Expression of Concern: "Variations in the S and P Regions of the Hepatitis B Virus Genome Under Immunosuppression In Vitro and In Vivo".
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The rate of growth of world food demand will be much slower for 1990-2010 than it was for the prior three decades. The major factor determining the increase in food demand is population growth. Income growth has a much smaller effect. From 1960 to 1990, population growth accounted for approximately three fourths of the growth in demand or use of grain. For 1990-2010, it is anticipated that population growth will account for nearly all of the increase in world demand for grain. The rate of population growth from 1990 to 2020 is projected to be at an annual rate of 1.3% compared with 1.9% for 1960 to 1990-a decline of more than 30%. World per capita use of grain will increase very little-perhaps by 4%. The increase in grain use is projected to be 40% less than in 1960-1990. It is anticipated that real grain prices will decline during the period, although not nearly as much as the 40% decline in the previous three decades. Concern has been expressed concerning the deterioration of the quality and productivity of the world's farmland. A study for China and Indonesia indicates that there has been no significant change in the productive capacity of the land over the past 50 years. Contrary to numerous claims, the depth of the topsoil has not changed, indicating that erosion has had little or no impact.
Twenty-five gay and three bisexual males with AIDS (PWAs) rated their needs for four different kinds of emotional support (expressing love and concern, expressing encouragement and positive feedback, serving as a confidant, and providing a philosophical or spiritual perspective) from five different support providers (parents, partners, friends, HIV-positive friends and physicians). Findings support the importance of emotional support for this population. The results indicate that differences exist depending on type and provider of support. Participants expressed the greatest need for every category of emotional support from partners. Participants also rated their needs from physicians highly for each category of emotional support. Noticeably low was the need for providers to offer philosophical or spiritual perspectives.
OBJECTIVE: To assess current attitudes of hospital based paediatricians to off label prescribing, and the performance of clinical trials in children. DESIGN: A prospective, questionnaire based study. SETTING: 257 hospital based consultants and specialist registrars in paediatric practice in Scotland during 2003-2004. RESULTS: A 25 item questionnaire was sent to 257 hospital based paediatricians and 151 (59%) were returned completed. Over 90% of responders were familiar with the concept of, and knowingly prescribed, off label drugs; 55% of responders stated that such prescribing disadvantaged children, and 47% expressed concerns about the efficacy of off label medicines. Although 70% of responders expressed concerns about safety, only 17% had observed an adverse event, and 47% a treatment failure, while 69% did not obtain informed consent or tell parents they were prescribing off label, and 67% did not inform the family's general practitioner. Many respondents did not believe it was necessary to carry out clinical trials in children for new (46%) or generic (64%) medicines. However, 52% of respondents stated that they would be willing to undertake clinical studies and recruit their own patients (61%) or children (73%) to take part in such studies. CONCLUSIONS: Among Scottish paediatricians there is concern about off label prescribing, although the majority do not consider it necessary to inform parents or GP colleagues. The need for clinical trials in children was recognised but there was a less than wholehearted acceptance of the need for such studies, at variance with the current drive to promote clinical trials in this age group.
The number of people who avoid eating meat is growing, especially among young people. Benefits to health from a vegetarian diet have been reported in adults but it is not clear to what extent these benefits are due to diet or to other aspects of lifestyles. In children concern has been expressed concerning the adequacy of vegetarian diets especially with regard to growth. The risks/benefits seem to be related to the degree of restriction of he diet; anaemia is probably both the main and the most serious risk but this also applies to omnivores. Vegan diets are more likely to be associated with malnutrition, especially if the diets are the result of authoritarian dogma. Overall, lacto-ovo-vegetarian children consume diets closer to recommendations than omnivores and their pre-pubertal growth is at least as good. The simplest strategy when becoming vegetarian may involve reliance on vegetarian convenience foods which are not necessarily superior in nutritional composition. The vegetarian sector of the food industry could do more to produce foods closer to recommendations. Vegetarian diets can be, but are not necessarily, adequate for children, providing vigilance is maintained, particularly to ensure variety. Identical comments apply to omnivorous diets. Three threats to the diet of children are too much reliance on convenience foods, lack of variety and lack of exercise.
