Are there any successful men from criminogenic backgrounds?

In the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, a prospective longitudinal survey of 411 London males, a vulnerable group of 63 boys from criminogenic backgrounds was defined on the basis of the best nonbehavioral predictors of delinquency at age 8-10 (low family income, large family size, convicted parents, low intelligence, and poor parental child-rearing behavior). These males were followed up to age 32, and the more successful men were defined according to criteria such as the absence of convictions and of other deviant behavior, good relationships with wives and children, and good accommodation and employment histories. Hence, "success" here refers to satisfactory social adjustment. The more successful men were those who had been neurotic at age 10, those who had few or no friends at age 8, those without convicted parents or behavior problem siblings, those with mothers who had a high opinion of their sons, and those who did not spend their leisure time with their fathers. At age 8-10 they were already better behaved and less daring than those later judged as the unsuccessful men. There was some tendency for shyness to act as a protective factor against delinquency for non-aggressive boys but as an aggravating factor for aggressive boys.     

Button bolsters in dermatologic surgery

Ordinary plastic buttons may be used as bolster devices to relieve tension across wounds. This article describes the method of placement of those "button bolsters" and suggests two methods of closing the wound once they are in place. This simple technique is easily mastered and gives additional wound closure security in the initial phase of wound healing.     

Adsorption of serum fetuin to hydroxylapatite does not contribute to osteoblast phenotype modifications

Osteoblasts exhibit enhanced differentiation and altered gene profiles when cultured on hydroxyapatite (HA) compared to plastic surfaces. To begin determining mechanisms for this response, we used proteomics to identify proteins predominantly found in osteoblasts on HA but not plastic surfaces. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and Western analyses indicate that fetuin is abundant in extracts from HA, but not plastic surfaces. Incubation of HA and plastic surfaces with cell culture medium (containing 10% serum) under cell-free conditions shows that fetuin is predominantly derived from the culture medium serum and readily adsorbs to the HA surface. However, we did detect low levels of fetuin B mRNA in osteoblasts. Serum albumin, actin-beta, apolipoprotein-AI, and vimentin also adsorbed to HA. To determine the role of fetuin in the HA-induced osteoblast phenotype changes, osteoblasts were seeded onto fetuin-coated or uncoated HA under serum-free conditions. Osteoblast morphology was similar on both HA surfaces, suggesting that HA alone (without adsorbed serum proteins) is sufficient for cell attachment and spreading. Similarly, genes previously reported to be modulated by HA (glvr-1, DMP-1, osteoglycin, and proliferin 3) were modulated even in the absence of fetuin or other serum proteins. These data show that HA surface can be enriched selectively with fetuin from serum; however, neither fetuin or other serum proteins are required to mediate HA-induced osteoblast attachment, spreading, or changes in expression of genes examined. This finding suggests that factors intrinsic to HA are required for the response.     

Two novel paradigms for the simultaneous assessment of conditioned taste aversion and food intake effects of anorexic agents

The conditioned taste aversion (CTA) is routinely used to assess the aversive consequences of anorexic agents, including potential pharmacological therapies for obesity. In a typical CTA paradigm, rats briefly sampling a novel tastant (e.g., saccharin) are acutely administered with toxin (e.g., lithium chloride, LiCl). After as few as one taste-toxin pairing, rats will reliably avoid the novel tastant. This paradigm is frequently used for the assessment of possible aversive consequences of drugs that are candidates for pharmacological therapies. The degree to which the drug supports development of a CTA is interpreted as an index of its aversive properties. Difficulties with previous work include the inability to assess affects on food intake and CTA simultaneously, particularly during chronic drug administration. We report here two novel CTA paradigms for the assessment of appetitive and aversive consequences of anorexic agents, simultaneously. In the first experiment, animals receive an intraoral infusion of a novel and highly palatable tastant immediately prior to administration of increasing doses of LiCl. In the second experiment, rats were implanted intraperitoneally with osmotic minipumps that chronically delivered a low dose of LiCl for 7 days. LiCl did not affect short or long term food intake in either experiment. However, LiCl did support the development of a CTA in both paradigms. These results suggest that both the appetitive and aversive consequences of anorexic agents can be assessed simultaneously during either acute or chronic drug administration.     

Care at the end of life: a novel curriculum module implemented by medical students.

