Guinea-pig peritoneal macrophage receptor for IgG--II. Purification of the receptor and its partial characterization

The Fc gamma receptor of guinea-pig peritoneal macrophages was purified by affinity chromatography by using rabbit IgG or guinea-pig IgG2 coupled to Sepharose. Lysates prepared by treatment of 125I-labeled macrophages with NP-40 were first applied to BSA-Sepharose and then to IgG-Sepharose and eluted with 0.5 M acetic acid containing 1% NP-40. The specific binding was determined by interaction of the 125I-labeled receptor with IgG-Sepharose in the presence and absence of soluble IgG. The specific binding of the purified receptor was 42-82%. Interactions of the purified receptor with IgG-Sepharose were equally well inhibited by soluble rabbit IgG or guinea-pig IgG2, but not by F(ab')2 fragments. Inclusion of NP-40 in the buffer used in the assay reduced nonspecific binding of the receptor to the affinity gels. The purified receptor can be stored for 20 days at 4 degrees C without a significant loss of the specific binding activity. Analysis of the receptor by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, under nonreducing and reducing conditions, revealed two major peaks of radioactivity corresponding to mol. wts of about 50,000 and 25,000, and one very minor peak corresponding to a mol. wt of about 30,000. The results obtained suggest that the protein of the second major peak is a product of the dissociation of the protein of the first major peak rather than a product of its reduction by 2-mercaptoethanol.     

父母教养方式：EMBU的初步修订及其在神经症患者的应用

本文选取390名正常人为被试,对父母教养方式调查问卷 EMBU (Egna Minnen avBarndosnauppforstran) 通过主因素分析,项目分析进行了初步修订。修订后的问卷涉及父亲58个条目。母亲57个条目,并各自由六个和五个分量表组成。并对66名神经症患者和66名正常人进行了效度的实证考查。     

Hypertension risk factors and cardiovascular reactivity to mental stress in young men

Hypertension risk may be associated with increased pressor response to mental stress. However, studies using family history as a predictor of reactivity have obtained mixed results. We assessed cardiovascular responses to mental arithmetic stress (a 5-min serial subtraction task) in male medical students (n = 220) at three levels of hypertension risk based on parental history and the subject's systolic blood pressure (SBP): low (SBP < 125 mm Hg and 0 or 1 hypertensive parent), moderate (resting SBP ≥ 125 mm Hg or 2 hypertensive parents), or high (resting SBP ≥ 125 mm Hg and 1 or 2 hypertensive parents). High risk men showed the greatest blood pressure responses ( + 22/ + 16 mm Hg), while moderate and low-risk groups showed correspondingly smaller responses ( + 17/ + 13 and + 14/ + 11 mm Hg, p's < 0.02). Family history alone did not predict differential reactivity. This study replicates and extends our previous work suggesting the importance of using both family history and resting blood pressure level in determining future risk for hypertension in studies of cardiovascular reactivity in relation to hypertension risk in males.     

Prolactin levels in paternal striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) fathers

Paternal behavior is associated with an increase in prolactin levels in fish, birds and mammals, including rodents. The striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) from southern Africa shows highly developed paternal care. We investigated whether striped mouse fathers have higher prolactin levels than nonfathers, and whether there is a relationship between tactile stimulation with pups and prolactin secretion in fathers. We measured serum prolactin in 42 male striped mice assigned to one of four different experimental groups (single males, paired males, fathers housed with mother and pups, and fathers separated from their family by a wire-mesh partition). Our results revealed no increases in prolactin levels in fathers, and fathers with tactile contact with pups did not have higher prolactin levels than the fathers that were prevented from making tactile contact with pups. In contrast, experienced males had higher prolactin levels than inexperienced males. Male striped mice are polygynous in nature, living in groups, with three breeding females, and are permanently associated with pups during the breeding season. In a field study, males had higher prolactin levels during the breeding season than during the nonbreeding season. Thus, prolactin secretion in the polygynous striped mouse might be regulated by environmental stimuli, whereas social stimuli might be important for monogamous species. This is the first study to demonstrate seasonal changes in prolactin levels in a free-living male mammal.     

Kinetics of methotrexate binding to dihydrofolate reductase from Neisseria gonorrhoeae

The kinetics of methotrexate inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase from Neisseria gonorrhoeae have been investigated. Methotrexate was shown to be a tight-binding inhibitor (Kt = 13 pM) competitive with dihydrofolate. However, "stoichiometric" or "pseudoirreversible" inhibition could not be demonstrated. Progress curves of inhibited assays quickly attained steady state regardless of the order of substrate addition, indicating that methotrexate association and dissociation processes were rapid. Kinetic techniques were used to measure the rate of methotrexate dissociation from the enzyme-NADPH-methotrexate ternary complex. At 30 degrees, the first-order off-rate constant (koff) was calculated to be 0.56 min-1. This value is approximately 40-fold greater than the dissociation rate constant of methotrexate for Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase. At lower temperatures, progress curves of methotrexate-inhibited gonococcal enzyme assays displayed marked increases in both curvature and the time to reach steady state. At 9 degrees, the methotrexate dissociation rate was slow enough (koff = 0.04 min-1) so that initial velocities of the reaction could be measured, and under these conditions methotrexate inhibition was shown to be "stoichiometric".     

