The impact of small changes in bar closing hours on violence. The Norwegian experience from 18 cities

Aims To estimate the effect on violence of small changes in closing hours for on‐premise alcohol sales, and to assess whether a possible effect is symmetrical. Design, setting, and participants A quasi‐experimental design drawing on data from 18 Norwegian cities that have changed (extended or restricted) the closing hours for on‐premise alcohol sales. All changes were ≤ 2 hours. Measurements Closing hours were measured in terms of the latest permitted hour of on‐premise trading, ranging from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. The outcome measure comprised police‐reported assaults that occurred in the city centre between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. at weekends. Assaults outside the city centre during the same time window should not be affected by changes in closing hours but function as a proxy for potential confounders, and was thus included as a control variable. The data spanned the period Q1 2000–Q3 2010, yielding 774 observations. Findings Outcomes from main analyses suggested that each 1‐hour extension of closing hours was associated with a statistically significant increase of 4.8 assaults (95% CI 2.60, 6.99) per 100 000 inhabitants per quarter (i.e. an increase of about 16%). Findings indicate that the effect is symmetrical. These findings were consistent across three different modelling techniques. Conclusion In Norway, each additional 1‐hour extension to the opening times of premises selling alcohol is associated with a 16% increase in violent crime.     

The immediate loading of dental implants

The aim of this article is to identify current opportunities for the immediate loading of endosseous dental implants. A biologic basis for the clinical parameters associated with success and failure of immediately loaded implants is presented, and select clinical situations where immediate loading is presently advocated will be illustrated. The wide-ranging applications of the immediate-loading concept for endosseous dental implants will be introduced; however, further experimental validation is necessary before incorporating all of these various expedited therapeutic approaches into practice.     

Über die Wirkstoffe des Crotonöls

Zusammenfassung Es wird ein Trennungsgang zur systematischen Fraktionierung von Crotonöl beschrieben, der unter Anwendung multiplikativer Verteilungs- und chromatographischer Verfahren sowie geeigneter biologischer Teste die Isolierung von zwei hochwirksamen Substanzen A und B in reproduzierbarer Weise ermöglicht. Diese Substanzen enthalten praktisch die gesamte toxische, entzündliche und cocarcinogene Aktivität des Crotonöls. Die beiden harzartigen Wirkstoffe unterscheiden sich signifikant im R _f-Wert, wandern aber jeweils als einheitliche Flecken und zeigen sehr ähnliche physikalische, chemische und biologische Eigenschaften. Sie stellen die wirksamsten bisher beschriebenen Cocarcinogene dar.

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Summary For systematic fractionation of Croton Oil a separation scheme is described employing multiple distribution and chromatography in combination with suitable biological assays. In a reproducible manner two highly active compounds have been isolated which represent together practically all the toxic, irritant and cocarcinogenic activity of Croton Oil. In thin layer chromatography the resinous compounds show significantly different R _f-values but migrate as one single spot respectively. They show very similar physical, chemical and biological properties and represent the most potent cocarcinogens described as yet.

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Herrn Prof. Dr. H. Hamperl zum 65. Geburtstag in dankbarer Verehrung gewidmet.     

Estimating marginal causal effects in a secondary analysis of case‐control data

When an initial case‐control study is performed, data can be used in a secondary analysis to evaluate the effect of the case‐defining event on later outcomes. In this paper, we study the example in which the role of the event is changed from a response variable to a treatment of interest. If the aim is to estimate marginal effects, such as average effects in the population, the sampling scheme needs to be adjusted for. We study estimators of the average effect of the treatment in a secondary analysis of matched and unmatched case‐control data where the probability of being a case is known. For a general class of estimators, we show the components of the bias resulting from ignoring the sampling scheme and demonstrate a design‐weighted matching estimator of the average causal effect. In simulations, the finite sample properties of the design‐weighted matching estimator are studied. Using a Swedish diabetes incidence register with a matched case‐control design, we study the effect of childhood onset diabetes on the use of antidepressant medication as an adult. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.