The role of abuse in the development of irritable bowel syndrome: a comparative study: research

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is defined as a chronic relapsing functional bowel disorder of unknown causes which is characterised by attacks of abdominal pain and change of bowel habit resulting in diarrhoea or constipation or both. The prevalence of IBS in the general population of Western countries is 14-24% of women and more commonly found in women than in men. Stress can exacerbate IBS and a significant association between IBS and sexual abuse and physical abuse in childhood and adulthood has been found in overseas studies. No such studies have however been conducted in South Africa. The role that abuse may play in the development of IBS forms the cornerstone of the present study. The participants consisted of 79 adult women aged over 20 years. They were grouped into four categories: abused women with IBS; abused women without IBS; non-abused women without IBS; and non-abused women with IBS. A statistical analysis was carried out to ascertain if there were any differences between the groups in terms of the sub-type of IBS, as well as the types of abuse suffered. The groups were also compared with regard to the levels of anger and anxiety experienced. Prikkelbare Dermsindroom (PDS) word gedefinieer as 'n chroniese, herhalende, funksionele ingewandsversteuring wat gekenmerk word deur aanvalle van buikpyn en 'n verandering in ingewandsgewoontes, wat diarree of hardlywigheid, of beide, tot gevolg het. PDS kom voor by 14 - 24% van die vroulike populasie in Westerse lande en word meer by vroue as by mans aangetref. Volgens die verbandhoudende literatuur kan stres PDS vererger en 'n betekenisvolle verband is gevind tussen PDS en sowel seksuele as fisiese mishandeling in die kinderjare en volwassenheid. Die rol wat mishandeling kan speel in die ontwikkeling van PDS vorm die kern van die huidige studie. 'n Statistiese analise is gedoen om te bepaal of daar enige verskille tussen die groepe bestaan in terme van die subtipe van PDS wat voorkom, sowel as die tipes mishandeling wat ervaar is. Die groepe is ook vergelyk in terme van hulle vlakke van woede en angs. Keywords: Functional Gastrointestinal disorders, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Sexual abuse, Physical abuse and emotional abuse (Health SA Gesondheid: interdisciplinary research journal: 2003 8(4): 88-98

Coping with stressors in late adolescence/young adulthood : a salutogenic perspective

Literature indicates that globally young people are increasingly experiencing life as hopeless and meaningless. It is thus beneficial to investigate factors facilitating well-being in young people, as they are required to cope with multiple stressors whilst simultaneously negotiating the transition from childhood to adulthood. Health practitioners need to establish ways to enhance adequate coping in young people in order to minimise stress and ward off negative consequences such as addiction, depression and other pathologies that compromise health. This study aimed to ascertain whether discovering meaning in life and developing a strong sense of coherence may predict coping with stressors in a group of male and female South Africans in late adolescence/young adulthood (N=258). Three self-report measures were used: the Purpose in Life Questionnaire to measure the extent to which one has found meaning, the Sense of Coherence Scale to assess the extent to which individuals view life as comprehensible, manageable and meaningful, and the Adolescent Coping Scale to determine ability to cope. Logistic regression analysis results indicate that the extent to which one has discovered meaning in life and developed a sense of coherence predict ability to cope in young people. This suggests that intervention strategies that encourage individuals to search for meaning and strengthen sense of coherence may be effective in facilitating coping and may contribute positively to the overall health of young people

The role of abuse in the development of irritable bowel syndrome: a comparative study

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is defined as a chronic relapsing functional bowel disorder of unknown causes which is characterised by attacks of abdominal pain and change of bowel habit resulting in diarrhoea or constipation or both. Opsomming Prikkelbare Dermsindroom (PDS) word gedefinieer as ’n chroniese, herhalende, funksionele ingewandsversteuring wat gekenmerk word deur aanvalle van buikpyn en ‘n verandering in ingewandsgewoontes, wat diarree of hardlywigheid, of beide, tot gevolg het. *Please note: This is a reduced version of the abstract. Please refer to PDF for full text

Foot health education for people with rheumatoid arthritis : the practitioner's perspective

Background: Patient education is considered to be a key role for podiatrists in the management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patient education has undoubtedly led to improved clinical outcomes, however no attempts have been made to optimise its content or delivery to maximise benefits within the context of the foot affected by rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of this study was to identify the nature and content of podiatrists' foot health education for people with RA. Any potential barriers to its provision were also explored. Methods: A focus group was conducted. The audio dialogue was recorded digitally, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a structured, thematic approach. The full transcription was verified by the focus group as an accurate account of what was said. The thematic analysis framework was verified by members of the research team to ensure validity of the data. Results: Twelve members (all female) of the north west Podiatry Clinical Effectiveness Group for Rheumatology participated. Six overarching themes emerged: (i) the essence of patient education; (ii) the content; (iii) patient-centred approach to content and timing; (iv) barriers to provision; (v) the therapeutic relationship; and (vi) tools of the trade. Conclusion: The study identified aspects of patient education that this group of podiatrists consider most important in relation to its: content, timing, delivery and barriers to its provision. General disease and foot health information in relation to RA together with a potential prognosis for foot health, the role of the podiatrist in management of foot health, and appropriate self-management strategies were considered to be key aspects of content, delivered according to the needs of the individual. Barriers to foot health education provision, including financial constraints and difficulties in establishing effective therapeutic relationships, were viewed as factors that strongly influenced foot health education provision. These data will contribute to the development of a patient-centred, negotiated approach to the provision of foot health education for people with RA