OBJECTIVE: To explore attitudes of new-to-practice certified family physicians in Ontario concerning sanctions against sexual abuse of patients by physicians and to assess the importance of concern about accusations of sexual abuse in influencing clinical decisions. DESIGN: Qualitative study and cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Ontario. PARTICIPANTS: Focus groups: 34 physicians who completed family medicine residency training between 1984 and 1989 participated in seven focus groups between June and October 1992. SURVEY: all certificants of the College of Family Physicians of Canada who received certification between 1989 and 1991 and were currently practising in Ontario. Of the 564 eligible physicians 395 (184 men and 211 women) responded, for an overall response rate of 70.0%. The response rates among the male and female physicians were 70.5% and 69.6% respectively. OUTCOME MEASURES: Physicians' attitudes toward restricting physical examinations done by physicians to same-sex patients, mandatory reporting of sexual impropriety and loss of licence in cases of sexual violation and the perceived importance of concern about accusations of sexual abuse as an influence on clinical decisions. RESULTS: During the focus groups male physicians in particular expressed concerns about the effect on their practice patterns of the current climate regarding sexual abuse of patients. Female physicians were less concerned about possible accusations of sexual abuse but expressed concerns regarding possible sexualization of the clinical encounter by male patients. In the survey equal proportions of men (163 [93.7%]) and women (191 [92.3%]) disagreed with restricting examinations to same-sex patients. The women were more likely than the men to agree that all suspected cases of sexual impropriety committed by other physicians should be reported (121 [58.7%] v. 86 [50.0%]), whereas the men were more likely to disagree (48 [27.9%] v. 32 [15.5%]) (p = 0.008). The women were also more likely than the men to agree that physicians should lose their licence permanently if they were found guilty of sexual violation (125 [62.2%] v. 73 [43.5%]), whereas the men were more likely to disagree (61 [36.3%] v. 37 [18.4%]) (p < 0.001). Almost half of the men (80 [46.5%]) but only 28 women (14.1%) reported that concerns about accusations of sexual abuse were of importance in their clinical decisions (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Young female family physicians practising in Ontario are much more likely than their male counterparts to endorse permanent loss of licence for physicians who sexually abuse patients and are significantly less concerned about accusations against themselves. Neither sex endorses only same-sex examinations by physicians. Educational approaches to protect patients while ensuring that appropriate care continues to be delivered are essential.
The study was designed to determine if the concerns of 2- to 5-year-old children hospitalized for chronic illness differ from the concerns of other children. Interviews were conducted with 32 short-stay chronically ill, 10 long-stay chronically ill, 20 acutely ill, and 20 healthy children. Narrative recordings were analyzed using a categorical system of 10 developmental and hospital-related concerns. Differences between groups in mean proportion of concerns expressed were examined for each interview using analysis of variance techniques. The major concerns expressed by each group on all interviews were Autonomy and Exploration and, in the chronically ill children, Intrusion. Increased age was associated with increased expression of Intrusion in all groups except the long-stay chronic illness group.
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BACKGROUND AND METHODS: On October 27, 1997, Oregon legalized physician-assisted suicide. We collected data on all terminally ill Oregon residents who received prescriptions for lethal medications under the Oregon Death with Dignity Act and who died in 1998. The data were obtained from physicians' reports, death certificates, and interviews with physicians. We compared persons who took lethal medications prescribed under the act with those who died from similar illnesses but did not receive prescriptions for lethal medications. RESULTS: Information on 23 persons who received prescriptions for lethal medications was reported to the Oregon Health Division; 15 died after taking the lethal medications, 6 died from underlying illnesses, and 2 were alive as of January 1, 1999. The median age of the 15 patients who died after taking lethal medications was 69 years; 8 were male, and all 15 were white. Thirteen of the 15 patients had cancer. The case patients and controls were similar with regard to sex, race, urban or rural residence, level of education, health insurance coverage, and hospice enrollment. No case patients or controls expressed concern about the financial impact of their illness. One case patient and 15 controls expressed concern about inadequate control of pain (P=0.10). The case patients were more likely than the controls to have never married (P=0.04) and were more likely to be concerned about loss of autonomy due to illness (P=0.01) and loss of control of bodily functions (P=0.02). At death, 21 percent of the case patients and 84 percent of the controls were completely disabled (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: During the first year of legalized physician-assisted suicide in Oregon, the decision to request and use a prescription for lethal medication was associated with concern about loss of autonomy or control of bodily functions, not with fear of intractable pain or concern about financial loss. In addition, we found that the choice of physician-assisted suicide was not associated with level of education or health insurance coverage.
