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At least 469 records · Page 26Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Inverse association between serum total cholesterol and cancer mortality in Dutch civil servants.

The association between serum total cholesterol and cancer mortality was investigated in a 28-year follow-up study of 3,091 Dutch civil servants aged 40-65 years and their spouses. After adjustment for age, body mass index, and smoking, an inverse association between serum total cholesterol and all-cancer mortality was observed in men during the first 15 years of follow-up, excluding the first 2 years: The multivariate rate ratio of those in the lowest cholesterol quintile compared with those in the highest quintile was 2.1 (95% confidence interval (Cl) 1.1-4.0); this association was accounted for mainly by gastrointestinal cancers (RR = 4.2, 95% Cl 1.4-12.9). For follow-up years 16-28, the multivariate rate ratio for all-cancer mortality was 0.8 (95% Cl 0.5-1.40. In women, no consistent association between serum total cholesterol and cancer was observed. After the first 5 years of follow-up were excluded, the significant inverse association in men still persisted. These results suggest that in this study population, low serum cholesterol seems not to be attributable to undetected cancer, but might be a risk factor for cancer mortality in men.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Radiation exposure measurement onboard civil aircraft.

The active dosemeter DOSTEL based on two silicon planar detectors was flown on civil aircraft flights to study the radiation exposure of air crew members. The altitude and latitude dependence of count and dose rates as well as long-term variations are measured. After calibration of the DOSTEL response against measurements of a TEPC instrument, total dose-equivalent values for various flights are compared with H*(10) calculations by EPCARD yielding a ratio of 1.02 +/- 0.09 (standard variation).

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMed1997

Effects of the civil war in central Mozambique and evaluation of the intervention of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

In October 1994, a retrospective study of mortality of children was conducted in Maringué, a district of central Mozambique. Estimates based on maternity histories of 1503 women aged 15-60 years revealed complex changes in the under-5 death rate. During the colonial period (1955-1974), mortality declined from 373 to 270 per 1000. During the civil war period (1975-1991), mortality increased rapidly to reach a peak of 473 per 1000 in 1986. It declined again thereafter and reached a plateau of 380 in 1991. A health intervention conducted by the International Red Cross Committee since 1992 further reduced mortality to 269 per 1000 in 1994. Most of the 1992-1994 decline was attributable to vaccinations, in particular measles and tetanus immunizations, and to Vitamin A supplementation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Pulse rate and twenty-four hour urinary sodium content interact to determine blood pressure levels of male London civil servants.

Blood pressures, pulse rates and 24-h urinary electrolyte content were measured in 371 male and 125 female randomly selected civil servants. The male and female subjects were divided into nine subgroups each, by tertiles of sodium (Na) excretion and tertiles of pulse rate. Those in the subgroup with highest values for both variables had the highest mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure (adjusted to age 50 years and a body mass index of 25 kg/m2) among the male and female groups, and those in the subgroup with lowest values for both variables had the lowest systolic pressure among the male and female groups and the lowest diastolic pressure of the female groups. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly related to an interaction term between urinary Na excretion and pulse rate among males (P less than 0.02, P less than 0.03 respectively). These data support the hypothesis that psychological stress (assessed by pulse) and dietary sodium (assessed by sodium excretion) may interact to determine levels of blood pressure.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1975

The design and prescription of multifocal lenses for civil pilots.

The aging (presbyopic) pilot has difficulty with near vision which can be a serious problem in the cockpit because of the complexity and uniqueness of his visual tasks. Numerous individual studies have been reported, but the aviation industry and vision care professionals do not have available to them a set of guidelines to permit the optimum fitting of spectacles for civil aviation pilots. In this study the cockpit vision environment was studied in ten contemporary aircraft. Twenty-five pilots of seven of these aircraft types participated in a spectacle design study. Experimental spectacles were designed for each pilot and evaluated for performance. Problems of pilot acceptance of reading aids, custom designing to the geometry of a given aircraft, balancing of the visual gains from complex designs versus difficulties in use and manufacture have been analyzed. Results of this study should be of value for human factors engineering, vision testing and accurate prescription for the presbyopic pilot.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Evolution of civil aeromedical helicopter aviation.

The rapid increase in the use of helicopters for hospital transport during the 1980s is the culmination of several hundred years of military medical innovation. Mass battefield casualties spurred both technologic and medical changes necessary for today's sophisticated helicopter systems in use worldwide, particularly in the United States. The Napoleonic Era and the American Civil War provided the framework for the evolution of today's state-of-the-art emergency medical techniques. The use of airplanes to evacuate the wounded eventually led to using helicopters for rescue missions in World War II. The combat experiences of the United States in Korea, the British in Malaya, and the French in Indochina proved that rotary-wing aircraft were invaluable in reducing battlefield death rates. Any skepticism about the efficacy of helicopter medical evacuation was erased during the Vietnam conflict. As an integral part of the modern battlefield, these specialized aircraft became a necessity. The observations and experience of American servicemen and medical personnel in Vietnam established the foundation for the acceptance of helicopter transport in modern hospital systems.