Development and Validation of the Sexual and Reproductive Empowerment Scale for Adolescents and Young Adults

PurposeWe developed and validated a measure that assesses the latent construct of sexual and reproductive empowerment among adolescents and young adults. A specific measure for this group is critical because of their unique life stage and circumstances, which often includes frequent changes in sexual partners and involvement from parents in decision-making.MethodsAfter formative qualitative research, a review of the literature, and cognitive interviews, we developed 95 items representing nine dimensions of sexual and reproductive empowerment. Items were then fielded among a national sample of young people aged 15–24 years, and those who identified as sexually active completed a 3-month follow-up survey. We conducted psychometric analysis and scale validation.ResultsExploratory factor analysis on responses from 1,117 participants resulted in the Sexual and Reproductive Empowerment Scale for Adolescents and Young Adults, containing 23 items captured by seven subscales: comfort talking with partner; choice of partners, marriage, and children; parental support; sexual safety; self-love; sense of future; and sexual pleasure. Validation using logistic regression demonstrated that the subscales were consistently associated with sexual and reproductive health information and access to sexual and reproductive health services measured at baseline and moderately associated with the use of desired contraceptive methods at 3-month follow-up.ConclusionsThe Sexual and Reproductive Empowerment Scale for Adolescents and Young Adults is a new measure that assesses young people’s empowerment regarding sexual and reproductive health. It can be used by researchers, public health practitioners, and clinicians to measure sexual and reproductive empowerment among young people.     

Parental experiences of adopting healthy lifestyles for children with disabilities living with overweight and obesity

BackgroundChildren with disabilities present with high obesity rates.ObjectiveThis study explored the parental experience of adopting healthy lifestyle choices, for children with disabilities, who received dietetic weight management advice.MethodsSemi-structured qualitative interviews were carried out with eight parents/carers in their own homes or healthcare setting in an inner London locality, or by telephone. Data was analyzed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach.ResultsFive superordinate themes emerged: 1. Strategies to promote healthy lifestyles: encouraging physical activity, limiting access to food and taking a gradual approach to making lifestyle changes. 2. Challenges to adopting healthy lifestyles: selective eating patterns, the high cost of healthy foods and parental/carer lack of time. 3. The role of healthcare professionals (HCPs): revealed that not all parents/carers received advice or support, prior to dietetic referral, when managing their child's weight. Feeling reassured by HCPs was valued. Parents/carers reported a positive experience of seeing the dietitian, as they appreciated receiving practical and individualized advice. 4. Support needs: family support and support from families with children with disabilities was explored. 5. Parent/carer wellbeing: such as stress was found to have a detrimental impact on parents making healthy lifestyle changes.ConclusionsAdopting a healthy lifestyle involved a variety of strategies and challenges, some of which are specific to this population group and should be considered by HCPs, when having weight-related discussions and offering advice. Parental/carer support needs and wellbeing should also be taken into consideration when planning weight management services for this population group.     

龙岩市蚊类调查报告

本文报道了1980—2000年闽西地区蚊类调查情况,调查表明;我市蚊为9属36种,未发现微小按蚊及嗜人按蚊,蚊虫全年均有活动,活动高峰为5—10月。人房蚊种主要为中华按蚊、致倦库蚊及三带喙库蚊,夜间活动高峰为21:00—凌晨3:00。同时也调查了白纹伊蚊季节消长及活动规律,为我市控制及消灭丝虫病、疟疾、乙脑及登革热提供了依据。     

Munchausen syndrome by proxy and factitious illness: Symptomatology,parent-child interaction,and psychopathology of the parents

The term Munchausen syndrome by proxy is used to diagnose children presenting symptoms of an organic disorder resulting from manipulations initiated by their caretakers. Even in early infancy it happens that injuries are induced, and that drugs, poisons or medicine are administered in order to provoke and feign clinical symptoms of severe diseases. Exact data on prevalence are not available but it is obvious that Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a rare psychiatric disorder. There is a body of evidence that Munchausen syndrome by proxy is nothing but the extreme of a broader clinical entity for which the term factitious illness has been introduced. In this group children are included whose mothers invent a history of disease in order to produce symptoms without actually damaging their children. It is not well established whether such a distinction is necessary and whether there are differences in long-term outcome. Onset of symptoms is as early as three weeks up to twelve years, and mean age of diagnosis according to a more comprehensive study is 3 1/4 year. The estimated mortality rate of children with Munchausen syndrome by proxy is 9 percent. In three of the four cases of children reported here clinical presentations were dominated by symptoms of central nervous disorders. All mothers showed unsure and inconsistent parental behaviour and inefficient coping. None of them received support from their partners, if present. In interaction the children always wanted to dominate their mothers. The high amount of personality disorders observed in the caretakers might be the reason for the often reported failure of psychotherapeutic interventions.

