Intervention with Microfinance for AIDS and Gender Equity (IMAGE): Women's Engagement with the Scaled-up IMAGE Programme and Experience of Intimate Partner Violence in Rural South Africa.

The Intervention with Microfinance for AIDS and Gender Equity (IMAGE) programme has been scaled up to three provinces in South Africa. This paper explores associations between women's engagement in the intervention, intimate partner violence (IPV) and factors associated with IPV and partner abuse. We enrolled women receiving group-based microfinance loans plus gender training into the scaled-up IMAGE cohort study (n = 860). We present cross-sectional analysis on participants' characteristics and intervention engagement and use multivariate logistic regression to explore associations. 17% of women reported lifetime (95% CI 15 to 20%) and 7% past year (95% CI 5 to 9%) IPV, 9% past-year economic (95% CI 7 to 11%) and 11% past-year emotional (95% CI 9 to 14%) abuse. Women under 35 years had higher levels of IPV and emotional abuse. 53% of women attended all the trainings, 83% continuously borrowed and 98% agreed the training had a major impact on their life. Attendance was associated with improved partner relationships (χ2p < 0.001), but not lower IPV risk. Odds of past-year IPV decreased the more types of support (e.g. advice) women received from group members (aOR 0.27, p < 0.001 among those reporting all support versus none or some). A similar pattern was seen for economic, but not emotional, abuse. The scaled-up IMAGE intervention is widely acceptable and may support improvements in partner relationships, but younger women need to be targeted. Group support appears to be a potentially important component of the intervention.

Attenuation of ketamine-induced impairment in verbal learning and memory in healthy volunteers by the AMPA receptor potentiator PF-04958242.

There is a need to develop treatments for cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS). The significant role played by N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) in both the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and in neuronal plasticity suggests that facilitation of NMDAR function might ameliorate CIAS. One strategy to correct NMDAR hypofunction is to stimulate α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPARs) as AMPAR and NMDAR functioning are coupled and interdependent. In rats and nonhuman primates (NHP), AMPAR potentiators reduce spatial working memory deficits caused by the nonselective NMDAR antagonist ketamine. The current study assessed whether the AMPAR potentiator PF-04958242 would attenuate ketamine-induced deficits in verbal learning and memory in humans. Healthy male subjects (n=29) participated in two randomized treatment periods of daily placebo or PF-04958242 for 5 days separated by a washout period. On day 5 of each treatment period, subjects underwent a ketamine infusion for 75 min during which the effects of PF-04958242/placebo were assessed on ketamine-induced: (1) impairments in verbal learning and recall measured by the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test; (2) impairments in working memory on a CogState battery; and (3) psychotomimetic effects measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and Clinician-Administered Dissociative Symptoms Scale. PF-04958242 significantly reduced ketamine-induced impairments in immediate recall and the 2-Back and spatial working memory tasks (CogState Battery), without significantly attenuating ketamine-induced psychotomimetic effects. There were no pharmacokinetic interactions between PF-04958242 and ketamine. Furthermore, PF-04958242 was well tolerated. 'High-impact' AMPAR potentiators like PF-04958242 may have a role in the treatment of the cognitive symptoms, but not the positive or negative symptoms, associated with schizophrenia. The excellent concordance between the preclinical (rat, NHP) and human studies with PF-04958242, and in silico modeling of AMPAR-NMDAR interactions in the hippocampus, highlights the translational value of this study.

Pattern of disability among persons who availed half-way home-care services for psychosocial rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: There is dearth of studies related to pattern of disability among persons who availed psychosocial rehabilitation services in India. We studied the pattern of disability among persons who availed half-way home-care services for psychosocial rehabilitation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Out of 130 case files of discharged patients, 50 files were randomly selected for data collection. Indian Disability Evaluation and Assessment Schedule was used to assess the pattern of disability in the sample. RESULTS: The study revealed that only one-third (35%) of the residents had disability in self-care, 41% in communication and understanding and 47% in interpersonal relationship. Overall, majority (76%) of the respondents had moderate level of psychiatric disability at the time of discharge from half-way home. There was no significant relationship between gender and type of psychiatric illness with the level of disability. The overall disability correlated positively with the duration of illness (r s=0.39). CONCLUSION: Three-fourth of the residents who availed half-way home-care services had moderate level of disability.

Infective complications associated with ureteral stents in renal transplant recipients.

OBJECTIVE: Stenting of the ureter is commonly performed during renal transplantation to avoid early complications. However, it predisposes to infections that may pose a significant threat to the graft and patient. Our study sought to investigate the incidence of infections associated with stents in renal transplant recipients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 100 consecutive renal transplant recipients performed over 1 year with 6 months follow-up. RESULTS: The median recipient age was 46 years (range, 19-71 years). Among the study group, 75 patients received an organ from deceased donor and 25 from live donor. In our study, there were 79 patients with a stent (ST) and 18 without a stent (WOST); 3 patients who required nephrectomy were excluded from the study. There were 2 ureteric stenoses that occurred following stent removal: 1 required surgical correction and 1 was treated radiologically. There were no cases of urinary leak. The incidence of urinary tract infection (UTI) was significantly greater among ST compared with WOST subjects (71% vs 39%; P = .02). New episodes of UTI following removal of the stent were more common among patients who had experienced infections while having a stent compared with infection-free stented patients (54% vs 30%; P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: A ureteric stent may help to reduce early postoperative complications (leak and stricture), but increased the likelihood of UTI. Infection while having a ureteric stent was associated with a high recurrence rate of UTI even after stent removal.

