Case Report: Desmoglein-3 Gene Mutation Leading to Airway Compromise in Fraternal Twin Infants.

The desmoglein 3 18q11 gene mutation has not been well described in humans, except for a few case reports. The desmoglein 3 gene controls a transmembrane component of the desmosome complex that mediates epidermal cell adhesion and integrity of the oropharyngeal mucosa. We present two fraternal twin infants who exhibited features of airway compromise and respiratory distress shortly after birth. These infants presented with chronic, cyclical sloughing of the upper airway, larynx, and pharynx associated with difficult airway management and eventual respiratory failure. It is imperative that practitioners be aware of the severity of this rare mutation.

South Asian Albertan Men's Understandings of Spousal Violence.

This qualitative study investigated understandings of spousal violence among 17 South Asian men residing in Alberta, Canada using focus groups. Thematic analysis revealed men's ignorance about sexual coercion as a form of abuse, although they had a solid understanding of physical and financial abuse. The men identified novel forms of emotional torture, as well as two types of transnational abuses that occur in their communities which have not emerged from previous studies: framing wives for false crimes across international borders and forced participation in family chain migration. Implications for violence prevention, assessment, intervention, and transnational law enforcement are discussed.

Development and Validation of the Bicultural Youth Acculturation Questionnaire.

OBJECTIVES: Acculturation is a multidimensional process involving changes in behaviour and beliefs. Questionnaires developed to measure acculturation are typically designed for specific ethnic populations and adult experiences. This study developed a questionnaire that measures acculturation among ethnically diverse populations of youth that can be included as a module in population surveys. METHODS: Questionnaires measuring acculturation in youth were identified in the literature. The importance of items from the existing questionnaires was determined using a Delphi process and this informed the development of our questionnaire. The questionnaire was then pilot tested using a sample of 248 Canadians aged 18-25 via an online system. Participants identified as East and South East Asian (27.8%), South Asian (17.7%) and Black (13.7%). The majority were 1st (33.5%) or 2nd generation immigrants (52.0%). After redundant items were eliminated, exploratory factor analysis grouped items into domains, and, for each domain, internal consistency, and convergent validity with immigrant generation then age at immigration estimated. A subset of participants re-completed the questionnaire for reliability estimation. RESULTS: The literature review yielded 117 articles that used 13 questionnaires with a total of 440 questions. The Delphi process reduced these to 32 questions. Pilot testing occurred in 248 Canadians aged 18-25. Following item reduction, 16 questions in three domains remained: dominant culture, heritage language, and heritage culture. All had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alphas > .75). The mean dominant domain score increased with immigrant generation (1st generation: 3.69 (95% CI: 3.49-3.89), 2nd: 4.13 (4.00-4.26), 3rd: 4.40 (4.19-4.61)), and mean heritage language score was higher among those who immigrated after age 12 than before (p = .0001), indicative of convergent validity. CONCLUSIONS: This Bicultural Youth Acculturation Questionnaire has demonstrated validity. It can be incorporated into population health surveys to elucidate the impact of acculturation on health outcomes among bicultural youth.