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PubMed2005

Causal relationship between health promoting behavior and quality of life in cervical cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the causal relationships among age, education, family income, and stage of carcinoma, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy, health promoting behavior and quality of life in patients with cervical cancer. Pender's Health Promotion Model (1996) provided a guide for the conceptual framework of this study. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit 488 cervical cancer patients who were undergoing radiotherapy at seven public hospitals in five areas of Thailand. The instruments used in this study included a Personal Data Form, Cognitive perception Form, Health promoting behavior scale, the social support questionnaire and The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy General (FACT-G) form. The proposed model was tested and modified by the LISREL Program. The modified model adequately fitted with the data. The results demonstrate that health promoting behavior had a significant direct positive effect on quality of life (beta = 0.71, p < 0.01). Cognitive perceptual factors had a significant direct effect on health promoting behaviors (P = 0.69, p < 0.01). Social support had a significant direct effect on the cognitive perceptual factors (P = 0.64, p < 0.01), health promoting behavior (beta = 0.70, p < 0.01), and the quality of life (beta = 0.48, p < 0.01). Age and education did not have a significant total effect on the quality of life. Family income had a significant direct effect on cognitive perceptual factors (beta = 0.10, p < 0.05). The stage of cancer had a significant direct negative effect on cognitive perceptual factors (beta = -0.11, p < 0.05) and the quality of life (beta = -0.12, p < 0.01). The direct effect of the predictors on the quality of life indicated that cervical cancer patients with higher practice of health promoting behavior tended to have a higher quality of life. The findings indicate that Pender's Health Promotion Model is a useful guide for explaining and predicting the health promoting behavior and the quality of life of Thai cervical cancer patients who were undergoing radiotherapy. The significance of cognitive perceptual factors and social support confirm health promoting behavior as a goal directed towards the level of well being. This has implications for health care systems in planning interventions to promote health promoting behavior in a health promotion setting in cervical cancer patients for a better quality of life and healthy. A longitudinal study and experimental study are recommended for further study.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibition and VATER association: a causal relationship.

Inflammatory conditions that may require the use of a tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) antagonist often involve women of child-bearing age. TNF-a antagonists are presumed to be safe in pregnancy based on animal data. However, this has never been formally studied in prospective trials involving humans. We describe a patient with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis who took etanercept 50 mg subcutaneously (SQ) twice weekly throughout her pregnancy. She gave birth to a child with VATER association. Animal and human data exist to suggest a possible causal relationship between the mother's use of etanercept and the child's development of VATER association. We propose that the TNF antagonists, specifically etanercept, be used with caution in pregnant women. Patient registries of women who take TNF-a antagonists during pregnancy also need to be followed to see if there is an increase in the birth defects that are part of VATER association.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed2006

['Migraine and a hole in the heart': causal relationship between migraine and patent foramen ovale not established].

The relationship between patent foramen ovale (PFO) and migraine is controversial. A common genetic background seems possible, but there is no evidence for a causal relationship. Despite the lack of evidence, PFO closure is recommended in many countries as a remedy for migraine. At present, PFO closure for migraine should only be carried out under strictly controlled clinical trial conditions.

Genetic Predisposition to Disease↗
PubMed2006

Down-regulation of caveolin-1 in mouse Lewis lung cancer P29 is a causal factor for the malignant properties in a high-metastatic subline.

In order to analyze molecular mechanisms for cancer metastasis, we established a high-metastatic subline H7-Lu from a subline H7 of mouse Lewis lung cancer (P29) by repeated injection into tail veins. H7-Lu exhibited increased proliferation and invasion activity. Analysis of gene expression profiles between the parent H7 and H7-Lu revealed that several genes were down-regulated in H7-Lu. One of them, caveolin-1, was a component of lipid/rafts. After confirming the down-regulation of caveolin-1 mRNA by real-time RT-PCR and reduction of the protein by immunoblotting, respectively, H7 was transfected with siRNA for caveolin-1 to examine the role of caveolin-1 in H7-Lu. mRNA of the caveolin-1 gene was suppressed to approximately one third of the original level in H7 cells transfected with siRNA. The transfectant cells showed significantly increased cell proliferation and motility when analyzed by MTT assay and scratching wound healing assay, respectively. In the siRNA-transfectant cells, both ERK1/2 and Akt showed stronger phosphorylation than the mock-transfectant cells indicating that both of these signaling pathways were activated in caveolin-1-suppressed cells. These situations seem to reflect some aspects of the cellular changes in the high metastatic subline H7-Lu. Thus, down-regulation of caveolin-1 in a high-metastatic subline of Lewis lung cancer as defined by DNA array is really a causal factor for the increased malignant properties.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Patent foramen ovale and migraine, a fortuitus association or a causal relationship?].

