Avian influenza risk perception, Europe and Asia

During autumn 2005, we conducted 3,436 interviews in European and Asian countries. We found risk perceptions of avian influenza to be at an intermediate level and beliefs of efficacy to be slightly lower. Risk perceptions were higher in Europe than in Asia; efficacy [corrected] beliefs were lower in Europe than in Asia.     

Semaphorin 3F, a chemorepulsant for endothelial cells, induces a poorly vascularized, encapsulated, nonmetastatic tumor phenotype

Melanoma is the most lethal skin cancer. Most deaths from melanoma result from metastases. Semaphorins have been shown to inhibit neuronal and endothelial cell migration, but the effects of semaphorins on tumor metastasis have not been documented. We found that semaphorin 3F (SEMA3F) was markedly downregulated in highly metastatic human cell lines in vitro and in vivo, which suggested that it may be a metastasis inhibitor. Metastatic human melanoma cells were transfected with SEMA3F and implanted into mice; the resultant tumors did not metastasize. Rather, the primary tumors resembled benign nevi characterized by large areas of apoptosis, diminished vascularity, inhibition of hyperplasia in overlying epidermal cells, and encapsulated tumor borders delineated by thick layers of fibroblasts and collagen matrix. This phenotype is in stark contrast to highly invasive, vascular mock-transfected tumors. In vitro, tumor cells expressing SEMA3F had a diminished capacity to adhere and migrate on fibronectin. Consistent with semaphorin-mediated chemorepulsion of neurons, tumor cells expressing SEMA3F were chemorepulsive for vascular and lymphatic endothelial cells expressing neuropilin-2 (NRP2), a novel mechanism for a tumor angiogenesis inhibitor. The repulsive activity was abrogated by NRP2 RNA interference. Together these results indicate that SEMA3F is a potent metastasis inhibitor that targets both tumor and stromal cells and raise the possibility of SEMA3F having therapeutic potential.     

Self-reported health in urban–rural continuum: a grid-based analysis of Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966

Objectives

To evaluate the association of self-reported health with residential area type defined by the population density in individual??s local environment using a population-based cohort in Finland.

Methods

Young adults of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (4,201 women and 3,835 men), surveyed by a postal questionnaire in 1997, were linked to population density of their resident grid (1?km²) depicting different types of residential areas. Self-reported health was regressed on residential area type using ordinal logistic analysis, adjusting for psychosocial well-being, social relationships, health behaviour, education and residence time.

Results

Cumulative odds ratios (COR) for poor health were lowest in high-rise centres, highest in scattered settlement areas and second highest in transitional zones. Adjustments (especially for education and time of residence) reduced the CORs to insignificance except the persistently high COR for women in scattered settlement areas.

Conclusion

Poor self-reported health is associated with individual??s residential area type, with the lowest occurrence in high-rise centres and higher elsewhere. The difference is likely explained, at least partly, by a complex of psychosocial factors, possibly different for women and men.     

Radiographic progression is getting milder in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. Results of 3 cohorts over 5 years

OBJECTIVE: There is a common impression, rarely documented, that the outlook of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is different today compared to previous decades. We investigated the 5-year radiographic progression of 3 cohorts of patients with early RA enrolled in the 1980s and 1990s. METHODS: Patients with early RA were enrolled into 3 separate studies in 1983-85 (n = 58; Cohort A), 1988-89 (n = 77; Cohort B), and 1995-96 (n = 62; Cohort C) at one rheumatology center; all were subsequently treated actively with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs according to the "sawtooth strategy" to control inflammation, and monitored regularly to collect data for evaluation of longterm outcome. Evaluation over 5 years included disease activity measures and medications. Radiographs of hands and feet taken at baseline and at 2 and 5 years were analyzed by Larsen score (0-100). RESULTS: Larsen score increased by a median of 12, 6, and 4 points by Year 5 in cohorts A, B, and C, respectively (p = 0.001), adjusted for age, sex, rheumatoid factor (+/-), and the baseline values for Larsen score and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. RF positivity and persistent high disease activity over 5 years were associated with greater progression of radiographic damage. CONCLUSION: Radiographic progression was greatest in the earliest cohort and mildest in the most recent cohort, a phenomenon that was also seen in the literature review. The reasons for the observation may include (1) improved therapy, (2) milder disease, and (3) patient selection.     

