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Teen empowerment movement to prevent tobacco use by North Carolina's youth.

Strong youth and adult leadership and exemplary policy and program interventions put a unique synergy to work in North Carolina. The state aspires to be a model for the nation in overcoming barriers related to tobacco use prevention by empowering its greatest resource--youth. New grant funding is building the foundation for youth empowerment programs, and increased and sustained funding is being sought to significantly expand these efforts. Youth speak with a fresh voice, bringing energy and conviction, as well as non-traditional ideas and strategies to the achievement of their goals. By changing public opinion and influencing the actions of leaders in the nation's leading tobacco state, the North Carolina Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch will develop leadership for tobacco use prevention that will serve the entire nation.

Adolescent↗

Interest in healthy diet and physical activity interventions peripartum among female partners of active duty military.

Overweight and obesity among soldiers and their dependents have increased over the last decade, mirroring rates in the general population. In general, few programs that result in sustained weight loss have been evaluated, although effective interventions could have clear health and cost benefits for the military. For women, the postpartum period represents a "teachable moment" to promote healthy diet and exercise behaviors related to weight loss, but the attitudes and preferences for weight-loss interventions in this population are unknown. With a view to developing a weight-loss intervention tailored to this population, we surveyed 161 peripartum women at a military base to assess their interests and preferences. Eighty-six percent were dependents. Despite their youth, more than one-third reported entering pregnancy overweight or obese. Interest was high for interventions that promote physical activity and facilitate social interaction. Based on these results, a postpartum exercise intervention is being designed for female partners of active duty soldiers.

Diet↗

Causes and effects.

Most companies make charitable donations, but few approach their contributions with an eye toward enhancing their brands. Those that do take such an approach commit talent and know-how, not just dollars, to a pressing but carefully chosen social need and then tell the world about the cause and their service to it. Through the association, both the business and the cause benefit in ways they could not otherwise. Organizations such as Avon, ConAgra Foods, and Chevrolet have recognized that a sustained cause-branding program can improve their reputations, boost their employees' morale, strengthen relations with business partners, and drive sales. And the targeted causes receive far more money than they could have from direct corporate gifts alone. The authors examine these best practices and offer four principles for building successful cause-branding programs. First, they say, a company should select a cause that advances its corporate goals. That is, unless the competitive logic for supporting the cause is clear, a company shouldn't even consider putting its finite resources behind it. Second, a business should commit to a cause before picking its charitable partners. Otherwise, a cause-branding program may become too dependent on its partners. Third, a company should put all its assets to work, especially its employees. It should leverage the professional skills of its workers as well as its other assets such as distribution networks. And fourth, a company should promote its philanthropic initiatives through every possible channel. In addition to using the media, it should communicate its efforts through the Web, annual reports, direct mail, and so on. Cause branding is a way to turn the obligations of corporate citizenship into a valuable asset. When the cause is well chosen, the commitment genuine, and the program well executed, the cause helps the company, and the company helps the cause.

Commerce↗

Clinical profile and genetic basis of Brugada syndrome in the Chinese population.

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical profile and genetic basis of Brugada syndrome in Chinese patients. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Seven regional public hospitals, Hong Kong. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The clinical and follow-up data of 50 patients (47 men, 3 women; mean age, 53 years) were collected, and genetic data of 36 probands and eight family members of three genotyped probands were analysed. RESULTS: Eight patients survived sudden cardiac death (group A), 12 had syncope of unknown origin but no sudden death (group B), and 30 were asymptomatic before recognition of Brugada syndrome (group C). Programmed electrical stimulation induced sustained ventricular arrhythmias in 88% (7/8), 82% (9/11), and 27% (3/11) of patients in group A, group B, and group C, respectively. New arrhythmic events occurred in 50% (4/8) of patients in group A and 17% (2/12) of patients in group B after a mean follow-up period of 30 (standard deviation, 13) months and 25 (7) months, respectively. All group C patients remained asymptomatic during a mean follow-up period of 25 (standard deviation, 11) months. Five of 36 probands and three of eight family members who underwent genetic testing were found to have a mutation in their SCN5A gene. CONCLUSIONS: Chinese patients with Brugada syndrome who are symptomatic have a high likelihood of arrhythmia recurrence, whereas asymptomatic patients enjoy a good short-term prognosis. The prevalence of SCN5A mutation among probands is 14%. Thus, Chinese patients with Brugada syndrome share with their western counterparts similar clinical and genetic heterogeneity.

Adult↗

Paradigm shift in rabies control: a system approach.

