Measuring hope amongst Tanzanian women who participate in microfinance: An evaluation of the Snyder hope scale

ABSTRACT

Measuring hope reliably and accurately remains an important research objective, not least in less prosperous settings where ‘holding on to hope’ may be critically important in the struggle against adverse life conditions. The State Hope Scale was designed for use in the US. Despite reported application in diverse cultures and using translations the scale has not been extensively validated outside US populations. This study contributes to a larger project exploring the measurement of hope and provides a critique of Snyder’s scale as used in a Tanzanian female population of 1021 urban microfinance participants. We evaluate the scale’s validity through assessment of the empirical distribution of scores, item response profiles, internal consistency and discriminatory ability. Participants mostly scored very high and many reached very near the maximum attainable score. Hardly any endorsed the negative half of the response scale. Several problems are discussed including poor discrimination and strong evidence of acquiescence response bias. We also found little association of the scale scores with hypothesised correlates of hope. Future improvements on the measurement of hope are recommended, especially in studies outside the narrow Western context in which the scale was devised.     

Conserving resources in the diagnosis of intraoral fibroepithelial polyps

Fibroepithelial polyps (FEPs) are common, benign intraoral lesions that tend to develop slowly at predictable sites, often in response to local irritation or trauma. Historical precedent often results in referral to oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) departments for biopsy, often irrespective of symptoms, and histological assessment. OMFS and pathology services are struggling to cope with an increasing workload that will potentially lead to widespread delays to diagnosis and treatment. Over the past 20 years, clinical pathways and guidance have been developed to ensure that healthcare interventions, such as the removal of third molars, tonsils, skin tags, and benign moles, are evidence-based, have a net patient benefit, and ensure the best use of finite NHS resources. However, no such guidance exists for intraoral lesions and we regard this as an oversight. We analysed the removal of 682 FEPs over a seven-year period and report sensitivities of 92.4% for a “confirmed clinical suspicion of an FEP” and 99.7% for a “confirmed clinical suspicion of a benign diagnosis”. The incidence of non-benign disease was 0.3%. Primary care dentists should be able to diagnose and monitor FEPs and refer only if symptoms are serious or in high-risk patients or sites. Adopting this practice across the UK could free up to 1825 four-hour OMFS clinics, 405 hours of consultant histopathologists’ time, and recurring savings to the NHS estimated to be in the region of £620 000/annum. We believe that the removal of FEPs should be reclassified as an “intervention not normally funded”, and the time and resources put to better use treating patients with lesions of questionable pathology.     

Echocontrast agent-enhanced color flow imaging of the breast.

An ultrasound contrast agent which survives transit through the pulmonary circulation after injection into a peripheral vein can also be used for the demonstration of flow characteristics in the peripheral organs. Such a substance (SH U 508 A, Schering AG, Berlin) was tested in the Gynecological Department of the University of Marburg for its suitability for enhancing color-coded Doppler signals in mammary diagnosis in a group of ten women with breast tumors. The observations made are compared with the histologically confirmed diagnoses. The very distinct enhancement of the color-coded Doppler signals allows reliable demonstration of the vascularization characteristics, not only of the malignant, but also of all benign solid tumors examined. Color signals were even recorded from normal mammary tissue, which means that the demonstration of perfusion can no longer be used on its own as a diagnostic criterion. Observation of the characteristics of the blood supply to a tumor might, on the other hand, be an advantage, not only in respect of tumor typing, but also as regards the prognosis of a tumor. In this connection, the registration of the arrival, retention and wash-out phases specific to a contrast agent appears to furnish particularly interesting information about the growth dynamics of a tumor.     

