Psychometric evaluation of the German version of the Recovering Quality of Life (ReQoL) measures in patients with affective disorders

Background

The generic self-reported Recovering Quality of Life (ReQoL) measures were developed for measuring recovery-focused health-related quality of life (HrQoL) in persons with mental health conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the German version of the ReQoL measures in patients with affective disorders in Germany.

Methods

Data from a patient sub-sample in a randomized controlled trial have been used (N = 393). The internal consistency and the test–retest reliability of the ReQoL measures were assessed using Cronbach’s Alpha and the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). The concurrent validity and the known-group validity of the ReQoL measures were assessed using Pearson’s Correlation coefficient and Cohen’s d. The responsiveness was assessed using Glass' Δ and the standardized response mean (SRM).

Results

The reliability among the items of the ReQoL-20 was overall excellent. The ICC of the ReQoL-20 was r = 0.70, indicating moderate test–retest reliability. The concurrent validity of the ReQoL-20 with the clinical measure PHQ-9 was strong with a correlation coefficient of r = − 0.76. The known-group validity of the ReQoL-20 using PHQ-9 cut-off points was large with an effect size of d = 1.63. The ReQoL measures were sensitive to treatment response and remission of symptoms measured by the PHQ-9 with large effect sizes/SRM.

Discussion

The psychometric properties of the ReQoL measures for the assessment of patients with affective disorders were overall good. With the ReQoL, valid and reliable measures for the assessment of recovery-focused HrQoL for persons with affective disorders are available in German language.

     

Risk factors for nosocomial rotavirus infection in a paediatric hospital: The potential role for rotavirus vaccine use

To analyze the incidence and risk factors (RF) of nosocomial infection (NI) in a paediatric teaching hospital, a retrospective cohort study was conducted in Salvador, Brazil. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention definitions were used. The detection of the rotavirus antigen in stool was performed using a rapid latex agglutination test. The study group comprised 2978 admissions that accounted for 32,924 patient-days. The incidence of NI was 8.3/1000 patient-days and 9.2/100 admissions. Of the 274 NI episodes, the most common illness and causative agent were gastroenteritis (125; 45.6%) and rotavirus (59; 21.5%), respectively. The RF for rotavirus NI was young age (10 ± 8 months vs. 27 ± 33 months; mean difference 17 months, 95% CI 15–20 months, p < 0.001). The temporal distribution of community-acquired and NI rotavirus showed similar trends. The universal use of rotavirus vaccine is a potential tool to control NI among children.     

Study of Imidaclothiz Residues in Cabbage and Soil by HPLC with UV Detection

The HPLC method for determination of imidaclothiz residue in cabbage and soil was developed, and its degradation and final residue were studied. The mean accuracies of the analytical method were 92.0–93.0% in soil and 88–93% in cabbage. The precision in cabbage ranged from 2.2% to 5.6%, and in soil from 2.0% to 5.0%. The minimum detectable amount of imidacothiz was 1 × 10⁻¹⁰g. The minimum detectable concentration was 0.0075 mg kg⁻¹ in cabbage and 0.003 mg kg⁻¹ in soil. The results showed that imidaclothiz degradation in soil and cabbage coincided with C = 0.0427e^−0.0923t, C = 0.739e^−0.279t. The half-lives were about 3.1 days in soil and 2.2 days in cabbage.     

福建北部山区肾综合征出血热血清流行病学调查

用IFAT检查周宁县657只鼠肺,城镇室内褐家鼠的HFRS病毒抗原的阳性率为4.72%,野外黑线姬鼠宁波亚种为5.95%。褐家鼠有外窜。城镇病例主要传染源为褐家鼠,多属于褐家鼠型出血热,农村或野外感染的病例主要传染源为黑线姬鼠,主要属于黑线姬鼠型出血热。褐家鼠型出血热症状比黑线姬鼠型出血热的症状轻。黑线姬鼠流行高峰之后出现人间流行高峰。福建北部山区是我国黑线姬鼠型出血热自然疫源地带的东南边缘部分,自然疫源地多属于山区小盆地型。周宁县除野外有黑线姬鼠型自然疫源地外,室内尚有褐家鼠型疫源地。恢复期病人血清检查21份,阳性率为90.48%,抗体维持较久,经9年仍有查出者,健康人群检查172份未发现隐性感染。     