Government centered approach in rabies prevention and control has not led to rabies safe community, both in urban and rural areas. Government services and organizations should recognize that only joint collaboration among households and community can lead to a successful rabies control mission. Dog owners should have been more actively involved in the prevention and solving of rabies problem. Promotion and support of government organizations should aim to strengthen the communities to become self reliance in diseases control and health care services. Only by strengthening community roles result in a more sustainable community disease control program.

Animals↗

QRS width and its impact on inducibility of ventricular arrhythmia at the time of electrophysiology study.

The inducibility of sustained ventricular arrhythmia by programmed electrical stimulation is a well-established marker of an increased risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmia. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether there was a significant difference in the QRS duration or ejection fraction (EF) amongst patients who could be induced and those who could not be induced into ventricular arrhythmia at the time of standard electrophysiology study (EPS). All the patients who were studied for inducibility of ventricular arrhythmias between March 2003 and March 2004 (a total of 137 patients) were included in the study. An EF less than or equal to 30% was used to define decreased EF, and a QRS width greater than 120 ms was used to define widened QRS width. Patients were studied using standard EPS protocol after obtaining informed consent. In the univariate analysis, increasing age, male gender and low EF were predictors of inducibility, while widened QRS width did not have any predictive value. With multivariate analysis, there was a significant increase in the odds of inducibility with decreasing EF and widened QRS width. Interestingly, males had significantly more numbers of positive results.

Age Factors↗

Prevalence and correlates of misconduct among ethnically diverse adolescents of Native Hawaiian/ part-Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian ancestry.

BACKGROUND: Research on the prevalence and correlates of adolescent misconduct, arrests, and juvenile delinquency has been greatly neglected for the ethnically diverse adolescent groups in Hawai'i (i.e. Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders). AIMS: The aims of the present study are three-fold: (1) to determine whether there are differential rates of adolescent misconduct based on ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic (SES) factors; (2) on an exploratory basis, to ascertain the demographic, social-cultural, psychological-psychiatric, and school-related correlates of misconduct, with some focus on cultural identification; and (3) to derive a parsimonious model of the correlates for an ethnically diverse group of adolescents by disentangling cultural identification from other variables including ethnicity. METHODS: Data were analyzed from the Native Hawaiian Mental Health Research Development Program, consisting of 2,732 Asian/Pacific Islander youths. Misconduct was operationally defined as 'was arrested or got in serious trouble with the law' within the past six months via adolescent self-report. Of added importance were the inclusion of a valid measure of Hawaiian cultural identification and actual school data. RESULTS: Significantly higher rates were obtained for Native Hawaiians, males, and adolescents whose main wage earners' educational attainment was at the high school level or less. Absences may be a more important marker for females than males in the prediction of arrests and serious trouble with the law. The most parsimonious model of self-reported arrests/serious trouble with the law consisted of four variables in the following order of importance: substance use, actual grade-point average, aggressive symptoms, and gender. CONCLUSION: This is one of the first major studies to examine the prevalence and risk-protective factors of misconduct for adolescents of Asian/Pacific Islander ancestry, and the first to include a valid measure of cultural identification and actual school data. The findings indicated that gender-specific prevention and intervention programs are needed. However, the issues are also complex whereby the use of substances, school performance, and aggression must be taken into account in deriving successful programs. The lack of sustained association between culturally based factors (e.g., ethnicity, Hawaiian cultural identification) and misconduct in the final parsimonious model suggested that the culturally based variables are not direct causes of misconduct, but rather correlates of misconduct that are over-shadowed by more substantive factors, such as substance use and academic performance, the latter being variables that must be addressed for youths across the United States. The present results reaffirmed the common correlates of misconduct across different ethnic groups. Further research is needed in the causal relationships among these important associations with misconduct.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Rapid assessment procedures in environmental sanitation research: a case study from the northern border of Mexico.

BACKGROUND: There is a need to enhance the quality and sustainability of environmental health programs in Mexico. What socio-cultural factors influenced the adoption or rejection of Clean Water in Homes programs in this population? We applied rapid appraisal procedures (RAP) to evaluate these community-based programs. METHOD: Qualitative study conducted in communities along Mexico's northern border. We conducted informal dialogues, semi-structured interviews, field notes and observations. Home visits used a checklist to observe: sources of water, handwashing, as well as human waste and garbage disposal patterns. Data analysis was conducted using ATLAS.ti, which facilitated comparison and illustration of discrepancies, the elaboration of emerging issues and relationships between them. RESULTS: Community members perceived that the Clean Water program was a top-down intervention. Water is perceived as a political issue and a matter of corruption. Inequity also limits solidarity activities involved in environmental sanitation. Migration to the United States of America (US) contributes to community fragmentation, which in turn dilutes communal efforts to improve water and sanitation infrastructure. While targeting women as program "recipients", the Clean Water program did not take gendered spheres of decision-making into account. Community members and authorities discussed the main results in "assemblies", particularly addressing the needs of excluded groups. CONCLUSION: The oversight of not exploring community members' needs and priorities prior to program implementation resulted in interventions that did not address the structural (economic, infrastructure) and socio-cultural barriers faced by community members to undertake the health-promoting behaviour change, and provoked resentment.

