Leukemia virus activation during homograft rejection.

Activation of murine leukemia viruses, as detected by the mixed culture cytopathogenicity (XC) assay, followed the transplantation of A/J skin onto immunosuppressed BALB/c mice. Virus was found in most of the mice receiving both skin grafts and antilymphocyte serum, but not in animals receiving either the serum alone, skin graft alone, or no treatment.

Digital detox: The effect of smartphone abstinence on mood, anxiety, and craving.

Whether behavioural addictions should be conceptualised using a similar framework to substance-related addictions remains a topic of considerable debate. Previous literature has developed criteria, which allows any new behavioural addiction to be considered analogous to substance-related addictions. These imply that abstinence from a related object (e.g., smartphones for heavy smartphone users) would lead to mood fluctuations alongside increased levels of anxiety and craving. In a sample of smartphone users, we measured three variables (mood, anxiety, and craving) on four occasions, which included a 24-hour period of smartphone abstinence. Only craving was affected following a short period of abstinence. The results suggest that heavy smartphone usage does not fulfil the criteria required to be considered an addiction. This may have implications for other behavioural addictions.

Postnatal depression in Southern Brazil: prevalence and its demographic and socioeconomic determinants.

BACKGROUND: Studies investigating the prevalence of postnatal depression (PND) show rates ranging from 5% to 36.7%. The investigation of age, race, educational levels, religion and income as risk factors for PND has yielded conflicting results. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of PND in women residing in Southern Brazil and the associated risk factors. METHODS: This is population-based cross-sectional study of women residing in Porto Alegre who delivered in June 2001. A sample of 271 participants were selected from the Record of Living Newborn Infants of the State Health Department (the official Brazilian database and stores the name and address of all women who give birth to living newborn infants) using a process based on pseudo-random numbers which choose a random sample from 2.000 records. Once the addresses were identified, the women were visited at their place of residence (home, hotel, boarding house and prison), with the interviews taking place between the 6th and the 8th week after delivery. The association between the risk factors and PND was investigated through bivariate analysis using Pearson's chi-square test. Student's t-test was used to analyze the continuous variables. To identify independent risk factors, multivariate analysis was performed using hierarchical levels with a predefined model that took into account the time relationship between PND and the risk factors. Cox's regression was used to calculate the prevalence ratios. RESULTS: The PND prevalence rate found was 20.7% (CI 95% 15.7 - 25.7). After adjusting for confounding variables, per capita income was found to have a significant association with PND. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of PND is higher than the figures found in most developed countries and similar to the figures found in developing countries. Differences in PND by regions or countries can be partially explained by the effect of income on the mediation of risk factors. In low income populations, women should be routinely evaluated for postnatal depression, and those with no partner or spouse are likely to require further care from health services and should be given the benefit of mental health prevention programs.

Evaluation of an Evidence-Based Weight Loss Trial for Urban African American Adolescents and Caregivers.

Rates of obesity are among the highest for African American adolescents in the US. However, African American adolescents benefit the least from evidence-based weight loss interventions, often experiencing poor treatment retention and low motivation. Participant evaluations provide key information for future development of family-based weight loss interventions able to address these barriers. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of African American adolescent and caregivers participating in the FIT Families trial for program satisfaction and content palatability. Content analysis was used to analyze semi-structured exit interviews from 136 African American adolescents [median age 14 years, 69% female] and caregiver pairs [primarily mothers] participating in a family-based 6-month behavioral weight loss intervention that was delivered either in the home or in an office setting. Participants reported most program practices [location, parent involvement, interpersonal relationship with weight loss counselors] and intervention content [cognitive behavioral skills training, motivational interviewing, contingency management] were helpful. Many adolescents [49%] and their caregivers [47%] reported that the program was acceptable overall, however noted that areas for refinement did exist. Participants reported that managing the logistics of weekly sessions was hard. Families expressed a desire for more engaging skills-based learning and the inclusion of exercise sessions and additional tailoring to needs and interests. Individualization, active learning, and support around parenting continues to be beneficial when designing interventions.

Incorporation of [U-14C]glucose into neutral lipids and sn-glycerol-3-phosphate in muscle from Duchenne muscular dystrophy and control patients.