Book reviews

Books review in this article: A. L. Caplan and D. Callahan, eds, Ethics in Hard Times D. Callahan and H. T. Engelhardt, Jr., eds, The Roots of Ethics: Science, religion and values A. S. Duncan, G. R. Dunstan and R. B. Welbourn, eds., Dictionary of Medical Ethics C. Webster, ed., Biology, Medicine and Society 1840–1940 P. A. Köhler and H. A. Zacher with M. Partington, The Evolution of Social Insurance 1881–1981: Studies of Germany, France, Great Britain, Austria and Switzerland A. V. Horvitz, The Social Control of Mental Illness D. de Catanzaro, Suicide and Self-Damaging Behavior: A Sociobiological Perspective A. Miles, The Mentally Ill in Contemporary Society F. R. Fenton, L. Tessier, E. L. Struening, F. A. Smith and C. Benoit, Home and Hospital Psychiatric Treatment D. Goldberg and P. Huxley, Mental Illness in the Community: the pathway to psychiatric care P. Golding and S. Middleton, Images of Welfare: Press and Public Attitudes to Poverty S. C. Humphreys and H. King, eds, Mortality and Immortality: the anthropology and archaeology of death. C. P. MacCormack, ed., Ethnography of Fertility and Birth. E. Badinter, The Myth of Motherhood: An historical view of the maternal instinct J. E. Nash and A. Nash, Deafness in Society P. Milne, John David: the child that changed their lives B. M. Davies, The Disabled Child and Adult D. H. Phillips, Living with Huntington's Disease: A book for patients and families M. Ruse, Is Science Sexist? And other problems in the biomedical sciences S. Wolf and B, Berle, eds., The Technological Imperative in Medicine R. J. Shephard, The Risks of Passive Smoking J. G. Cullis, S. Heasell and S. Weller, The Economics of Outpatient Clinic Location: The paediatrics case A. V. Horvitz, The Social Control of Mental Illness A. V. Horvitz, The Social Control of Mental Illness J. J. Collins, Jr., ed., Drinking and Crime B. E. Cogswell and M. B. Sussman, eds, Family Medicine: A New Approach to Health Care D. H. Eichorn, J. A. Clausen, N. Haan, M. P. Honzik and P. H. Mussen, eds, Present and Past in Middle Life D. Coakley, Establishing a Geriatric Service D. Coakley, Establishing a Geriatric Service D. Coakley, Establishing a Geriatric Service P. Thane, The Foundations of the Welfare State R. G. Burgess ed., Field Research: a Source-book and field Manual J.M. Janzen with W. Arkinstall, The Quest for Therapy in Lower Zaire Margaret M. Lock, East Asian Medicine in Urban Japan: Varieties of Medical Experience W. R. Cuskey and R. B. Wathey, Female Addition: A Longitudinal study     

Levels of Organochlorine Pesticides Residues in Human Adipose Tissue,Data from Tabasco,Mexico

The objective of this study was to determine the levels of organochlorine pesticides HCB, α-β-γ-HCH, p,p′-DDE, o,p′-DDT and p,p′-DDT in 150 adipose tissue of inhabitants of Tabasco, Mexico. The following pesticides were detected: p,p′-DDE in 100 % of samples at mean 1.034 mg/kg; p,p′-DDT in 96.7 % at mean 0.116 mg/kg; o,p′-DDT in 78.7 % at mean 0.022 mg/kg and β-HCH in 58.0 % at mean 0.049 mg/kg. The pooled sample was divided according to sex of donors (75 female and 75 male). Significantly higher levels of all organochlorine pesticides in females were found. The sample was divided into three age’s ranges (15–28, 29–45 and 46–84 years). The mean and median levels of β-HCH, p,p’-DDE and Σ-DDT increase significantly (p < 0.05) from the first to the second and third group. The presence of organochlorine pesticide residues in Tabasco inhabitants is still observed, indicating sources of exposure to the pesticides.     