Adolescent↗

History of pain concepts and pain therapy.

The development of the concept of pain and its treatment constitutes one of the most interesting and fascinating chapters in the history of medicine. The concept proposed by Aristotle and other ancient Greek philosophers that pain was a passion of the soul remained widely accepted for some 22 centuries, and treatment remained empirical and often ineffective. For a century after the scientific study of pain began, several theories were proposed, and these theories prompted the development of various therapeutic modalities. However, until two decades ago, pain research remained conceptually stagnant; the meager work done was not commensurate with the magnitude and clinical importance of pain. Consequently, pain treatment remained somewhat empirical and ineffective. Whatever knowledge and effective therapeutic modalities were available were not properly applied, primarily because medical students and physicians were not taught the basic principles of pain management. Fortunately, during the past two decades, significant advances have been made in our knowledge of basic mechanisms and a variety of new modalities have been introduced and old ones refined. Although we should be proud of these advances, much more needs to be done if the millions of patients with acute and chronic pain are to be managed effectively. This requires sustaining and expanding research programs; educating and training health professionals; and informing the public.

History, 17th Century↗

Electrophysiologic effects of E-4031, a class III antiarrhythmic agent, on re-entrant ventricular arrhythmias in a canine 7-day-old myocardial infarction model.

Effects of E-4031, a class III antiarrhythmic agent, on re-entrant ventricular arrhythmias were studied in eight dogs with a 7-day-old myocardial infarction. Epicardial mapping and local refractory periods were obtained using 47-channel bipolar electrodes attached to the epicardium. The induction of sustained ventricular tachycardia by programmed electrical stimulation was not suppressed by i.v. infusion of E-4031 at 1 microgram/kg/min, but was suppressed markedly by infusion at 10 micrograms/kg/min in six of seven dogs. During the infusion of E-4031 at 10 micrograms/kg/min, epicardial conduction velocity in the normal ventricle did not change (0.7 +/- 0.12 to 0.71 +/- 0.13 m/sec, n = 6), whereas slowed conduction in the infarct zone improved (0.58 +/- 0.10 to 0.77 +/- 0.13 m/sec, n = 6). E-4031 at 10 micrograms/kg/min prolonged effective refractory periods (ERP) in the normal zone (139 +/- 8 to 164 +/- 18 msec, P less than .01, n = 8), nontransmural infarct zone (145 +/- 7 to 177 +/- 15 msec, P less than .01, n = 8) and transmural infarct zone (156 +/- 14 to 191 +/- 22 msec, P less than .01, n = 8). The degrees of ERP prolongation were almost equal in all zones. On epicardial mapping, the areas of longer ERP and delayed conduction were observed to become inexcitable after the administration of E-4031. These results demonstrated that E-4031 effectively prevented the induction of re-entrant ventricular tachycardia in canine myocardial infarction model, and suggested that E-4031 rendered re-entrant circuits inexcitable by marked ERP prolongation in both normal and infarct zones.

Animals↗

Sustained effects of educating retailers to reduce cigarette sales to minors.

Despite state laws prohibiting the purchase of tobacco by minors, the ease with which underage youth can purchase cigarettes has been documented nationwide. The public health community as well as policy makers have called for a combination of retailer education and enforcement of laws prohibiting tobacco sales to minors. Enforcement activity may not be feasible in many communities, however, and an educational intervention may be the only option. This paper reports results of a 6-month followup assessment following a face-to-face education intervention with retailers to reduce cigarettes sales to minors in San Diego County, CA. A control-experimental group, pre-post design was employed to study the sustained effects of the program on the illegal sale of cigarettes to minors. A total of 236 stores were visited by minors, ages 14-17 years, with the intent of purchasing cigarettes. Information was collected three times: pre-test, immediately following the intervention, and 6 months after the intervention ended. The groups included a no-treatment control group of 108 stores and an intervention group of 128 that received three educational visits from project staff over a 1-year period. Community education via media and informational presentations was also conducted. As previously reported, a 68-percent pretest sales rate was found for stores overall. Immediately following the intervention, 32 percent of the intervention group and 59 percent of the control group sold cigarettes to minors. These results were maintained 6 months following the conclusion of the intervention. Results are discussed in terms of education versus use of enforcement.

