Intimate partner violence: a study in men and women from six European countries

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess intimate partner violence (IPV) among men and women from six cities in six European countries. METHODS: Four IPV types were measured in a population-based multicentre study of adults (18-64 years; n = 3,496). Sex- and city-differences in past year prevalence were examined considering victims, perpetrators or both and considering violent acts' severity and repetition. RESULTS: Male victimization of psychological aggression ranged from 48.8 % (Porto) to 71.8 % (Athens) and female victimization from 46.4 % (Budapest) to 70.5 % (Athens). Male and female victimization of sexual coercion ranged from 5.4 and 8.9 %, respectively, in Budapest to 27.1 and 25.3 % in Stuttgart. Male and female victims of physical assault ranged from 9.7 and 8.5 %, respectively, in Porto, to 31.2 and 23.1 % in Athens. Male victims of injury were 2.7 % in Östersund and 6.3 % in London and female victims were 1.4 % in Östersund and 8.5 % in Stuttgart. IPV differed significantly across cities (p < 0.05). Men and women predominantly experienced IPV as both victims and perpetrators with few significant sex-differences within cities. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the need to consider men and women as both potential victims and perpetrators when approaching IPV

Evaluating the implementation and impact of a new model of care for integrating children and young people's acute mental healthcare in a paediatric setting: A protocol for a realist, mixed-methods approach

Mental health protocolCopyright information © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Introduction: The mental health of children and young people in the UK has been declining and has continued to worsen throughout the pandemic, leading to an increase in mental health-related emergencies. In response, the Best for You programme was developed as a new service designed to integrate mental healthcare for children and young people between acute hospital and community services. The programme is comprised of four new services: a rapid assessment young people’s centre with dual-trained staff, a co-located day service offering family-based care,a digital hub, designed to integrate with the fourth element of the model, namely community support and mental health services. This evaluation protocol aims to assess the development, implementation and outcomes of the Best for You programme and develops a scalable model that could be implemented in other parts of the National Health Service (NHS). Methods and analysis: This mixed-methods realist evaluation aims to delineate the components of the system to assess their interdependent relationships within a wider context. Data collection will include interviews, participant observations, focus groups and the collection of local quantitative healthcare data. The research will be conducted across four phases. Phase 1—captures the development of the underlying programme theory. Phase 2—a process evaluation testing the programme theory. Phase 3— an outcome and economic evaluation. Phase 4—consolidation of learning from phases 1–3 to identify barriers, facilitators and wider contextual factors that have shaped implementation drawing on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Ethics and dissemination:: Ethical approval for the evaluation was received from the NHS local ethics committee. Embedded within the evaluation is a formative review to feedback and share learning with stakeholders to scale-up the programme. Findings from this study will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals as well as presentations o be useful to service user organisations and networks.The National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration Northwest London; CW+ Charity

Anticancer Effects of 15d-Prostaglandin-J2 in Wild-Type and Doxorubicin-Resistant Ovarian Cancer Cells: Novel Actions on SIRT1 and HDAC

15-deoxy-delta-12,14-prostaglandin-J2 (15d-PGJ2), an arachidonic metabolite and a natural PPARγ agonist, is known to induce apoptosis in tumor cells. In this study, we investigated new therapeutic potentials of 15d-PGJ2 by determining its anticancer effects in wild-type and doxorubicin-resistant ovarian carcinoma cells. Despite high expression of resistance-inducing genes like MDR1, Bcl2 and Bcl-xl, 15d-PGJ2 strongly induced apoptosis in doxorubicin-resistant (A2780/AD) cells similar to the wild-type (A2780). This was found to be related to caspase-3/7- and NF-κB pathways but not to its PPARγ agonistic activity. 15d-PGJ2 also was able to reduce the doxorubicin resistance of A2780/AD cells at low doses as confirmed by the inhibition of gene expression of MDR1 (p-glycoprotein) and SIRT1 (a drug senescence gene). We also investigated effects of 15d-PGJ2 on cell migration and transformation using a wound-healing assay and morphological analyses, respectively. We found that 15d-PGJ2 inhibited migration most likely due to NF-κB inhibition and induced transformation of the round-shape A2780/AD cells into elongated epithelial cells due to HDAC1 inhibition. Using a 15d-PGJ2 analog, we found the mechanism of action of these new activities of 15d-PGJ2 on SIRT1 and HDAC1 gene expressions and enzyme activities. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that 15d-PGJ2 has a high therapeutic potential to kill drug-resistant tumor cells and, the newly described inhibitory effects of this cyclo-oxygenase product on SIRT1 and HDAC will provide new opportunities for cancer therapeutics

Temporal Artery versus Bladder Thermometry during Adult Medical-Surgical Intensive Care Monitoring: An Observational Study

