[Motivations for alcohol consumption in schooled adolescents: analysis of discussion groups]. / Motivaciones para el consumo de alcohol en adolescentes escolarizados: análisis de grupos de discusión.

OBJECTIVE: To find out the motivations of adolescents for alcohol consumption. DESIGN: Qualitative methodology with discussion groups. PARTICIPANTS AND CONTEXT: 131 adolescents (15-17 years old) enrolled in nine schools in Tarragona (Spain). METHOD: Systematic coding strategy, adapted to focus groups. Educational centers were selected through a stratified purposive sampling by educational levels (segmentation criterion) and ownership of the center (public or private). Participants within the educational levels were randomly selected for the groups. Content analysis was conducted using an open and flexible coding strategy. RESULTS: Motivations for alcohol consumption were identified, revolving around six fundamental dimensions: a) seeking fun and new sensations, b) alleviating discomfort, c) consumption due to social contagion and group pressure, d) consumption as a rite of passage into adulthood, e) environmental availability of alcohol, and f) low perception of risk. This motivation varied according to the adolescent's gender. In girls, drinking behavior appeared related to overcoming negative emotional states, while for boys, belonging to the peer group took precedence: drinking reinforces hegemonic masculinity and ensures complicity among peers. Adolescents considered that the information they receive from educational centers is sufficient, but it does not motivate change. CONCLUSIONS: Public health strategies focused on preventing alcohol consumption in adolescents should incorporate their motivations to achieve greater efficiency, paying due attention to sex/gender variables.

Results of Mentoring in the Psychosocial Well-Being of Young Immigrants and Refugees in Spain.

This study examined the change processes associated with the Nightingale project, a community-based mentoring programme whose aim is to promote the social inclusion of minors of immigrant origin. A pre-test-post-test study was conducted on a group of 158 young immigrants between the ages of 8 and 15, in which the influence of the mentoring programme on the youths' psychosocial well-being was measured. Non-parametric tests were used to calculate the results before and after mentoring, comparing the results over a six-month period and controlling for sex and age. The analyses reflected associations between mentoring and improvements in specific aspects of the emotional well-being of young immigrants and highlighted the potential of mentorships to cushion the stressful events they are subjected to in the process of adapting to a new social reality.

A preclinical model of double- versus single-unit unrelated cord blood transplantation.

Cord blood transplantation (CBT) with units containing total nucleated cell (TNC) dose >2.5 x 10(7)/kg is associated with improved engraftment and decreased transplant-related mortality. For many adults no single cord blood units are available that meet the cell dose requirements. We developed a dog model of CBT to evaluate approaches to overcome the problem of low cell dose cord blood units. This study primarily compared double- versus single-unit CBT. Unrelated dogs were bred and cord blood units were harvested. We identified unrelated recipients that were dog leukocyte antigen (DLA)-88 (class I) and DLA-DRB1 (class II) allele-matched with cryopreserved units. Each unit contained