Epidemiologic studies have shown a clear comorbidity between migraine with aura and a patent foramen ovale (PFO). Under the age of 55, migraine with aura is a risk factor for ischemic stroke and a proportion of the latter is due to a PFO. It remains to be determined whether PFO is causally related to migraine attacks, or is a fortuitous association due to common genetic factors. Cortical spreading depression which is the underlying mechanism of the migrainous aura, could be favoured by a PFO. Several retrospective and uncontrolled studies suggest that percutaneous closure of a PFO for stroke or decompression illness in divers reduces frequency of migraine attacks with, but also without aura. Multicentric, prospective and controlled trials of this intervention in migraineurs are underway or in preparation. As long as their results are not known, there is no rationale for proposing PFO closure for migraine.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Microscopic polyangiitis associated with primary biliary cirrhosis: a causal or casual association?

The association between microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) has seldom been reported. We describe a patient with PBC and MPA who presented with polyarthritis and pulmonary nodules followed by pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis and liver dysfunction. Detection of p-ANCA, antimyeloperoxidase, and antimitochondrial antibodies along with liver and renal histopathology allowed a diagnosis of MPA and PBC. We also discuss 2 other cases that could be unrecognized associations of both diseases. Further reports are necessary to clarify if the coexistence between PBC and MPA is causal or casual.

Autoimmune Diseases↗
PubMed1991

Blood lead and platelet aggregation--evidence for a causal association.

Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and thrombin are agonists of platelet aggregation in which intracellular calcium plays a significant role as a signal transducer. Lead is a well established toxicological agent affecting intracellular mechanisms controlling free ionized calcium concentration in a number of cell lines. This epidemiological study is the first demonstration of a significant relationship between the extent of primary ADP-induced platelet aggregation measured by optical densitometry in platelet rich plasma (PRP) and blood lead concentration. High blood lead levels are associated with decreased aggregation in this population of 2,150 men aged 49-65 years. This is reflected by a negative regression relationship of -0.19% of maximal extent (PRP vs platelet poor plasma) of aggregation per microgram of Pb/dl (T = -3.82, p less than 0.001). In contrast, no relationship is noted between thrombin-induced aggregation and blood lead concentration. Smoking behaviour represents a potential confounder which may be the explanation for the observed relationship. However, because smoking status is simultaneously related to both ADP- and thrombin-induced aggregation, but is simultaneously related to ADP-induced aggregation and blood lead concentration in a different way, the observed relation is likely to be causal. The mechanisms by which ADP and thrombin effect intracellular calcium transduction signals appear to be distinctively different. The findings in this population-based study are not inconsistent with this difference.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1991

[Causal relations of occupational psychiatric disability].

This article discusses a problem that is relatively common in psychiatric practice, but almost non existent in the literature i.e., an occupational disability arising from a psychological trauma. This inquiry focuses on an area in which millions of dollars a year are at stake. Legislative and administrative authorities are increasingly demand that psychiatrists define objective criteria on which legislators can base decisions in contentious cases. What is the connection between the trauma and the current disability, and what is the risk of reoccurrence? Will the employee be able to resume his or her former duties? It quickly becomes clear that clinical, administrative and legislative realities are often incompatible. This article will therefore provide an overview of the subject in a historical perspective, and to orient the reader, will briefly describe the legislative context in the US and Quebec, as well as the role of the expert in assessing causality. We will attempt, by means of an overall conceptual model, to provide a synopsis of the usual procedure in this type of expert assessment.

Disability Evaluation↗
PubMed1991

[Cholesterolemia and ischemic cardiopathy: a causal relationship].

