Methods and Findings from the National Violent Death Reporting System for Identifying Gang-Like Homicides, 2005–2008

Background

The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) captures homicides that law enforcement or coroner/medical examiners deem as gang-related but the criteria used may vary across locations. Also, the existing gang-related variable likely underestimates the number of homicides that are associated with gang activity. This study utilizes NVDRS data to identify “gang-like” homicides which are not currently captured as “gang-related.”

Protective factors and predictors of vulnerability to chronic stress: a comparative study of 4 communities after 7 years of continuous rocket fire

Many communities across the world are chronically exposed to extreme violence. Responses of residents from a city and rural community in Southern Israel, both exposed to 7 years of daily mortar fire, were compared to residents from demographically, socio-economically and geographically comparable non-exposed control samples to examine protective factors and predictors of vulnerability to chronic war-related attacks. Samples from a highly exposed city (Sderot) and a highly exposed rural community region (Otef Aza), along with a demographically comparable comparison non-exposed city (Ofakim) and non-exposed rural community region (Hevel Lachish), were obtained in 2007 using Random Digit Dialing. In total, 740 individuals (81.8% participation rate) were interviewed about trauma exposure, mental health, functioning and health care utilization. In the highly exposed city of Sderot, 97.8% of residents had been in close proximity to falling rockets; in the highly exposed rural community region of Otef Aza, 95.5% were similarly exposed. Despite exposure to chronic rocket attacks, residents of Otef Aza evidenced little symptomatology: only one person (1.5%) reported symptoms consistent with probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and functioning levels did not differ from those of non-exposed communities. In contrast, posttraumatic stress (PTS), distress, functional impairment and health care utilization were substantially higher in the highly exposed city of Sderot than the other three communities. Lack of resources was associated with increased vulnerability among city residents; predictors of PTS across all samples included being female, older, directly exposed to rockets, history of trauma, suffering economic loss, and lacking social support. Increased community solidarity, sense of belonging and confidence in authorities may have served a protective function for residents of rural communities, despite the chronic attacks to which they were exposed.     

基于网络的伤医事件舆情分析

目的：探讨基于网络的暴力伤医事件特征、原因及其舆情特点。方法：从互联网新闻页面中获取数据,运用网络内容分析法,从事件的年度分布、地区分布、原因、人员伤亡及各网络主体态度等方面进行分析。结果：基于网络的伤医事件由2003年的1件增至2012年的31件,主要分布全国18个省级区域,粤、京、川等地发生了6次以上;医务人员死伤105人,占93.69%;53%的伤医事件源于患方不满意医疗效果。结论：网络技术的发展使信息传播更加方便与快捷,引发网络舆情的伤医事件有增多的趋势,且呈现出无征兆、直接对抗、泛医护人员伤亡等特点。在舆情方面,伤医事件易成为热点事件,负性影响大。医疗机构应注意防范伤医事件的发生,并积极引导舆情健康发展。     

Three-year neuropsychological follow-up of patients with reversible ischemic attacks

A short neuropsychological test battery designed to measure language, memory and visuospatial abilities was administered to 217 patients with reversible ischemic attacks. Patients were tested twice: the first time more than one month, but less than one year, from the last ischemic episode, and the second time three years later. A comparison between the first and the second testing session did not disclose any significant worsening. The degree of atherosclerosis and the occurence of further ischemic episodes during the follow-up period were found to be unrelated to change in performance at the test battery. These results seems to challenge the hypothesis that multi-infarct dementia may follow apparently reversible, or even clinically silent, ischemic episodes.

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Sommario Una breve batteria di test neuropsicologici finalizzata alla valutazione del linguaggio, della memoria e delle abilità visuo-spaziali è stata somministrata ad un gruppo di 217 pazienti con ischemia cerebrale reversibile. Ciascun paziente è stato esaminato due volte: in una prima occasione a più di un mese, ma a meno di unano di distanza dall'ultimo episodio ischemico; la seconda volta dopo tre anni. Il paragone fra il primo e il secondo esame non ha rivelato un significativo peggioramento. Il grado di arteriosclerosi e il ripetersi di episodi ischemici nell'intervallo fra i due esami non sono risultati in relazione con la variazione delle prestazioni ai test neuropsicologici. Questi risultati sembrano smentire l'ipotesi che la demenza multi-infartuale possa essere una conseguenza di episodi di ischemia cerebrale apparentemente reversibili o clinicamente silenti.

     

Risk factors,diet and carotid atheromatosis in TIAs and minor ischemic strokes (MISs) in a Mediterranean country

Eighty-two patients with transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) or minor ischemic strokes (MISs) were prospectively recruited from the emergency room of a general hospital within 1 month of the event with the aim of providing a group for comparison — regarding the pathogenetic profile — with similar series from Northern Europe and USA. Patients were asked a diet questionnaire, and serum lipid analysis, CT scan and carotid duplex were performed in each case. Relevant features were antecedents of hypertension in 61%, current smoking in 23.2% and ischemic heart disease in 13.5%; mean serum levels of cholesterol 6.2 mmol/l, LDL- C, 4.27, HDL-C, 1.24, triglycerides 1.45; and duplex evidence of severe extracranial carotid atheromatosis (hemodinamically significant stenosis or occlusion) in 14.4%. Relevant diet data were daily intake of energy, 7.2 MJ, fat 34% of energy and saturated fat 12.6%. Cases with severe carotid atheromatosis had significantly lower levels of HDL-C, higher levels of triglycerides and lower per cent of energy from monounsaturated fat (p < 0.05 Mann–Whitney test). When compared with series from Northern Europe and USA ours showed lower incidence of severe carotid atheromatosis and ischemic heart disease, lower levels of triglycerides and higher HDL-C, and lower mean diet energy and proportion of unsaturated fat We suggest that higher HDL-C and lower triglyceride serum levels could be protective against severe extracranial carotid atheromatosis and that a Mediterranean diet, with less saturated fat and more monounsaturated fat could account in part for this low incidence of severe carotid disease in our TIAs and MISs patients.     

Pentagastrin has panic-inducing properties in obsessive compulsive disorder

The effects of the CCK_B-receptor agonist pentagastrin, a synthetic analogue of the cholecystokinin tetrapeptide (CCK-4), were studied in seven patients suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and seven healthy controls. All subjects were challenged with an IV dose of 0.6 µg/kg pentagastrin or placebo under double blind placebo controlled conditions, on two separate occasions, with a minimum interval of 1 week. Six (86%) out of seven OCD patients experienced a panic-like reaction after pentagastrin administration, against only two (29%) in the control group. These differences failed to reach statistical significance, probably due to the small sample size. No increases were observed in obsessions or compulsive behaviors as assessed with the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Challenge Scale, neither in the pentagastrin, nor in the placebo condition. These findings suggest that pentagastrin has panic-inducing properties in OCD patients, without affecting the core symptoms. The panic-inducing properties of pentagastrin are not specific for panic disorder patients, which might be indicative of a common neurobiological dysfunction in panic disorder and OCD at the level of CCK-B receptors.     

The World Trade Center Attack: Similarities to the 1988 earthquake in Armenia: time to teach the public life-supporting first aid?

On 7 December 1988, a severe earthquake hit in Armenia, a former republic of the Soviet Union (USSR); on 11 September 2001, a manmade attack of similar impact hit New York City. These events share similar implications for the role of the uninjured survivor. With basic training, the uninjured survivors could save lives without tools or resuscitation equipment. This article makes the case for teaching life-supporting first aid to the public in the hope that one day, should another such incident occur, they would be able to preserve injured victims until formal rescue occurs.