University of Alabama

About: University of Alabama is a education organization based out in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 27323 authors who have published 48609 publications receiving 1565337 citations. The organization is also known as: Alabama & Bama.

Evidence-based practice in psychology.

Abstract: Evidence-based practice is a growing topic of interest in the field of psychology. In 2006, the American Psychological Association (APA) developed a formal policy statement on evidence-based practice in psychology (EBPP). It is now important for the profession to come to a better understanding about what EBPP is (and is not), and to develop a skill set associated with EBPP. The next seven articles explore the history of EBPP, elaborate the definition and present uses of the term, and provide information relevant to the skill set regarding a practice consistent with the evidence-based approach. Many of the articles were derived from the 2007 midwinter meeting of the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology, where the program topic was "Evidence-based Practice: What it is, Why It's Important, and What you Need to Know."

Do Some Outside Directors Play a Political Role

Abstract: A substantial number of outside directors have experience in politics or government and in the private practice of law. We argue that, in part, these directors play a political role by providing advice and insight into the workings of government (or perhaps, by acting to influence the government directly). An implication is that these politically useful directors will be more important on the boards of firms for which politics matters more. We test this implication in three ways. First, for a sample of manufacturing firms, we construct measures of the importance of politics and use these to try to explain the incidence of politically useful directors. After controlling for board size, we find that where politics is generally more important (firms are larger), the incidence of both directors with political experience and lawyer-directors is greater. We also find that where cooperation with the government is more important (sales to government are larger, exports are larger, and lobbying is larger), the incidence of politically experienced directors is greater. But where fighting the government is more important (pollution abatement expenditures are larger and lobbying is smaller), the incidence of lawyer-directors is greater. Second, we examine the boards of electric utilities during the 1990s when the advent of retail competition has made politics more important and find that both relative to the past and relative to manufacturing firms, the incidence of politically experienced directors has increased. Finally, we explore the possibility that a governmental taste for diversity may give women directors a political role. Although we document an increased incidence of women directors over time, we find little evidence to suggest that women directors play a political role. Altogether, this paper provides empirical evidence on an important role of corporate boards that has not been scrutinized earlier.

Effect of Hydroxyurea on Mortality and Morbidity in Adult Sickle Cell Anemia: Risks and Benefits Up to 9 Years of Treatment

Abstract: ContextHydroxyurea increases levels of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) and decreases morbidity from vaso-occlusive complications in patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA). High HbF levels reduce morbidity and mortality.ObjectiveTo determine whether hydroxyurea attenuates mortality in patients with SCA.DesignLong-term observational follow-up study of mortality in patients with SCA who originally participated in the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Multicenter Study of Hydroxyurea in Sickle Cell Anemia (MSH), conducted in 1992-1995, to determine if hydroxyurea reduces vaso-occlusive events. In the MSH Patients' Follow-up, conducted in 1996-2001, patients could continue, stop, or start hydroxyurea. Data were collected during the trial and in the follow-up period.SettingInpatients and outpatients in 21 sickle cell referral centers in the United States and Canada.PatientsTwo-hundred ninety-nine adult patients with frequent painful episodes enrolled in the follow-up. Follow-up data through May 2001 were complete for 233 patients.InterventionIn the MSH, patients were randomly assigned to receive hydroxyurea (n = 152) or placebo (n = 147).Main Outcome MeasureMortality, HbF levels, painful episodes, acute chest syndrome, and blood cell counts. The randomized trial was not designed to detect specified differences in mortality.ResultsSeventy-five of the original 299 patients died, 28% from pulmonary disease. Patients with reticulocyte counts less than 250 000/mm3 and hemoglobin levels lower than 9 g/dL had increased mortality (P = .002). Cumulative mortality at 9 years was 28% when HbF levels were lower than 0.5 g/dL after the trial was completed compared with 15% when HbF levels were 0.5 g/dL or higher (P = .03 ). Individuals who had acute chest syndrome during the trial had 32% mortality compared with 18% of individuals without acute chest syndrome (P = .02). Patients with 3 or more painful episodes per year during the trial had 27% mortality compared with 17% of patients with less frequent episodes (P = .06). Taking hydroxyurea was associated with a 40% reduction in mortality (P = .04) in this observational follow-up with self-selected treatment. There were 3 cases of cancer, 1 fatal.ConclusionsAdult patients taking hydroxyurea for frequent painful sickle cell episodes appear to have reduced mortality after 9 of years follow-up. Survival was related to HbF levels and frequency of vaso-occlusive events. Whether indications for hydroxyurea treatment should be expanded is unknown.

Effects of Early Intervention on Intellectual and Academic Achievement: A Follow‐up Study of Children from Low‐Income Families

Abstract: Follow-up data, obtained 4-7 years after intervention ended, are presented for the Carolina Abecedarian Project, an experimental study of early childhood educational intervention for children from poverty families. Subjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 intervention conditions: educational treatment from infancy through 3 years in public school (up to age 8); preschool treatment only (infancy to age 5); primary school treatment only (age 5-8 years), or an untreated control group. Positive effects of preschool treatment on intellectual development and academic achievement were maintained through age 12. School-age treatment alone was less effective. Results generally supported an intensity hypothesis in that scores on cognitive and academic achievement measures increased as duration of treatment increased.

Epidemiology of insomnia, depression, and anxiety

Abstract: Study objectives This study used empirically validated insomnia diagnostic criteria to compare depression and anxiety in people with insomnia and people not having insomnia. We also explored which specific sleep variables were significantly related to depression and anxiety. Finally, we compared depression and anxiety in (1) different insomnia types, (2) Caucasians and African Americans, and (3) genders. All analyses controlled for health variables, demographics, organic sleep disorders, and symptoms of organic sleep disorders. Design Cross-sectional and retrospective. Participants Community-based sample (N=772) of at least 50 men and 50 women in each 10-year age bracket from 20 to more than 89 years old. Measurements Self-report measures of health, sleep, depression, and anxiety. Results People with insomnia had greater depression and anxiety levels than people not having insomnia and were 9.82 and 17.35 times as likely to have clinically significant depression and anxiety, respectively. Increased insomnia frequency was related to increased depression and anxiety, and increased number of awakenings was also related to increased depression. These were the only 2 sleep variables significantly related to depression and anxiety. People with combined insomnia (ie, both onset and maintenance insomnia) had greater depression than did people with onset, maintenance, or mixed insomnia. There were no differences between other insomnia types. African Americans were 3.43 and 4.8 times more likely to have clinically significant depression and anxiety than Caucasians, respectively. Women had higher levels of depression than men. Conclusion These results reaffirm the close relationship of insomnia, depression, and anxiety, after rigorously controlling for other potential explanations for the relationship.