Influence of Information Sources on Hepatitis B Screening Behavior and Relevant Psychosocial Factors Among Asian Immigrants

This study examines how different information sources relate to Health Belief Model constructs, hepatitis B virus (HBV) knowledge, and HBV screening. The Maryland Asian American Liver Cancer Education Program administered a survey of 877 Asian immigrants. The most common sources of information identified by the multiple-answer questions were newspapers (39.8 %), physicians (39.3 %), friends (33.8 %), TV (31.7 %), and the Internet (29.5 %). Path analyses—controlling for age, sex, educational level, English proficiency, proportion of life in U.S., health insurance coverage, and family history of HBV infection—showed that learning about HBV from physicians had the strongest direct effect; friends had a marginal indirect effect. Perceived risk, benefits, and severity played limited roles in mediation effects. Path analysis results differed by ethnicity. Physician-based HBV screening intervention would be effective, but should be complemented with community health campaigns through popular information sources for the uninsured.     

The effects of etomidate in the cat middle cerebral artery occlusion model of brain ischaemia: An experimental study

The effects of etomidate on focal cerebral ischaemia following transorbital occlusion of the cat middle cerebral artery were investigated. Etomidate had no effect on CBF before or after onset of ischaemia by comparison with controls, but caused a greater fall in CBF in cats with high preocclusion or initial ischaemic CBF than in those in which CBF was lower. There were more sustained rises in Kp on SG. The established flow threshold for water accumulation was lost; more gyri with CBF above and fewer gyri with CBF below the flow threshold accumulated water. The relationship between mean occlusion CBF and in vitro GABA uptake was lost; uptakes from MC were lower and from SG and EG higher than expected. In the ischaemic penumbra there was a trend towards reduction in CBF, disruption of ion homeostasis and cerebral oedema formation, whilst in areas of lower flow there was some recovery of GABA uptake and less cerebral oedema following administration of etomidate.     

The Effect of Hypertension on Ischemic Cerebral Edema in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Cerebral ischemia was produced in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with a range of blood pressures (BP). Measurements were made at 4 hours of the edema produced (% H₂O), the damage to the blood brain barrier (BBB) and, the blood flow (CBF) in both hemispheres and the cerebellum and brain stem. There was a statistically significant correlation between CBF and BP and between CBF and % H₂O, but the correlation between BP and % H₂O was not significant. The BBB is not open to technecium pertechnetate in this model at this time interval. Systemic hypertension is not a significant factor in the early development of ischemic edema in this model because the blood flow in the ischemic area falls with rising blood pressure, probably due to autoregulation in the collateral circulation.     

Factor V Quebec revisited

Factor V Quebec has been described as a bleeding disorder that exhibits an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern and presents severe bleeding after trauma. Two members of a fourth-generation (IV.13 and IV.15) Canadian family have been studied in detail and are the subject of this report. Their clinical presentations and histories have been described previously (Tracy et al: J Clin Invest 74:1221, 1984). Persistent abnormalities include mild thrombocytopenia and defective platelet factor V. Plasma factor V is present at near normal concentration and is fully functional. Thus, the bleeding diathesis appears to reflect the absence of platelet factor V activity. The recent report (Hayward et al: Blood 84:110a, 1994 [suppl, abstr]) of multimerin deficiency in these individuals led us to reevaluate these patients. Western blot analyses of platelet lysates developed with a variety of monoclonal antibodies show that the alpha-granule proteins, fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, factor V and osteonectin are decreased in concentration and significantly degraded in the platelets of these patients. Thrombospondin, while not degraded, is substantially decreased. In contrast, platelet factor 4 and beta-thromboglobulin do not appear to be affected. These observations suggest that the alpha- granules are correctly assembled but the contents are subsequently subjected to proteolytic degradation. The results indicate that factor V Quebec disorder is probably associated with a generalized defect that leads to degradation of most proteins of the alpha-granules.