End-of-life (EOL) and palliative care education in medical school curricula stand at a crossroads. Consensus has emerged that these topics merit systematic instruction throughout medical school training, yet curricula all too often consist of sporadic lectures focused on bioethics instead of clinical skills. The medical student authors identified a deficit in their curriculum, and designed and implemented an EOL curriculum module for their colleagues. In early 2000 the authors surveyed senior medical students about their experiences with EOL and palliative education, identifying deficits in clinical training and recommendations for interventions. They then designed a case-based educational module to teach EOL communication skills to medical students commencing clinical training. Faculty with national and local experience with EOL and palliative care reviewed the curriculum. Twelve of these faculty were oriented to the curriculum and then taught it in pairs to groups of 12 to 16 medical students in 2000 and 2001. The curriculum develops skills, attitudes, and knowledge relevant for communicating bad news and establishing treatment options in the EOL setting by utilizing trigger videos, group discussion, role plays, and case discussions. Approximately 75% of the 86 eligible students attended the module in 2000 and 2001. Feedback has guided the curriculum's refinement by the medical student authors. In addition, a standardized patient exercise, introduced in 2001, allowed students to reinforce the skills learned during the module.     

The Turner syndrome research registry: Creating equipoise between investigators and participants

To address knowledge gaps about Turner syndrome (TS) associated disease mechanisms, the Turner Syndrome Society of the United States created the Turner Syndrome Research Registry (TSRR), a patient‐powered registry for girls and women with TS. More than 600 participants, parents or guardians completed a 33‐item foundational survey that included questions about demographics, medical conditions, psychological conditions, sexuality, hormonal therapy, patient and provider knowledge about TS, and patient satisfaction. The TSRR platform is engineered to allow individuals living with rare conditions and investigators to work side‐by‐side. The purpose of this article is to introduce the concept, architecture, and currently available content of the TSRR, in anticipation of inviting proposals to utilize registry resources.     

Determinants of CD4 Counts Among HIV-Negative Ethiopians: Role of Body Mass Index,Gender, Cigarette Smoking,Khat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Catha Edulis</Emphasis>) Chewing,and Possibly Altitude?

To study the determinants of CD4% and CD4 counts among HIV-negative Ethiopians, and to identify factors susceptible to explain the low CD4 counts observed among Ethiopian subjects. Cohort studies among factory workers in Akaki and Wonji, Ethiopia. Clinical and laboratory examinations, including determination of HIV serological status and T-cell subsets, were performed during follow-up visits every six months. In addition, micronutrients (retinol, carotenoids, tocopherol, transferrin receptor, and selenium) plasma concentrations were determined in a subset of 38 HIV-positive and 121 HIV-negative participants. HIV-negative participants with at least one CD4 count measurement were 157 females in Akaki, 203 males in Akaki, and 712 males in Wonji. CD4 counts were independently and positively associated with body mass index (through an increase in lymphocyte counts), female gender (through an increase in CD4%), cigarette smoking (through an increase in CD4%), khat chewing (through an increase in both lymphocyte counts and CD4%), and Akaki study site (through a large increase in lymphocyte counts compensating a decrease in CD4%). Intestinal parasitic infections were not associated with CD4% or CD4 counts. Retinol, carotenoids, and -tocopherol plasma concentrations decreased with HIV infection and advancing immunosuppression, but were not associated with CD4 counts among HIV-negative subjects. Low body mass index among Ethiopians may have contributed to their overall low CD4 counts. Other factors remain to be elucidated.     

Antiserum agar method for identification of Smith type exopolysaccharides in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus.

We used an antiserum agar method to identify clinical Staphylococcus aureus strains producing an exopolysaccharide antigenically identical to the S. aureus Smith diffuse strain. S. aureus blood isolates were obtained from 137 patients, and three additional isolates were obtained from bone debridement. The 140 patients were clinically divided into the following groups: endocarditis (7 patients); pneumonia, empyema, or both (33 patients); intravascular device (34 patients); superficial or wound infection or both (35 patients); deep tissue infections (18 patients); and 6, unknown bacteremias (13 patients). Ninety (64.3%) of the total 140 S. aureus isolates were found to produce precipitin halos on the antiserum agar. The percentage was greatest in the isolates from the endocarditis group (100%) and least in deep tissue infections (55.5%). The presence of clinical S. aureus strains producing exopolysaccharides antigenically identical to the Smith diffuse strain exopolysaccharide appears to be a common phenomenon.