Aircraft↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Gender differences in associations of C-reactive protein with atherosclerotic risk factors and psychosocial characteristics in Japanese civil servants.

OBJECTIVE: Several prospective studies have demonstrated a direct association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and the risks of developing cardiovascular disease. A strong sense of coherence (SOC) has also been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality, but the underlying pathophysiologic mechanism remains unclear. We have evaluated the relationship of serum CRP and SOC and assessed the association of atherosclerotic risk factors with CRP in male and female subjects. METHODS: Data were collected in 2003 and 2004 cross-sectionally from the two phases of a longitudinal study. Atherosclerotic risk factors were evaluated along with psychosocial characteristics for 1,339 apparently healthy civil servants (748 women and 591 men) aged 20 to 60 years. The Japanese version of the SOC-13 was used in the study. RESULTS: After controlling for traditional atherosclerotic risk factors, SOC was inversely associated with hsCRP levels only in men. Among the atherosclerotic risk factors, body mass index and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol had the strongest associations with hsCRP in both sexes. Mean arterial pressure and blood glucose were positively correlated with hsCRP in men, and serum triglyceride levels positively correlated with hsCRP in women. CONCLUSION: The findings suggested that a higher SOC might be associated with lower serum CRP levels in men. Also, the association of traditional atherosclerotic risk factors with CRP was not equal in men and women.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

How can we learn to live with rivers? The findings of the Institution of Civil Engineers Presidential Commission on flood-risk management.

In the wake of the floods of 1998 and 2000 the Government invited the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) to carry out a technical review of flood-risk management in England and Wales and to consider the most appropriate approaches to flood-risk management for the 21st century. The findings of this Commission are published in the ICE report Learning to live with rivers. Further information on the Commission and its work is available at www.icenet.org.uk/presidential.htm. This paper provides an introduction to the need for such a review and the scope of the Commission's work. A summary of the findings of the Commission are presented along with key recommendations for improved flood-risk management in the future.

Advisory Committees↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Toward a science for and of the people: promoting civil society through the application of developmental science.

Applied developmental science (ADS) is scholarship that seeks to advance the integration of developmental research with actions-policies and programs-that promote positive development and/or enhance the life chances of vulnerable children and families. Through this integration ADS may become a major means to foster a science for and of the people. It may serve as an exemplar of the means through which scholarship, with community collaboration, may contribute directly to social justice. In so doing, ADS helps shift the model of amelioration, prevention, or optimization research from one demonstrating efficacy to one promoting outreach. When this contribution occurs in the context of university-community partnerships, ADS may serve also as a model of how higher education may engage policy makers, contribute to community capacity to sustain valued programs, and maintain and perpetuate civil society through knowledge-based, interinstitutional systems change.

Child↗
PubMed2005

Civil society development versus the peace dividend: international aid in the Wanni.

Donors that provide aid to the Wanni region of Sri Lanka, which is controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), are promoting initiatives that seek to advance the national peace process. Under the rubric of post-conflict reconstruction, the actions of political forces and structural factors have led to the prioritisation of two different approaches to peace-building: community capacity-building projects; and support for the 'peace dividend'. Both of these approaches face challenges. Cooperation with civil society actors is extremely difficult due to intimidation by the LTTE political authority and the authoritarian nature of its control. Peace-building successes with respect to the peace dividend are difficult to measure, and must be balanced against the negative effects of misdirected funds. Aid organisations must be careful not to consider the tasks of peacebuilding, humanitarian relief and community empowerment as either interchangeable or as mutually reinforcing endeavours.

Humans↗
PubMed1990

Utilization of the Government dental service by Chinese civil servants in Hong Kong.

A sociological study was conducted in 1987 on a sample of 490 Hong Kong Chinese civil servants for the purpose of investigating factors which influenced their utilization of a freely available Government dental service. The proportions of regular, irregular and non-users of the dental service were 69, 18, and 13% respectively. Regular users had a higher educational standard and income level than the other two user-types. Most of the regular users attended the dental clinics for a check-up. The irregular users did not regularly utilize the service mainly because it took a long time to obtain an appointment. Non-users referred to the long waiting time to obtain an appointment and to their perception of not having dental problems when asked to give their main reasons for not utilizing the dental service. The majority of the user-types considered that shortening the waiting time and employing more dentists would increase the utilization of the Government dental service.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

New surprises in very old places: Civil War nurse leaders and longevity.

While the average woman in the U.S. Civil War times lived to the age of about 40, a group of 17 extraordinary nurses--including Louisa Mae Alcott, Dorothea Dix, and Clara Barton--survived to much older ages. A variety of possible reasons, from social and marital status to altruism and religion, is explored. More than any tangible factor, however, the presence of a "pioneering spirit" seems to be at the root of their longevity.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2003

After Hendricks: defining constitutional treatment for Washington State's Civil commitment program.