Performance of the EuroQol in children with imperforate anus

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and validity of a proxy version of the EuroQol in children treated for imperforate anus. Methods: Patients included were between 1 and 51 years of age. Instruments included were the EuroQol, the TACQOL and a disease specific questionnaire, the Langemeijer Stool Questionnaire. Patients older than 15 years filled in all questionnaires themselves, in the age groups 5–10 and 11–15 a parent administered the questionnaires. Feasibility was judged on the number of missing values. In search of validity, EuroQol scores were compared with the prevalence of disease symptoms (convergent validity) and with the TACQOL (construct validity). Results: The number of missings was not related to age. The disease specific questionnaire correlated significantly with the EQ_vas from 11 years on and with the EQ-5D_index from 5 years on. The mean correlation between contextual similar domains of the EuroQol and the TACQOL was –0.55. The correlation between different domains was –0.32. Conclusion: The results support the idea that the use of a proxy version of the EuroQol is feasible and valid. The convergent validity of the EQ_vas was supported from 11 years on. The EQ-5D showed good construct and convergent validity from 5 years on.     

Effect of combined vitamins C and E supplementation on oxidant/antioxidant status in hemodialysis patients

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant supplementation effect on antioxidant system in hemodialysis patients. The study group consisted of 38 patients undergoing hemodialysis and 72 healthy subjects. The patients orally received combination of vitamins C (250 mg/time) and E (200 IU/time) three times per week for 2 months. Both, enzymatic antioxidants [superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)] activities and non-enzymatic (vitamins E and C) levels and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations as lipid peroxidation product in patients were measured before and after supplementation compared with control group. The levels of antioxidants (vitamin E, C and SOD) (P < 0.0001) and GPx (P < 0.05) were significantly enhanced and MDA concentrations declined (P < 0.0001) during the supplementation period. The study demonstrates that combined supplementation of vitamins C and E can noticeably affect antioxidant status and protect against oxidative stress caused during hemodialysis.     

Glycopeptide intermediate Staphylococcus aureus and prevalence of the luk-PV gene in clinical isolates,in Northern Lebanon

Objectives

The aim of our study was to confirm the identification of 113 meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains by pyrosequencing, to determine the susceptibility of these clinical isolates to various classes of antibiotics, to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to glycopeptides, and to detect mecA and luk-PV genes.

Methodology

The Staphylococcus species was identified by pyrosequencing of the variable region (V3) of the 16SrRNA. The susceptibility of these 113 strains of MRSA to antibiotics was determined by the disk diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar. The MIC of glycopeptides was determined by using the dilution method on solid media. mecA gene and luk-PV gene were detected by PCR.

Results

The disk diffusion method proved full susceptibility to vancomycin, teicoplanin, and linezolid; whereas MIC (dilution method) indicated that 5/113 strains were resistant to teicoplanin, giving a probability of having heterogeneous glycopeptide intermediate S. aureus (hGISA) strains. The mecA gene was detected in all MRSA strains ruling out the probability of having new variants of this gene in the tested strains. The luk-PV gene was detected in 28 out of 113 MRSA strains (24.8%).

Conclusion

The originality of this study was the detection of hGISA strains knowing that they were susceptible to glycopeptides according to the diffusion method. Thus it is necessary to check the level of susceptibility of MRSA clinical isolates to glycopeptides for immunodeficient patients, by determining the MIC.     

Residues and Dynamics of Kasugamycin in Chilli and Soil

A simple and efficient method for determination of kasugamycin in chilli and soil was developed, and the fate of kasugamycin in chilli field ecosystem was also studied. Kasugamycin residues were extracted from sample, cleaned up by solid phase extraction and chromatographic column and then determined by ultra performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry detection. The method got recoveries ranged from 77.82 % to 83.35 % with relative standard deviations of 2.20 %–6.54 %. As far as the accuracy and precision was concerned, the method met certain standard. The LODs of kasugamycin calculated as a sample concentration(S/N ratio of 3) was 2.50 μg kg⁻¹. The degradation of kasugamycin in chilli and soil was determined. The results showed that kasugamycin degradation in chilli plant and soil followed the first-order kinetics. The half-lives of kasugamycin in chilli and soil was 2.76–3.77 and 3.07–3.91 days, respectively. The final kasugamycin residues in chilli and soil were undetectable at levels of recommended and 1.5 times recommended dosage with an interval of 21 days.     

