Risk factors for suicide in Bali: a psychological autopsy study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The suicide rate in Bali has significantly increased in recent years. However, to date, there have been no case-control studies investigating risk factors for suicide.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A psychological autopsy study was conducted comparing 60 suicide cases and 120 living controls matched in age, sex, and area of residence.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Multiple logistic regression analysis identified the following risk factors for suicide: at least one diagnosis of axis-I mental disorder (OR: 14.84 CI: 6.12 - 35.94); low level of religious involvement (OR: 7.24 CI: 2.28 - 22.95); and severe interpersonal problems (OR: 3.86 CI: 1.36 - 11.01). Forty-eight (80.0%) of the suicide cases were diagnosed with mental disorders; however, only 16.7% visited a primary care health professional and none received psychiatric treatment during the 1 month prior to death.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Clinical, religious, and psychosocial factors were associated with suicide. These results highlight the significance of early recognition and treatment of mental disorders, religious activities, and interpersonal problem-solving strategies for suicide prevention in Bali.</p

Intratumoral expression of a fusogenic membrane glycoprotein enhances the efficacy of replicating adenovirus therapy

We describe here a novel strategy to enhance the in vivo efficacy of replicating adenovirus therapy, using coinjection of plasmid DNA encoding a fusogenic viral glycoprotein. The combination of fusogenic membrane glycoprotein (FMG)-induced tumor cell fusion and infection with replicating adenovirus effectively treats even large established tumors at doses of plasmid DNA and virus that alone are ineffective. Adenoviral infection appears to increase the transduction of the tumor cells to a modest degree thereby boosting the FMG-mediated component of the therapy. Simultaneously, syncytial formation enhances the therapeutic effects of viral infection by increasing spread of adenoviral particles through the tumor cell population and by increasing titer of virus released from the tumor cells. This effect is due probably to release of intracellular viral particles upon tumor cell death and also to increased levels of E1A protein within syncytia, whose increased metabolic rate is associated with enhanced levels of protein expression. Cotransduction of tumor cells with replicating adenovirus and FMG-expressing vectors could either be combined within single replicating vectors or could be used in strategies using separate administration of two components, both at lower doses than required for either therapy alone