Adolescent↗

Population and family planning in China.

As the most populous country of the world, China pursues an integrated programme for socio-economic development with family planning as a vital part of it. The aim is to ensure that population growth does not outpace the economic development, the availability of natural resources and environmental protection efforts. Current policy on family planning includes: the promotion of late marriage and deferred child bearing, advocating the practice of "one couple, one child", to encourage birth spacing for those who want a second child. Technical guidelines are: contraception as the priority; comprehensive use of various contraceptive methods in men and women; induced abortion allowed on request if no contraindications; state provided contraceptives, barrier devices and technical services. The birth rate of 33.34/1000, death rate of 7.6/1000 and natural increase rate of 25.83/1000 in 1970 was brought down to 21.04/1000, 6.7/1000 and 14.26/1000 respectively in 1985. A total fertility for 1950 of 5.87 was gradually brought down to 2.31 in 1990. 260 million births were averted between 1970-1991; the world's "5-billion population day" was postponed for 2 years and Asian "3-billion population day" was postponed for 3 years. The State Family Planning Commission under the State Council was set up in 1981. The China Family Planning Association, the China Population Association and non-governmental organisations promote family planning work in a coordinated way. The current family planning policy is now well accepted in the urban area, and gaining increasing momentum in the rural area. Persistant education is still important to break the millennia old tradition of having more children and more boys.

Aging↗

Intestinal infarction complicating low cardiac output states.

Nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia, leading into intestinal infarction, frequently complicates and causes the fatal outcome in otherwise treatable instances of low cardiac output states. Once intestinal necrosis occurs in these patients, the mortality is almost 100 per cent. A high risk group of patients in whom intestinal infarction occurs because of low cardiac output can be readily identified. A high index of suspicion for the occurrence of intestinal ischemia in these patients should facilitate recognition of the disease during its early stages. The disastrous results experienced by us and others warrant the use of more aggressive methods for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with this condition. A high index of suspicion in a recognizable group of patients observed by selective mesenteric arteriography affords a method for confirmation of the diagnosis of mesenteric vasoconstriction. Once the diagnosis is established, a patient management protocol program should be followed. Sustained infusion of papaverine into the mesenteric artery is useful in reversing mesenteric vasoconstriction. Additionally, the judicious use of celiotomy and intestinal resection, preceded and followed by the sustained infusion of papaverine into the superior mesenteric artery, offers hope for the survival of some of these patients and warrants further use.

Aged↗

STDs: Screening, therapy, and long-term implications for the adolescent patient.

Teenagers are at higher risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) than any other age group, for a variety of reasons. The risk for exposure to STDs among adolescents is determined by sociodemographic, environmental, psychosocial, behavioral and biologic factors. These factors are complex, interrelated, and often poorly understood by health professionals caring for adolescents. Infections of young adults have their most serious consequences later in life. There is a need for youth to change their behaviors now to avoid future sequelae. These sequelae include PID, tubal infertility, ectopic pregnancy, genital neoplasia, AIDS, and neurologic complications. Educational and prevention strategies are essential for decreasing the high incidence of STDs in adolescents. Not all STDs are readily cured by antibiotics, and because many adolescents are asymptomatic, many STDs initially go undetected and untreated. There is a need for innovative psychosocial and behavioral prevention programs to be developed and implemented to reach all adolescents. Such programs should provide immediate, sustained, and cost-effective care that will effect a positive change in adolescents' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions, and prevent or modify behaviors that place them at risk. Prevention efforts need to address the entire spectrum of STD care, including behavioral, clinical, educational, and promotional activities. Use of role playing, peer-led rehearsal of simulated risky situations, didactics, and skills building are important, as is a theoretical approach (Social Learning Theory, the Health Belief Model, Value Expectancy Theory, and principles of behavior change counseling).

Adolescent↗

[Influence of anti-arrhythmia agents on heart rate variability].

