The dyadic interview as a tool for nursing research.

Dyadic interviewing is an efficient, parsimonious, and valuable tool in qualitative research. It can facilitate the production of very rich data sets, enable the researcher to remain in role, protect the credibility of, and produce evidence of the quality of the data.

A process-driven curriculum in nursing education.

Myers et. al. show what a curriculum looks like when it's based on learning strategies and thinking processes instead of being content based. The authors identify five critical operations: clinical process, consultation, managerial process, educative/learning and the investigative processes. New NLN procedures encourage such creative designs; you'll enjoy reading about this one.

Homosexual mutuality: variation on a theme by Erik Erikson.

The exploratory descriptive study described here was conducted in order to produce the initial empirical evidence to support reformulation of the theoretical construct of heterosexual mutuality (Erikson, 1975). Six persons were interviewed in depth on tape in order to locate them on one of four identity statuses constructed by Marcia (1964, 1966, 1973). The tool was modified and extended to meet the purposes of the study. The questions are directed toward illumination of conflictual moments in the life cycle when the ability to make appropriate decisions engenders character growth, and supports the personality integration of adulthood. An ability to make decisions results in personality integration. The small study provides evidence that there exists a homosexual mutuality (contrary to Erikson's position) which is no less valuable than heterosexual mutuality, and forms an equal basis for adult personality integration.

[Principles and definitions in epidemiology (author's transl)]. / Principes et définitions de l'épidémiologie.

When medical research became concerned with the aetiology of chronic diseases, it also became necessary to adapt the principles enounced by Koch for the study of acute infectious diseases and this was expressed most satisfactorily by Evans. These changes entailed the profusion of new definitions of epidemiology which were recently reviewed by Evans and led him to propose a new one--the 24th. One important characteristic of epidemiology, however, does not appear clearly in these various definitions, namely that it is a branch of medicine. In short, it could be defined as the medical science of human groups. The authors show how the work of the epidemiologist parallels that of the medical practitioner facing a patient. The observation of the distribution of the disease within the population, referred to as descriptive epidemiology corresponds to the clinical examination and the enumeration of symptoms in the individual. The clinical interpretation of the symptoms and reasoning leading to a diagnosis is paralleled by the work of the "analytical" epidemiologist trying to discover the aetiological factors of the disease. The clinician finally takes action and administers treatment, while the findings of the epidemiologist find their application in Public Health preventive action. The authors conclude by proposing a modified version of Evans' definition of epidemiology; it reads: "Epidemiology is the quantitative study of physiological, prepathological and pathological conditions and processes in human populations, in relation to natural or man-made environmental factors which account for or favour their inception, development or disappearance. Its purpose is to prevent health disorders, to reduce their incidence or to lessen their ill effects. Epidemiology uses the resources of all medical sciences, plus all those--including statistics--imposed by its specific subject. It is the medical science of human groups. It completes and expands traditional medicine dealing with individuals".

[Non-A, Non-B hepatitis : status of current knowledge (authors' transl)]. / Les hépatites dites Non-A, Non-B. Revue générale des conceptions actuelles.

The many studies carried out following post-transfusion hepatitis cases, not due to the A and B viruses identified to date, have provided incontestable evidence that cases with all the clinical, biochemical and histopathological characteristics of A and B hepatitis, but etiologically distinct, do exist. These have been temporarily termed "Non-A, Non-B" (NANB). The epidemiology, duration of incubation period and type of evolution, including the risk to evolve towards chronic hepatitis are common to both B and NANB hepatitis. NANB hepatitis can be experimentally transmitted to chimpanzees, but the disease may have milder characteristics. Immunological studies have revealed the presence of corresponding antigens and antibodies in certain NANB hepatitis cases, which may hopefully lead to the development of serological methods of diagnosis after confirmation of these results. Two categories candidate virus have been so far proposed: either DNA viruses similar, to, but immunologically distinct from the hepatitis B virus, or small RNA viruses. The identification and role of such viruses in the determination of NANB hepatitis warrant further study. However, it already appears possible to postulate, on the basis of epidemiological, clinical, immunological and experimental data, that at least two etiologically different types of NANB hepatitis should exist.

Further studies of antibody levels to Herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, measles virus, and adenovirus type 5 in Burkitt's lymphoma patients.

Sera collected from Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) patients before and after tumor manifestation were tested for antibodies to herpes simplex virus (HSV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), measles virus (MV) and adenovirus type 5, using the immunofluorescent (IF) techniques in all instances except for MV where complement fixation (CF) was used. It was found that none of these viruses showed higher antibody levels in BL patients than in controls, either before or after the appearance of the tumor. The patients came from the West Nile District of Uganda.

EBNA antibodies are more useful than complement fixing antibodies in monitoring infectious mononucleosis patients.

Thirty-six patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM) were followed prospectively for both anti-Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen (EBNA) and complement-fixing antibodies using the soluble EBV antigen (CF/S). Discrepancies in time between the two reactivities were found, due to the differences in sensitivity of the tests. It is suggested that, in clinical virology laboratories, EBNA and not CF/S tests be used.

Interactions of Shope papilloma virus with some other DNA viruses.

The interactions of Shope papilloma virus (SPV) with primate and rabbit cells in tissue culture have been investigated. The rabbit cell cultures were derived from normal epidermis, from SPV-infected epidermis, from SPV-induced papillomas, and from an SPV-associated carcinoma. None of these cell cultures, whether infected in vitro with SPV or derived from tissues infected in vivo, ever produced infectious SPV or even detectable viral antigens. Some other DNA viruses behaved differently in cells which had been in previous contact with SPV either in vitro or in vivo. Adenovirus type 5 multiplies better in human cells infected 24 h previously with SPV than in the untreated controls. The production of infectious virions of either herpes simplex virus or Shope fibroma virus is reduced in cells derived from SPV-induced papillomas or carcinoma, due, apparently, to a defect in viral maturation. Of the rabbit cells, only those derived from in vivo infected tissue, or those previously infected in vitro with SPV, could be transformed by SV40. The rabbit cell lines derived from papillomas or carcinoma differed from their counterparts derived either from normal epidermis or from tissue infected 24 hrs before biopsy, in their karyotype, and in their ability to grow in soft agar. Similar karyotypic alterations were induced in cells derived from healthy epidermis by infection in vitro with SPV.

The use of IgM antibody responses in the diagnosis of primary infections to measles, rubella, mumps, and M. Parainfluenzae viruses.

One-hundred and twenty-seven sera were tested to determine whether a primary infection could be identified by a determination of the class of antibody (IgM) detected in serum collected in the period after a viral infection. Serum was collected from patients with a history of measles (18 cases), rubella (24 cases), mumps (12 cases), and M. parainfluenzae type 3 infections (9 cases). The results of the serological assays are compared with clinical observations and the limitations of the methods under consideration are discussed.