Sociodemographic factors and the variation in syphilis rates among US counties, 1984 through 1993: an ecological analysis

OBJECTIVES: Syphilis in the United States is focally distributed, with high incidence rates in the South and in metropolitan areas nationwide. In this study an ecological analysis, using the county as the unit of analysis, was performed to generate hypotheses about community-level determinants of syphilis rates. METHODS: Bivariate rank correlations and multivariate, backward stepwise elimination linear regressions were performed. Mean annual incidence of primary- and secondary-stage syphilis in a county was the dependent variable, and county sociodemographic characteristics (from census data) were the independent variables. RESULTS: In the multivariate regression model, sociodemographic characteristics accounted for 71% of the variation in syphilis rates among counties. With other factors accounted for, the most highly correlated characteristics were percentage non-Hispanic Black population, county location in the South, percentage of the population that was urban, percentage Hispanic population, and percentage of births to women younger than 20 years. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the variation in syphilis rates among counties is accounted for by sociodemographic characteristics. Identification and remediation of modifiable health determinants for which these factors are markers are needed to improve the health status of these populations.     

Isolation of a pentraxin-like protein from rainbow trout serum

To investigate the outcome of Graves' thyrotoxicosis after antithyroid drug management, data from 81 patients, treated in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Taipei and Linkou from October 1981 to March 1990, were analyzed. The gender ratio of female to male was 59:22. The mean age of onset was 33.1 +/- 10.5(15-60) year-old. All the patients were treated with antithyroid drug (Thionamide group) for a duration of 11 to 63 months (mean +/- SD = 28.1 +/- 9.8 months). Forty of 81 patients (49.4%) were remained remission after up to 2 years of follow-up. Those patients relapse usually occurred within 2 years after discontinuation of treatment (34/41), and only one exceptional case relapsed after 3 years. Three conditions affected the relapse rate. Patients with larger goiter (grade II-III) and shorter duration of treatment (< 23 months) had a higher relapse rate than those-with smaller goiter (grade O-I) [29/46 vs. 12/35; chi 2 = 6.576, p = 0.010; p = 0.015 in stepwise logistic regression (LR)] and longer duration of treatment (> or = 23 months) (15/20 vs. 26/61; chi 2 = 6.316, p = 0.012; p = 0.020 in LR). Patients with higher pre-treated serum triiodothyronine (T3) level (T3 > or = 300 ng/dl) had a higher relapse rate than those with lower T3 level (T3 < 300 ng/dl) in univariate analysis (30/50 vs. 11/31, chi 2 = 4.601, p = 0.032), but no significant difference by LR (P = 0.094). Other clinical parameters including age, sex, past history, family history, thyroxine (T4) level, T3/T4 ratio, thyroid autoantibodies, staging of ophthalmopathy, responsiveness to thyrotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test at the end of treatment, and whether combined treatment with thyroxine had no significant difference between the relapse and remission groups. These data suggest: (a) patients with larger goiter (grade II-III had higher relapse rate; (b) most of the recurrent thyrotoxicosis patients relapsed within two years after drug withdrawal; (c) continuing treatment for more than twenty-three months produces better outcome; (d) patients with Graves' thyrotoxicosis should be followed up for at least three years after withdrawal of antithyroid drug.     

Effects of attachment bereavement and pre-event conditions on subsequent depressive symptoms in older adults.

A sample of 1,411 older adults (age 55+) who had been interviewed both prior to and after bereavement was studied, allowing for pre-event controls. Those who had lost a parent, spouse, or child had the strongest depressive reactions, as predicted by an attachment-bonding hypothesis; however, material losses were also related to depression. Although bereavement/loss events were clearly related to subsequent depression even after pre-event depression, resources, and events were controlled, certain pre-event characteristics were predictive of the bereavement/loss events, including prior undesirable events, age, and urban/rural residency. A further analysis of 1,007 persons with two post-event interviews (at 6-month to 1-year follow-up) revealed an initial depressive reaction to a bereavement/loss event, which then dissipated completely within 1 year's time. Generally, bereavement appeared to have limited etiologic importance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stressful life events and smoking behaviors in Chinese adolescents: a longitudinal analysis.

The associations between stressful life events and smoking have been established among adolescents in the United States. However, whether these relationships are similar in adolescents from other non-Western cultures is unknown. Understanding these relationships in adolescents may help to provide opportunities to reduce the smoking rates in those cultures by providing positive coping methods that do not include smoking. In this longitudinal study, the associations between nine stressful life events scales and smoking behaviors were examined in a sample of Chinese adolescents. Six of these scales, positive school-related, negative school-related, positive family-related, positive peer-related, negative peer-related, and negative health-related had significantly different means among females and males. Among males, positive school-related stress was a protective factor for smoking susceptibility. Among females, positive school-related stress was a protective factor and negative school-related stress was a risk factor for lifetime smoking, and negative family-related stress was a risk factor for smoking susceptibility. Findings indicate that smoking among male adolescents in China may not be the result of stress; however, in females stress may contribute to the decision to smoke. Future directions are discussed.     

Improved GaAs-based quantum cascade laser (/spl lambda//spl sim/11 /spl mu/m) using high-reflectivity metal facet coating

By applying a high-reflectivity metal coating to the rear facet of a GaAs-based quantum cascade laser operating at /spl lambda//spl sim/11.5 /spl mu/m, the threshold current has been reduced by 11% at 260 K and pulsed operation of the epilayer-up mounted device was extended from 283 to 294 K.     

NONDESTRUCTIVE EXAMINATION OF EPOXY ADHESIVE-BONDED STRUCTURES EXPOSED TO A HUMID ENVIRONMENT: A COMPARISONOF LOW- AND HIGH-FREQUENCY DIELECTRIC MEASUREMENTS

Broadband dielectric measurements (10 -2 to 3 GHz) are reported on the effects of exposure of thick film adhesive-bonded structures to moisture. Measurement of the dielectric properties over a broad frequency range allows identification of water both in voids and as a molecular dispersion in the matrix. Changes in the low frequency region of the dielectric spectrum can be attributed to a combination of processes associated with plasticisation of the adhesive, interfacial polarisation effects, and hydration of the surface oxide layer. The data obtained are complemented by mechanical testing and failure analysis of the bond structure measured as a function of the time of exposure. This study indicates that for thick film adhesives the ageing characteristics are apparently independent of the surface treatment. In one of the joints studied an additional feature is identified which appears to correlate with the premature aging of the joint structure.