Muscle biopsy tissue from patients suffering from a wide range of neuromuscular disorders, normal muscle removed during regular orthopaedic procedures, and muscle from aborted human fetuses of 12--20 weeks gestation was dissected into fibre-bundles and incubated at 37 degrees C with [U-14C]glucose at a final concentration of 4 mM. Extracts made: (i) after 30 min were used to determine content and radioactivity of sn-glycerol-3-phosphate, and (ii) after 160 min for separation of lipid species. Dystrophic muscle from 8 patients with typical Duchenne dystrophy converted significantly more glucose than normal muscle (11 samples) into neutral lipids, but less into polar lipids. Of total lipid radioactivity a mean value of 66% was found in neutral lipid in the Duchenne group, while in various control groups this proportion was about 40%. The disparity observed was the result of greater incorporation of glucose label into triglycerides, chiefly in the glycerol moiety of the Duchenne group lipids, and was some 3 times greater than normal. Other muscle disease groups also showed slightly raised levels of incorporation but these were not statistically significant in the present series of results. The content and radioactivity of glycerol phosphate in muscle from 15 patients with Duchenne dystrophy were also significantly higher than in normal muscle. These findings are discussed in relation to glucose metabolism in muscle and the energy cost of transforming glucose into triglyceride.

The role of family influences in development and risk.

Various influences in the family environment contribute to children of alcoholics' (COAs') risk of developing alcoholism and other mental health problems. These risk factors include alcohol-specific influences, which selectively predict alcohol problems, and alcohol-nonspecific influences, which predict a variety of mental health problems. Alcohol-specific family influences include modeling of parental drinking behavior, development of alcohol expectancies, and the family's ethnic background. Parental psychopathology, the family's socioeconomic status, and general family psychopathology are examples of alcohol-nonspecific risk factors, which increase the COA's risk of behavior disorders as well as of alcoholism. The families of COA's who are at highest risk for alcoholism and other mental health problems are characterized by the aggregation of numerous alcohol-specific and alcohol-nonspecific risk factors.

The effect of facial animation on the aging upper half of the face.

Sixty patients, ranging in age from 29 to 74 years, were studied for the effect of animation of the upper half of the face on the aging features. Patients were divided into three categories according to the dominant behavioral pattern: brow lifters, frowners, and squinters. Brow ptosis was accentuated laterally in the squinters and medially in the frowners. The brow-lifter group showed more uniform displacement of the eyebrow. The coarse wrinkles or the animation lines also correlated well with the animation pattern. These patterns are acquired in childhood and remain subconsciously in effect throughout adult life and therefore have a significant effect on brow ptosis.

The fate and persistence of trifluoroacetic and chloroacetic acids in pond waters.

The environmental fate of trichloro-, dichloro-, and monochloroacetic acids, and trifluoroacetic acid was investigated using field aquatic microcosms and laboratory sediment-water systems. Trifluoroacetic acid was extremely persistent and showed no degradation during a one-year field study, though it appeared to undergo transient partitioning within an unknown pond phase as the temperature of the surroundings was reduced. Of the three chloroacetic acids, trichloro had the longest residence time (induction and decay) (approximately 40 d), dichloro the shortest (approximately 4 d), and monochloro an intermediate residence time (approximately 14 d). Laboratory studies suggest that the biodegradation of trichloro-, dichloro-, and monochloroacetic acids leads primarily to the formation of chloride and oxalic, glyoxalic, and glycolic acids, respectively.

Survey of future injectables.

There has been an explosion in the technology of injectable filler materials for soft tissue augmentation of the face in the past decade. As a result, this is an exciting field and has provided surgeons who treat the aging face with newer, minimally invasive tools and techniques to augment the soft tissues of the face. In general, there are four classes of materials available for soft-tissue augmentation: synthetic, xenogeneic, homogeneic, and autogeneic. Moreover, within each class, these materials can be further divided, according to their longevity, into permanent materials, materials that last an undefined prolonged time, and temporary fillers. These products allow the surgeon and the patient to make choices that will give the best cosmetic results.

Facial rejuvenation with botulinum.

Botulinum toxin type A (Botox) blocks the release of neurotransmitter acetylcholine at the presynaptic neuromuscular junction leading to an irreversible, but temporary muscular paralysis and weakness. This can produce a significant improvement of wrinkling in the upper face caused by the actions of the facial muscles. A prospective clinical study representing a 15-month experience with this new technique is presented. Patient selection and evaluation, classification of animation lines, techniques, results, and complications are discussed.