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Zusammenfassung Die Diagnose Münchhausen Stellvertreter Syndrom wird bei Kindern gestellt, die Symptome einer organischen Erkrankung zeigen, die durch Manipulationen von Eltern oder anderen Sorgeberechtigten hervorgerufen werden. Vielfach werden bereits im frühen Kindesalter den Kindern Verletzungen beigebracht, Drogen, Gifte oder Medikamente verabreicht, um die klinischen Merkmale schwerer Erkrankungen vorzutäuschen. Obwohl genaue Angaben zur Häufigkeit fehlen, kann man insgesamt von einer seltenen Störung ausgehen. Es gibt zahlreiche Hinweise dafür, daß es sich beim Münchhausen Stellvertreter Syndrom um die seltene, aber sehr schwere Ausprägungsform in einer größeren Gruppe von Störungen gleichartigen klinischen Bildes handelt, für die man den Begriff der vorgetäuschte Störungen geprägt hat. In dieser Gruppe werden auch die Kinder erfaßt, deren Mütter ausschließlich Symptome und eine zugehörige Krankheitsgeschichte erfinden, die aber keine körperlichen Eingriffe (einschließlich Drogen- und Medikamentenverabreichung) vornehmen, um organische Symptome zu simulieren. Unklar ist, ob eine solche Unterscheidung notwendig und hilfreich ist. Bisher fehlen Hinweise auf Unterschiede in der Prognose im Langzeitverlauf zwischen den Untergruppen. Die Symptomatik eines Münchhausen Stellvertreter Syndroms konnte bereits bei Kindern im Alter von 3 Wochen beobachtet werden und wurde noch bei 12jährigen gefunden. In einer größeren Studie wurde ein mittleres Alter von 3 3/4Jahren für den Zeitpunkt der Diagnosestellung ermittelt. Die Sterblichkeitsrate wird auf 9 Prozent geschätzt. Bei den vier Kindern, über deren Symptomatik hier berichtet wird, standen bei drei zentralnervöse Störungen im Vordergrund. Drei Mütter gaben zusätzlich den Verdacht des sexuellen Mißbrauchs ihrer Kinder an. Die motivationalen Aspekte lassen deudiche Unterschiede erkennen. Bei drei Müttern bestand der Wunsch nach Schutz des Kindes vor realem oder vermeintlichem sexuellem Mißbrauch des Kindes. Alle Mütter hatten mindestens eine gescheiterte eheliche Beziehung. Im Erziehungsverhalten wirkten sie unsicher, inkompetent und inkonsistent; von ihren Partnern, sofern vorhanden, erhielten sie keine erzieherische Unterstützung. In der Mutter-Kind Interaktion vermochten die Kinder über die Mütter zu dominieren. Der hohe Anteil an Persönlichkeitsstörungen bei den hier beschriebenen Sorgeberechtigten könnte der Grund für das häufig berichtete Scheitern psychotherapeutischer Interventionen sein.

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Résumé On parle de Syndrôme de Munchausen par procuration chez des enfants, qui présentent des troubles organiques résultant de manipulations de leurs responsables éducatifs. Des blessures, l'administration de médicaments, de drogues ou de poison — même chez des enfants très jeunes — ont pour effet de provoquer et simuler un tableau clinique sévère. Il s'agit d'un désordre psychiatrique rare — les chiffres exacts de prévalence sont difficiles à évaluer. Le Syndrome est décrit chez l'enfant à partir de l'âge de trois semaines jusqu'à 12 ans. L'âge moyen est de trois ans et quart. La mortalité chez les enfants porteurs d'un syndrome de Munchausen par procuration est estimé à 9%. Dans trois des quatre cas présentés le tableau clinique est dominé par des symptômes d'ordre neurologique. De manière supplémentaire trois mères rapportent un abus sexuel de leurs enfants. Les mères se caracterisent par leur incompétence et inconséquence éducative; souvent elles sont sans soutien éducatif de leur partenaire. Dans l'interaction mère — enfant les enfants ont un comportement dominant envers leur mère. La non-efficacité des interventions psychothérapeutiques peut être liée a un pourcentage élevé de troubles de la personnalité chez les parents.