Traumatic events and psychotic experiences: a nationally representative study in Thailand.

AIMS: Most research exploring the link between traumatic events and psychotic experiences has focused on either Australia, Europe or North America. In this study, we expand the existing knowledge to Thailand and investigate the impact of the type and the number of traumatic events on psychotic experiences in Thailand. METHODS: We used data from the nationally representative 2013 Thai National Mental Health Survey (TNMHS), including questions on traumatic events and psychotic experiences. We regressed the lifetime experience of hallucinations or delusions against the following independent variables: the experience of any traumatic event during lifetime (dichotomous; hypothesis 1); the experience of either no traumatic event, one interpersonal, one unintentional or both interpersonal and unintentional traumatic events (categorical; hypothesis 2) and the number of traumatic events experienced during lifetime (categorical; hypothesis 3). We adjusted the regression models for sociodemographic indicators and psychiatric disorders, and considered survey weights. RESULTS: About 6% (95% confidence interval: 4.9-7.0) of the respondents stated that they had either hallucinatory or delusional experiences during their lifetime. The risk of reporting such experiences was more than doubled as high among respondents who had experienced at least one traumatic event during their lifetime than among those who had not yet experienced one, with higher risks for interpersonal or multiple traumatic events. Our results further indicated an increase in the risk of psychotic experiences as the number of traumatic events increased, with up to an eight-fold higher risk for people exposed to five or more traumatic events in their lifetime, compared to those with no traumatic events. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals reporting interpersonal or multiple traumatic events face much higher risk of psychotic experiences. Effective and widely accessible secondary prevention programmes for people having experienced interpersonal or multiple traumatic events constitute a key intervention option.

Protons, Photons, and the Prostate - Is There Emerging Evidence in the Ongoing Discussion on Particle Therapy for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer?

Proton therapy is actively and repeatedly discussed within the framework of particle therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer (PC). The argument in favor of treating the prostate with protons is partly financial: given that small volumes are treated, treatment times are low, resulting in a hypothetical high patient throughput. However, such considerations should not form the basis of medical decision-making. There are also physical and biological arguments which further support the use of particle therapy for PC. The only relevant randomized data currently available is the study by Zietman and colleagues, comparing a high to a low proton boost, resulting in a significant increase in PSA-free survival in the experimental (high dose) arm (1). With modern photon treatments and image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), equally high doses can be applied with photons and, thus, a randomized trial comparing high-end photons to protons is warranted. For high-linear energy transfer (LET) particles, such as carbon ions, the increase in relative biological effectiveness could potentially convert into an improvement in outcome. Additionally, through the physical differences of protons and carbon ions, the steeper dose gradient with carbon ions and the lack of beam broadening in the carbon beam lead to a superior dose distribution supporting the idea of hypofractionation. Biological and clinical data are emerging, however, has practice-changing evidence already arrived?

Low genetic variability and strong differentiation among isolated populations of the rare steppe grass Stipa capillata L. in Central Europe.

Stipa capillata L. (Poaceae) is a rare grassland species in Central Europe that is thought to have once been widespread in post-glacial times. Such relict species are expected to show low genetic diversity within populations and high genetic differentiation between populations due to bottlenecks, long-term isolation and ongoing habitat fragmentation. These patterns should be particularly pronounced in selfing species. We analysed patterns of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) variation in the facultatively cleistogamous S. capillata to examine whether genetic diversity is associated with population size, and to draw initial conclusions on the migration history of this species in Central Europe. We analysed 31 S. capillata populations distributed in northeastern, central and western Germany, Switzerland and Slovakia. Estimates of genetic diversity at the population level were low and not related to population size. Among all populations, extraordinarily high levels of genetic differentiation (amova: phi(ST) = 0.86; Bayesian analysis: theta(B) = 0.758) and isolation-by-distance were detected. Hierarchical amova indicated that most of the variability was partitioned among geographic regions (59%), or among populations between regions when the genetically distinct Slovakian populations were excluded. These findings are supported by results of a multivariate ordination analysis. We also found two different groups in an UPGMA cluster analysis: one that contained the populations from Slovakia, and the other that combined the populations from Germany and Switzerland. Our findings imply that S. capillata is indeed a relict species that experienced strong bottlenecks in Central Europe, enhanced by isolation and selfing. Most likely, populations in Slovakia were not the main genetic source for the post-glacial colonization of Central Europe.

High-flow nasal cannula as a device to provide continuous positive airway pressure in infants.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the intrapharyngeal pressure (IPP) generated by high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) at varying flow rates up to 5 l min(-1). STUDY DESIGN: We studied 14 infants on HFNC or NCPAP using IPP manometry to measure the IPP generated at flows of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 l min(-1). RESULT: On average flow rates of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 l min(-1) generated an IPP (cm of H(2)O) of 1.70+/-0.34, 1.75+/-0.2, 2.62+/-0.28, 3.78+/-0.44 and 4.84+/-0.51 respectively. CONCLUSION: HFNC delivers significant IPP and is potentially a well-tolerated and viable option to provide CPAP at flows of > or = 3 min(-1) in infants with respiratory distress.

Does opening the peritoneum at the time of renal transplanation prevent lymphocele formation?

