As) in rice by using agronomic methods applicable to common farming in uncontaminated soil with As, we examined the effect of different start periods of drainage after heading and the application of iron (Fe) or silicate (Si) materials in concrete frames filled with soil collected from an area surrounding a former As-polluted region. The concentration of As in the grain decreased with the early start of drainage, whereas the cadmium (Cd) concentration increased. Thus, maintaining the oxidative condition after heading significantly decreases the concentration of As in the grain. Fe material application significantly decreased the concentration of As in the grain compared to the control. The phosphorus (P) concentration ratio of grain to straw (which we regarded as the P distribution rate of grain and straw) was significantly lower with the delay of the start of drainage. Similar results were obtained in the solution culture experiment in which the P level was decrea...

The origin and dispersion of the first Americans have been extensively investigated from morphological and genetic perspectives, but few studies have focused on their health and lifestyle. The archaeological site of Lapa do Santo, central-eastern Brazil, has exceptionally preserved Early Holocene human skeletons, providing 19 individuals with 327 permanent and 122 deciduous teeth dated to 9,250 to 7,500 years BP. In this study, we test whether the inhabitants of Lapa do Santo had high prevalence of dental caries as previous studies of Lagoa Santa collection have indicated, using individual and tooth as units of analyses. The results show a high prevalence of dental caries in the permanent dentition (5.50%, n=327 teeth; 69.23%, n=13 individuals) compared to other samples of hunter-gatherers worldwide. In addition, dental caries in deciduous teeth start occurring as early as 3 to 4 years old, suggesting an early start to caries. Compared with other samples from Lagoa Santa, Lapa do Santo shows statistically similar prevalence of overall caries but different caries location pattern. We believe that a subsistence adaptation to a tropical environment rich in sources of carbohydrates, such as fruits, is the best explanation for the overall caries prevalence.

The present study aims at understanding how individuals engage in organized crime activities. Processes responsible for organized crime involvement are still poorly understood, particularly for those who become engaged only later in life. In-depth interviews with 16 inmates, all convicted of participation in organized crime and incarcerated in Dutch prisons, illuminate how individuals at different life stages become involved in crime in general, and in organized crime activities in particular. Most participants we interviewed turn out to have experienced an adult onset in crime. Their involvement mechanisms are analysed and compared with mechanisms applicable to offenders with an early start in crime. It was found that offenders with an early start in crime have a wealth of opportunities and criminal contacts, whereas individuals who become involved in crime later in life are exposed to crime opportunities in conventional settings. © The Author(s) 2012.

This paper describes a study carried out with K-12 students. This study is focused on understanding the motivation of these students on the use of robots in the Project Area curricular unit and to understand whether they want to continue their studies in technology areas. K-12 students participated in the RoboParty® event, where the main task is to assemble and program a robot. In other words, the students, in a simple and entertaining way and guided by qualified tutors, learned how to build a robot. At the end of the academic year, a questionnaire was applied to identify and evaluate the K-12 students' opinions regarding the experience. The students’ reaction to this experience as well to the direct contact with the university environment was quite positive.

Background. The purpose of this study of preterm infants was to test the effect of four approaches to the time of transition from gavage to full oral feedings, time to discharge, and weight gain during the transition.Methods. A randomized experimental design was used with four intervention groups: early start (32 weeks’ postmenstrual age)/slow progressing experience (gradually increasing oral feedings offered per day); early start/maximum experience (oral feedings offered at every feeding opportunity); late start (34 weeks’ postmenstrual age)/slow progressing experience; and late start/maximum experience.Results. The analysis included 86 preterm infants. Once oral feedings were initiated, infants in the late start/maximum experience group achieved full oral feeding and were discharged to home significantly sooner than infants in either early start group. Although not significantly different, these infants also achieved these outcomes sooner than infants in the late start/slow progressing experience group. There were no differences in weight gain across groups.Conclusions. Results suggest starting oral feedings later in preterm infants may result in more rapid transition to full oral feedings and discharge although not at early postnatal ages. Provision of a more consistent approach to oral feeding may support infant neurodevelopment and reduce length of hospitalization.

Amyloidosis is characterized by extracellular deposition of protein fibrils of chemically heterogeneous composition. Early recognition and identification of amyloid deposits allows an early start of therapy, which may entail a better prognosis. Congo red staining according to Romhányi (1971) is a highly specific and sensitive method for early microscopic recognition of amyloidosis. The main and most important types of amyloidosis may be distinguished by classic histochemical methods of performate pretreatment according to Romhányi (1979), or by KMnO4oxidation according to Wright (1977) followed by Congo red staining and viewed under polarized light. Differences in the speed of breakdown (disintegration) of amyloid deposits according to Bély and Apáthy allow a more precise distinction of various types of amyloid.

