Psychometric properties of the Mental Retardation Attitude Inventory-Revised in Chinese college students.

BACKGROUND: This study examines the psychometric properties of the Mental Retardation Attitude Inventory-Revised (MRAI-R; Antonak & Harth) in Chinese college students. The research questions included: (1) Is the MRAI-R a reliable measure for Chinese college student? (2) Is the MRAI-R related to familiarity with people with intellectual disabilities (PWID) and professional training? and (3) Does the four-factor model of the MRAI-R fit the Chinese college student data? METHOD: Five hundred and thirty-four college students from China participated in the study. Descriptive, Pearson product-moment correlation, Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient and factor analyses were used to examine the reliability and validity of the MRAI-R in this Chinese college student sample. RESULTS: The alpha coefficient reliability of the total scale of the MRAI-R was 0.78. The alpha coefficient reliabilities for the integration-segregation (INSE) subscale, the social distance (SDIS) subscale, the private rights (PRRT) subscale and the subtle derogatory beliefs (SUDB) subscale were 0.50 (INSE), 0.78 (SDIS), 0.50 (PRRT) and 0.21 (SUDB) respectively. Correlation analyses indicated that familiarity with PWID and professional training had a weak correlation with attitudes towards PWID. A confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the standardized factor loadings and goodness-of-fit indices were inadequate (the chi-square/degrees of freedom ratio = 3.24; the goodness-of-fit index = 0.85; the comparative fit index = 0.69; the RMSEA* = 0.07). A principal axis factoring analysis (PAF) with oblique rotation identified three factors with 25% of the variance accounted for the sample. However, the results of this PAF were factorial complex and not interpretable in that many items of the scale had double loadings on more than one factor. CONCLUSIONS: The factor structure of the MRAI-R in this sample of Chinese college students did not replicate the structure found in American adults. Although the SDIS subscale of the MRAI-R appeared to be a reliable instrument among the four subscales of the MRAI-R, the reliabilities of the INSE, PRRT and SUDB subscales were low. Continuing investigations of the utility of the MRAI-R in Chinese culture is needed. Attitude instruments based on Chinese culture may be developed.

Levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) with conjugated oral equine estrogen: a successful regimen for HRT in perimenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to assess the long-term efficacy (5 years) of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) in protecting the endometrium from hyperplasia during estrogen replacement therapy in perimenopausal women. METHODS: Prospective, open, outpatient clinical trial in London and Oxford. Eighty-two women received oral conjugated equine estrogen 1.25 mg daily and LNG-IUS releasing 20 mug levonorgestrel per 24 h. Endometrial biopsy and histological assessment were performed annually. Endometrial thickness was measured by vaginal ultrasonography. RESULTS: Non-proliferative endometrium was present at the end of cycles 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 in 98.6, 98.6, 95.5, 96.8 and 95.2% of the participants respectively. No endometrial hyperplasias were confirmed throughout a period of 60 cycles. The proportion of amenorrhoeic women increased from 54.4% at 12 cycles to 92.7% at the end of the study. The continuation rate per 100 women at 60 cycles was 79.84 (95% CI 71.0-88.6). CONCLUSIONS: The LNG-IUS with estrogen supplementation in perimenopausal women suppresses endometrial proliferation resulting in amenorrhoea and relieves vasomotor symptoms. The treatment regimen is well tolerated and provides an alternative strategy for perimenopausal women with the likelihood of increasing compliance.

Contraception. Slow train gathers speed.

PIP: The otherwise slow pace of contraceptive research developments has recently quickened, with new products developed, more on the way, and encouraging new data emerging about existing methods. While the 1995 UK pill scare called attention to a differential in the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) between pills containing levonorgestrel or norethisterone and those containing desogestrel or gestodene, there is only an extremely small level of excess mortality attributable to third-generation progestogens, less than 2 per million women per year. Tentative evidence suggests that pills with less anti-estrogenic progestogens are neutral with regard to coronary artery disease. The pill remains extremely safe for healthy young women, although additional research with larger numbers of participants is warranted. Salient research findings are that the combined oral contraceptive pill may protect against colon cancer, the pill appears to offer no protection against bone fractures, new products contain less estrogen and have a shortened pill-free interval, a WHO paper showed no significant association between cardiovascular disease and the use of oral or injectable progestogens, a UK study showed no correlation between bone density and plasma estrogen concentrations among long-term users of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, and a WHO controlled trial found a progestogen-only method of emergency contraception to be considerably more effective in preventing expected pregnancies than the Yuzpe regimen. The T 380 copper IUD provides very high protection against intrauterine and extrauterine pregnancies for 10 years and is now available in an improved inserting mechanism, the Mirena levonorgestrel-releasing IUD system is now licensed for 5 years, and the GyneFIX IUD implant is a frameless device fixed during insertion to the fundal myometrium.^ieng

Comprehensive typing of HLA-DPB1 alleles by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).

