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PubMed2003

Risk-taking sexual behaviour and self-reported depression in middle adolescence--a school-based survey.

BACKGROUND: Early sexual activity has been widely studied in the context of pregnancies, substance use and antisocial behaviour, but the aspects of psychosexual health have received less attention. AIM: To study the associations of early sexual activity and self-reported depression. SETTING: A school survey in Finland in 1999 and 2000 in the eighth and ninth grades. METHODS: Adolescents with experience of sexual intercourse were studied (11,793 girls and 10,443 boys, mean age 15.5 years). Scores of 8 or more in the Beck Depression Inventory were regarded as indicative of self-reported depression. Associations with sexual behaviour variables were analysed using logistic regression models. RESULTS: In both genders, self-reported depression increased in proportion to the number of sexual partners and with the non-use of contraception. A higher number of coital experiences correlated with depression only among boys. Adjusting for age and age at menarche/oigarche did not affect the associations detected. In stepwise logistic regression, an increasing number of partners increased the risk for self-reported depression [for boys with at least five partners odds ratio (OR) 2.5, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 2.2-3.0, and for girls OR 2.7, 95% CI 2.3-3.2]. Boys and girls who did not use contraception showed roughly twice as high a risk as contraceptive users. However, girls with five or more coital experiences had a significantly lower risk for depression compared to girls with only one sexual intercourse. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple sexual partners and non-use of contraception may reflect a depressive disorder in both genders. While adolescent health service providers should be aware of the risk for depression among sexually active adolescents, the sexual health of depressed adolescents also warrants special attention.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Observations on the recent history of drug user counseling.

The drug user counselor role is explored in terms of its changing nature over the course of the past 25 years. Initially, the drug user counselor could be characterized as a professional based on his or her experience, or as an ex-addict paraprofessional in the language of that time. Working very largely with a heroin-using clientele, the counselor was the advisor and role model who could not be conned and, thereby, the essential counterpart to the mental health professionals who were entering the drug misuse field. Over time, these latter professionals based on education have become increasingly evident and the "professionals of experience" have become less so in accord with changes in the demography, drug-using characteristics, and psychological functioning of drug user clients. Nonetheless, studies that support the particular efficacy of counselors of education for all but drug user clients with significant psychopathology are lacking. Moreover, aspects of therapeutic interaction that are more largely engaged in by "professionals of experience" are threatened by the diminution in that group's numbers and the credentialing out of nontraditional job functions. Over the past few years, awareness of the significance of the contributions of "professionals of experience" has been reawakened by the threat of AIDS and the recognition of counselors' contributions to outreach and AIDS prevention counseling.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1998

[Accidental contact with syringes used by intravenous drug users (IDU): a decade of study].

OBJECTIVE: The increase in drug addiction, AIDS, hepatitis C and B transmission is a problem the society faces with growing frequency, mainly due to syringes and other material used by seropositive patients being left in public place, with children being one of the groups being at greatest risk. We present our experience in accidents with syringes used by intravenous drug users (IDU) in patients less than 16 years of age during the last 11 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients attending our emergency department with diagnosis of contact with syringes used by IDU were prospectively studied. All patients were treated according to the follow-up protocol of accidental contact with syringes used by IDU. RESULTS: We studied 183 patients between 0 and 16 years of age, with a male gender predominance, the average age at presentation was 6.7 years. The majority of cases occurred during the months of April through August. One hundred twenty-eight cases completed the control after 1 year. At the one year control after the accident, 99% of the patients were anti-HBs antibody positive. Other markers positive for HBV were found in 15% of the cases. Markers for HCV were found in only 9 of 84 patients studied. Only one patient that did not receive either the gamma globulin nor the vaccine developed hepatitis B infection. No patient showed HIV conversion during the time of the study. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of HIV and HCV after accidental puncture with syringes used by IDU is nearly none. Hepatitis B virus infection is the major risk. HBV transmission in the workplace can be largely eliminated due to the increased use of hepatitis B vaccine.

Accidents↗

PubMed2001

User focus groups and Best Value in services for people with learning disabilities.