The purpose of the present study is to give a description of the exceptional running career of Grete Waitz (GW) and give special attention to the distribution of training volume and training intensity in two of her most successful years as an international long-distance and marathon runner. Training data are based on an analysis of GW's training diaries from her early start as a track and field athlete to her best performance years as a long-distance track runner and marathon runner. The main finding in this study was that GW's total running volume, in her best seasons, varied between 119–132 km · week−1 in the different meso-cycles of the training year. Her weekly training volume is far below the volume reported for the current female World Record holder for the marathon distance at the time of writing. Her training typically consisted of two daily sessions of continuous running (50–60 min) at a relatively high intensity. She did very few long interval training sessions, but she usually did one high-intensity session of shorter intervals/sprint training (strides) per week. In the season 1978–1979 she took part in 50 competitions (ranging from 800m to marathon) of which she won 48. Her best track performance in this season was her Nordic record in the 3000 m, 8:31.75 which would have been the best time in the world in 2011 and 2012.

This study investigated the impact of a parent-coaching intervention based on the Early Start Denver Model (P-ESDM) on parenting-related stress and sense of competence. This was part of a multisite, randomized trial comparing P-ESDM (n = 49) with community intervention (n = 49) for children aged 12 and 24 months. The P-ESDM group reported no increase in parenting stress, whereas the Community group experienced an increase over the same 3-month period. Parental sense of competence did not differ. Number of negative life events was a significant predictor of parenting stress and sense of competence across both groups. This suggests that a parent-coaching intervention may help maintain parental adjustment directly after a child is diagnosed with ASD.

The birth of the Panama land bridge, which connects the Americas, has been associated with one of the biggest biological exchanges in Earth history as numerous species migrated from one continent to the other ( 1 ). Nevertheless, the timing of formation of the land bridge is still much debated ( 2 ). On page 226 of this issue, Montes et al. ( 3 ) propose that the Central American Seaway, which separated South and North America, closed about 15 to 13 million years ago, more than 10 million years earlier than previously thought ( 4 ), with important implications for ocean circulation, climate, and biotic exchange.

This paper presents a sweep based algorithm for the k-dimensional cumulative constraint, which can operate in filtering mode as well as in greedy assignment mode. Given n tasks and k resources, this algorithm has a worst-case time complexity of O(kn 2) but scales well in practice. In greedy assignment mode, it handles up to 1 million tasks with 64 resources in one single constraint in SICStus. In filtering mode, on our benchmarks, it yields a speed-up of about k 0.75 when compared to its decomposition into k independent cumulative constraints.

International audience; This paper presents a sweep based algorithm for the cumulative constraint, which can operate in filtering mode as well as in greedy assignment mode. Given n tasks, this algorithm has a worst-case time complexity of O(n^2). In practice, we use a variant with better average-case complexity but worst-case complexity of O(n 2 logn), which goes down to O(n log n) when all tasks have unit duration, i.e. in the bin-packing case. Despite its worst-case time complexity, this algorithm scales well in practice, even when a significant number of tasks can be scheduled in parallel. It handles up to 1 million tasks in one single cumulative constraint in both Choco and SICStus.

The main objective of the study is to determine which of the chosen environmental factors and selected groups of such factors alter the time of natural menopause in women living in the Małopolska region. Two hundred and thirty two women aged over 40 years were investigated in a cross-sectional survey in Cracow and the surrounding area. Among them 165 women who had undergone natural menopause and had their last bleeding at least 12 month prior to the interview were chosen. To estimate the age at menopause, a retrospective method was used. Univariate and multivariate methods were employed to estimate association of age at natural menopause with factors of interest. Mean age at natural menopause was 50.32 years (SD=3.82). Among biological and socio-economic factors, only the length of the reproductive period (H=106.07; p=0.000) and the age at the time of the first birth (R=0.18; p=0.020) turned out to be associated with the age at natural menopause in the studied group. The length of the smoking period (R=–0.17; p=0.031), the amount (F=3.25; p=0.04) and frequency of alcohol consumed (H=6.95; p=0.031) were the environmental factors related to the time of menopause. Women who drank more and smoked over longer period of time were likely to experience menopause earlier than their less drinking and shorter smoked counterparts. Three factors taken together, frequency of smoking, alcoholic intake and the age the tobacco addiction started (F=3.87; p=0.050), as well as the consumption of strong alcoholic drinks and the early start of tobacco addiction (F=2.85; p=0.026) were significantly related to the occurrence of natural menopause.