Assessing somatization in urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome

BACKGROUND: This study examined the prevalence of somatization disorder in Urological Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (UCPPS) and the utility of two self-report symptom screening tools for assessment of somatization in patients with UCPPS. METHODS: The study sample included 65 patients with UCPPS who enrolled in the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Study at Washington University. Patients completed the PolySymptomatic PolySyndromic Questionnaire (PSPS-Q) (n = 64) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 Somatic Symptom Severity Scale (PHQ-15) (n = 50). Review of patient medical records found that only 47% (n = 30) contained sufficient documentation to assess Perley-Guze criteria for somatization disorder. RESULTS: Few (only 6.5%) of the UCPPS sample met Perley-Guze criteria for definite somatization disorder. Perley-Guze somatization disorder was predicted by definite PSPS-Q somatization with at least 75% sensitivity and specificity. Perley-Guze somatization disorder was predicted by severe (\u3e 15) PHQ-15 threshold that had \u3e 90% sensitivity and specificity but was met by only 16% of patients. The moderate (\u3e 10) PHQ-15 threshold had higher sensitivity (100%) but lower specificity (52%) and was met by 52% of the sample. CONCLUSIONS: The PHQ-15 is brief, but it measures symptoms constituting only one dimension of somatization. The PSPS-Q uniquely captures two conceptual dimensions inherent in the definition of somatization disorder, both number of symptoms and symptom distribution across multiple organ systems, with relevance for UCPPS as a syndrome that is not just a collection of urological symptoms but a broader syndrome with symptoms extending beyond the urological system

Microbial sulfate reduction and metal attenuation in pH 4 acid mine water

Sediments recovered from the flooded mine workings of the Penn Mine, a Cu-Zn mine abandoned since the early 1960s, were cultured for anaerobic bacteria over a range of pH (4.0 to 7.5). The molecular biology of sediments and cultures was studied to determine whether sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were active in moderately acidic conditions present in the underground mine workings. Here we document multiple, independent analyses and show evidence that sulfate reduction and associated metal attenuation are occurring in the pH-4 mine environment. Waterchemistry analyses of the mine water reveal: (1) preferential complexation and precipitation by H2S of Cu and Cd, relative to Zn; (2) stable isotope ratios of 34S/32S and 18O/16O in dissolved SO4 that are 2–3 ‰ heavier in the mine water, relative to those in surface waters; (3) reduction/oxidation conditions and dissolved gas concentrations consistent with conditions to support anaerobic processes such as sulfate reduction. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses of sediment show 1.5-micrometer, spherical ZnS precipitates. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analyses of Penn Mine sediment show a high biomass level with a moderately diverse community structure composed primarily of iron- and sulfate-reducing bacteria. Cultures of sediment from the mine produced dissolved sulfide at pH values near 7 and near 4, forming precipitates of either iron sulfide or elemental sulfur. DGGE coupled with sequence and phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA gene segments showed populations of Desulfosporosinus and Desulfitobacterium in Penn Mine sediment and laboratory cultures

Spatial and Temporal Variation in Abundance of Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) in a Malaria Endemic Area in Papua New Guinea

Abundance of anophelines in 10 villages in the Wosera area of Papua New Guinea was monitored during 1990-1993. Of 85,197 anophelines collected in 1,276 paired indoor and outdoor landing catches, 40.4% were Anopheles koliensis Owen, 36.7% An. punctulatus Donitz, 14.3% Art. karwari (James), 4.9% An. farauti s.l. Laveran, 3.1% An. longirostris Brug, and 0.7% An. bancroftii Giles. Maps of average indoor biting rates were produced using a Bayesian conditional autoregressive model which allowed for heterogeneities in sampling effort over time and space. Differences in spatial distributions among species were observed among and within villages and were related to the distribution of larval habitats and vegetation. Abundance of An. punctulatus and An. koliensis decreased with distance from the main waterway and probably from a sago swamp forest at 6 villages in North Wosera. Abundance of An. punctulatus was associated negatively with those of An. farauti s.l., An. longirostris, and An. bancroftii. The latter 3 species also had relatively low ratios of indoor-to-outdoor biting rates, and earlier biting times than An. punctulatus. Human blood indices of at least 0.79 were observed for all species except An. bancroftii. Abundance of all 6 species was correlated temporally with recent rainfall, but An. koliensis, An. kanvari, and An. longirostris showed greater temporal variability than the other species. An. punctulatus and An. koliensis tended to occur together in time and space (index of association, I = 0.85). Weaker associations were seen between An. farauti s.l. and An. longirostris (I = 0.44) and An. koliensis and An. kanvari (I = 0.34). The most frequently collected species occurred together and were concentrated near the Amugu river; the remaining species tended to occur together but in different parts of the Wosera area. The importance of understanding ecological requirements of the different Anopheles vectors and their association with key household and landscape features are discussed in relation to malaria transmission and contro