Time to make a change:A call for more experimental research on key mechanisms in anorexia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a life‐threatening eating disorder, characterised by persistent pathological weight loss behaviours and an intense fear of weight gain and food consumption. Although there is an abundance of scientific theories on the neurobiological, psychological and sociocultural factors thought to be involved in the maintenance of AN, there is little experimental research testing these ideas. The need for theory firmly grounded in empirical evidence becomes strikingly clear when we consider that current treatments for patients with AN are limited in their effectiveness, and relapse after treatment is common

Exploiting the continuous in situ generation of mesyl azide for use in a telescoped process

The hazardous diazo transfer reagent mesyl azide has been safely generated and used in situ for continuous diazo transfer as part of an integrated synthetic process with an embedded safety quench. Diazo transfer to β‐keto esters and a β‐ketosulfone was successful. In‐line phase separation, by means of a continuous liquid–liquid separator enabled direct telescoping with a thermal Wolff rearrangement. 1

BronchUK:protocol for an observational cohort study and biobank in bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis has been a largely overlooked disease area in respiratory medicine. This is reflected by a shortage of large-scale studies and lack of approved therapies, in turn leading to a variation of treatment across centres. BronchUK (Bronchiectasis Observational Cohort and Biobank UK) is a multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study working collaboratively with the European Multicentre Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration project. The inclusion criteria for patients entering the study are a clinical history consistent with bronchiectasis and computed tomography demonstrating bronchiectasis. Main exclusion criteria are 1) patients unable to provide informed consent, 2) bronchiectasis due to known cystic fibrosis or where bronchiectasis is not the main or co-dominant respiratory disease, 3) age <18 years, and 4) prior lung transplantation for bronchiectasis. The study is aligned to standard UK National Health Service (NHS) practice with an aim to recruit a minimum of 1500 patients from across at least nine secondary care centres. Patient data collected at baseline includes demographics, aetiology testing, comorbidities, lung function, radiology, treatments, microbiology and quality of life. Patients are followed up annually for a maximum of 5 years and, where able, blood and/or sputa samples are collected and stored in a central biobank. BronchUK aims to collect robust longitudinal data that can be used for analysis into current NHS practice and patient outcomes, and to become an integral resource to better inform future interventional studies in bronchiectasis

Detection, Isolation and Confirmation of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Human, Ticks and Animals in Ahmadabad, India, 2010–2011

A nosocomial outbreak of CCHFV occurred in January 2011, in a tertiary care hospital in Ahmadabad, Gujarat State in western India. Out of a total five cases reported, contact transmission occurred to three treating medical professionals, all of whom succumbed to the disease. The only survivor was the husband of the index case. These results highlight the importance of considering CCHFV as a potential aetiology for Hemorrhagic fever (HF) cases in India. This also underlines the need for strict barrier nursing and patient isolation while managing these patients. During the investigation presence of CCHFV RNA in Hyalomma anatolicum ticks and livestock were detected in the village from where the primary case (case A) was reported. Further retrospective investigation confirmed two CCHF human cases in Rajkot village 20 kilometres to the west of Ahmadabad in 2010, and CCHFV presence in the livestock 200 kilometres to the north in the neighbouring State Rajasthan. This report shows the presence of CCHFV in human, ticks and animals in Gujarat, India. The fact of concern is the spread of this disease from one state to another due to trading of livestock

Post-postfeminism? New feminist visibilities in postfeminist times

This article contributes to debates about the value and utility of the notion of postfeminism for a seemingly “new” moment marked by a resurgence of interest in feminism in the media and among young women. The paper reviews current understandings of postfeminism and criticisms of the term’s failure to speak to or connect with contemporary feminism. It offers a defence of the continued importance of a critical notion of postfeminism, used as an analytical category to capture a distinctive contradictory-but-patterned sensibility intimately connected to neoliberalism. The paper raises questions about the meaning of the apparent new visibility of feminism and highlights the multiplicity of different feminisms currently circulating in mainstream media culture – which exist in tension with each other. I argue for the importance of being able to “think together” the rise of popular feminism alongside and in tandem with intensified misogyny. I further show how a postfeminist sensibility informs even those media productions that ostensibly celebrate the new feminism. Ultimately, the paper argues that claims that we have moved “beyond” postfeminism are (sadly) premature, and the notion still has much to offer feminist cultural critics

Genome-wide association study identifies loci on 12q24 and 13q32 associated with Tetralogy of Fallot

We conducted a genome-wide association study to search for risk alleles associated with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), using a northern European discovery set of 835 cases and 5159 controls. A region on chromosome 12q24 was associated (P = 1.4 × 10−7) and replicated convincingly (P = 3.9 × 10−5) in 798 cases and 2931 controls [per allele odds ratio (OR) = 1.27 in replication cohort, P = 7.7 × 10−11 in combined populations]. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the glypican 5 gene on chromosome 13q32 were also associated (P = 1.7 × 10−7) and replicated convincingly (P = 1.2 × 10−5) in 789 cases and 2927 controls (per allele OR = 1.31 in replication cohort, P = 3.03 × 10−11 in combined populations). Four additional regions on chromosomes 10, 15 and 16 showed suggestive association accompanied by nominal replication. This study, the first genome-wide association study of a congenital heart malformation phenotype, provides evidence that common genetic variation influences the risk of TO