Nursing students' personal experiences involving alcohol problems

This article discusses the views and beliefs of nursing students toward people who abuse alcohol. An original study published in a separate article [Archives of Psychiatric Nursing , (2003); (4) 17 : 156-164.] examined this relationship with both a quantitative and a qualitative design. Three open-ended questions allowed for further qualitative exploration about relationships with others who have alcohol problems and beliefs about recovery. The chronic nature of alcoholism was clearly identified by students who described it as a lifelong process. Most students (79%) expressed belief that recovery was possible whether they had personal experience with people who have alcohol problems or not. The level of optimism was surprisingly high in this sample of nursing students, especially because many had had a personal experience with someone who abused alcohol. Students come to the educational setting with a clear and accurate view of the lifelong commitment that may be needed to recover from alcohol addiction, but they also come with an overly optimistic view of recovery. How this optimism impacts future care is unknown. If nursing students hold an unrealistically positive view of recovery, they may be ill prepared to handle the disappointments associated with treatment such as relapse, interpersonal conflict, health deterioration, or other related sequelae.     

Medication use and control of urination among community-dwelling older adults

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the use of medications with urological activity (UA) is associated with self-reported difficulty in control of urination. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study using data from the Duke Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly. RESULTS: Difficulty holding urine was reported by 49.5% of men and 54.0% of the women. Overall, 50.9% of men and 72.7% of the women took one or more medications with UA. Multivariable logistic regression for men revealed that neither use of any medication with UA (Adjusted [Adj.] Odds Ratio [OR] 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84-1.50) nor the number of medications with UA used was associated with urinary difficulties (Adj. OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.97-1.21). For women, there was a significant association (p < .05) between use of any medication with UA and reported urinary difficulty (Adj. OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.05-1.62). DISCUSSION: Medications with UA may be related to difficulty in controlling urine among community-dwelling elderly women.     

The causes of homelessness in later life: findings from a 3-nation study

OBJECTIVE: This article presents findings from a study of the causes of homelessness among newly homeless older people in selected urban areas of the United States, England, and Australia. METHODS: Interviews were conducted in each country with > or =122 older people who had become homeless during the last 2 years. Information was also collected from the subjects' key workers about the circumstances and problems that contributed to homelessness. RESULT: Two-thirds of the subjects had never been homeless before. Antecedent causes were the accommodation was sold or needed repair, rent arrears, death of a close relative, relationship breakdown, and disputes with other tenants and neighbors. Contributory factors were physical and mental health problems, alcohol abuse, and gambling problems. DISCUSSION: Most subjects became homeless through a combination of personal problems and incapacities, welfare policy gaps, and service delivery deficiencies. Whereas there are nation-specific variations, across the three countries, the principal causes and their interactions are similar.     

Expression of cochlin in the vestibular organ of rats

The COCH gene mutated in autosomal dominant sensorineural deafness (DFNA9) encodes cochlin, a major constituent of the inner ear extracellular matrix. Cochlin constitutes 70% of the inner ear protein and cochlin isoforms can be classified into three subgroups, p63s, p44s and p40s. Symptoms of some DFNA9 patients are consistent with those of Ménière's disease. Here, we report the expression of cochlin in the vestibular organ of rats using isoform-specific antibodies that recognize all three isoforms. Cochlin is highly expressed in the stromata of the maculae of otolithic organs and cristae of semicircular canals, and in the channels in the bony labyrinth that transmit the dendritic innervation to the cristae and maculae. Cochlin cannot be detected in the sensory cells, dark cells, nor in the acellular structures, otolithic membrane or in the cupula. These findings support the theory that deposition of acidophilic substance in the inner ear caused by mutation of cochlin can induce a secondary retrograde dendritic degeneration of the vestibular nerves.     