This paper examines the problems and potentials of employing user focus groups as part of an approach to defining and reviewing Best Value in local authority and jointly commissioned services for people with learning disabilities. Drawing on experience from three local authority initiatives and wider experience with Best Value, the paper describes the development of user focus groups for helping review adult placement, outreach and day services for people with learning disabilities. The key methodological considerations for consulting with service users with learning disabilities through focus groups are identified and the interpretation of outcomes considered. The paper concludes with pointers for the effective operation of user focus groups in local authority Best Value reviews of services for people with learning disabilities, of use to practitioners, service managers and commissioners.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

The open-access high-throughput crystallization facility at EMBL Hamburg.

Here, the establishment of Europe's largest high-throughput crystallization facility with open access to the general user community is reported. The facility covers every step in the crystallization process from the preparation of crystallization cocktails for initial or customized screens to the setup of hanging-drop vapour-diffusion experiments and their automatic imaging. In its first year of operation, 43 internal and 40 external users submitted over 500 samples for a total of 2985 crystallization plates. An electronic booking system for registration, the selection of experimental parameters (e.g. drop size, sample-to-reservoir ratio) and the reservation of time slots was developed. External users can choose from more than 1000 initial crystallization conditions. By default, experiments are kept for six months and are imaged 15 times during this time period. A remote viewing system is available to inspect experiments via the internet. Over 100 stock solutions are available for users wishing to design customized screens.

Crystallization↗

PubMed2000

Electromagnetic interference of bone-anchored hearing aids by cellular phones.

We report a case of electromagnetic interference between a bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) and a cellular phone. A 54-year-old women was successfully treated for severe mixed conductive and sensorineural hearing loss with a BAHA. Five years after implantation, the patient experienced a sudden feeling of dizziness, accompanied by a loud buzzing sound and by a sensation of head pressure while examining a digital mobile phone. During a subsequent experiment, the buzzing sound could be reproduced and was identified as electromagnetic interference between the BAHA and digital cellular phones. Seventeen adult BAHA users from our clinic participated in a subsequent survey. Of the 13 patients with some experience of digital cellular phones, 11 reported hearing annoying noises elicited by these devices. However, no other sensation, such as dizziness, was described. Owing to the increasing number of users of both hearing aids and cellular phones, the incidence of electromagnetic interference must be expected to increase as well. Although to date there is no evidence that such interference may be harmful or dangerous to users of conventional or bone-anchored hearing aids, unexpected interference can be a frightening experience.

Electromagnetic Fields↗

PubMed1995

Relationship between key space and user performance on reduced keyboards.

Small computers are much in demand for mobile computing. However, keyboard size is an obstacle to further size reduction. Reducing the space occupied by keys would affect the usability of the keyboard. On the other hand, if the keys were closer together, the fingers would reach them faster. This could improve typing performance. An experiment was therefore conducted to investigate the relationship between users' performance and the center-to-center key space of reduced-size keyboards. Eighteen touch-typists were asked to do a word typing task on five different keyboards. A standard keyboard with a key space of 19.05 mm and smaller keyboards with key spaces of 16.7, 16.0, 15.6, and 15.0 mm were used in this study. No performance degradation was found on keyboards with a key space of 16.7 mm for faster typists (those capable of about 40 wpm), including those with large fingers (97.5 percentile of Japanese adult males). For faster typists with narrow fingers, there was no performance degradation on keyboards with a key space of 15.0 mm.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

What to expect from immersive virtual environment exposure: influences of gender, body mass index, and past experience.

For those interested in using head-coupled PC-based immersive virtual environment (VE) technology to train, entertain, or inform, it is essential to understand the effects this technology has on its users. This study investigated potential adverse effects, including the sickness associated with exposure and extreme responses (emesis, flashbacks). Participants were exposed to a VE for 15 to 60 min, with either complete or streamlined navigational control and simple or complex scenes, after which time measures of sickness were obtained. More than 80% of participants experienced nausea, oculomotor disturbances, and/or disorientation, with disorientation potentially lasting > 24 hr. Of the participants, 12.9% prematurely ended their exposure because of adverse effects; of these, 9.2% experienced an emetic response, whereas only 1.2% of all participants experienced emesis. The results indicate that designers may be able to reduce these rates by limiting exposure duration and reducing the degrees of freedom of the user's navigational control. Results from gender, body mass, and past experience comparisons indicated it may be possible to identify those who will experience adverse effects attributable to exposure and warn such individuals. Applications for this research include military, entertainment, and any other interactive systems for which designers seek to avoid adverse effects associated with exposure.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Physicians' experience with Norplant implantable contraceptives in Finland.