Although clinicians and researchers often rely on family members 'reports of a wide range of dying patients' symptoms and care preferences, available data indicate divergences between the two. We used a national sample to analyze patient-caregiver pairs to explore areas of concordance and nonconcordance about physical symptoms, communication with physicians, caregiving needs, and future fears. We also assessed whether identifiable patient or caregiver characteristics were associated with nonconcordance. Our data were from a national, random sample of 988 terminally ill patients, of whom 893 had caregivers who were also interviewed. Frequencies and types of nonconcordance were computed for patient-caregiver pairs. Bivariate associations between patient and caregiver reports on each item were tested. Logistic and conditional logistic regression analyses assessed multiple predictors of nonconcordance for each item. Primary diagnoses included cancer (51.1 percent), heart disease (17. 7 percent), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (10. 7 percent), and other diseases (20.5 percent). The proportion of concordant reports among pairs of patients and caregivers ranged from 53 percent to 66 percent. Among pairs showing nonconcordant responses, caregivers reported higher levels of pain and disability than patients, lower caregiving needs, and different fears about the future. Few demographic or clinical predictors were associated with nonconcordance. Concordance between patients 'and their caregivers' responses ranged widely, and there were important areas of nonconcordant responses. When responses differed, patients were more likely to express concern about domains that might impose on caregivers, while caregivers were more likely to express concern about patients 'physical suffering. Consistent sociodemographic or clinical predictors of nonconcordant responses were not found. These data suggest important ways that patient and caregiver reports of the same experience vary.
Three hundred urban and 350 rural mothers were surveyed about their subjective perceptions of the availability of a doctor for their child. A third of rural mothers and a quarter of urban mothers expressed concern about lack of access. Shared parenting, a high socioeconomic status of mother and her partner and further training on leaving school, were associated with a greater satisfaction with existing services. Mothers with chronic psychiatric morbidity were more likely to express concern. Approximately one quarter of mothers expressed satisfaction with services overall. Specific improvements for child health services included reduced costs and waiting times together with an increase in the range of services available.
BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is a common condition with multiple symptoms dominated by daytime somnolence. Thus many worries and concerns of patients remain hidden. Treatment by nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) can be imposing for the individual. An analysis of the freely expressed concerns of such patients is required. OBJECTIVE: To seek an in-depth analysis of how patients live with sleep apnoea by allowing them an open discourse and analysing the text of their statements. DESIGN: A trained psychologist conducted semi-directive interviews with patients attending a pulmonary rehabilitation and convalescent unit around the themes of sleep, health and treatment. An analysis of content and of discourse was carried out by textual analysis and by propositional analysis of discourse (PAD) with the aid of dedicated computer programs (Tropes, Sphinx Lexica). RESULTS: Thirty patients with severe sleep apnoea were interviewed of whom 15 were initiating treatment with CPAP. Patients spoke of abnormal fatigue (22 mentions) and somnolence (21 times). Many have problems with obesity (25 instances), snoring related problems (12). There were 30 mentions of depression with a relationship to alcohol and anti-depressives. Twenty six times the theme of nocturnal waking was raised. There were many instances of problems with CPAP (nasal mask and noise problems raised 21 times). Patients have problems with relationships and sex because of OSAS. Other concerns were loss of memory and fear of dying. CONCLUSION: In a non-directed conversation OSAS patients express concerns not revealed in the standard medical paradigm and such concerns should be addressed in assessing treatment or evaluating quality of life (QOL).