UNLABELLED: Since analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) is able to identify subjects at risk of sudden death and as antiarrhythmics can interfere with this prognosis, the objective of this study was to determine whether antiarrhythmics (AA) modified the HRV measured on a 24-hour Holter recording and after rapid ventricular stimulation and whether the initial HRV and its possible modification during treatment with AA were correlated with the results of AA treatment in patients with ventricular tachycardia (sustained VT). The HRV was studied in 50 patients with heart disease and spontaneous sustained VT, reproduced by programmed ventricular stimulation. This analysis was performed at baseline with antiarrhythmic treatment consisting of low-dose beta-blocker and quinidines in 26 patients (group I) or amiodarone in 24 patients (group II). Treatment was effective (i.e. prevented induction of VT) in 9 patients in group I (group la) and 5 patients in group II (group IIa). Treatment was ineffective in the other 17 patients of group I (group Ib) and 19 patients of group II (group IIb). The initial HRV was similar in the patients of groups Ia and Ib or groups IIa and IIb. Temporal analysis did not reveal any significant variation of HRV during AA treatment. In contrast, spectral analysis of HRV and the HRV observed during ventricular stimulation demonstrated a significant reduction of this parameter (p < 0.05 for groups I and II combined). IN CONCLUSION: the initial HRV is not predictive of the results of treatment. Quinidines and amiodarone tend to decrease HRV regardless of the effect of the AA on the prevention of VT.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

The effects of premature stimulation of the His bundle on epicardial activation and body surface late potentials in dogs susceptible to sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias.

Experiments were performed on 20 anesthetized dogs to determine the effects of premature stimulation of the His bundle on epicardial conduction and late potentials recorded on the body surface. Fifteen dogs underwent occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary for 2 hr followed by reperfusion, and five that did not undergo operation served as controls. Animals were studied 2 to 52 weeks after the induction of infarction, and four animals with infarction and four control animals exhibited no sustained arrhythmias in response to programmed ventricular extrastimulation. Five dogs with infarction and one control dog had ventricular fibrillation while the six remaining dogs had inducible sustained ventricular tachycardia. All animals with ventricular tachycardia had late potentials in the terminal portion of the signal-averaged body surface QRS complexes during sinus rhythm and QRS durations in the animals were 64 msec or greater. The voltage in the last 20 msec of the QRS complex was 13.5 microV or less and the duration of late activity below 30 microV was 18.2 msec or more. These values did not overlap values in animals with no inducible arrhythmias. Ventricular fibrillation was a nonspecific end point in these experiments and values overlapped those in animals with no arrhythmias and those with ventricular tachycardia. All animals with infarction and late potentials associated with their QRS complexes also had delayed and prolonged epicardial electrograms that extended into the time of the late potentials recorded from 45 standard sites in the infarcted regions. A single premature beat evoked by His bundle pacing (coupling interval of 192 to 270 msec) had no significant effect on late potentials or their relationship to epicardial activation in the area of infarct. However, changes in the durations of electrograms in response to premature beats were different in animals with infarction and ventricular tachycardia than in those with ventricular fibrillation. In animals with ventricular tachycardia, electrograms at 15 of 210 sites increased in duration by more than 10 msec while those at 61 of 210 sites decreased in duration. In animals with ventricular fibrillation, electrograms at 40 of 207 sites were of increased duration while those at 26 of 207 decreased. The decreases in duration were usually due to components of fractionated electrograms "dropping out" and likely represent local conduction block near the recording electrode.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

[The effect of pacing protocol and beta-blockers on the results of serial drug testing in sustained ventricular tachycardia].

Serial drug testing (SDT) using programmed electrical stimulation (PES) and a downgraded pacing protocol was performed in 56 patients with sustained ventricular tachycardia (S-VT) of various aetiology. SDT was carried out during oral antiarrhythmic therapy alone or in combination with beta-blockers. The pacing protocol's reduced aggressiveness consisted in prolonging minimal coupling intervals of the third extrastimulus and in milder criteria employed in evaluating the drug in PES and in cases of recurrent S-VT (an S-VT with a heart rate below 150 considered a positive effect of the tested drug). All patients were followed up during the therapy chosen on the basis of SDT for an average 19.7 +/- 19.4 months. SDT led to the identification of an effective therapy in 48 patients (86%, group A). No effective therapy was found for the remaining eight patients (14%, group B). There were no significant differences between both groups in age, sex, representation of individual cardiopathies, the frequency of spontaneous S-VT or ejection fraction. Using Kaplan-Maier's survival curves, the incidence of arrhythmia events (defined as a recurrence of S-VT or sudden death), cardiac death or any death was significantly higher in group B. PES was used to test a total of 202 drugs or their combinations; of this number, S-VT induction failed in 90 (45%). No significant difference in the efficacy of antiarrhythmics was found to be related to whether they had been used alone (44%) or in combination (49%, p > 0.05). Beta-blockers likewise had no effect on the incidence of arrhythmia events during follow-up.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