Perceived discrimination and depression among low-income latina male-to-female transgender women

ABSTRACT: Objectives: This study examines exposure to perceived discrimination and its association with depression among low-income, Latina male-to-female transgender women as well as evaluates the impact of sexual partner violence and mistreatment on depression. METHODS: A total of 220 Latina male-to-female transgender women who resided in Los Angeles, California, were recruited through community based organizations and referrals. Participants completed individual interviews using a structured questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Perceived discrimination was assessed using a fifteen-item measure that was designed to assess the experiences of maltreatment of transgender individuals. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the association between perceived discrimination and depression after controlling for the presence of other variables. RESULTS: Of the sample, 35% reported significant depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 [greater than or equal to] 15). Additionally, one-third of the participants indicated that in the two weeks prior to the interviews they had thought either of hurting themselves or that they would be better off dead. The extent of perceived discrimination in this population was extensive. Many of the participants experienced discrimination on a daily basis (14%) or at least once or twice a week (25%) as demonstrated by a positive response to at least 7 of 15 items in the measure of perceived discrimination. Almost six out of ten participants admitted that they had been victims of sexual partner violence. Those who reported more frequent discrimination were more likely to be identified with severe depression. There was also a notable association between self-reported history of sexual partner violence and depression severity. CONCLUSIONS: A significant association between depression severity and perceived discrimination was identified. How exposure to discrimination leads to increased risk of mental health problems needs additional investigation. Models investigating the association between perceived discrimination and depression among transgender women should include sexual partner violence as a potential confounding variable.     

Suicidal Behavior and Psychological Distress in University Students: A 12-nation Study

This study investigated the prevalence of suicidal behavior and psychological distress in university students across 12 nations. A total of 5,572 university students from 12 countries were surveyed about suicide ideation, suicide attempts, and psychological distress by means of a self-administered questionnaire. Almost 29% of the samples reported having contemplated suicide and 7% reported attempting suicide. Of the total sample, 51.1% scored above the General Health Questionnaire-12 ≥ 3 cut-off points, 41.6% above the GHQ-12 ≥ 4 cut-off points, and 33.8% scored above the GHQ-12 ≥ 5 cut-off points. While odds of suicide ideation were elevated in Austria and the UK, reduced ORs were detected for China, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Turkey. Similarly, while odds of suicide attempt were high in Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and to some extent in Turkey, reduced ORs were observed for Austria, China, Italy, Japan and the United States. Elevated ORs for psychological distress were seen in Japan, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Turkey but reduced ORs were noted in Austria, China, Iran, Italy, and the United States. Psychological distress was strongly associated with reports of suicide ideation and attempts. Suicide ideation, suicide attempt, and psychological distress are common in university students but their rates vary depending on the sociocultural context. Due attention should be devoted to the mental health needs of young adults enrolled in higher educational institutions and more cross-cultural research is warranted to better understand the etiology of the observed intersocietal variations in suicidal behavior and psychological distress.     

Patterns of uveitis in a tertiary eye care center in Iran

Purpose: To identify the distribution and characteristics of new uveitis referrals to a tertiary eye care center in Tehran. Methods: A three-year prospective study was carried out to obtain information on 544 new patients referred with uveitis. A complete ophthalmologic examination was performed in all cases; a routine set of tests and an additional battery of directed workup were conducted when indicated. Results: Mean age was 32.3 years. There was no significant sex predominance. The most common forms of uveitis were anterior (38.4%) vs. other anatomical forms, chronic (62.1%) vs. acute (28.3%), nongranulomatous (85.5%) vs. granulomatous (14.5%), and noninfectious (83.5%) vs. infectious (16.5%). With regard to etiology, 45.5% were idiopathic, 19.9% were due to specific ocular disease, and 37.3% were associated with systemic disorders. Behçet's disease was the most common noninfectious disease and toxoplasmosis the most common infectious entity. The most prevalent causes were idiopathic, Fuchs' heterochromic iridocylitis, and seronegative spondyloarthropathies in anterior uveitis; toxoplasmosis, Eales disease, and toxocariasis in posterior uveitis; idiopathic, sarcoidosis, and multiple sclerosis in intermediate uveitis; and, finally, Behçet's disease, idiopathic, and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome in panuveitis. The most frequent cause in patients under 16 years of age was pars planitis. Over 80% of the patients belonged to middle-to-upper socioeconomic classes. Uveitis significantly affected patients' lives in 63.1% of the cases. Conclusion: Although the current study was performed at a referral center, it may reflect to some extent the different distribution of uveitis in Iran and probably other Middle Eastern countries. Some entities such as presumed ocular histoplasmosis were not found, cytomegalovirus retinitis and birdshot chorioretinopathy were extremely rare, and HLA-B27-associated iridocyclitis was less commonly observed. In contrast, Behçet's disease, Fuchs' heterochromic iridocyclitis, Eales disease, and toxocariasis were among the more prevalent entities.     