Head Hair Total Mercury and Methylmercury Levels in Some Ghanaian Individuals for the Estimation of Their Exposure to Mercury: Preliminary Studies

The extent of human exposure to mercury in some individuals in Ghana was evaluated by analysing samples of human head hair for total mercury and methylmercury. The average level of total mercury was 0.843 μg g⁻¹ (in range of 0.119–4.140, n = 123) and that of methylmercury was 0.787 μg g⁻¹ (in range of 0.208–1.847, n = 42). Mercury was present in the hair samples almost completely in the methylated form. The average percentage ratio of methylmercury to total mercury was 97.2% (in range of 88.5%–107.6%). The results of this study indicate low levels of exposure to methylmercury and does not pose a significant risk to the individuals and to a greater extent the general population.     

Novel prophage-like sequences in Mycoplasma anserisalpingitidis

Mycoplasma anserisalpingitidis is a bacterial waterfowl pathogen. In these days of growing antibiotic resistance, it is necessary to search for alternative methods of defense against Mycoplasma impacts in flocks.In order to identify prophage-like sequences, three established bioinformatics tools (PHASTER, PhiSpy, Prophage Hunter) were used in this study for the in silico screening of 82 M. anserisalpingitidis whole genomes. The VIBRANT software was used as a novel approach to further investigate the possibility of prophages in the sequences.The commonly used softwares found prophage-like sequences in the strains, but the results were inconclusive. The VIBRANT search resulted in multiple hits, and many of them were over 10,000 base pairs (bp). These putative prophages are comparable in size to the few described mycoplasma phages. The translated coding DNA sequences of the putative prophages were checked with protein BLAST. The functions of the proteins found by the BLASTP search are common among bacteriophages. The BLASTN search of the sequences found that many of these were more similar to the M. anatis NCTC 10156 strain, rather than the available M. anserisalpingitidis strains.The initial screening pointed at the presence of novel bacteriophages in the M. anserisalpingitidis and M. anatis strains. The VIBRANT search results were very similar to each other and none of these sequences were part of the core genome of M. anserisalpingitidis, with a few exceptions. The VIBRANT analysis explored presumably intact, novel prophages.     

Zur Beurteilung der unteren Rückenmuskulatur bei Schwerarbeitern

Zusammenfassung Es wurde die Breite der Muskulatur der unteren Rücken-und Lenden-Extensorenmuskulatur röntgenologisch nach dem Verfahren von Mirzamuhamedow bei 40 LasttrÄgern bestimmt und mit den Daten von 100 erwachsenen MÄnnern verglichen. Es konnte festgestellt werden, daß die Extensorenmuskulatur der LasttrÄger statistisch signifikant breiter ist als die der Normalpopulation. Die wesentlich breitere Muskulatur der Extensoren gibt eine pathogenetische Deutung der bei TrÄgern schwerer Last hÄufig nachzuweisenden osteochondrotischen LÄsionen der LendenwirbelsÄule.

---

The measurement of the lower back muscles in heavy physical workers

Summary The breadth of the muscles of the lower back region was radiologically determined. The method of Mirzamuhamedov was applied to 40 dock workers and to 100 male adults. The breadth and the mass of the lower back muscles was statistically significantly more elevated in heavy load workers than in normal adults. The greater mass of lower back muscles seems to further the development of osteochondrotical lesions on the lumbar vertebras.