Theory of synthetic aperture radar ocean imaging: A MARSEN view

This paper reviews basic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) theory of ocean wave imaging mechanisms, using both known work and recent experimental and theoretical results from the Marine Remote Sensing (MARSEN) Experiment. Several viewpoints that have contributed to the field are drawn together in a general analysis of the backscatter statistics of a moving sea surface. A common focus for different scattering models is provided by the mean image impulse response function, which is shown to be identical to the (spatially varying) frequency variance spectrum of the local complex reflectivity coefficient. From the analysis has emerged a more complete view of the SAR imaging phenomenon than has been previously available. A new, generalized imaging model is proposed

The modification of X and L band radar signals by monomolecular sea slicks

One methyl oleate and two oleyl alcohol surface films were produced on the surface of the North Sea under comparable oceanographic and meteorological conditions in order to investigate their influence on X and L band radar backscatter. Signals are backscattered in these bands primarily by surface waves with lengths of about 2 and 12 cm, respectively, and backscattered power levels in both bands were reduced by the slicks. The reduction was larger at X band than at L band, however, indicating that shorter waves are more intensely damped by the surface films. The oleyl alcohol film caused greater attenuation of short gravity waves than the film of methyl oleate, thus demonstrating the importance of the physicochemical properties of films on the damping of wind‐generated gravity capillary waves. Finally, these experiments indicate a distinct dependence of the degree of damping on the angle between wind and waves. Wind‐generated waves traveling in the wind direction are more intensely damped by surface films than are waves traveling at larger angles to the wind

Levels of anti-pneumococcal antibodies in young children in Papua New Guinea

Anti-pneumococcal polysaccharide antibody (anti-PPS) levels were measured in 153 serum samples collected from children aged between 2 and 47 months living in the highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Fifty-seven of the samples were collected during acute episodes of lower respiratory tract infection (ALRI). Total IgA and IgG increased steadily with age; however, no association was found between the levels of these antibodies and the health status of the child. Total IgM levels showed little relationship to the age of the child but under 12 months of age levels were somewhat higher on average in children with pneumonia. For most of eight pneumococcal serotypes tested, specific IgG levels were found to decline rapidly in the first 6-8 months, reaching a minimum at approximately 12 months of age. Serotype 3 was exceptional in having very low titres in the youngest children. A separate analysis of 24 cord sera suggested that antibodies to this serotype do not usually cross the placenta in PNG. Children with pneumonia tended to have lower levels of specific IgG than healthy controls of the same age. Specific anti-PPS IgA levels were found to increase steadily with age, but were not associated with health statu

State anxiety by itself does not change political attitudes: A threat of shock experiment

Previous research suggests that state anxiety may sway political attitudes. However, previous experimental procedures induced anxiety using political contexts (e.g., social or economic threat). In a pre-registered laboratory experiment, we set out to examine if anxiety that is unrelated to political contexts can influence political attitudes. We induced anxiety with a threat of shock paradigm, void of any political connotation. All participants were instructed that they might receive an electric stimulus during specified threat periods and none during safety periods. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: Political attitudes (implicit and explicit) were assessed under safety in one condition and under threat in the other. Psychometric, as well as physiological data (skin conductance, heart rate), confirmed that anxiety was induced successfully. However, this emotional state did not alter political attitudes. In a Bayesian analytical approach, we confirmed the absence of an effect. Our results suggest that state anxiety by itself does not sway political attitudes. Previously observed effects that were attributed to anxiety may be conditional on a political context of threat

The Relevance of the Colon to Zinc Nutrition

Globally, zinc deficiency is widespread, despite decades of research highlighting its negative effects on health, and in particular upon child health in low-income countries. Apart from inadequate dietary intake of bioavailable zinc, other significant contributors to zinc deficiency include the excessive intestinal loss of endogenously secreted zinc and impairment in small intestinal absorptive function. Such changes are likely to occur in children suffering from environmental (or tropical) enteropathy (EE)—an almost universal condition among inhabitants of developing countries characterized by morphologic and functional changes in the small intestine. Changes to the proximal gut in environmental enteropathy will likely influence the nature and amount of zinc delivered into the large intestine. Consequently, we reviewed the current literature to determine if colonic absorption of endogenous or exogenous (dietary) zinc could contribute to overall zinc nutriture. Whilst we found evidence that significant zinc absorption occurs in the rodent colon, and is favoured when microbially-fermentable carbohydrates (specifically resistant starch) are consumed, it is unclear whether this process occur in humans and/or to what degree. Constraints in study design in the few available studies may well have masked a possible colonic contribution to zinc nutrition. Furthermore these few available human studies have failed to include the actual target population that would benefit, namely infants affected by EE where zinc delivery to the colon may be increased and who are also at risk of zinc deficiency. In conducting this review we have not been able to confirm a colonic contribution to zinc absorption in humans. However, given the observations in rodents and that feeding resistant starch to children is feasible, definitive studies utilising the dual stable isotope method in children with EE should be undertaken.G.L. Gopalsamy, D.H Alpers, H.J Binder, C.D. Tran, B.S. Ramakrishna, I. Brown, M. Manary, Elissa Mortimer and G.P. Youn