Effect of ceasing creatine supplementation while maintaining resistance training in older men

The authors previously found that creatine (Cr) combined with 12 weeks of resistance training enhanced muscle strength and endurance and lean tissue mass (LTM) in older men. Their purpose in this study was to assess these variables with cessation of Cr combined with 12 weeks of reduced training (33% lower volume) in a subgroup of these men (n = 8, 73 years old) compared with 5 men (69 years old) who did not receive Cr. Strength (1-repetition maximum [1-RM]), endurance (maximum number of repetitions over 3 sets at 70-80% 1-RM), and LTM (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) were assessed before and after 12 weeks of Cr cessation combined with reduced-volume training. No changes in strength or LTM occurred. Muscle endurance was significantly reduced (7-21%; p <.05), with the rate of change similar between groups. Withdrawal from Cr had no effect on the rate of strength, endurance, and loss of lean tissue mass with 12 weeks of reduced-volume training.     

Prevalence of Problem and Pathological Gambling in Parkinson’s Disease

Pathological gambling (PG) has been identified in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) treated with dopamine agonists suggesting that dysregulation of brain dopaminergic activity may contribute to the development of gambling problems. The current study was undertaken to further establish the prevalence of problem and PG in patients with PD, identify any clinical correlates, and determine if psychiatric or substance use co-morbidity contributes to the increased prevalence of problem and PG. A cross-sectional survey of 140 serially recruited moderate to severe PD patients was undertaken utilizing the Canadian Problem Gambling Index, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Drug Abuse Screening Test, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Mini-Mental State Exam augmented by chart review, completed over an 8 month period. The 12 month prevalence of problem and PG in PD was 9.3% compared to 1.6% in the general population within a comparably aged sample. The increased prevalence of problem and PG in the PD group was related to dopamine agonist use and younger age, but not co-morbidity. Most subjects with problem and PG reported their gambling increased after being diagnosed with PD and starting treatment. The results suggest that brain dopaminergic activity is involved in the underlying neurobiology of problem and PG.     

Disadvantagement-related correlates of career optimism among college and university students with disabilities

This paper describes research regarding factors predicting career optimism for a group of postsecondary students with disabilities (N = 208) who were enrolled in seven colleges and universities in four states. Career optimism was defined as a student's self-confidence regarding his or her ability to choose, maintain, and advance in an appropriate career. The proposed model incorporated variables related to employment discrimination and disincentives such as perceived impact of disability on one's education and quality of life, racial/ethnic status, gender, and presence of disability benefits. Results indicated that two aspects of "disadvantagement," specifically severity of perceived impact of disability and racial/ethnic status, were significant predictors of career optimism. Implications of the findings were discussed in terms of informational interventions, curricula, development of self-advocacy and self-determination, and research topics.     

African American Digital Practices: Mobile E-Health and Residential Segregation

We ask two questions about the relationship between race, using mobile phones for e-health, and living in segregated neighborhoods: Are racial differences associated with using mobile phones for e-health, especially as they relate to African Americans? Is living in segregated neighborhoods associated with changes in mobile phone usage? We merge the National Trends Survey (HINTS) conducted by the National Cancer Institute, for information on e-health, and the US 2010 project, for the necessary measures of residential segregation. Multilevel models (Level 1 N = 2,023, Level 2 N = 183) produced two major conclusions. First, African Americans exhibit unique “digital practices” vis-à-vis e-health, such that they use e-health to share personal diagnostic information less than whites but use e-health for more practical, logistical uses than do whites. Second, residential segregation is associated with digital practices; however, considering racial differences in where people live does not reduce racial differences in e-health patterns.     