Norplant contraceptives are manufactured in Finland, but the majority of Norplant users live in the Third World. The objective of this study was to study Finnish family planning physicians experience with and attitudes towards Norplant contraceptives. Three data sources were used: (1) review of articles published in non-commercial Finnish medical journals between 1980 and 1990, (2) a sample of eleven physicians known to have experience with Norplant and chosen by a snow-ball method, and (3) a random sample of 22 physicians in charge of public family planning services stratified by municipality and degree of urbanization. The articles reflected a positive attitude towards Norplant, but the authors did not believe that Norplant should replace any previous method of contraception. In the random sample the amount of experience with Norplant was low. In both groups the general attitude towards Norplant was reserved. It was not used as a method of first choice, but was considered a good method for carefully selected women. Norplant was considered troublesome for the physician, requiring surgical procedures, producing side-effects and demanding time for counselling. Adequate use of Norplant calls for a good health care infrastructure, hygienic facilities and trained personnel. These are often lacking in Third World settings.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed1993

Cocaine use increases [3H]WIN 35428 binding sites in human striatum.

Animal studies suggest that chronic cocaine exposure may increase the function and/or synthesis of the dopamine transporter (DAT) under certain conditions, but the literature is complex. In order to test the hypothesis that cocaine exposure alters the DAT in humans, preliminary studies were done characterizing [3H]WIN 35428 binding in human striatum from normal controls. Following these experiments, the effects of chronic cocaine were examined in post mortem striatal specimens from 7 cocaine users and 7 controls matched for age and post mortem interval, employing quantitative autoradiography. Initial saturation experiments indicated that a one-site model was preferred with a Kd of 11 +/- 4 nM. [3H]WIN 35420 binding was then examined in cocaine users and controls at 0.5, 5, 10, and 50 nM radioligand concentrations. At each concentration of [3H]WIN 35420, optical densities for cocaine-exposed subjects were increased in caudate, putamen, and accumbens. The results suggest that total numbers of binding sites were increased in cocaine users. Based on the present and previous results, it appears that the regulation of the DAT is fairly plastic, and is highly sensitive to cocaine dosing regimes and withdrawal intervals. Chronic adaptations induced by cocaine in the DAT could contribute to the symptoms of binging, withdrawal depression, and/or craving.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Enhancing medical database security.

A methodology for the enhancement of database security in a hospital environment is presented in this paper which is based on both the discretionary and the mandatory database security policies. In this way the advantages of both approaches are combined to enhance medical database security. An appropriate classification of the different types of users according to their different needs and roles and a User Role Definition Hierarchy has been used. The experience obtained from the experimental implementation of the proposed methodology in a major general hospital is briefly discussed. The implementation has shown that the combined discretionary and mandatory security enforcement effectively limits the unauthorized access to the medical database, without severely restricting the capabilities of the system.

Computer Security↗

PubMed2005

Why withdrawal? Why not withdrawal? Men's perspectives.

Withdrawal is an ancient and prevalent form of male contraception which has largely been ignored by family planning programme managers all over the world. The objective of this study was to understand men's perspectives on withdrawal use, both users and non-users. In-depth interviews with 62 male factory workers in western Turkey are reported, on use of withdrawal, attitudes to family planning, information on contraception, marital and sexual experience, and gender values and attitudes. Advantages reported both by users and non-users of withdrawal were being free from side effects, ease of access and having no cost. While current users said withdrawal was easy to use and practical, non-users complained about the difficulties of using withdrawal, that it was coitus-dependent, caused anxiety and decreased pleasure during sexual intercourse. Current users emphasised taking responsibility as husbands for family planning and protecting their wives from possible adverse effects of contraceptives. Withdrawal should be seen as a valuable choice in a world where increasing method choice, male participation and responsibility taking in reproductive health are all desirable. With its cited advantages withdrawal is likely to fill an important niche among current contraceptive practices and deserves more attention and support.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Hypergravity studies in the Netherlands.

It looks like that with the utilization phase of the International Space Station (ISS) scientists will have the possibility to perform long duration and more sophisticated microgravity experiments than could be performed previously. In preparation for these spaceflight studies, ground based experiment tools for simulated (or real) microgravity and hypergravity are important. To provide the infrastructure and user support necessary to perform these ground based studies we have setup the Dutch Experiment Support Center, DESC. This paper will focus on the three Dutch centrifuge facilities. It is shown that these hypergravity facilities can be used to show sounding rocket launch effects, identify alterations in body mass, bone parameters and matrix composition in rodents as well as to derive a test protocol for the Space Adaptation Syndrome in humans. DESC coordinates the use of these centrifuge facilities.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed1995

XRayView: a teaching aid for X-ray crystallography.