Washington State's law for sexually violent predators was enacted in 1990; since then, 14 other states have passed similar laws authorizing civil commitment for dangerous sexual offenders following their prison terms. Although the law has survived constitutional challenges at both the state and in the U.S. Supreme Court, a related set of court actions has addressed whether the treatment program is adequate. In 1994, the federal district court placed Washington's program under injunction and appointed a special master to ensure that the state improve deficiencies in the program. As of 2003, the federal court continues to oversee the state's program, with a threat of fines totaling several million dollars if the injunction terms are not met. Over an eight-year period, the special master delivered 19 reports to the court, documenting the program's deficiencies as well as its successes in meeting the court's orders. This article reviews these reports and court orders, detailing the court's requirements for an adequate treatment program.

Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders↗
PubMed1998

Awareness of periodontal diseases: the professional and the civil servant.

Newly qualified dentists and dental hygienists should have a good level of awareness of periodontal diseases. However, for a variety of reasons this knowledge may not be regularly updated or applied in practice. This paper considers how professional awareness can be influenced by such factors as: maintaining an up to date understanding of the nature of periodontal diseases, the routine use of appropriate screening and examination techniques, factors influencing assessment of treatment need, patient records, continuing professional education and an understanding of patient expectations. It goes on to describe how civil servants may help to stimulate improvements in awareness levels to periodontal diseases by promoting continuing education, epidemiological research and national oral health strategies as well as through legislation and regulation. The paper concludes that although a range of organisations can promote improvements in professional awareness, unless simultaneous efforts are made to improve the awareness of the general public to periodontal diseases, it is difficult to see how there can be an improvement in the periodontal health of the population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Do socioeconomic differences in mortality persist after retirement? 25 year follow up of civil servants from the first Whitehall study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the risk of death associated with work based and non-work based measures of socioeconomic status before and after retirement age. DESIGN: Follow up study of mortality in relation to employment grade and car ownership over 25 years. SETTING: The first Whitehall study. SUBJECTS: 18,133 male civil servants aged 40-69 years who attended a screening examination between 1967 and 1970. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Death. RESULTS: Grade of employment was a strong predictor of mortality before retirement. For men dying at ages 40-64 the lowest employment grade had 3.12 times the mortality of the highest grade (95% confidence interval 2.4 to 4.1). After retirement the ability of grade to predict mortality declined (rate ratio 1.86; 1.6 to 2.2). A non-work based measure of socioeconomic status (car ownership) predicted mortality less well than employment grade before retirement but its ability to predict mortality declined less after retirement. Using a relative index of inequality that was sensitive to the distribution among socioeconomic groups showed employment grade and car ownership to have independent associations with mortality that were of equal magnitude after retirement. The absolute difference in death rates between the lowest and highest employment grades increased with age from 12.9 per 1000 person years at ages 40-64 to 38.3 per 1000 at ages 70-89. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic differences in mortality persist beyond retirement age and in magnitude increase with age. Social differentials in mortality based on an occupational status measure seem to decrease to a greater degree after retirement than those based on a non-work measure. This suggests that alongside other socioeconomic factors work itself may play an important part in generating social inequalities in health in men of working age.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Employment status and health after privatisation in white collar civil servants: prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether employment status after job loss due to privatisation influences health and use of health services and whether financial strain, psychosocial measures, or health related behaviours can explain any findings. DESIGN: Data collected before and 18 months after privatisation. SETTING: One department of the civil service that was sold to the private sector. PARTICIPANTS: 666 employees during baseline screening in the department to be privatised. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Health and health service outcomes associated with insecure re-employment, permanent exit from paid employment, and unemployment after privatisation compared with outcomes associated with secure re-employment. RESULTS: Insecure re-employment and unemployment were associated with relative increases in minor psychiatric morbidity (mean difference 1.56 (95% confidence intervals interval 1.0 to 2.2) and 1.25 (0.6 to 2.0) respectively) and having four or more consultations with a general practitioner in the past year (odds ratio 2.04 (1.1 to 3.8) and 2.39 (1.2 to 4.7) respectively). Health outcomes for respondents permanently out of paid employment closely resembled those in secure re-employment, except for a substantial relative increase in longstanding illness (2.25; 1.1 to 4.4). Financial strain and change in psychosocial measures and health related behaviours accounted for little of the observed associations. Adjustment for change in minor psychiatric morbidity attenuated the association between insecure re-employment or unemployment and general practitioner consultations by 26% and 27%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Insecure re-employment and unemployment after privatisation result in increases in minor psychiatric morbidity and consultations with a general practitioner, which are possibly due to the increased minor psychiatric morbidity.

Adult↗