The Pyramid of Nonprofit Responsibility: The Institutionalization of Organizational Responsibility Across Sectors

Observers have noted that organizations in all sectors, whether business, nonprofit, or government, have been moving toward rationalized structures that presuppose and express empowered organizational actorhood. We draw upon neo-institutional theory in this paper to extend the argument: The arrival of organizational actorhood has precipitated a concomitant, cross-sectoral movement toward organizational social responsibility. Whereas existing research has tended to theorize the social responsibilities of businesses, we develop a pyramid conceptual schema to array the social responsibilities of nonprofits. We then document the coevolution of organizational actorhood and responsibility across both sectors with a metastudy of nearly 200 extant surveys. We chart the institutionalization of a slate of formal structures that express organizational actorhood (i.e., mission statements, vision statements, and strategic plans) and that profess and define organizational social responsibilities (i.e., core values, ethics codes, and responsibility communications). We close with implications and future directions for organizational studies and research on corporate social responsibility.     

PROMOTING COMMUNITY GARDENING TO LOW-INCOME URBAN PARTICIPANTS IN THE WOMEN,INFANTS AND CHILDREN PROGRAMME (WIC) IN NEW MEXICO

This study explores the effectiveness of methods used by nutrition educators in promoting the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) community garden project in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. A survey of 257 clients from five clinics found that less than 30% of clients have been exposed to the project and caseload was unrelated to the methods used to promote the project. However, clients exposed to any method of promotion were more likely to garden than those who were not exposed. Most importantly, clients reported eating more vegetables after being exposed to the project.

Los métodos utilizados por educadores de nutrición a promover el proyecto de jardín comunitario Mujeres, Infantes y Niños (WIC) en Albuquerque, New México, E.E.U.U. están examinados por este estudio. Una encuesta de 257 clientes en cinco clínicos indicó que menos que 30% de ellos conocieron el proyecto y también que demanda en los clínicos no se relacionó a los métodos de promoción utilizados. Sin embargo los clientes expuestos a cualquier método de promoción mostraron una probabilidad más alta de establecer un jardín que mostraron ellos no expuestos. Además y de alta importancia los clientes expuestos al proyecto reportaron el consumo de más vegetales.     

Gender Differences in the Associations Among Body Mass Index,Weight Loss,Exercise, and Drinking Among College Students

Abstract

Objective: To explore gender differences regarding weight management behaviors of college drinkers. Participants: Nationally representative sample of college students from the fall 2008 American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment II (N = 26,062 students). Methods: Structural equation modeling was used to examine potential gender differences in associations among exercise, weight loss behaviors, and alcohol use. Results: Critical ratio tests revealed that associations between exercise and weight loss behaviors were more strongly correlated among females as compared with males. For females, there was a small negative association between exercise and drinking behaviors; in contrast, for males, there was a positive relationship between exercise and alcohol use. Weight loss behaviors were positively associated with drinking for both female and male students; however, the association was significantly stronger for females. Conclusions: This investigation furthers previous research on drunkorexia and also sheds additional light on the gender-based differences in weight management behaviors of drinkers.     

The Boom‐Bust‐Recovery Cycle: Dynamics of Change in Community Satisfaction and Social Integration in Delta,Utah*

Abstract To better understand the long‐term effects of rapid boom growth, we reexamine four subjective indicators of community satisfaction and social integration in Delta, Utah, that were originally analyzed by Brown, Geertsen, and Krannich in 1989. With 24 years of longitudinal data, we find that within approximately a decade of the boom period three of the four indicators returned to or exceeded pre‐boom levels. We argue that we need to modify our theories and vocabulary regarding boomtowns to account for a “boom‐bust‐recovery cycle” that better takes into consideration the dynamic nature of communities and their residents and how they subjectively adjust to shifts in objective conditions.     

Crowdfunding and Diaspora Philanthropy: An Integration of the Literature and Major Concepts

Crowdfunding and diaspora philanthropy are two emerging areas of research that are generating excitement in the field of philanthropic studies. However, little if any research examines the shared characteristics and advantages of these two phenomena, and if and how crowdfunding might serve to strengthen efforts in the practice of diaspora philanthropy. This article reviews relevant literature on crowdfunding and diaspora philanthropy, and then analyzes overlapping characteristics, strengths, and limitations of these practices. The article then considers the potential of crowdfunding to contribute toward diaspora philanthropy, giving particular attention to the contexts and challenges faced in philanthropy in the global South.