Promoting participation of informal caregivers in the hospital care of the elderly patient: informal caregivers' perceptions

A study to identify informal caregivers' perceptions of factors promoting or inhibiting their participation in the care of elderly patients was conducted An open-ended questionnaire was completed by 369 informal caregivers during 2-month periods in late 1991,1992 and 1993 Several factors related to the patient, informal caregiver, nurse and environment were identified The findings and implications for nursing are discussed The data presented here are from a larger study which is reported in earlier issues of the Journal of Advanced Nursing     

Quality of brain perfusion single-photon emission tomography images: multicentre evaluation using an anatomically accurate three-dimensional phantom

The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of routine brain perfusion single-photon emission tomography (SPET) images in Finnish nuclear medicine laboratories. Twelve laboratories participated in the study. A three-dimensional high resolution brain phantom (Data Spectrum’s 3D Hoffman Brain Phantom) was filled with a well-mixed solution of technetium-99m (110 MBq), water and detergent. Acquisition, reconstruction and printing were performed according to the clinical routine in each centre. Three nuclear medicine specialists blindly evaluated all image sets. The results were ranked from 1 to 5 (poor quality–high quality). Also a SPET performance phantom (Nuclear Associates’ PET/SPECT Performance Phantom PS 101) was filled with the same radioactivity concentration as the brain phantom. The parameters for the acquisition, the reconstruction and the printing were exactly the same as with the brain phantom. The number of detected ”hot” (from 0 to 8) and ”cold” lesions (from 0 to 7) was visually evaluated from hard copies. Resolution and contrast were quantified from digital images. Average score for brain phantom images was 2.7±0.8 (range 1.5–4.5). The average diameter of the ”hot” cylinders detected was 16 mm (range 9.2–20.0 mm) and that of the ”cold” cylinders detected, 11 mm (5.9–14.3 mm) according to visual evaluation. Quantification of digital images showed that the hard copy was one reason for low-quality images. The quality of the hard copies was good only in four laboratories and was amazingly low in the others when comparing it with the actual structure of the brain phantom. The described quantification method is suitable for optimizing resolution and contrast detectability of hard copies. This study revealed the urgent need for external quality assurance of clinical brain perfusion SPET images. Received 2 February and in revised form 31 May 1998     

Immunochemical detection of human liver cytochrome P450 forms related to phenobarbital-inducible forms in the mouse

Polyclonal antibodies generated to four distinct mouse liver phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P450 isoforms were used to analyse related forms in human liver. N-terminal sequence analysis and biochemical properties of the P450s used as antigens suggest that they belong to P450 subfamilies IIB (P450PBI), IA (P450PBII), IIC (P450PBIII) and IIA (P450Coh). In immunoblot analysis, anti-P450PBII detected a single protein presumed to be P450IA2 in all the human livers tested. No proteins corresponding with P450IA1 could be detected. Anti-PBIII and anti-P450Coh antibodies each detected one band (54 and 48 kDa, respectively) in the liver samples. No bands were revealed by anti-P450PBI antibody. Protein dot-immunobinding analysis showed that P450s immunodetectable by anti-P450PBII, anti-P450PBIII and anti-P450Coh antibodies are expressed in human liver (range 9 to 69 pmol P450/mg protein). In immunoinhibition experiments the activity of 7-ethoxyresorutin O-deethylase (EROD) was blocked up to 90% by the anti-P450PBII antibody. Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) was inhibited only by anti-P450PBIII, and coumarin 7-hydroxylase (COH) only by anti-P450Coh antibody. Testosterone hydroxylations in positions 6 beta, 7 alpha, 15 alpha and 16 alpha were not affected significantly by any of the antibodies. These data suggest that the human liver P450IA2 is responsible for most of the elevated EROD activity, P450s in the IIC subfamily for constitutive AHH and P450s in the IIA subfamily for all of COH activity.     

Humour in nursing care

Humour is an integral part of everyday life and therefore also a component of the care and treatment of patients in the modern health care system This paper looks at the role of humour in practical nursing in the light of earlier research literature on the subject It also describes some preliminary results of our studies on the meaning of humour to professional nurses We opted to use a qualitative approach in this study because the focus of interest was on an issue that has received only little attention in earlier research Nurses were presented with a set of unstructured, open-ended questions requiring short, essay-type answers The data obtained were analysed using the qualitative method of content analysis In the light of our findings here, humour can be described as a joie de vivre which is manifested in human interaction in the form of fun, jocularity and laughter Humour is a meaningful factor, both with regard to the patient's well-being and to coping, and also with regard to the interaction of nurse and patient Humour also allows for more job satisfaction and better motivation Research should be continued and intensified into the role and use of humour in everyday life and particularly in nursing care