Relationships between affective components and sexual behaviors in sexual aggressors

The aim of the current study was to verify whether relationships exist in sexual aggressors between affective components (moods and emotions following conflicts) and sexual behaviors (fantasies and masturbatory activities during such fantasies). We therefore developed the Fantasy Report, a self-assessment method for recording affective components and sexual behaviors. Nineteen rapists, 12 heterosexual pedophiles, and 8 homosexual pedophiles filled out the Fantasy Report every 2 days for 2 months. In rapists and heterosexual pedophiles, negative moods and conflicts coincided with overwhelming deviant sexual fantasies and increased masturbatory activities during such fantasies. For the homosexual pedophiles, the data revealed a significant relationship only between affective components and deviant sexual fantasies. The emotions most frequently reported were anger, loneliness, and humiliation by the rapists, loneliness and humiliation by the heterosexual pedophiles, and loneliness by the homosexual pedophiles. These data are discussed on the basis of the Relapse Prevention Model.     

Plasma concentrations of glucagon-like peptide-2 in adult patients with treated and untreated coeliac disease

BACKGROUND: Coeliac disease is a common chronic inflammatory enteropathy characterized by villous atrophy and crypt hyperplasia in the small intestine. The mechanism of the intestinal damage in coeliac disease remains unclear. Glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-2 is an enterotrophic peptide that causes crypt hyperplasia and intestinal cell proliferation. We postulate that GLP-2 may be involved in the mucosal changes found in coeliac disease. OBJECTIVES: To study plasma concentrations of GLP-2 in untreated patients with coeliac disease and determine the response to a gluten-free diet (GFD). METHODS: A 440 kcal gluten-free test meal was given to seven controls and 12 coeliac patients at three time intervals: (1) before commencing a GFD; (2) 3 months after a GFD; and (3) 9 months after a GFD. Serial blood sampling was performed over a 2-h period. Each sample was analysed using radioimmunoassay for GLP-2, GLP-1, N-terminal glucagon (N-glucagon) and C-terminal glucagon (C-glucagon). RESULTS: Untreated coeliac patients had significantly higher basal and peak GLP-2 and N-glucagon plasma concentrations compared with controls. After 3 months on a GFD, there was a significant decrease in basal GLP-2 plasma concentrations. There was no significant difference between GLP-1 or C-glucagon in untreated coeliac patients compared with controls. CONCLUSION: This is the first reported study of GLP-2 in coeliac disease. After a GFD there is recovery of the intestine and a reduction in the GLP-2 trophic response. Our findings support the theory that GLP-2 may be part of the mucosal healing and maintenance mechanisms in coeliac disease.     

Symptoms of depression and anxiety as unique predictors of pain-related outcomes following burn injury

Background: The adverse consequences of burn injuries include pain and psychological distress, which show bidirectional associations. However, much of the existing research has relied on global measures of distress that do not separate distinct symptoms of anxiety and depression.Purpose: The purpose is to assess the prospective effects of anxiety and depression on pain and functional outcomes following burn injury.Methods: This article describes a 2-year cohort study in patients hospitalized for serious burn injuries (assessments at discharge and 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year follow-up). Linear mixed effects analyses were conducted to model anxiety and depression’s unique longitudinal effects; at each time point, depressive and anxiety symptoms were studied as predictors of subsequent changes in pain, fatigue, and physical function.Results: When studied in separate prediction models, both depression and anxiety were strong prospective predictors of greater pain, more fatigue, and physical dysfunction at the subsequent time point (ps<.01). However, when both were included in a single model to study their unique effects, depressive symptoms (but not anxiety) emerged as a signfiicant predictor of subsequent increases in pain and reductions in physical functioning, whereas anxiety (but not depression) predicted subsequent elevations in fatigue.Conclusions: These findings suggest potentially distinct effects of depression and anxiety and imply that assessment and early treatment of both depressive and anxiety symptoms may help improve a broad range of long-term pain-related outcomes following burn inury. This work was supported by Burn Model Systems grants from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the U.S. Department of Education (to JAF at JHU; DL at CU; Loren Engrav, MD at UW; David Herndon, MD at ITMB; and Karen Kowalske, MD at UTSW) and by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grant AR 051315 (to RRE) and NIH grant NS02225 (to JAH).     

Nursing home use for clinical rotations: taking a second look

Because of the high acuity level of hospitalized clients and the rapid increase in aging populations, the placement of beginning fundamental students in a nursing home setting should be taken into more serious consideration. Thus, the purpose of the present paper was to describe the advantages and disadvantages of using nursing homes as clinical sites for baccalaureate of science in nursing education based on a comprehensive review of the literature. The main advantages are the wide spectrum of health needs, stable census, and regularly scheduled treatments in nursing homes. The main disadvantages are lack of adequate role models, lack of preparation and interest of the nursing faculty in working with the elderly, and potential for creating negative attitudes toward the elderly and their care.     

Preventing colorectal cancer

Knowledgeable patients should not die of colorectal cancer. Increasing the intake of dietary fiber, decreasing fat consumption, and increasing the use of modern technology to detect adenomatous polyps and early cancer can greatly decrease the mortality associated with colorectal cancer.     

Changes in epidermal growth factor receptor expression and response to ligand associated with acquired tamoxifen resistance or oestrogen independence in the ZR-75-1 human breast cancer cell line.

We have examined the expression of receptors for epidermal growth factor (EGFR) by the ZR-75-1 human breast cancer cell line and tamoxifen resistant (ZR-75-9al 8 microM) and oestrogen independent/tamoxifen sensitive (ZR-PR-LT) variants. The parent line expressed a single class of high affinity binding sites (4,340 +/- 460 receptors/cell; Kd 0.23 +/- 0.04 nM). ZR-75-9al 8 microM cells, routinely maintained in medium containing 8 microM tamoxifen, were negative for oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PGR) and expressed a markedly increased number of EGFR (14,723 +/- 2116 receptors/cell). Receptor affinity was unchanged. Time dependent reversal of the tamoxifen resistant phenotype was accompanied by a return to ER and PGR positivity and a fall in EGFR numbers to parent cell levels. In contrast ZR-PR-LT cells had a greatly reduced EGFR content (803 +/- 161 receptors/cell) accompanying elevated PGR numbers. Pre-treatment of these cells with suramin or mild acid stripping failed to expose receptors which may have been occupied by endogenously produced ligand. Increased proliferation of ZR-75-1 cells treated with EGFR (0.01-10 ng ml-1) was only observed in serum-free medium lacking insulin and oestradiol. Under these conditions untreated cells failed to proliferate. Both variant lines continued to proliferate in serum free medium in the absence or presence of insulin and oestradiol but failed to respond to exogenous EGF.     

Recommendations for constructing school nurses' offices designed to support school health services.

When attempting to locate guidelines for designing school nurses' offices, one finds there are minimal resources that address this need. In an effort to solve this concern, the authors were instrumental in writing an article for The Journal of School Nursing published in April 1997. The current article is an updated perspective that defines recommendations to be utilized in new construction or renovation of school nurses' offices. It encompasses information on square footage, design, utilization of space, location, and necessary equipment. Prototypes are provided that apply to elementary, middle school, and high school settings. The article outlines the importance of continued collaboration between the school nurse and key people involved in the planning and construction process, such as the school principal, administrators, and the district engineer.