Comprehensive typing of 53 HLA-DPB1 alleles was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method using 78 polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe (PCR-SSOP) defined DNA specimens (14 retrospective, 64 prospective). A single primer pair was used to amplify the second exon to obtain DPB1-specific amplified product of 294 bp. A combination of RFLPs and cleaved/uncleaved patterns of various endonucleases was employed to resolve DPB1 alleles. A panel of 13 endonucleases (RsaI, Sau96I, BsrBI, DdeI, BsaJI, BssHII, ScaI, ScaI, BbvI, BsgI, FokI, Bsp1286I and BstUI) yielded unique RFLP patterns for all but 2 pairs of DPB1 alleles. However, these remaining 2 pairs of rare alleles could be resolved by an additional digestion with AciI (DPB1*3901 from 4001 and DPB1*4901 from 5301). The unique RFLP patterns of 21 DPB1 alleles using PCR-SSOP typed DNA specimens had been verified. Of the 1,378 possible heterozygotic patterns, 69 pairs and a triplet had been identified that would yield identical RFLP patterns. However, all but one pair, DPB1*3901/5301 from 4001/4901, of these heterozygotes could be resolved by double digestions with appropriately selected endonucleases from the panel used here. Thus, PCR-RFLP remains a simple and effective method for high resolution DPB1 typing.

Comprehensive typing of DR52 (DRB3)-associated DRB1 and DRB3 alleles by PCR-RFLP.

The DR52-associated DRB1 and DRB3 alleles were resolved by PCR-RFLP. Second exon was amplified using four primer pairs (groups 1-4) for DRB1 and a pair for DRB3 alleles. Except for three endonucleases, all others had either none or only one site for a specific amplified product. Group 1 primers amplify 10 DRB1 alleles (DRB1*0302, 1101, 1302, 1303, 1305, 1307, 1402, 1403, 1407 and 1409). All but one pair, DRB1*1402 from 1409, could be resolved using seven endonucleases (ApaI, SacII, FokI, AvaII, BsaAI, BsrBI and SfaNI). Group 2 consisted of four alleles (DRB1*1201, 1202, 1404 and 1411) that can be resolved along with co-amplified DRB1*0804 and 0806 using five endonucleases (AvaII, SacII, FokI, HaeII and RsaI). Group 3 primers amplify 15 DRB1 alleles (DRB1*0301, 0303, 1102, 1103, 1104, 1107, 1301, 1304, 1306, 1308, 1401, 1405, 1406, 1408 and 14-New), which can be resolved using nine enzymes (KpnI, AvaII, FokI, SacII, HaeII, BsrBI, SfaNI, DdeI and RsaI). BsrBI, a new endonuclease, can resolve DRB1*1301 from 1306 and the previously unresolved allele DRB1*1103 from 1104. DRB1*1410, co-amplified with DR4 group-specific primers, is resolved with PstI which cleaves all DR4 alleles but not DRB1*1410. All four DRB3 alleles (DRB3*0101, 0201, 0202 and 0301) and their heterozygotes are resolved using two endonucleases, RsaI and HphI. Thirty-four DR52-associated alleles and their heterozygotes can be unambiguously resolved, except for DRB1*1402 from 1409.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

In situ augmentation of class I major histocompatibility antigen expression on immunogenic variants of a spontaneous murine mammary carcinoma.

The relationship between expression of cell surface glycoproteins encoded by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and immunogenicity of a recently obtained spontaneous murine mammary adenocarcinoma (designated CBA.SP1) was examined. Immunogenic and nonimmunogenic variant clones were isolated from a subclone of the parent tumor after treatment with the mutagen N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) or the DNA hypomethylating agent and "gene activator," 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dCyd). All clones from the untreated tumor population were tumorigenic in normal syngeneic recipients. In contrast, immunogenic variant clones, isolated at high frequencies after drug treatment [ranging from 5% (5-aza-dCyd treated) to greater than 90% (MNNG treated)], were rejected in normal syngeneic mice but grew progressively in T-cell deficient nude mice. Consistent with our previous report (J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 75: 291, 1985), all 5-aza-dCyd induced immunogenic clones expressed elevated levels of class I (particularly Dk) MHC antigens. However some (three out of nine) nonimmunogenic clones also showed enhanced class I MHC expression, implying that not all high MHC expressors were immunogenic. In contrast to 5-aza-dCyd induced variants, only 50% of MNNG induced immunogenic variants showed elevated levels of Dk or Dk and Kk antigens in vitro. Strong augmentation of class I MHC antigens in situ was observed on all immunogenic, but not nonimmunogenic, clones following transplant into syngeneic mice; no increase in MHC expression on variants during progressive growth in athymic nude mice occurred. Although no class II (Ak or Ek) antigens were detected on the parent line or any of the immunogenic variants, a strong infiltration of host I-A bearing cells occurred during immune rejection of SP1 variants. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that induction of class I MHC antigen expression on certain low MHC expressing tumors, although not the sole requirement for immunogenicity, can facilitate immune rejection of the SP1 tumor and, conversely, that the reduced level of MHC observed in certain clinical cancers may significantly affect the immunological aspects of the tumor-host relationship.