The UCLA Multidimensional Condom Attitudes Scale: Documenting the complex determinants of condom use in college students.

Describes the development and validation of the UCLA Multidimensional Condom Attitudes Scale (MCAS). The relationships between the MCAS and gender, sexual experience, intentions to use a condom, and past condom use were assessed. The MCAS has 5 distinct factors: (1) Reliability and Effectiveness of condoms, (2) the sexual Pleasure associated with condom use, (3) the stigma attached to persons who use condoms (Identity Stigma), (4) the Embarrassment About Negotiation and Use of condoms, and (5) the Embarrassment About the Purchase of condoms. Results strongly suggest that condom attitudes are multidimensional and thus cannot meaningfully be summed to a single global score. Results further indicate that men and women hold very different attitudes toward condoms. Implications of scale multidimensionality and directions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multiple epidural metastases and development of secondary metastatic spinal cord compression]

The purpose was to examine the frequency of initial multiple epidural metastases, and the occurrence of secondary spinal cord compression (SCC). One hundred and seven patients with SCC from a histologically verified solid tumour were followed prospectively with regular neurological examinations until death. Multiple metastases were demonstrated in 37 (35%). Eight (7.5%) patients developed a second occurrence of SCC all in a new location within the spinal canal. The second occurrence of SCC was found with the same frequency in patients with single metastases (7.1%) compared to patients with multiple metastases (8.1%). The median survival time after the diagnosis of spinal cord compression was 3.4 months, while in the group of patients who developed a second occurrence of SCC the median survival time was 9.2 months. We concluded that only symptomatic epidural metastases should be irradiated, and that all patients treated for SCC should be followed regularly and observed for development of a second SCC.     

Prevalence estimates and adolescent risk behavior: Cross-cultural differences in social influence.

Prevalence estimates and prototype perceptions related to health risk behaviors were assessed in comparable samples of Danish and American adolescents (ages 13–15 years). Partly on the basis of observation and previous research, the assumption was made that the American sample would report more self-enhancement tendencies than would the Danish sample. Consistent with this assumption, which was supported by the data, 2 hypotheses were tested: (a) The Americans would overestimate the prevalence of the various risk behaviors (among their peers) more so than would the Danes and (b) those estimates would be more closely linked to their own risk behaviors for the American sample. Results supported both hypotheses; motivational explanations were proposed for both effects. In addition, perceptions of the prototypes associated with particular risk behaviors were assessed and were found to predict smoking behavior and willingness to engage in unprotected sexual intercourse for both samples. Implications for the study of adolescent risk behavior are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sudden unexpected death in infancy: epidemiologically determined risk factors related to pathological classification

OBJECTIVE: Gestational diabetes is associated with increased risk of developing noninsulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM) later in life. By the time that a diagnosis of NIDDM is established, functional disturbances in the vascular system may be observed. This study was planned to assess macro- and microvascular function in nonpregnant women without signs of diabetes two to four years after a pregnancy complicated with gestational diabetes. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Vascular research laboratory in the obstetric unit of a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Seventeen nonpregnant, healthy women with a history of gestational diabetes and 20 nonpregnant control women of similar age without previous diabetes. METHODS: For quantification of the mechanical properties in large arterial vessels the wall movements of the abdominal aorta and left common carotid artery were recorded with an ultrasonic tracking system. Microvascular perfusion in the skin of the hand and foot was recorded by a laser Doppler technique to assess the vasodilatory response induced by transcutaneous acetylcholine. RESULTS: Women in the gestational diabetes group showed evidence of increased wall stiffness in the common carotid artery and a lower maximum incremental velocity of the pulsatile vessel diameter change in both aorta and carotid artery compared with controls. Acetylcholine induced vasodilatation in both hand and foot was lower in women with previous gestational diabetes compared with controls. CONCLUSION: Abnormal vascular function was found in asymptomatic women with a history of gestational diabetes. It is speculated that these abnormalities might be early evidence of vascular complications associated with subsequent NIDDM.     

Update on Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. hominis typing based on nucleotide sequence variations in internal transcribed spacer regions of rRNA genes

Few data exist concerning expiratory muscle function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We studied 26 patients with ALS (16 with respiratory symptoms and 10 without) and measured the maximal static expiratory mouth pressure (MEP), the gastric pressure during a maximal cough (Cough Pga), and the gastric pressure after magnetic stimulation of the lower thoracic nerve roots (Tw Pga). These measurements were related to the ability to generate transient supramaximal flow during a cough (cough spikes), to arterialized capillary blood gases, and to inspiratory muscle strength. Vocal cord motion was examined endoscopically in 11 of the 16 symptomatic patients. Expiratory muscle weakness was related to inability to generate cough spikes with a threshold effect such that spikes were absent for Cough Pga < 50 cm H2O (p = 0.009) or Tw Pga < 7 cm H2O (p = 0.006) and was usually associated with inspiratory muscle weakness. However, in multivariate analysis, PaCO2 was only significantly associated with the maximal sniff esophageal pressure (p = 0.02). Symptomatic patients had significantly lower inspiratory muscle strength, whereas, of the expiratory muscle tests, only Tw Pga was significantly lower (p = 0.0009) in symptomatic patients. Abnormal vocal cord motion was observed in two of the 11 patients examined. We conclude that abdominal muscle weakness in ALS, when substantial, results in an inability to generate transient supramaximal flow during a cough. However, the primary determinant of both ventilatory failure and respiratory symptoms seems to be inspiratory muscle weakness.