The Structure of Maladaptive Schemas: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis and a Psychometric Evaluation of Factor-Derived Scales

One thousand and thirty-seven psychiatric patients and non-patients from six different sites completed the 205-item Young Schema Questionnaire or its shortended form, the 75-item Young Schema Questionnaire-S. Among 888 of the subjects, who all were patients, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the 75 items included in both forms of the questionnaire clearly yielded the 15 Early Maladaptive Schema (EMS) factors rationally developed by J. E. Young (1990). Confirmatory factor analyses, testing three models of the higher-order structure of the 15 EMSs, indicated that a four-factor model was the best alternative. The results slightly favored a correlated four second-order factor model over one also including a third-order global factor. The four factors or schema domains were Disconnection, Impaired Autonomy, Exaggerated Standards, and Impaired Limits. Scales derived from the four higher-order factors had good internal and test–retest reliabilities and were related to DSM-IV Cluster C personality traits, agoraphobic avoidance behavior, and depressive symptoms.     

The distribution and associations of blood pressure in an adolescent population.

In this report we describe the distributions of blood pressure and its associations in adolescence. Six hundred and twenty-five subjects aged 13 to 18 were drawn from three general practices in different urban and rural settings. Systolic pressures were higher and rose with age in boys (mean = 119 mm Hg) compared with girls (mean = 114 mm Hg), who showed no age association. Diastolic pressures (phase 5) were higher in girls (mean = 64 mm Hg) than in boys (mean = 60 mm Hg) and showed no association with age in either sex. Initial blood pressures were generally higher than those recorded after a further five minutes' rest in the sitting position, although diastolic pressures rose on the second reading in the older subjects. Systolic pressures of subjects from the suburban practice and in the late autumn were relatively low; diastolic pressures tended to be lower in the spring and in subjects from the rural practice. Systolic pressures were lower in the morning and this was found to be primarily related to fasting status. Individuals with a positive family history of hypertension had significantly higher blood pressures than those with a negative history. Boys who frequently played sports had lower diastolic pressures, largely accounting for the above sex difference. We conclude that although blood pressure measurement in adolescence is a difficult screening procedure it should be offered to selected groups such as those with a family history of hypertension.     

Leisure time physical activity and mortality in Hong Kong: case-control study of all adult deaths in 1998

PURPOSE: Physical activity is associated with longevity; however, whether these beneficial effects extend to Chinese populations is unclear. We examined the relationship between leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and mortality in Hong Kong. METHODS: Using a case-control study, past (10 years prior) levels of LTPA were ascertained via proxy informants for 24,079 dead cases (81% of all registered deaths) and 13,054 live controls aged #10878;35 years and were analyzed by unmatched logistic regression to determine their association with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. RESULTS: Compared with an exercise frequency of <1 episode per month, > or = 1 episode of LTPA per month was inversely associated with all-cause mortality [multivariable odds ratio (OR)=0.63, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.59, 0.68 for males; OR=0.75, 95% CI, 0.70, 0.80 for females; adjusted for age, education, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and physical demand at work]. Each activity level above the reference level of <1 episode per month (i.e., 1 episode per month to 1-3 episodes per week, > or = 4 episodes per week) had approximately the same level of risk reduction and no dose-response gradient was observed. The inverse association was stronger for cardiovascular than cancer deaths, particularly in males and was strongest for respiratory mortality. One-fifth of all 31,349 registered deaths in those aged 35 years and over in Hong Kong in 1998 were attributable to physical inactivity. CONCLUSION: The present data confirm and extend previous findings in Caucasian populations on the association between leisure time physical activity and longevity. The population attributable risk from physical inactivity exceeds that due to tobacco smoking in this Hong Kong Chinese population. We predict mainland China will witness a similarly large mortality burden as it undergoes further socioeconomic development in the next few decades.     

