Rearrest: does HIV serostatus make a difference?

Correctional facilities have become collection and containment centres for HIV-seropositive individuals. This is due to factors that affect incarceration in general: past criminal behaviour, age and crime type. In addition, the sex trade industry, intravenous drug use and community instability are likely factors affecting this particular population. The objective of this study was to determine whether HIV-positive offenders have higher rates of rearrest than HIV-negative offenders. A sample of HIV-positive offenders (n = 57) were seen for mental health evaluation at the King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) in Seattle Washington. They were compared to a historical sample (n = 254) of HIV-negative individuals also from the KCCF. After three months, 50% of both samples had been rearrested. Using the log rank test in Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, statistical difference in the relative risk of rearrest occurred for the HIV-positive group (logrank = 0.03). Statistical adjustment for mental illness, age, race, ethnicity, substance abuse history and past criminal history did not affect rearrest significantly. Nonetheless, HIV-positive individuals who presented with mental health needs appeared to be significantly more vulnerable to rearrest after the first three months of release into the community.

Key informant surveys as a tool to implement and evaluate physical activity interventions in the community.

Key informant surveys are important tools for planning and evaluating community health programs. A survey was conducted to gather views on policies toward physical activity from four sets of key informants: physicians, church leaders, business leaders and civic leaders. Surveys were mailed to 797 key informants who were selected from 12 southeastern Missouri counties. For comparison, data from a telephone survey of 2106 persons in the general population were also analyzed. The majority (> 85%) in all four key informant groups were very supportive of required physical education in schools, but less supportive (< 69%) of government funding for places where community members can exercise. Physicians perceived community members as having somewhat greater access to places to exercise relative to the other key informant groups. Comparisons of the key informant surveys to the population survey indicated similar levels of support for physical activity policy. The information from this survey has been useful in identifying support for physical activity policy and gaining access to potential influences for community change. Since key informant research in the area of physical activity policy and cardiovascular disease prevention is sparse, there is a need for future studies.

The role of Epstein-Barr virus in Hodgkin's disease from different geographical areas.

Recent studies have suggested that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may play a role in the aetiology of Hodgkin's disease. To determine the role of EBV in childhood Hodgkin's disease in different geographical areas, immunohistochemical staining and in situ hybridisation were used to analyse latent membrane protein 1 (LMP 1) and small nuclear non-transcribed RNAs (EBER-1) respectively. Testing for EBV within the Reed-Sternberg and Hodgkin's cells was carried out in childhood Hodgkin's disease from 10 different countries. The proportion of LMP 1 positive cases varied significantly, being 50% of cases from the United Kingdom (38/75), South Africa (9/18), Egypt (7/14), and Jordan (8/16), 60% from the United Arab Emirates (6/10), 70% from Australia (11/16), 81% from Costa Rica (34/42), 88% from Iran (7/8), 90% from Greece (20/22), and 100% of the 56 cases from Kenya. A sensitive polymerase chain reaction based EBV strain typing technique was established using archival tissues. EBV strain type 1 was shown to be predominant in childhood Hodgkin's disease from the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and Greece. Type 2 was predominant in Egypt. EBV strain types 1 and 2 were both detected in some cases of childhood Hodgkin's disease in the United Kingdom, Costa Rica, and Kenya. The high incidence of EBV and the presence especially in developing countries of dual infection with both strain types 1 and 2 may reflect socioeconomic conditions leading to malnutrition induced immunological impairment. The possibility of HIV infection also needs to be explored.

[Repeated failure of the suture line of an aortic valve prosthesis. Treatment by implantation of a valvular tube in the supra-coronary position]. / Dehiscencia recidivante de la línea de sutura de prótesis valvulares aórticas. Tratamiento por implantación de tubo valvulado en posición supracoronaria.

We present our 7 years' experience in the treatment of repeated stitch failure of the suture line on aortic valve replacements. We used a valved tube placed in the supra-coronary position. This technique prevented further stitch failure and also prevented postop infections. Of eight patients operated on, five had survived.