The Breast Cancer Family Registry: an infrastructure for cooperative multinational, interdisciplinary and translational studies of the genetic epidemiology of breast cancer

Introduction

The etiology of familial breast cancer is complex and involves genetic and environmental factors such as hormonal and lifestyle factors. Understanding familial aggregation is a key to understanding the causes of breast cancer and to facilitating the development of effective prevention and therapy. To address urgent research questions and to expedite the translation of research results to the clinical setting, the National Cancer Institute (USA) supported in 1995 the establishment of a novel research infrastructure, the Breast Cancer Family Registry, a collaboration of six academic and research institutions and their medical affiliates in the USA, Canada, and Australia.

Methods

The sites have developed core family history and epidemiology questionnaires, data dictionaries, and common protocols for biospecimen collection and processing and pathology review. An Informatics Center has been established to collate, manage, and distribute core data.

Results

As of September 2003, 9116 population-based and 2834 clinic-based families have been enrolled, including 2346 families from minority populations. Epidemiology questionnaire data are available for 6779 affected probands (with a personal history of breast cancer), 4116 unaffected probands, and 16,526 relatives with or without a personal history of breast or ovarian cancer. The biospecimen repository contains blood or mouthwash samples for 6316 affected probands, 2966 unaffected probands, and 10,763 relatives, and tumor tissue samples for 4293 individuals.

Conclusion

This resource is available to internal and external researchers for collaborative, interdisciplinary, and translational studies of the genetic epidemiology of breast cancer. Detailed information can be found at the URL http://www.cfr.epi.uci.edu/.     

Papilloma and polyoma DNA tumor virus sequences in female genital tumors

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) and BKV, JCV, and SV40 polyomaviruses (PYVs) are oncogenic viruses associated with different human tumors. Our aim was to determine if PYV and HPV sequences could be detected in human genital tumors. HPV types 6b, 11, 16, and 18 and PYV were investigated in 22 genital tumor samples and the corresponding adjacent normal tissues, by PCR and filter hybridization. HPV and PYV sequences were also searched in six sperm fluid and four peripheral blood cell (PBC) samples. HPV-16 sequences were revealed in 7 of 14 cervical tumors and 1 of 1 vaginal adenocarcinoma, whereas 1 of 14 cervical carcinoma tested positive for HPV-18. Interestingly, each normal cervical tissue surrounding the neoplasm obtained from the same patient was positive for HPV type-16 and -18 with the same prevalence detected in tumors. BKV sequences were found in 9 of 14 cervical tumors, 1 of 7 vulvar tumors, and 1 of 1 adenocarcinoma, but also in normal tissues from cervix (13 of 14), vulva (6 of 7), sperm fluid (5 of 6) and PBC (3 of 4) samples. SV40 sequences were detected in 1 of 14 normal cervical tissue, 2 of 6 sperm fluids and 1 of 4 PBCs. None of the samples were JCV positive. To our knowledge, this is the first investigation reporting on the simultaneous association of both HPV and PYV with human genital tumors. These results suggest that PYV, together with HPV, may be involved as a cofactor in the onset/progression of human genital tumors, and raise the possibility that PYV act synergistically with HPV to enhance their pathogenicity in vivo. In addition, HPV and PYV may complement each other in infecting human genital tissues.     

Background concentrations of dioxins, furans, and PCBs in Sprague-Dawley rats and juvenile swine

In preparation for a study of the relative oral bioavailability of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in soils (typically containing less than 1 ppb 2,3,7,8-tetrachlo-rodibenzo-p-dioxin [TCDD] toxic equivalents [TEQ]), the background concentrations of PCDD/Fs and selected polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in liver and adipose tissue from female Sprague-Dawley rats and juvenile swine after 30 d of ingesting laboratory chow. The measured concentrations of TCDD and other PCDD/Fs in rat livers were severalfold less than previously reported in the literature for control (unexposed) laboratory rodents. The concentrations of PCDD/Fs and selected PCBs in livers of swine were three- to fourfold lower than those reported for rats. The lower concentrations found in this study compared to previous findings may be due to inadvertent laboratory contamination in previous studies or to declining levels of PCDD/Fs in laboratory feed, which parallel the declines in emissions, general environmental levels, and human food and tissue levels of PCDD/Fs.