An Examination of Women's Alcohol Use and Partner Victimization Experiences Among Women With Protective Orders

This study examined associations of women's alcohol use with self-reported experiences of male-perpetrated intimate partner violence among a sample of women with protective orders. Participants were 676 women with a protective order against a male intimate partner from three rural areas and one urban area. Multivariate analyses indicated that women's substance use was associated with psychological abuse tactics and severity of physical and sexual victimization in the last year of the relationship. Women's alcohol use was associated with the severity of physical violence within the last year of the relationship, whereas illegal drug use had associations with the number of verbal abuse, degradation and jealousy/control tactics. There was a significant interaction of women's alcohol and drug use with the severity of sexual assault.     

In search of quality evidence for lifestyle management and glycemic control in children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review

Background  

Our purpose was to evaluate the impact of lifestyle behavior modification on glycemic control among children and youth with clinically defined Type 2 Diabetes (T2D).     

Improving Osteoporosis Assessment in the Fracture Clinic

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of different ways of referring patients to an osteoporosis assessment service at an orthopaedic fracture clinic of a hospital in the UK.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Three methods of identifying and referring to an osteoporosis assessment service were evaluated.

RESULTS

Relying on doctors for such a referral gave a catchment rate of only 1.6%. Involving patients themselves, asking them to self-refer, increased the catchment rate to 63% (P < 0.0001). Having a specialist osteoporosis and fracture liaison nurse present in clinic and reviewing the notes of patients checking in, to see if they match criteria for osteoporosis assessment, further increased catchment to 77% (P = 0.036).

CONCLUSIONS

Simply having an osteoporosis assessment service and strict criteria to identify which patients should be referred to such a service will not necessarily increase catchment rate for osteoporosis patients. A nurse physically present in the clinic provided the best result, and supports the need of investing in an osteoporosis and fracture liaison nurse.     

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori,cytomegalovirus, and Chlamydia pneumoniae immunoglobulin seropositivity in coronary artery disease patients and normal individuals in North Indian population

Background

In present day atherosclerosis is perceived as a chronic inflammatory vascular condition and infectious diseases are believed to contribute to its pathophysiology. In this context, the microorganisms which are believed to play a role in the pathophysiology include Chlamydia pneumoniae, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Helicobacter pylori.

Method

A case control study (retrospective) was conducted over a two-year period. The study population was divided into two groups with 200 individuals in each group. The first group comprised cases of coronary artery disease (CAD) and the second comprised healthy controls selected from the general population after matching for age and sex. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was done for immunoglobulin (IgG) antibodies to H. pylori, C. pneumonia, and CMV. They were also evaluated for conventional risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and dyslipidaemia. Epi Info™ version 6 six software was used for analysis of data. Odds ratio, χ² for trend and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to find out statistically significant results.

Results

Seropositivity for H. pylori was present in 119 patients of CAD (59.5%) but it was present in only 76 controls (38%) (P = 0.001). There was a statistically significant association between seropositivity for H. pylori and CAD. There was no statistically significant association between C. pneumoniae and CMV seropositivity with CAD. Multiple logistic regression analysis was done with CAD as the outcome (dependent variable). The predictor covariates (independent) variables were seropositivity to H. pylori, C. pneumoniae, and CMV, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia. It was found that seropositivity to H. pylori, hypertension, obesity, and dyslipidaemia were significant risk factors for CAD.

Conclusion

Our study shows an association between IgG antibody response to H. pylori and CAD. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that this association was retained even on comparison with the other risk factors.Key Words: Chlamydia pneumoniae, coronary artery disease, cytomegalovirus, Helicobacter pylori     

超声乳化联合小梁切除术中使用丝裂霉素C临床观察

目的　评价超声乳化联合小梁切除术中使用丝裂霉素C(MMC)的效果和安全性。方法　回顾性随访联合手术65例 73眼 ,术中使用MMC组 3 4例 3 7眼 ,未用MMC的对照组 3 1例 3 6眼。对比两组手术前后的眼压、视力及术后并发症。结果　术后 1年 ,MMC组眼压从术前 (17 87± 5 41)mmHg降至 (11 61± 5 12 )mmHg ,对照组从术前 (18 82± 2 82 )mmHg降至(14 86± 2 91)mmHg ,MMC组与对照组相比眼压下降差异具有显著意义 (P =0 0 2 8)。术后 2组平均视力都显著提高 (P <0 0 1) ,但提高程度的差异无显著意义 (P =0 876)。结论　白内障超声乳化联合小梁切除术中使用MMC(0 4mg/ml ,5mins)可以显著降低眼压且不影响视力恢复及产生严重并发症     

Granulocyte aggregometry: a sensitive technique for the detection of C5a and complement activation

We have previously shown that complement (C) activated plasma causes granulocyte (PMN) aggregation in vitro and that C5a is responsible. The C-induced aggregation of PMNs treated with cytochalasin-B (CB) is markedly enhanced and irreversible, and the magnitude of the response is proportional to the log (concentration of activated plasma), allowing use of this technique to detect C5a and hence C-activation. To compare the sensitivity of granulocyte aggregometry to that of more standard methods of detecting C-activation, we produced graded C- activation in vitro by treating fresh serum with varying amounts of zymosan. Aggregometry was the most sensitive index of C-activation, detecting C-activation, produced by 0.02 mg zymosan/ml of serum--1/10 that required to produce C-activation detectable by C3 immunoelectrophoresis (the next most sensitive technique). Granulocyte aggregometry may also be used to detect in vivo C-activation. We have found aggregating activity in plasmas from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, immune vasculitis, transfusion reactions, and other conditions associated with in vivo C-activation, but not in the plasmas of normal subjects.     

Tissue-specific alternative splicing of protein 4.1 inserts an exon necessary for formation of the ternary complex with erythrocyte spectrin and F-actin

Erythrocyte protein 4.1 is an 78- to 80-Kd peripheral membrane protein that promotes the interaction of spectrin with actin protofilaments and links the resulting interlocking network to the integral membrane proteins. There are several isoforms of protein 4.1 that appear to be expressed in a restricted group of tissues. These arise from alternative mRNA splicing events that lead to the combinational insertion or deletion of at least 10 blocks of nucleotides (motifs) within the mature mRNA. One of these, motif I, consists of 63 nucleotides encoding 21 amino acids in the N-terminal region of the putative spectrin/actin-binding domain. The expression of the motif U- containing isoform occurs late in erythroid maturation. We generated recombinant isoforms of protein 4.1 and of the putative 10-Kd spectrin/actin-binding fragment that contain or lack this 21 amino acid sequence and examined their ability to form a ternary complex with erythrocyte spectrin and F-actin. The isoforms of the complete protein and of the 10-Kd fragment that contain the sequence encoded by motif I efficiently form the ternary complex. Isoforms that lack this sequence, but are otherwise identical, do not participate in the formation of the ternary complex. These results, in conjunction with the expression of motif I during late erythroid maturation, suggest that interaction with actin and the erythroid form of spectrin is a specialized property of the erythrocyte form of protein 4.1. Alternative mRNA splicing in developing red blood cells thus plays a key adaptive role in the formation of the highly specialized erythrocyte membrane.