Levels of Psychological Distress Experienced by Family Carers of Children and Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities in an Urban Conurbation

Background The aim of the present study was to identify factors associated with the level of psychological distress reported by family carers of children with intellectual disability living in a large urban conurbation. Method Information was collected by postal questionnaire (or interview for family carers who did not have English as their first language) from the family carers of 408 children with intellectual disability (31% of all children within the area administratively identified as having an intellectual disability). Results Results indicated that 47% of primary carers scored above the threshold for psychological distress on the GHQ and that scoring above the threshold was strongly related to the emotional and behavioural needs of the index child and South‐Asian ethnicity and moderately associated with the severity of the child's delay in communication. Conclusions The rates of psychological distress (47% overall, 70% among South‐Asian carers) were markedly higher than that found in previous studies of carers supporting a child with intellectual disabilities. It is suggested that these elevated rates of psychological distress may be mediated by socio‐economic deprivation.     

Learning and retention of movement sequences in Parkinson's disease.

The purpose of this study was to examine motor learning and retention given extensive practice in two fundamentally different movement sequences. One sequence was a memory-driven task (performing a series of whole body positions from memory) and the other a context-driven task (buttoning). Practice took place over 3 weeks, with performance measured weekly; retention was measured weekly for 3 weeks after practice. There were 7 people with Parkinson's disease (PD) and 7 age-matched neurologically healthy people who participated in this study. Both groups improved performance on both tasks with practice, with the majority of the change for the PD group occurring between 1 and 2 weeks of practice. Although those with PD did not necessarily perform as well as age-matched controls, they learned both sequences in a manner similar to age-matched controls, and exhibited retention across the 3-week retention interval. If people with PD are given sufficient practice they can learn and retain both memory-based and context-driven movement sequences as well as age-matched controls. The results provide support for maintaining physical activity and for intervention through movement therapy.     

The effect of a church-based breast cancer screening education program on mammography rates among African-American women

This study examines the effectiveness of breast cancer screening education programs on mammography rates among African-American women 40 years of age and over. We conducted two types of educational programs in community settings, primarily in African-American churches. Three-month follow-up interviews were used to determine whether women who participated in programming were more likely to get a mammogram if they had not had a mammogram in the last year. Our results demonstrate that the educational programs significantly increased the likelihood of getting a mammogram when compared to a control group that received no educational programming. Further, we found that the programs were effective for motivating breast cancer screening in housing projects as well as in the churches, and that the effectiveness of the programs remained even when we controlled for socioeconomic status, depression, and age.     

Prevalence of Antibodies to Hepatitis E Virus in Veterinarians Working with Swine and in Normal Blood Donors in the United States and Other Countries

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is endemic in many developing and some industrialized countries. It has been hypothesized that animals may be the source of infection. The recent identification of swine HEV in U.S. pigs and the demonstration of its ability to infect across species have lent credence to this hypothesis. To assess the potential risk of zoonotic HEV infection, we tested a total of 468 veterinarians working with swine (including 389 U.S. swine veterinarians) and 400 normal U.S. blood donors for immunoglobulin G anti-HEV. Recombinant capsid antigens from a U.S. strain of swine HEV and from a human HEV strain (Sar-55) were each used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The anti-HEV prevalence assayed with the swine HEV antigen showed 97% concordance with that obtained with the human HEV antigen (kappa = 92%). Among the 295 swine veterinarians tested from the eight U.S. states (Minnesota, Indiana, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, and Alabama) from which normal blood donor samples were available, 26% were positive with Sar-55 antigen and 23% were positive with swine HEV antigen. In contrast, 18% of the blood donors from the same eight U.S. states were positive with Sar-55 antigen and 17% were positive with swine HEV antigen. Swine veterinarians in the eight states were 1.51 times more likely when tested with swine HEV antigen (95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 2.20) and 1.46 times more likely when tested with Sar-55 antigen (95% confidence interval, 0.99 to 2.17) to be anti-HEV positive than normal blood donors. We did not find a difference in anti-HEV prevalence between veterinarians who reported having had a needle stick or cut and those who had not or between those who spent more time (> or = 80% of the time) and those who spent less time (< or = 20% of the time) working with pigs. Similarly, we did not find a difference in anti-HEV prevalence according to four job categories (academic, practicing, student, and industry veterinarians). There was a difference in anti-HEV prevalence in both swine veterinarians and blood donors among the eight selected states, with subjects from Minnesota six times more likely to be anti-HEV positive than those from Alabama. Age was not a factor in the observed differences from state to state. Anti-HEV prevalence in swine veterinarians and normal blood donors was age specific and paralleled increasing age. The results suggest that swine veterinarians may be at somewhat higher risk of HEV infection than are normal blood donors.     