Radioisotopic evidence for the polypeptides associated with photosystem II.

Direct radioisotopic evidence for the polypeptides associated with oxygen evolution in a non-destructive approach by comparing the polypeptides of photosystem II (PS II) particles in etioplasts that lack O2 evolution with that of chloroplasts that exhibit high rates of oxygen evolution is reported. Polypeptide analysis by coomassie blue staining revealed that 32, 23 and 15 kDa proteins were absent in etioplast particles but developed in chloroplast PS II particles after illumination. However, a strikingly different picture was obtained when labelled polypeptides were analyzed from the fluorograph. While the new proteins identified by coomassie blue staining were also labelled, intensely labelled major polypeptides of molecular range 40, 41, 43 kD and minor polypeptides of molecular range 47, 48, 51 kD were observed in chloroplast PS II particles but not in etioplasts or etioplast particles; these labelled polypeptides were so prominent that they could be identified even in thylakoid membranes.

Effect of inhibin like factors on gonadotrophin release by the mouse pituitary in vitro.

The release of gonadotrophins by the mouse whole pituitary in vitro was investigated. Whole tissue from 34 day old male mice was highly responsive to synthetic LRH in short incubations at 37 degrees C. About 15% of FSH and 17% of LH were secreted during a 3 h pulse with 3 ng of LRH. Pre-exposure of the mouse pituitary to fractions containing inhibin activity, inhibited the FSH release induced by LRH. Inhibin from bovine and human seminal plasma and porcine follicular fluid preferentially inhibited FSH secretion, while LH secretion was also reduced by inhibin like factors from bovine follicular fluid and testicular extract. The inhibition of FSH and/or LH release was measured by specific radioreceptor assays and could not be due to destruction of either gonadotrophin or LRH. Purified bovine seminal plasma inhibin was effective at very low concentrations in vitro. The whole incubation system is simple and an estimation of inhibition of bioactive (binding activity) FSH release can be obtained within 24 h.

Isolation and characterization of a bovine seminal plasma protein inhibiting pituitary FSH secretion.

A basic protein with inhibin-like activity was purified from bull seminal plasma by ethanol precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography, gel filtration and preparative disc electrophoresis. The protein migrated rapidly into the acrylamide gel at pH 4.5 but failed to penetrate the gel at pH 8.9. Electrophoresis at pH 4.5 revealed heterogeneity. Its molecular weight by SDS gel electrophoresis was estimated to be approx. 18 000 daltons. It exhibited inhibin activity in both in vivo and in vitro model systems. The partially purified protein fraction was active in suppressing hCG-induced mouse uterine weight in immature mice. It specifically inhibited the castration-induced rise in serum FSH in 34-day-old male rats, blocked the action of synthetic LH-RH in vivo and in vitro in rats and mice respectively.

Binding of an inhibin-like protein from bull seminal plasma to ovine pituitary membranes.

A purified basic protein from bull seminal plasma having inhibin activity was labeled with 125I and tested for binding with ovine pituitary membrane fractions. The bound radioactivity could be eluted under acidic conditions and shown to rebind to fresh pituitary membranes. The properties of the eluted labeled inhibin were similar to the unlabeled fraction. The eluted labeled inhibin exhibited specific binding to the membranes, which was displaceable in a dose-dependent manner by an unlabeled active fraction. Only those fractions in the purification scheme which had inhibin activity also competed for the binding. A bovine follicular fluid fraction with molecular weight greater than 10 000 and inhibin activity also displaced the bound radioactivity from the membranes. Other purified hormones such as ovine FSH, LH or their subunits, prolactin or bovine serum albumin, dialyzed serum or unrelated basic macromolecules such as lysozyme, polylysine, histones, had no influence on the binding of labeled inhibin to ovine pituitary membranes. Synthetic LH-RH also failed to displace the labeled inhibin from the membranes. The binding was sensitive to heat and trypsin treatments. The data are consistent with the direct action of inhibin on the pituitary and demonstrate the existence of binding sites for the active fraction in this target.

Presence of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone in bull seminal plasma.

Levels of FSH and LH were estimated in a crude powder of seminal plasma pooled from bulls. The FSH concentration in the seminal plasma was approximately 100 times greater than that in the circulation. The receptor-binding activity of LH in the seminal plasma was very low compared with that in blood. The FSH in bull seminal plasma was partially purified and found to be identical to ovine pituitary FSH in its ability to bind to bull testicular receptor, in its immunological reactivity and also in its chromatographic and electrophoretic properties. The partially purified LH in bull seminal plasma was more acidic than ovine pituitary LH as shown by disc electrophoresis. It showed low binding characteristics that were not parallel to pituitary LH in the specific radioreceptor assay. The significance of the inverse relationship between the levels of FSH and LH in seminal and blood plasma is unknown.