Violence against trainee paediatricians.

BACKGROUND: Much research has looked at the extent of violence against doctors, but this has been restricted mainly to psychiatry, general practice, and accident and emergency. AIMS: To assess the level of violence against trainee paediatricians. METHODS: A telephone questionnaire was addressed to 25 specialist registrars/senior registrars/senior SHOs in each of three regions in the UK: Northern Ireland, South Thames, and North West England. RESULTS: Sixty eight of 75 (90.7%) trainee paediatricians had been exposed in at least one circumstance to a violent incident, 47 of which incidents (62.3%) had occurred in the past year. Thirty one (41%) had suffered threats on at least one occasion. Although only 5.3% of the interviewees had been victims of actual physical assault, more than 10% said that an attempted assault had taken place. Most of the doctors who had experienced a violent episode (41/68) worried about the incident after return from work and yet only one was offered any counselling. Only nine (13.2%) had ever formally reported an incident to hospital management. Less than 10% of those questioned had received any formal training in the management of violent people, although 99% thought this would be a good idea. CONCLUSIONS: Paediatric trainees are involved in high risk situations at work (for example, child protection and casualty) which frequently result in exposure to violence. Very few report these incidents officially, but often underplay them. More attention should be given to the training and counselling needs of paediatric trainees.

The kinesin light chain gene: its mapping and exclusion in mouse and human forms of inherited motor neuron degeneration.

The underlying genetic cause is known for only 10-20% of familial motor neuron disease (MND). Thus the genes involved in the aetiology of 80-90% of familial MND remain to be determined, and animal models are powerful tools for undertaking this task. We have mapped a heritable form of motor neuron degeneration in the mouse to a region that has homology to human chromosome 14q32.1-qter. This region contains the kinesin light chain gene (KLC1), which is a candidate for involvement in motor neuron degeneration because of its function in the motor-protein kinesin, and its neuronal expression. To investigate the role of KLC1 in a mouse motor neuron degeneration mutant that we are studying, we have identified mouse Klc1 gene sequences and mapped them with respect to our mutant locus. We have also investigated KLC1 in human patients with familial MND. Based on recombination and the absence of mutations in the coding region of KLC1, this gene can be excluded as a candidate gene in our mouse mutation and, where we have investigated, it is normal in human familial MND.

Ammonium production in sediments inhibited with molybdate: implications for the sources of ammonium in anoxic marine sediments.

Ammonium production in the presence of specific inhibitors of sulfate reduction and methanogenesis was investigated in six marine sediments which differed in bulk properties and organic matter input. In all cases, little effect of the inhibitors on ammonium production was observed, although sulfate reduction was suppressed by molybdate. This gives evidence that the processes of fermentation and hydrolysis are of primary importance in ammonium generation at the sites studied. Although sulfate reduction rates may appear to be coupled to ammonium production rates, sulfate reduction does not necessarily contribute directly to generation of ammonium in marine environments.

Peptidyl-glycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase is present in islet secretory granules of the anglerfish, Lophius americanus.

Anglerfish islet secretory granules have been examined for the presence of an enzyme which could perform C-terminal amidation of glucagon-like peptide II and possibly anglerfish peptide Y. Using [125I]D-Tyr-Val-Gly as substrate, a peptidyl-glycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PAM) was detected in islet secretory granule lysates. The enzyme is active between pH 6.0 and 8.5 and exhibits maximal activity near pH 7.0. The islet PAM requires Cu2+, ascorbate, and molecular oxygen for activity. Other divalent metal ions and redox cofactors were tested and found to be inactive in the assay. Even though added Cu2+ and ascorbate are required for detecting islet PAM activity, when these factors were incubated with substrate in the absence of secretory granule lysate, no activity was observed. It was also found that the addition of higher than optimal concentrations of either Cu2+ or ascorbate inhibited amidating activity. The results demonstrate that a PAM is present in secretory granules of anglerfish islet tissue. The characteristics of the islet PAM are similar to those of PAMs identified and characterized in other tissues which produce bioactive C-terminally amidated peptides.