Clonal chromosome abnormalities in human breast carcinomas I. Twenty-eight cases with primary disease

Cytogenetic analysis was performed on a selected series of short-term cultures of primary breast carcinomas from 28 patients. All patients had histopathologically confirmed malignancies, with the majority (25/28 cases) demonstrating infiltrating ductal carcinoma. All 28 cases evidenced clonal chromosome abnormalities, with 10/28 displaying only numeric aberrations, whereas 18/28 displayed clonal structural alterations. In near-diploid tumors the most common numeric changes were — 17 and — 19. However, trisomy 7 was the only numeric change in two near-diploid tumors. Structural chromosome alterations were primarily isochromosomes, apparent terminal deletions, and unbalanced non-reciprocal translocations. Chromosomes 1 (10/18–56%) and 6 (8/18–44%) were most frequently altered in this series. Breakpoints of clonal structural abnormalities were shown to cluster to several chromosome segments, including 1p22-q11, 3p11, 6p11–13, 7p11-q11, 8p11-q11, and 19q13. Analysis of the gain or loss of specific chromosome segments revealed that the most consistent tendency was over-representation of 1q, 3q, and 6p. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Detection of enzootic babesiosis in baboons (Papio cynocephalus) and phylogenetic evidence supporting synonymy of the genera Entopolypoides and Babesia

Blood smear evaluation of two baboons (Papio cynocephalus) experiencing acute hemolytic crises following experimental stem cell transplantation revealed numerous intraerythrocytic organisms typical of the genus Babesia. Both animals had received whole-blood transfusions from two baboon donors, one of which was subsequently found to display rare trophozoites of Entopolypoides macaci. An investigation was then undertaken to determine the prevalence of hematozoa in baboons held in our primate colony and to determine the relationship, if any, between the involved species. Analysis of thick and thin blood films from 65 healthy baboons (23 originating from our breeding facility, 26 originating from an out-of-state breeding facility, and 16 imported from Africa) for hematozoa revealed rare E. macaci parasites in 31%, with respective prevalences of 39, 35, and 12%. Phylogenetic analysis of nuclear small-subunit rRNA gene sequences amplified from peripheral blood of a baboon chronically infected with E. macaci demonstrated this parasite to be most closely related to Babesia microti (97.9% sequence similarity); sera from infected animals did not react in indirect fluorescent-antibody tests with Babesia microti antigen, however, suggesting that they represent different species. These results support an emerging view that the genus Entopolypoides Mayer 1933 is synonymous with that of the genus Babesia Starcovici 1893 and that the morphological variation noted among intracellular forms is a function of alteration in host immune status. The presence of an underrecognized, but highly enzootic, Babesia sp. in baboons may result in substantial, unanticipated impact on research programs. The similarity of this parasite to the known human pathogen B. microti may also pose risks to humans undergoing xenotransplantation, mandating effective screening of donor animals.     

Energy Balance,Eating Disorder Risk,and Pathogenic Behaviors Among Athletic Trainers

ContextResearch exists on energy balances (EBs) and eating disorder (ED) risks in physically active populations and occupations by settings, but the EB and ED risk in athletic trainers (ATs) have not been investigated.ObjectiveTo assess ATs'' energy needs, including the macronutrient profile, and examine ED risk and pathogenic behavioral differences between sexes (men, women) and job statuses (part time or full time) and among settings (college or university, high school, nontraditional).DesignCross-sectional study.SettingFree living in job settings.Patients or Other ParticipantsAthletic trainers (n = 46; male part-time graduate assistant ATs = 12, male full-time ATs = 11, female part-time graduate assistant ATs = 11, female full-time ATs = 12) in the southeastern United States.Main Outcome Measure(s)Anthropometric measures (sex, age, height, weight, body composition), demographic characteristics (job status [full- or part-time AT], job setting [college/university, high school, nontraditional], years of AT experience, exercise background, alcohol use), resting metabolic rate, energy intake (EI), total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), EB, exercise energy expenditure, macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fats), the Eating Disorder Inventory-3, and the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 Symptom Checklist.ResultsThe majority of participants (84.8%, n = 39) had an ED risk, with 26.1% (n = 12) engaging in at least 1 pathogenic behavior, 50% (n = 23) in 2 pathogenic behaviors, and 10.8% (n = 5) in >2 pathogenic behaviors. Also, 82.6% of ATs (n = 38) presented in negative EB (EI < TDEE). Differences were found in resting metabolic rate for sex and job status (F_1,45 = 16.48, P = .001), EI (F_1,45 = 12.01, P = .001), TDEE (F_1,45 = 40.36, P < .001), and exercise energy expenditure (F_1,38 = 5.353, P = .026). No differences were present in EB for sex and job status (F_1,45 = 1.751, P = .193); χ² analysis revealed no significant relationship between ATs'' sex and EB (= 0.0, P = 1.00) and job status and EB ( = 2.42, P = .120). No significant relationship existed between Daily Reference Intakes recommendations for all macronutrients and sex or job status.ConclusionsThese athletic trainers experienced negative EB, similar to other professionals in high-demand occupations. Regardless of sex or job status, ATs had a high ED risk and participated in unhealthy pathogenic behaviors. The physical and mental concerns associated with these findings indicate a need for interventions targeted at ATs'' health behaviors.     

“Handedness” of spiral fractures of the tibia

Handedness is a basic property of spirals. In many cases it is possible to determine whether spiral fractures are right or left handed by analysis of radiographs. Spiral fractures of the tibia show striking bilateral symmetry, with right-handed spirals predominating on the left side of the body, and left-handed spirals on the right.