Effect of autologous omental free graft on wound healing process in experimental cervical oesophagus incision in dog: short-term preliminary histopathological study

This study was designed to evaluate the role of free autologous greater omentum graft in enhancing the healing process in cervical oesophagus surgical wounds. The study was carried out on eight male adult dogs, assigned equally into either an experimental or control group. All dogs underwent cervical oesophagotomy and laparotomy operations simultaneously. A 3-cm linear full thickness incision was made on the cervical oesophagus and then sutured. A small piece of omentum was obtained from the abdominal cavity and secured on the oesophageal suture line in the experiment group. In the control group, the suture line was left without a graft and the isolated omentum disposed. During this study, the dogs were examined clinically and euthanized on day?14. The surgical site on the oesophagus was assessed macroscopically, and then histopathologic samples were taken from the repaired tissue of the oesophageal wall. The samples were stained by haematoxylin–eosin and Masson’s trichrome. The results demonstrated that there were no significant differences based on clinical and macroscopic examination between the two groups. The microscopic study revealed that cellularity, angiogenesis and granulation tissue formation in the wound bed in the experimental group was significantly more than in the control group. The application of autologous free omental graft can influence cervical oesophagus wound healing through augmentation of angiogenesis, cell infiltration and granulation tissue formation.     

The Use of F-18 Choline PET in the Assessment of Bone Metastases in Prostate Cancer: Correlation with Morphological Changes on CT

Aim  

F-18 fluor choline-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FCH-PET/CT) has emerged as a new diagnostic tool for the imaging of prostate cancer. In this study, we have evaluated the potential role of FCH-PET/CT for the assessment of bone metastases in patients with prostate cancer. Furthermore, we assessed the pattern of metabolic uptake by FCH in relation to morphologic changes on CT.     

Primary diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma of the bone mimicking osteomyelitis

Consider primary bone lymphoma as an important differential diagnosis of osteomyelitis.In patients who are unresponsive to antibiotics and core needle biopsy result is incoherent with clinical symptoms, consider open biopsy for accurate diagnosis.     

Heritability of dental and skeletal cephalometric variables in monozygous and dizygous Iranian twins

Background and purposeTo assess the influence of genetic and environmental factors on craniofacial morphology in an Iranian study sample.Setting and sample populationThe department of orthodontics at Islamic Azad Medical University and Iranian Twin Centre. Fifty pairs of twins were selected (25 monozygotic, MZs and 25 dizygotic, DZs). The mean age of subjects in MZ and DZ groups were 16.2 (13.4–19.8) and 16.6 (13.8–20.1) years, respectively.Methods and materialsA cross-sectional twin study carried out using lateral cephalograms. The subjects were required to pass their pubertal growth spurts and received no previous orthodontic treatment. Thirty-three linear and angular cephalometric variables were identified and used. The heritability assessments were undertaken according to the Path Analysis model and also using the Holzinger's equation. For each cephalometric variables Pearson's intra-pair correlation coefficients were calculated for MZ and DZ twin pairs. The estimate of heritability (h²) and coefficient of cultural heritability (c²) were then calculated for cephalometric variables.ResultsOverall vertical variables showed higher heritability than horizontal variables. The anterior cranial base (S-N), saddle angle (NSBa), total anterior facial height (N-Me), lower anterior facial height (ANS-Me), SNA, SNB, SNPog, Gonial angle, SN-GoGn angle and SN-Maxillary plane angle showed high heritability. Heritability was low to moderate for the dento-alveolar variables.ConclusionsVertical variables (in particular total anterior facial height, TAFH and lower anterior facial height, LAFH) showed more heritability than horizontal ones. Heritability seems to be expressed more anteriorly than posteriorly. The lower third of the face seems to be under strong genetic control.