     

Carence en vitamine A chez un groupe d’enfants sains âgés de 1 à 23 mois de la région de Blida,Algérie

The vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is considered as a major public health problem in the world. This phenomenon is still not well known in Algeria. The prevalence of this deficiency is calculated on a group of children in good health, not supplemented with vitamin A, from rural, semi-rural and urban environments in the Blida region (Algeria), aged 1 to 23 months and recruited in the pediatric services of Blida area, during the period of November 2007–April 2008. The sample is composed of 150 children (87 boys and 63 girls) who present a concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) < 10 mg/L. The mean concentrations of serum retinol are 1.049 ± 0.422 μmol/L. The dosages of the serum retinol-binding protein (RBP) and prealbumin revealed the mean values of 0.024 ± 0.009 g/L and of 0.152 ± 0.039 g/L, respectively for RBP and prealbumin. The prevalence of serum retinol deficiency is 19%; this indicates the presence of a moderate VAD. The prevalence of carrier protein deficiency is 76% for the RBP and 10% for the prealbumin. To remedy the problem of vitamin A deficiency, it is advisable to implement a policy of nutritional education. The supplementation can be interesting only for the children whose nutritional status is defective or living in areas where the food products rich in vitamin A are rare.     

Has the prevalence of migraine and tension-type headache changed over a 12-year period? A Danish population survey

Objective The present study aims to compare the prevalence of primary headaches in Denmark in two periods as only few replicate studies have re-evaluated the prevalence of primary headaches.Study Design and Setting The 2001 study is a replicate of a cross-sectional survey of primary headaches in 1989, and compares 297 subjects aged 25–36 years from the general population, with the 294 comparable subjects invited in 1989. Medical doctors diagnosed all headaches using IHS-classification.Results The participation rate was 75% in 1989 and 70% in 2001. The prevalence of migraine did not change significantly (11–15%), while the prevalence of tension-type headache (79–87%), especially of frequent tension-type headache (29–37%) increased significantly. The prevalence of chronic tension-type headache (2–5%) tended to increase. The proportion of the migraineurs with migraine 14 days or more per year increased (12–38%). Female gender was a risk factor for both primary headaches. The majority of migraineurs (92–94%) also reported coexistent tension-type headache.Conclusion The prevalence of tension-type headache but not of migraine increased. The increase in migraine and tension-type headache frequency suggests a higher individual and societal impact of primary headaches now, than 12 years ago.     

Urinary cobalt as a measure of exposure in the wet sharpening of hard metal and stellite blades

 The measurement of urinary cobalt as an estimator of exposure to airborne cobalt was evaluated during the wet sharpening of hard metal and stellite blades. The following possible confounding factors were also studied: smoking habits, personal hygiene, cobalt absorption through the skin, beer drinking, and vitamin B₁₂ consumption. The study was conducted in 16 different workplaces manufacturing or maintaining blades and in laboratory experiments. Cobalt contamination and its removal from workers’ hands were studied with different hand-washing methods, and cobalt from used gloves was also analyzed. The Finnish biomonitoring action level of 600 nmol/l (35.4 μg/l) was exceeded in 4 of the 16 workplaces, and the mean concentration of urinary cobalt was 241 (8–2705) nmol/l [14.2 (0.5–160)  μg/l]. The coefficient of correlation between the cobalt concentrations in the air and in the workers’ urine was 0.753. The urinary cobalt concentration corresponding to the Finnish occupational exposure limit for airborne cobalt (0.05 mg/m³) was 686 nmol/l (40.5 μg/l). The level of personal hygiene affected the urinary cobalt concentrations, and cobalt was absorbed through the skin. Beer and vitamin B₁₂ consumption did not have any effect on the urinary levels of cobalt. The workers who smoked had higher urinary concentrations of cobalt than the nonsmoking workers. High concentrations of cobalt in coolants contaminated the workers’ skin, and hand-washing did not remove cobalt very effectively. The results indicate that urinary cobalt can be used reliably to assess workers’ exposure to airborne cobalt when wet-tip grinding processes are used. The results also show that workers’ exposure to cobalt can be reduced by improving skin protection and personal hygiene in workplaces. Received: 29 January 1996 / Accepted: 2 May 1996     

