Correlates of depressive symptoms among Latino and Non-Latino White adolescents: Findings from the 2003 California Health Interview Survey

Background  

The prevalence of depression is increasing not only among adults, but also among adolescents. Several risk factors for depression in youth have been identified, including female gender, increasing age, lower socio-economic status, and Latino ethnic background. The literature is divided regarding the role of acculturation as risk factor among Latino youth. We analyzed the correlates of depressive symptoms among Latino and Non-Latino White adolescents residing in California with a special focus on acculturation.     

Psychiatric disorders in the first-degree relatives of probands with bulimia nervosa

Data from a family study of psychiatric disorders showed higher rates of major affective disorders, eating disorders, and alcoholism in first-degree relatives of 40 bulimic probands than in first-degree relatives of 24 control subjects. More importantly, the data showed higher rates of major affective disorders in relatives of bulimic probands who themselves had no history of major affective disorders than in relatives of control subjects. This significant finding indicates a familial relationship between bulimia nervosa and major affective disorders, which suggests the possibility of a common diathesis.     

Insults to the body civil: Mistreatment of elderly in two Plains Indian tribes

The mistreatment of elderly is subject to various social constructions. On two geographically distinct Plains Indian Reservations which we call Lone Mountain and Abundant Lands, the abuse or neglect of elderly is construed as a health problem which is a dysfunction of the community as a whole. Both physical abuse and neglect are more common on the Lone Mountain Reservation, occurring in association with other indicators of community disorganization such as unemployment and substance abuse. On the Abundant Lands Reservation physical abuse was categorically denied and what neglect existed appeared to be a function of role strain, geographic dispersal, climate and terrain. We attribute differences in the prevalence of mistreatment of elders to variations in economic opportunities for younger residents. Examining the historical and present contexts of intergenerational relationships on the reservations, we discuss the implications of this study for social exchange theory and policy applications.This research was supported by the Gerontological Society of America AppliedThis research was supported by the Gerontological Society of America AppliedThis research was supported by the Gerontological Society of America AppliedThis research was supported by the Gerontological Society of America AppliedThis research was supported by the Gerontological Society of America AppliedThis research was supported by the Gerontological Society of America Applied     

PaO2 increases with coughing in patients with chronic lung disease

We considered if the cyanosis frequently observed during a cough attack in patients with chronic lung disease was due to worsening hypoxemia. To investigate the effects of cough on PaO2, we measured arterial blood gases before and after a voluntary coughing period of 45 sec, in 11 patients with Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) and 14 patients with Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (COPD). All patients significantly increased (p less than 0.05) their PaO2 (COPD: from 49 +/- 2 to 60 +/- 2 mmHg; ILD from 44 +/- 2 to 51 +/- 3 mmHg, mean +/- SD) and decreased their PaCO2. We conclude that stable patients with COPD and ILD increase their PaO2 with coughing most likely due to hyperventilation. The cyanosis observed could be due to peripheral circulatory effects of coughing.     

Natural history of experimental pulmonary atelectasis in dogs with closed chest

In order to establish an animal model of pulmonary vasoconstriction we followed the time course of intrapulmonary shunt (Qs/Qt) in a canine model of lobar atelectasis with closed chest. Ten mongrel dogs were studied. Bronchial occlusion of the right lower lobe (RLL) was performed by inflating the balloon of a Foley catheter placed through a rigid bronchoscopy. Analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis. (15 minutes) After occlusion Qs/Qt reached its maximum increasing from 8.2 +/- 3.6 to 29.7 +/- 11.7% (p less than 0.05) and PaO2 decreased from 357 +/- 49 to 100 +/- 43 mm Hg (p less than 0.05). Afterwards, there was a progressive decline of Qs/QT accompanied by an also progressive increase in PaO2. At the end of the experiment (3 hrs post atelectasis) Qs/Qt was 11.2 +/- 4.9 and PaO2 251 +/- 124 mm Hg (p less than 0.05). Pulmonary vascular resistance increased post atelectasis from 439 +/- 168 to 598 +/- 256 d.s.cm-5 (p less than 0.05). Complete atelectasis of the RLL was confirmed postmortem. As the changes in Qs/Qt and PaO2 did not parallel the change in cardiac output we conclude that the mechanism of decrease in Qs/Qt was hypoxic vasoconstriction.     

Phenotypic properties of catecholamine-positive cells that differentiate in avian neural crest cultures

We have investigated several phenotypic features of the catecholamine-positive (CA+) cell population that develops in quail neural crest cultures. The number, spatial distribution, and morphology of CA+ and tyrosine hydroxylase-positive (TH+) cells are similar at all ages examined, suggesting that these 2 cell classes are identical. Neither CA+ nor TH+ cell bodies or processes were stained using antisera that recognize the 70 or 160 kDa subunits of chicken neurofilament protein. Other cell bodies and fibers in the cultures (which were CA- and TH-) were stained with these neurofilament antisera. The uptake and storage of 3H-norepinephrine by neural crest cultures containing CA+ cells were inhibited in the presence of desmethylimipramine and by incubation at 0 degrees C, but were unaffected by normetanephrine. Overnight treatment with reserpine eliminated histochemically detectable CA fluorescence from the cultures. Chronic reserpine treatment from day 2 to 7 in vitro prevented the appearance of CA+ cells, while normal numbers of TH+ and somatostatin-like immunoreactive (SLI) cells developed. The number and light-microscopic morphology of the CA+ cells that developed in these cultures were not dramatically altered by either exogenous NGF or 6-hydroxydopamine. Using the method of Grillo et al. (1974), we have demonstrated that the CA+ cells observed in the light microscope corresponded to cells containing abundant cytoplasmic granular vesicles (GV) characteristic of catecholamine storage granules observed in other systems. The GV diameters were quite similar in cells examined after 5, 7, 14, and 21 d in vitro. Most GV were 50-200 nm in diameter and were distributed in a unimodal manner, with the observed modal values in the range of 85-115 nm at the ages examined. The number of GV/micron2 of cytoplasmic area remained quite constant at all ages examined. These data, taken together with other available information, suggest that the CA+ cells that differentiate in our neural crest cultures resemble, in many respects, the small, intensely fluorescent cells found in autonomic ganglia and extra-adrenal chromaffin tissue of many species. At present, we do not know if the CA+ cells that differentiate in our neural crest cultures are a stable endpoint of development or whether they are a developmental intermediate in adrenergic differentiation that is normally observed only transiently during the development of avian sympathetic ganglia in vivo, but that can persist under our tissue culture conditions.