SARS-CoV antibody prevalence in all Hong Kong patient contacts

A total of 1,068 asymptomatic close contacts of patients with severe acute respiratory (SARS) from the 2003 epidemic in Hong Kong were serologically tested, and 2 (0.19%) were positive for SARS coronavirus immunoglobulin G antibody. SARS rarely manifests as a subclinical infection, and at present, wild animal species are the only important natural reservoirs of the virus.     

Men can cook! Development, implementation, and evaluation of a senior men's cooking group

This study reports on the process and outcome evaluation of a community-based nutrition and cooking education program for senior men. As part of Evergreen Action Nutrition, a community-organized, nutrition education program, a registered dietitian led a Men's Cooking Group in a seniors' recreation facility. Written questionnaires were completed by most of the men (n = 19) at the beginning and end of the evaluation year, and ten men participated in personal key informant interviews. The majority of participants gained cooking confidence, increased their cooking activities at home, developed healthy cooking skills, and improved cooking variety through the program. The men also identified social benefits to the program. Overall, this preliminary evaluation suggests that community-based nutrition and cooking education for older men is a beneficial nutrition education activity.     

Immunotherapy of human cervical high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia with microparticle-delivered human papillomavirus 16 E7 plasmid DNA

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of the administration of a bacterial expression plasmid encoding a 13 amino acid sequence that is highly homologous with human papillomavirus E7 within poly (lactide-co-glycolide) microparticles (ZYC101) in women with HLA A2+ antigen and persistent cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3 and human papillomavirus 16. STUDY DESIGN: Fifteen women entered an institutional review board-approved dose-escalating phase I study with the use of three levels of blood monitoring and urine studies, Papanicolaou tests, and colposcopy. Escalation required no serious adverse events. Immunologic responses were evaluated in peripheral blood with the use of human papillomavirus peptide-stimulated interferon gamma enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for T-cell reactivity. In cervical secretions, immunoglobulin A anti-human papillomavirus 16 E2 concentrations were measured. Three doses every 3 weeks were followed 4 weeks later by surgical excision. RESULTS: No serious adverse events occurred. Five women had complete histologic responses; 11 women had human papillomavirus-specific T-cell responses. Four of five complete histologic responses developed immunoglobulin A anti-E2-specific antibody. CONCLUSION: ZYC101 warrants further investigation because of a 33% complete histologic responses, a 73% immunologic response, and no serious adverse events.     

Effects of the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor OSI-774, Tarceva,on downstream signaling pathways and apoptosis in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in North America. Gemcitabine improves the quality of life of patients but fails to significantly reduce mortality. Our laboratory has demonstrated previously that the phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase inhibitor wortmannin promotes gemcitabine antitumor activity (S. S. W. Ng et al., Clin. Cancer Res., 7: 3269-3275, 2001). The present study examined the effects of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor OSI-774 ("Tarceva") alone and in combination with wortmannin and/or gemcitabine on downstream signaling molecules, as well as apoptosis in primary pancreatic cancer xenografts implanted orthotopically in severely combined immunodeficient mice. Tumors established from two pancreatic cancer patients [Ontario Cancer Institute Pancreas number (OCIP#) 2 and OCIP#7] were treated with various combinations of the above three drugs and harvested for analyses of the following: the levels of phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated forms of EGFR, protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) and extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), and the extent of apoptosis using immunofluorescence image analysis and TUNEL assay, respectively. OSI-774 alone significantly inhibited phosphorylation of EGFR in both of the primary xenografts. Phosphorylation of pERK decreased in OCIP#2, but not in OCIP#7. No significant effects on pPKB because of OSI-774 were observed in either tumor type. The extent of apoptosis was significantly increased by 2-fold in OCIP#2 tumors treated with gemcitabine and wortmannin in combination; an additional 2-fold increase in apoptosis was evident in the presence of OSI-774. Although wortmannin failed to enhance gemcitabine-induced apoptosis in OCIP#7 tumors, the extent of apoptosis was significantly increased with the inclusion of OSI-774 in the combination. Taken together, these findings support the use of OSI-774 plus a phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase inhibitor in combination with gemcitabine in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.