Hopelessness and suicidal ideation among adolescents in two cultures

BACKGROUND: This study examines the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations among cognitive variables, depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in Hong Kong Chinese and Caucasian American adolescents. METHODS: Community adolescents (n = 2,044) ages 14-18 years from Hong Kong and the United States provided information regarding their suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms, and cognitions (self-efficacy, cognitive errors and hopelessness), at two surveys, six months apart. RESULTS: Self-efficacy was a weak unique predictor of suicidal ideation in both cultures. Hopelessness was the strongest of cognitive variables in concurrent associations with suicidal ideation in bivariate and multivariate models, in both cultures, and in both boys and girls. Hopelessness continued to offer unique prediction when depressive symptoms were controlled, both concurrently and prospectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support hopelessness theories of suicidal ideation and behavior in Hong Kong, and extend the cognitive theory of suicidality to a modernized Asian culture.     

A genome-wide scan in families with maturity-onset diabetes of the young: evidence for further genetic heterogeneity

Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a heterogeneous single gene disorder characterized by non-insulin-dependent diabetes, an early onset and autosomal dominant inheritance. Mutations in six genes have been shown to cause MODY. Approximately 15-20% of families fitting MODY criteria do not have mutations in any of the known genes. These families provide a rich resource for the identification of new MODY genes. This will potentially enable further dissection of clinical heterogeneity and bring new insights into mechanisms of beta-cell dysfunction. To facilitate the identification of novel MODY loci, we combined the results from three genome-wide scans on a total of 23 families fitting MODY criteria. We used both a strict parametric model of inheritance with heterogeneity and a model-free analysis. We did not identify any single novel locus but provided putative evidence for linkage to chromosomes 6 (nonparametric linkage [NPL]score 2.12 at 71 cM) and 10 (NPL score 1.88 at 169-175 cM), and to chromosomes 3 (heterogeneity LOD [HLOD] score 1.27 at 124 cM) and 5 (HLOD score 1.22 at 175 cM) in 14 more strictly defined families. Our results provide evidence for further heterogeneity in MODY.     

A systematic review and meta-analysis: probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome

Background  

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common chronic gastrointestinal disorder and the evidence for efficacy of most drug therapies in the treatment of IBS is weak. A popular alternative is probiotics, which have been used in several conditions. including IBS. Probiotics are live microbial food supplements.     

Characterization of the MODY3 phenotype. Early-onset diabetes caused by an insulin secretion defect.

Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) type 3 is a dominantly inherited form of diabetes, which is often misdiagnosed as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Phenotypic analysis of members from four large Finnish MODY3 kindreds (linked to chromosome 12q with a maximum lod score of 15) revealed a severe impairment in insulin secretion, which was present also in those normoglycemic family members who had inherited the MODY3 gene. In contrast to patients with NIDDM, MODY3 patients did not show any features of the insulin resistance syndrome. They could be discriminated from patients with IDDM by lack of glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (GAD-Ab). Taken together with our recent findings of linkage between this region on chromosome 12 and an insulin-deficient form of NIDDM (NIDDM2), the data suggest that mutations at the MODY3/NIDDM2 gene(s) result in a reduced insulin secretory response, that subsequently progresses to diabetes and underlines the importance of subphenotypic classification in studies of diabetes.     

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction for enumeration of Streptococcus mutans from oral samples

This study compared SYBR Green real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) with standard plate counting for the enumeration of Streptococcus mutans in oral samples. Oral samples (n = 710) were collected from high-caries-risk children for quantification of S. mutans by qPCR using primer pairs. The S. mutans copy number was calculated with reference to a qPCR quantification cycle (Cq) standard curve and compared with the absorbance value at 600 nm of a standard suspension of S. mutans UA159. The S. mutans copy number results were evaluated in relation to standard plate count (SPC) results obtained from each sample following culture on Petri plates containing S. mutans selective media and reported as colony-forming units (CFUs). The mean S. mutans copy number calculated from qPCR was higher than the SPC CFUs (1.3 × 10(6) and 1.5 × 10(5) CFUs, respectively). The qPCR values were usually higher in individual samples and qPCR detected the presence of S. mutans 84% (231/276) of the time that the SPC did not, compared with 33% (4/12) of the time when qPCR failed to detect S. mutans and the SPC did. The qPCR technique was found to be more sensitive for detection of S. mutans from oral samples, a method that is not dependent on the viability of the sample taken and therefore is proposed as a more reliable and efficient means of quantification of S. mutans.     

Is rheumatoid factor useful in primary care? A retrospective cross-sectional study

Rheumatoid factor (RF) is frequently tested in general practice where its utility as a diagnostic test for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is not known. We undertook a retrospective cross-sectioal study to determine the utility and cost of RF in a primary care population. We compared RF with recorded clinical features based on the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria as a diagnostic test for RA in 235 patients in general practice using receiver operating characteristic curves and calculated the cost of testing per case of RA. We analysed 36,191 RF requests made to one laboratory from 2003–2009 at a mean annual cost of £58,164 and the variation and annual cost of RF testing between 77 practices. The sensitivity and specificity of RF at the optimal cut-off value of 20 U/ml were 0.6 and 0.96 and that of two documented clinical ACR criteria were 0.9 and 0.92, respectively. No ACR criteria were documented in 150 (63.8 %) patients who had RF tested. The overall cost of RF testing per case of seropositive RA was £708.75. Of all RF requests, 66.6 % was made by GPs, 7.0 % by rheumatologists and 26.4 % by other hospital departments. The proportion of positive tests was 5.8 % in primary care and 17.7 % in rheumatology. The mean number of tests performed annually in primary care was 4.65 (SD 2.7) per 1,000 patients. RF is less sensitive for RA than clinical features in primary care and is frequently requested in cases without clinical evidence of the disease, adding to the overall cost.