Analysis of Several Heavy Metals in Wild Edible Mushrooms from Regions of China

The metal (Cu, Ni, Cd, Hg, As, Pb) contents in wild edible mushrooms collected from three different sites in China were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry and atomic fluorescence spectrometry. All element concentrations were determined on a dry weight basis. A total of 11 species was studied, five being from the urban area and six from rural areas in China. The As content ranged from 0.44 to 1.48 mg/kg. The highest As content was seen in Macrolepiota crustosa from the urban area, and the lowest in Russula virescens from rural areas. A high Ni concentration (1.35 mg/kg) was found in Calvatia craniiformis from the urban area. The lowest Ni level was 0.11 mg/kg, for the species R. virescens and Cantharellus cibarius. The Cu content ranged from 39.0 to 181.5 mg/kg. The highest Cu content was seen in Agaricus silvaticus and the lowest in C. cibarius. The Pb content ranged from 1.9 to 10.8 mg/kg. The highest Pb value was found in C. craniiformis. The Cd content ranged from 0.4 to 91.8 mg/kg. The highest Cd value was found in M. crustosa. The Hg content ranged from 0.28 to 3.92 mg/kg. The highest Hg level was found in Agaricus species. The levels of the heavy metals Cd, Pb, and Hg in the studied mushroom species from urban area can be considered high. The metal-to-metal correlation analysis supported they were the same source of contamination. High automobile traffic was identified as the most likely source of the contamination. Based upon the present safety standards, consumption of those mushrooms that grow in the polluted urban area should be avoided.     

Investigation of amino acids in wolfberry fruit (Lycium barbarum) by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography with precolumn derivatization

The aim of this work is to present a simple and sensitive reverse-phase liquid chromatography method for the determination and investigation of amino acids in wolfberry fruit (Lycium barbarum) after solid-phase extraction-derivatization. The method linearity, calculated for each amino acid, had a correlation coefficient higher than 0.9950, in concentrations ranged from 9.60 to 3.33 × 10³ μmol L⁻¹. The detection limits of amino acids were between 2.42 and 6.51 μmol L⁻¹. The calculated recoveries for amino acids in wolfberry fruit were from 87.3% to 97.1% and relative standard deviations were from 2.62% to 5.22%. The investigation illustrated that each tested wolfberry fruit contained at least 16 amino acids and the main amino acids were glutamic acid, aspartic acid, proline, alanine, serine, glycine, lysine, and tyrosine. The levels of amino acid in wolfberry fruit were varying from different areas.     

210Pb and 210Po Content in Air,Water, Foodstuffs,and the Human Body

Concentrations of ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po in air, drinking water, foodstuffs, and human tissues are reported. The main route of ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po intake in the human body is ingestion with foodstuffs. The absorption coefficient of ²¹⁰Po into the blood from the digestive tract was estimated to be 35%. The highest concentration of ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po in the body was observed in the skeleton and hair. The body burden of humans was 773 pCi of ²¹⁰Pb and 513 pCi of ²¹⁰Po. Excretion of these radionuclides from the body in urine was 14 to 15 times less than in feces. The calculated annual radiation doses of ⁷¹⁰Po in the bone, liver, and kidneys were 2.1 to 5.0 millirad/yr, and in other soft tissues, 0.3 to 0.9 millirad/yr.     

Arnebia preventing the expression of Muc1 protein decrease results in anti-implantation in early pregnant mice

Background

The study was designed to explore the relationship between the anti-implantation activity of arnebia and the expression of Muc1 protein in the endometrium of early pregnant mice.

Study design

The aqueous extract of arnebia was administered to mice on Days 1–4 postcoitum, and the mice were sacrificed to asses the implantation rate on Day 8 postcoitum. On the night of Day 4 postcoitum and on the morning of Day 5 postcoitum, the treated mice were sacrificed to study the influence on endometrium. The extract of arnebia was administered to mice on Days 11–14 postcoitum, and the mice were sacrificed to asses abortion on Day 18 postcoitum. The reversible effect of arnebia on mice was also studied.

Results

The endometrium in the experimental group exhibited morphological changes compared with that in the control group. The expression of Muc1 protein was increased with the increasing doses of arnebia, while in control group, it increased a little. The experiments of pseudopregnancy and normal mice show the identical expression of Muc1. The anti-implantation effect of arnebia was reversible.

Conclusion

The arnebia may prevent embryo implantation by inhibiting the decrease of the Muc1 protein.