The association of post-stroke neurological improvement with risk of subsequent deterioration due to stroke events

We sought to simultaneously confirm that substantial recovery at day 1 and day 7 after acute ischaemic stroke onset is associated with subsequent neurological deterioration in patients of the Acute Stroke Therapy by Inhibition of Neutrophils randomized clinical trial. Substantial recovery was assessed by improvement in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Score (NIHSS). Neurological deterioration was defined as any stroke event or NIHSS worsening from recovery assessment to day 90. After adjusting for age, t-PA and day 1 NIHSS, there was a non-significant tendency of substantial (pre-specified as 75%) recovery at day 1 to be associated with later deterioration [odds ratio (OR) 2.47; 95% CI, 0.95–6.50]. The corresponding OR for substantial (pre-defined as 65%) recovery at day 7 was 1.84 (0.85–3.96). Other thresholds for recovery were significantly associated with later deterioration: >50%, 80%, 90% and 100% for day 1 and >50%, 60%, 70%, 90% and 100% for day 7. The effect of recovery at day 1 was more important than that of later recovery. This study confirms the association between recovery and subsequent neurological deterioration and is the first to indicate the greater importance of acute recovery at day 1 in comparison with later recovery.     

AMPK在妊娠期糖尿病发病机制中的作用

腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶是一种重要的蛋白激酶,主要作用是协调代谢和能量平衡.腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶被激活后,在增加骨骼肌对葡萄糖摄取、增强胰岛素敏感性、增加脂肪酸氧化以及调节基因转录等方面发挥重要作用.已经证实脂联素有调节糖脂代谢的作用,但其作用机制尚不十分清楚,很可能是通过腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶介导,对脂联素信号转导通路的研究将成为进一步理解脂联素作用的关键所在.而脂联素又是妊娠期糖尿病的预测因子,所以腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶逐渐成为对妊娠期糖尿病研究中的焦点.     

Long-term results of the antegrade continent enema procedure for constipation in adults

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of the Antegrade Continent Enema (ACE) procedure for treating severe constipation in adults. METHODS: Over 10 years 37 ACE conduits were created in 32 patients (median age 35 years, 26 women) with constipation caused by slow transit, obstructed defaecation or both. Conduits were created from the appendix (n = 20, 54%), ileum (n = 10, 27%), neoappendix caecostomy (n = 5, 14%) or colon (n = 2, 5%). Clinical records were retrospectively reviewed to determine outcome. RESULTS: After a median follow up of 36 (range 13-140) months, 28 (88%) required at least one further procedure on a primary conduit, including reversal in 19 (59%). Five patients had a second conduit fashioned, two successfully. Conduit type and constipation cause did not significantly influence the rates of ACE reversal or major revision. Ileal conduits were associated with fewer minor revision procedures for stenosis (1 in 7 patients) than appendix conduits (21 in 20 patients). There was one (3%) serious complication. Satisfactory ACE function was ultimately achieved in 47% of patients, at last follow up. After ACE reversal, 9 (28%) patients underwent formation of an end stoma and 3 patients had a colectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Revision procedures are common, but approximately half of patients can expect satisfactory long-term ACE function. ACE conduit reversal does not preclude subsequent alternative surgical strategies to treat this difficult condition.     

Decreased Bone Mass and Strength in Ovariectomized Cynomolgus Monkeys (Macaca fascicularis)

Agents for prevention or treatment of osteoporosis must now be tested in a large animal species that exhibits bone remodeling. Ovariectomized, nonhuman primates provide one such model, and they consistently develop osteopenia accompanied by high bone turnover rates. The goal of this study was to further characterize this model, and particularly to determine the effect of ovariectomy on bone strength in vertebrae and femoral necks. Longitudinal evaluations of spinal bone mass and serum markers of bone turnover were performed in 19 sham-ovariectomized (SHAM) and 18 ovariectomized (OVX), domestically reared cynomolgus monkeys, aged >9 years. OVX monkeys lost bone relative to both baseline values and SHAM controls. Serum markers of bone turnover were increased by OVX. After 72 weeks, both vertebral bone compressive strength and femoral neck breaking strength were significantly decreased in OVX animals compared with SHAM. Ovariectomized cynomolgus monkeys, like postmenopausal women, develop accelerated bone loss, increased bone turnover, and reduced bone strength, and provide a suitable large animal model for efficacy studies with agents for prevention or treatment of osteoporosis. Received: 24 June 1996 / Accepted: 3 September 1996