Towards an ecological understanding of readiness to engage with interventions for children exposed to domestic violence and abuse: Systematic review and qualitative synthesis of perspectives of children,parents and practitioners

Children who grow up in homes affected by domestic violence and abuse (DVA) are at risk of poor outcomes across the lifespan, yet there is limited evidence on the acceptability and effectiveness of interventions for them. A recent review of child‐focused interventions highlighted a gap in understanding the factors influencing the willingness of parents and children to engage with these programmes. We conducted a systematic review of qualitative evidence on the experiences of receiving and delivering interventions with the aim of identifying factors at different levels of the social–ecological context that may influence parent and child readiness to take up interventions. We searched literature till April 2016 and found 12 reports of eight programmes. Two authors independently screened papers for inclusion, extracted data and identified the first‐ and second‐order constructs. The third‐order constructs were derived and fitted to the ecological framework to inform a picture of readiness to engage with interventions. Three key findings emerged from this review: (a) parent and child readiness is influenced by a complex interplay of individual, relationship and organisational factors, highlighting that individual readiness to take up child‐focussed interventions must be viewed in an ecological context; (b) the specific process through which women become ready to engage in or facilitate child‐focussed interventions may differ from that related to uptake of safety‐promoting behaviours and requires parents to be aware of the impact of DVA on children and to focus on children's needs; (c) there are distinct but interlinked processes through which parents and children reach a point of readiness to engage in an interventions aimed at improving child outcomes. We discuss the implications of these findings for both practice and research.     

Health and health care utilisation among asylum seekers and refugees in the Netherlands: design of a study

Background  

This article discusses the design of a study on the prevalence of health problems (both physical and mental) and the utilisation of health care services among asylum seekers and refugees in the Netherlands, including factors that may be related to their health and their utilisation of these services.     

Perturbation of Defense Pathways by Low-Dose Arsenic Exposure in Zebrafish Embryos

Background

Exposure to arsenic is a critical risk factor in the complex interplay among genetics, the environment, and human disease. Despite the potential for in utero exposure, the mechanism of arsenic action on vertebrate development and disease is unknown.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to identify genes and gene networks perturbed by arsenic during development in order to enhance understanding of the molecular mechanisms of arsenic action.

Methods

We exposed zebrafish embryos at 0.25–1.25 hr postfertilization to 10 or 100 ppb arsenic for 24 or 48 hr. We then used total RNA to interrogate genome microarrays and to test levels of gene expression changes by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QPCR). Computational analysis was used to identify gene expression networks perturbed by arsenic during vertebrate development.

Results

We identified a set of 99 genes that responded to low levels of arsenic. Nineteen of these genes were predicted to function in a common regulatory network that was significantly associated with immune response and cancer (p < 10⁻⁴¹). Arsenic-mediated expression changes were validated by QPCR.

Conclusions

In this study we demonstrated that arsenic significantly down-regulates expression levels of multiple genes potentially critical for regulating the establishment of an immune response. The data also provide molecular evidence consistent with phenotypic observations reported in other model systems. Additional mechanistic studies will help explain molecular events regulating early stages of the immune system and long-term consequences of arsenic-mediated perturbation of this system during development.     

