Girls and Weapons: An International Study of the Perpetration of Violence

The purpose of this study was to describe delinquent girls' weapons preferences where and how often they carried weapons and to identify the most important factors that explained four different weapon-related violent outcomes. A large, high-risk sample of female adolescents consisting of 510 girls aged 14–17 in four cities were interviewed using the same questionnaire and methods. Tabular and logistic regression analyses were applied. Knives emerged as the most frequently reported weapon in all cities. Rates of both lifetime victimization and perpetration of violence with weapons were high in all sites. Starting to carry a weapon as a result of violence was reported by 40% of the girls in Toronto, 28% in Philadelphia, 25% in Amsterdam, and 16% in Montreal. The major predictors of weapon perpetrated violent behaviours included ethnic origin, early onset of delinquent activities, participation in delinquent acts in the past 12 months, gang fighting and carrying a weapon as a result of violence. Site, age and heavy alcohol consumption had a minor impact, and drug use, drug selling, and neighborhood features, none. Despite numerous differences in weapons' prevalence across cities, the logistic regression found that site was only significant in use of an object (Toronto) and not significant in threatening or hurting someone with either a knife or a gun or actually hurting others with a weapon. These findings suggest commonality in serious female violence that extends beyond borders and cultures.Erickson is with the Social, Prevention and Policy Research Department, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, T-418, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 2S1; Butters is with the Centre for Urban Health Initiatives, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Cousineau is with the Centre for International and Comparative Criminology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada; Harrison is with the Centre for Drugs and Alcohol Studies, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, Canada; Korf is with the Bonger Institute of Criminology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.     

Osteonecrosis multifocal asociada a infección por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana

The osteonecrosis has emerged in the last years as a potentially disabling osteoarticular complication in HIV-infected patients. There is a high prevalence of traditional risk factors for osteonecrosis development in these patients, but they also have factors associated to HIV infection in itself and the high activity antiretroviral therapy. The HIV-associated osteonecrosis often affects the hips, with a trend to bilaterally, but concomitant affection of 3 or more locations (multifocal osteonecrosis) has been infrequently reported. We present the case of a 49-years-old male patient, with long duration HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy, who developed osteonecrosis with concomitant affection of hips, knees, heels and tarsus.     

The role of alcohol in identity construction among LGBT people: a qualitative study

Research suggests that alcohol use and misuse are higher among lesbian, gay and bisexual than heterosexual populations, yet the social context of drinking in sexual minority communities has rarely been examined. To explore lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people's relationship with alcohol, we conducted seven focus groups (N = 33) with pre‐existing groups of friends and work colleagues (18 to 52 years) in Scotland, UK. We identified and analysed patterns in our data using thematic analysis. Respondents perceived heavy drinking as central to the commercial gay scene. Choice of drink and drinking vessel was an important part of identity construction. Respondents discussed the perception that gay men would drink alcopops and cocktails while lesbians would drink pints of beer. Even when stereotypes were dismissed as inaccurate, they were still thought to pressure people to drink ‘appropriately’. Respondents who did not identify as male or female, and those who used drag, were particularly aware of their choice of drink as a means to express identity or to challenge people's preconceptions about gender. Researchers developing interventions to reduce alcohol‐related harm in sexual minority populations need to take account of the central role of identity construction in LGBT drinking practices.     

Evaluation of a 24-Hour Caffeine Intake Assessment Compared with Urinary Biomarkers of Caffeine Intake among Young Adults in Canada

Background

Caffeine is a widely consumed stimulant, and caffeine-containing products are increasingly available on the market. Few tools are available to capture caffeine intake, particularly among young adults. To estimate caffeine consumption in the previous 24 hours, the 24-Hour Caffeine Intake Recall (CIR-24) was modeled after the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool, using a brand-specific database of caffeine-containing foods, beverages, and supplements.