A consistent pool of data obtained in epidemiological and in intervention studies suggests that increased levels of plasma cholesterol are associated to an increased incidence of coronary events. Studies in which a reduction of cholesterol plasma levels was obtained with different approaches (using drugs, diets, surgical procedures) indicate that this reduction, whatever the technique adopted to obtain it, favorably affects the natural history of the atherosclerotic disease in human patients. This information, together with the biochemical evidences linking plasma lipids and lipoproteins with the process of atherogenesis, strongly supports the view that hypercholesterolemia is a causal factor in the development of coronary heart disease in man.

Cholesterol↗
PubMed1991

A tRNA(Lys) mutation in the mtDNA is the causal genetic lesion underlying myoclonic epilepsy and ragged-red fiber (MERRF) syndrome.

Skeletal muscle mtDNA of three patients with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, characterized clinically by myoclonic epilepsy and ragged-red fiber (MERRF) syndrome, has been sequenced to determine the underlying molecular defect(s). An A-to-G substitution of nt 8344 in the tRNA(Lys) gene, a substitution suggested to be associated with MERRF encephalomyopathy, was detected in these patients. Abnormal patterns of mitochondrial translation products were observed in the skeletal muscle of patients, consistent with the expected consequential defect in protein synthesis. The genealogical studies of the three patients, as well as mtDNA from one published MERRF patient and from nine other normal and disease controls, revealed that the tRNA(Lys) mutations in the MERRF patients have arisen independently. These observations provided evidence that the base substitution is a causal mutation for MERRF.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Spherocytosis and pulmonary hypertension coincidental occurrence or causal relationship?

A report is given on a 59 yr old man with hereditary spherocytosis and progressive shortness of breath on exertion, due to severe pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale. An open lung biopsy was performed in order to exclude all known aetiologies of secondary pulmonary hypertension. Pathological examination revealed in situ thrombosis and asymmetric fibromuscular hyperplasia of small- and medium-sized pulmonary arteries. Both primary pulmonary hypertension and hereditary spherocytosis have a low incidence in the general population and their simultaneous occurrence has not been reported previously; the possibility that this was due to a causal relationship and not to coincidence cannot be ruled out, in view of some similarities with pulmonary hypertension complicating sickle cell anaemia.

Humans↗
PubMed1990

[Small intestine transplantation--a causal therapy in short bowel syndrome].

The problems of surgical technique, graft physiology and immunological reactions in small-bowel transplantation have been investigated in extended animal experiments. In these experiments, the fundamentals of a successful clinical application of small-bowel transplantation could be laid. A successful human small-bowel transplantation could be carried out by the Kiel Group for the first time in 1988. A graft which had been removed from a related donor showed a complete adaptation after 22 months, so that the patient became completely independent from parenteral nutrition. After that, in several cases small-bowel and combined liver and small-bowel transplantation have been carried out. Thus, the clinical small-bowel transplantation represents the causal therapy of short-bowel syndrome and should be developed in further clinical trials.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Concept availability in the causal inferences of children and adults.

What supplies the concepts in causal inferences in story comprehension? This question was examined in 5 experiments. Elementary school children and college students listened to stories containing a "premise" sentence describing a character's intent in initiating a series of actions, followed by an unexpected "outcome." After each story, the subjects were asked inference questions about the reason for the outcome (Experiments 1-4) or asked to explain the outcome (Experiment 5). In the various experiments, the availability of object concepts for an inference was manipulated by providing 0 or 2 clues preceding the outcome, additional filler information that diluted the clue information, a mention of an object in the premise or no mention, and an object title for each story or no title. The results suggested that the availability of an object concept in sentences prior to the outcome was a critical determinant of whether an object inference occurred, especially for children. Given availability, the thematic prominence of the object influences whether the object will be used in an inference.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Causal attributions for losing as perceived by adolescents.

To assess the causal attributions for losing perceived by both early and late adolescents, a sample of 150 high school students responded to a questionnaire comprising three categories of activities (sport, academic, and social) in which they had not won or achieved a desired outcome. The obtained attributions for not winning were categorized into four areas: task difficulty, luck, effort, or ability. Adolescent girls indicated significantly more internal attributions and boys more external attributions. Seventh graders' attributions were external and twelfth graders' were internal. No differences emerged as a function of high and low self-esteem. Implications for the structure of achievement tasks are discussed.