BACKGROUND: The occurrence of lymphocele formation following renal transplantation is variable, and the optimal approach to treatment remains undefined. Opening the peritoneum at the time of transplantation is one method of decreasing the incidence of lymphocele formation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether creating a peritoneal window at the time of transplantation decreases the incidence of lymphocele formation. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of renal transplants conducted at our institution between 2002 and 2004. Records were reviewed to obtain details regarding opening of the peritoneum at the time of transplant and occurrence of lymphocele. Every patient underwent routine ultrasound imaging in the peri-operative period. Graft dysfunction secondary to the lymphocele was the primary indication for intervention. Data were analyzed by chi-square. RESULTS: During the initial transplant the peritoneum was opened in 35% of patients. The overall incidence of fluid collections, identified by ultrasound, was 24%. Opening the peritoneum did not decrease the incidence of lymphocele. However, more patients with a closed peritoneum required an intervention for a symptomatic lymphocele. In the 11 patients with an open peritoneum and a fluid collection, only one required an intervention. In patients whose peritoneum was left intact, 24% of fluid collections required intervention. Graft survival was equivalent. CONCLUSION: Creating a peritoneal window at the time of transplantation did not decrease the overall incidence of postoperative fluid collections. However, forming a peritoneal window at the time of transplantation did decrease the incidence of symptomatic lymphocele.

Sialoforms of dipeptidylpeptidase IV from rat kidney and liver.

Dipeptidylpeptidase IV (DPP IV, CD26), a serine-type exo- and endopeptidase found in the cell surface membrane of many tissues, was employed as a model membrane glycoprotein to study the expression of sialoforms on cell surface glycoproteins. Native, enzymatically active DPP IV was purified from plasma membranes of kidney and liver by lectin affinity chromatography in conjunction with crown ether anion exchange chromatography. The enzyme was gradient-eluted in continuous fractions, all showing a single polypeptide band of about 100 kDa when separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) under reducing, denaturing conditions. Analysis of the purified DPP IV by isoelectric focusing (IEF) showed that it consists of several polypeptides of different isoelectric points (IP) ranging from 5.5 to 7.0. In vitro- desialylation of the enzyme and subsequent isoelectric focusing revealed that the differences in isoelectric points were due to differences in the degree of sialylation. Differences in the degree of sialylation between the fractions were also demonstrated by SDS-PAGE under nonreducing and nondenaturing conditions. Increased sialylation of the enzyme as demonstrated by isoelectric focusing resulted in increased migration velocity in nonreducing and nondenaturing SDS-polyacrylamide gels. In vitro -desialylation of the enzyme and its resialylation confirmed that sialylation was responsible for this extraordinary migration behavior. The native enzyme was predominantly sialylated via alpha 2, 6-linkage, as shown by lectin affinity blotting employing Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA) and Maackia amurensis agglutinin (MAA). These findings demonstrate that a distinct membrane glycoprotein may exist in various sialoforms, distinguished from each other by a different number of sialic acid residues. Moreover, these sialoforms can be individually purified by crown ether anion exchange chromatography.

Domain-specific N-glycosylation of the membrane glycoprotein dipeptidylpeptidase IV (CD26) influences its subcellular trafficking, biological stability, enzyme activity and protein folding.

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV, CD26) is an N-glycosylated type II plasma membrane protein. The primary structure of rat wild-type DPPIV contains eight potential N-glycosylation sites. To investigate the role of N-glycosylation in the function of DPPIV, three of its asparagine residues were separately converted to glutamine by site-directed mutagenesis. The resulting N-glycosylation mutants of rat DPPIV were studied in stable transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells. All three N-glycosylation mutants of DPPIV showed a reduced half-life, as well as differing degrees of inhibition of the processing of their N-glycans. Mutation of the first (Asn83-->Gln) or eighth (Asn686-->Gln) N-glycosylation site had only a small effect on its enzymatic activity, cell-surface expression and dimer formation, whereas the mutation of the sixth N-glycosylation site (Asn319-->Gln) abolished the enzymatic activity, eliminated cell-surface expression and prevented the dimerization of the DPPIV protein. The mutant [Gln319]DPPIV is retained in the cytoplasm and its degradation was drastically increased. Our data suggest that the N-glycosylation at Asn319 is involved in protein trafficking and correct protein folding.

Sexual assault and body esteem.

Past studies indicate that sexual assault is negatively associated with victims' general self-esteem, but little is known about how the experience affects body esteem. We hypothesized that sexual assault would have a long-term negative association with measures of both general self-esteem and body esteem. Participants were 76 women, ages 18 to 45 years, 13 of whom had been sexually assaulted at least one year previously. Analysis supported the hypothesis that the sexually assaulted women scored lower than nonassaulted women on Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale but not on the Body Esteem Scale. When individual body-attitude items were analyzed, the assaulted women's negative ratings of sexual activities fell just short of significance, so further and longitudinal study of a larger group is needed.

Characterisation of the ATP-dependent taurocholate-carrier protein (gp110) of the hepatocyte canalicular membrane.

The canalicular domain-specific glycoprotein gp110, which recently has been shown to function as an ATP-dependent taurocholate transporter, has been purified 1800-fold from rat liver plasma membranes. gp110 has been characterised as an integral plasma membrane protein with M(r) of 100,000-115,000 and pI of 2.5-3.5 and possesses a highly glycosylated and negatively charged extra-cellular domain. The broad range of M(r) and pI values results from the existence of numerous glycoforms composed of sialylated N-glycans. After deglycosylation, the polypeptide has M(r) 48,000 and pI 5.0. In primary cultures of rat hepatocytes, gp110 is synthesised with M(r) 110,000, while in the presence of tunicamycin the non-glycosylated form has M(r) 48,000. In the presence of 1-deoxymannojirimycin, two forms of M(r) 83,000 and M(r) 91,000 were found, which were converted by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H into a single 52,000-M(r) band, indicating the existence of two basic glycoforms at the oligomannosyl stage of biosynthesis. gp110 was phosphorylated at serine residues in primary cultures of hepatocytes. The sequences of ten internal peptides of gp110 were identical to the sequence of the high-M(r) form of ecto-ATPase, but ecto-ATPase activity from plasma-membrane extracts was not depleted by anti-(gp110) serum. In contrast, Fab fragments of these antibodies inhibit the aggregation of freshly isolated hepatocytes.