A software package, XRayView, has been developed that uses interactive computer graphics to introduce basic concepts of x-ray diffraction by crystals, including the reciprocal lattice, the Ewald sphere construction, Laue cones, the wavelength dependence of the reciprocal lattice, primitive and centered lattices and systematic extinctions, rotation photography. Laue photography, space group determination and Laue group symmetry, and the alignment of crystals by examination of reciprocal space. XRayView is designed with "user-friendliness" in mind, using pull-down menus to control the program. Many of the experiences of using real x-ray diffraction equipment to examine crystalline diffraction can be simulated. Exercises are available on-line to guide the users through many typical x-ray diffraction experiments.

Biophysics↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Using a relational database to support nursing research.

Designing, implementing, and maintaining a relational database for a complex, longitudinal clinical research project can be the key to the success of a research project. Related issues of data entry, accuracy, confidentiality, security, data analysis, and evaluation of research activities are among the considerations that must be addressed. Our experience with designing a system that was effective and user-friendly to manage the data collected during a 6-year, National Institutes of Health-funded, nursing research project is highlighted. Nurses and other healthcare providers may find our experience with a relational database helpful and applicable to similar clinical research projects.

Clinical Nursing Research↗

PubMed2004

M-CGH: analysing microarray-based CGH experiments.

BACKGROUND: Microarray-based comparative genomic hybridisation (array CGH) is a technique by which variation in relative copy numbers between two genomes can be analysed by competitive hybridisation to DNA microarrays. This technology has most commonly been used to detect chromosomal amplifications and deletions in cancer. Dedicated tools are needed to analyse the results of such experiments, which include appropriate visualisation, and to take into consideration the physical relation in the genome between the probes on the array. RESULTS: M-CGH is a MATLAB toolbox with a graphical user interface designed specifically for the analysis of array CGH experiments, with multiple approaches to ratio normalization. Specifically, the distributions of three classes of DNA copy numbers (gains, normal and losses) can be estimated using a maximum likelihood method. Amplicon boundaries are computed by either the fuzzy K-nearest neighbour method or a wavelet approach. The program also allows linking each genomic clone with the corresponding genomic information in the Ensembl database http://www.ensembl.org. CONCLUSIONS: M-CGH, which encompasses the basic tools needed for analysing array CGH experiments, is freely available for academics http://www.uio.no/~junbaiw/mcgh, and does not require any other MATLAB toolbox.

Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial↗

PubMed1990

Active localization of virtual sounds.

A simple virtual sound display built around a microcomputer and analog hardware is described. The display implements most of the primary cues for sound localization in the ear-level plane. Judging both from informal observations by users and from objective data obtained in an experiment on homing to virtual and real sounds, it is concluded that simple displays like the one described are effective in creating the impression of external sounds to which observers can locomote with ease; in particular, this means that simulation of the direction-dependent spectral shaping effects of the pinnae is not a necessary requirement for extracranial sound localization.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Prevalence and characteristics of multiple analgesic drug use in an elderly study group.

With few exceptions, use of multiple analgesic drugs achieves dubious increases in analgesia while placing elders at increased risk of the many potential adverse effects of analgesic drugs. The potential for duplication of analgesic therapy among the elderly is great due to prevalent painful chronic conditions and the variety of prescription and nonprescription analgesic remedies available. The prevalence of multiple analgesic product use and patterns of concurrent use of different analgesic categories was investigated in a geographically defined population of persons 65 years of age and older. The demographic characteristics of users of multiple analgesic drug products were examined, as were their smoking status, alcohol use, lifetime history rates of major illnesses, physical functioning, pain experiences, memory performance, and depressive symptoms. A substantial proportion of analgesic users reported taking multiple products in the preceding 2 weeks (14.4% of female and 10.5% of male analgesic users). Men who reported pain in the preceding year were more likely to use multiple analgesic products. Women who experienced pain or limited physical functioning, or who had higher depressive symptom scores or a life-time history of ulcers were most likely to use multiple analgesic products. Thus, although some users of multiple analgesic products reported significant pain, several other factors were shown to be related to the phenomenon of multiple use.

Aged↗