Achievement↗
PubMed1989

The causal prophylactic activity of the novel hydroxynaphthoquinone 566C80 against Plasmodium berghei infections in rats.

The influence of the novel hydroxynaphthoquinone 566C80 on exoerythrocytic development of Plasmodium berghei was examined in Brown Norway rats. The procedure employed was designed to identify residual activity of the drug against tissue merozoites emerging into the bloodstream and to distinguish this from any observed causal prophylactic activity against the liver stages. Single oral doses of 10 and 1 mg/kg of 566C80 administered 3 hours after sporozoite-inoculation were effective in preventing the appearance of a patent parasitaemia, while a dose of 0.1 mg/kg significantly reduced the severity of the ensuing blood infection. There was a pronounced residual effect of 566C80 against the blood forms at a dose of 10 mg/kg, a slight residual effect at a dose of 1 mg/kg, but no apparent residual effect at 0.1 mg/kg. At the time when EE merozoites would normally emerge into the bloodstream, an aliquot of blood was sub-inoculated into mice from sporozoite-infected, 566C80-treated rats. This procedure confirmed that 566C80 is active against the exoerythrocytic stages of Plasmodium berghei.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

[Evaluation of toxic effects on yusho causal substances by chick embryo hepatic microsomal enzymes activities].

PCBs, non-ortho chlorine substituted PCBs (Co-PCBs), PCQs and (PCDFs + PCDDs), all of which contained similar compositions of those corresponding in yusho oil, were prepared from a PCB preparation used as a heat exchanger fluid. After dissolved in 1, 4-dioxane, they were applied into the air sac of white leghorn eggs incubated for 16.5 days at 37.5 degrees C. Forty eight hours after injection, the hepatic benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase (AHH) and 7-ethoxyresorufin deethylase (EROD) activities were assayed. The average relative potencies of induction for the two microsomal drug metabolizing enzymes by (PCDFs + PCDDs), Co-PCBs, PCBs and PCQs were 100, 13.4, 0.0006 and 0.0004, respectively. The toxic effects for yusho disease by these substances were calculated from the relative enzyme induction potencies and the average concentrations in yusho oils with the production dates of February 9 and 10, 1968. Consequently, the relative toxicities of (PCDFs+PCDDs), Co-PCBs, PCBs and PCQs were 100, 13.2, 0.06 and 0.12, respectively. This result, as well as our previous investigations using rats and monkeys, insists that (PCDFs+PCDDs) are the primary causal agents for yusho disease. However, the Co-PCBs, which were recently detected in the yusho oils by us, were revealed to be fairly effective in yusho manifestation. In addition, it was cleared that the hepatic enzyme induction by the Co-PCBs fraction, which contained other several PCB isomers, was almost completely contributed by only Co-PCBs such as 3,4,3',4'-tetra- 3,4,5,3',4'-penta- and 3,4,5,3',4',5'-hexachlorinated biphenyls present in the fraction. A chemical uptake rate from the air sac by the chick embryo decreased significantly in the cases of extremely high doses of PCBs (10,000 micrograms/egg) and PCQs (3,333 and 10,000 micrograms/egg), and result the elevations of hepatic enzymes activities were depressed, indicating that the suitable chemical dose amount to be less than about 1,000 micrograms/egg.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

[Diseases of the masticatory system as possible causal factors in infertility].

In this study 36 subfertile patients between 25 and 43 years, in whom asymptomatic bacteriosperms with a concentration of 10(5)/ml or higher could be shown despite an antibiotic directed therapy in which no count reduction was observed, were examined in the Dept. for Dental Prosthetics. A lot of intraoral foci were found, which got eliminated. Intra-operational bacterial specimens were taken and evaluated by a special diagnostic technique in the Dept. of Microbiology. It was shown, that the bacterial spectrum of the intraoral specimens and the spermiograms were identical. 6 months after completion of the dental therapy and intensive oral hygiene instructions a new andrological examination was performed. Two thirds of the spermiograms were already sterile. A direct causal relationship between dental primary diseases and asymptomatic bacteriosperms, which probably leads to subfertility, must be concluded.

Adult↗