白介素-18对肝癌裸鼠皮下移植瘤浸润的CD4+T细胞子集的影响

目的探讨白介素-18(IL-18)影响肝癌裸鼠皮下移植瘤浸润的T细胞子集变化的机制。方法以HepG2细胞在裸鼠皮下接种,形成人肝癌皮下移植瘤的同时,以不同剂量IL-18分为4组治疗,4组分别腹腔注射IL-18 0.75,1.00,1.25,0(模型组)μg(0.1 mL)/只,治疗4周,另设正常对照组。观察肿瘤的生长速度和瘤体大小的变化。4周后处死取肿瘤组织和脾组织,免疫磁珠阴选组织中CD4+T细胞,流式细胞术检测各组肿瘤组织及脾组织中IL-17+/IFN-γ-CD4+T(Th17细胞)、IL-17-/IFN-γ+CD4+T(Th1)和IL-17+/IFN-γ+CD4+T细胞的变化。结果 HepG2细胞株建立了裸鼠肝癌皮下移植瘤模型,IL-18抑制人肝癌皮下移植瘤的形成及转移,治疗时间越长剂量越大,抑制效果越明显;与正常对照组比较,肿瘤组织中Th17和IL-17+/IFN-γ+CD4+T细胞浸润数目增加,Th1细胞降低,与脾组织中一致,与正常对照组比较有显著差异(P<0.05)。给IL-18后,随着剂量的增加,Th1细胞增加,IL-17+/IFN-γ+CD4+T细胞和Th17细胞浸润数目降低,给药组与模型组比较有显著差异(P<0.05或0.01)。结论 IL-17+/IFN-γ+CD4+T细胞数目在裸鼠移植瘤及其脾组织中增加,可能是在肿瘤环境中,促进其向Th17细胞分化;IL-18通过诱导IFN-γ的生成促进Th1细胞的生成,呈正反馈效应抑制肿瘤的增殖和转移。     

Cost-effectiveness of counseling and pedometer use to increase physical activity in the Netherlands: a modeling study

Background

Counseling in combination with pedometer use has proven to be effective in increasing physical activity and improving health outcomes. We investigated the cost-effectiveness of this intervention targeted at one million insufficiently active adults who visit their general practitioner in the Netherlands.

Methods

We used the RIVM chronic disease model to estimate the long-term effects of increased physical activity on the future health care costs and quality adjusted life years (QALY) gained, from a health care perspective.

Results

The intervention resulted in almost 6000 people shifting to more favorable physical-activity levels, and in 5100 life years and 6100 QALYs gained, at an additional total cost of EUR 67.6 million. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was EUR 13,200 per life year gained and EUR 11,100 per QALY gained. The intervention has a probability of 0.66 to be cost-effective if a QALY gained is valued at the Dutch informal threshold for cost-effectiveness of preventive intervention of EUR 20,000. A sensitivity analysis showed substantial uncertainty of ICER values.

Conclusion

Counseling in combination with pedometer use aiming to increase physical activity may be a cost-effective intervention. However, the intervention only yields relatively small health benefits in the Netherlands.     

Design of the sex hormones and physical exercise (SHAPE) study

Background  

Physical activity has been associated with a decreased risk for breast cancer. The biological mechanismn(s) underlying the association between physical activity and breast cancer is not clear. Most prominent hypothesis is that physical activity may protect against breast cancer through reduced lifetime exposure to endogenous hormones either direct, or indirect by preventing overweight and abdominal adiposity. In order to get more insight in the causal pathway between physical activity and breast cancer risk, we designed the Sex Hormones and Physical Exercise (SHAPE) study. Purpose of SHAPE study is to examine the effects of a 1-year moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise programme on endogenous hormone levels associated with breast cancer among sedentary postmenopausal women and whether the amount of total body fat or abdominal fat mediates the effects.     

Comorbidity,limitations in activities and pain in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee

Background  

This study aims to contribute to the knowledge of the influence of comorbidity in OA. The objectives of the study were (i) to describe the prevalence of comorbidity and (ii) to describe the relationship between comorbidity (morbidity count, severity and the presence of specific diseases) and limitations in activities and pain in elderly patients with knee or hip OA using a comprehensive inventory of comorbidity.     

Inflammation and aging: Can endocannabinoids help?

Aging often leads to cognitive decline due to neurodegenerative process in the brain. As people live longer, there exists a growing concern linked to long-term, slowly debilitating diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease for which a cure has not yet been found. Recently, the role of neuroinflammation has attracted attention due to its slow onset, chronic nature and its possible role in the development of many different neurodegenerative diseases. In the future, treatment of chronic neuroinflammation may help counteract aspects of neurodegenerative disease. Our recent studies have focused upon the endocannabinoid system for its unique effects on the expression of neuroinflammation. The basis for the manipulation of the endocannabinoid system in the brain in combination with existing treatments for Alzheimer's disease will be discussed in this review.