Abstract Background We sought to evaluate agreement between a new and widely implemented method of temperature measurement in critical care, temporal artery thermometry and an established method of core temperature measurement, bladder thermometry as performed in clinical practice. Methods Temperatures were simultaneously recorded hourly (n = 736 observations) using both devices as part of routine clinical monitoring in 14 critically ill adult patients with temperatures ranging ≥1°C prior to consent. Results The mean difference between temporal artery and bladder temperatures measured was -0.44°C (95% confidence interval, -0.47°C to -0.41°C), with temporal artery readings lower than bladder temperatures. Agreement between the two devices was greatest for normothermia (36.0°C to < 38.3°C) (mean difference -0.35°C [95% confidence interval, -0.37°C to -0.33°C]). The temporal artery thermometer recorded higher temperatures during hypothermia (< 36°C) (mean difference 0.66°C [95% confidence interval, 0.53°C to 0.79°C]) and lower temperatures during hyperthermia (≥38.3°C) (mean difference -0.90°C [95% confidence interval, -0.99°C to -0.81°C]). The sensitivity for detecting fever (core temperature ≥38.3°C) using the temporal artery thermometer was 0.26 (95% confidence interval, 0.20 to 0.33), and the specificity was 0.99 (95% confidence interval, 0.98 to 0.99). The positive likelihood ratio for fever was 24.6 (95% confidence interval, 10.7 to 56.8); the negative likelihood ratio was 0.75 (95% confidence interval, 0.68 to 0.82). Conclusions Temporal artery thermometry produces somewhat surprising disagreement with an established method of core temperature measurement and should not to be used in situations where body temperature needs to be measured with accuracy

15-Deoxy-Δ12,14 Prostaglandin J2 Reduces the Formation of Atherosclerotic Lesions in Apolipoprotein E Knockout Mice

AIM: 15-deoxy-Δ¹²,¹⁴ prostaglandin J₂ (15d-PGJ₂) is a ligand of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) having diverse effects such as the differentiation of adipocytes and atherosclerotic lesion formation. 15d-PGJ₂ can also regulate the expression of inflammatory mediators on immune cells independent of PPARγ. We investigated the antiatherogenic effect of 15d-PGJ₂. METHODS: We fed apolipoprotein (apo) E-deficient female mice a Western-type diet from 8 to 16 wk of age and administered 1 mg/kg/day 15d-PGJ₂ intraperitoneally. We measured atherosclerotic lesions at the aortic root, and examined the expression of macrophage and inflammatory atherosclerotic molecules by immunohistochemical and real-time PCR in the lesion. RESULTS: Atherosclerotic lesion formation was reduced in apo E-null mice treated with 15d-PGJ₂, as compared to in the controls. Immunohistochemical and real-time PCR analyses showed that the expression of MCP-1, TNF-α, and MMP-9 in atherosclerotic lesions was significantly decreased in 15d-PGJ₂ treated mice. The 15d-PGJ₂ also reduced the expression of macrophages and RelA mRNA in atherosclerotic lesions. CONCLUSION: This is the first report 15d-PGJ₂, a natural PPARγ agonist, can improve atherosclerotic lesions in vivo. 15d-PGJ₂ may be a beneficial therapeutic agent for atherosclerosis

Intimate Partner Violence and Health Care-Seeking Patterns Among Female Users of Urban Adolescent Clinics

To assess the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and associations with health care-seeking patterns among female patients of adolescent clinics, and to examine screening for IPV and IPV disclosure patterns within these clinics. A self-administered, anonymous, computerized survey was administered to female clients ages 14–20 years (N = 448) seeking care in five urban adolescent clinics, inquiring about IPV history, reasons for seeking care, and IPV screening by and IPV disclosure to providers. Two in five (40%) female urban adolescent clinic patients had experienced IPV, with 32% reporting physical and 21% reporting sexual victimization. Among IPV survivors, 45% reported abuse in their current or most recent relationship. IPV prevalence was equally high among those visiting clinics for reproductive health concerns as among those seeking care for other reasons. IPV victimization was associated with both poor current health status (AOR 1.57, 95% CI 1.03–2.40) and having foregone care in the past year (AOR 2.59, 95% CI 1.20–5.58). Recent IPV victimization was associated only with past 12 month foregone care (AOR 2.02, 95% CI 1.18–3.46). A minority (30%) reported ever being screened for IPV in a clinical setting. IPV victimization is pervasive among female adolescent clinic attendees regardless of visit type, yet IPV screening by providers appears low. Patients reporting poor health status and foregone care are more likely to have experienced IPV. IPV screening and interventions tailored for female patients of adolescent clinics are needed

TGA2 signaling in response to reactive electrophile species is not dependent on cysteine modification of TGA2

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Reactive electrophile species (RES), including prostaglandins, phytoprostanes and 12-oxo phytodienoic acid (OPDA), activate detoxification responses in plants and animals. However, the pathways leading to the activation of defense reactions related to abiotic or biotic stress as a function of RES formation, accumulation or treatment are poorly understood in plants. Here, the thiol-modification of proteins, including the RES-activated basic region/leucine zipper transcription factor TGA2, was studied. TGA2 contains a single cysteine residue (Cys186) that was covalently modified by reactive cyclopentenones but not required for induction of detoxification genes in response to OPDA or prostaglandin A1. Activation of the glutathione-S-transferase 6 (GST6) promoter was responsive to cyclopentenones but not to unreactive cyclopentanones, including jasmonic acid suggesting that thiol reactivity of RES is important to activate the TGA2-dependent signaling pathway resulting in GST6 activation We show that RES modify thiols in numerous proteins in vivo, however, thiol reactivity alone appears not to be sufficient for biological activity as demonstrated by the failure of several membrane permeable thiol reactive reagents to activate the GST6 promoter.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Broad and narrow personality traits as markers of one-time and repeated suicide attempts: A population-based study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Studying personality traits with the potential to differentiate between individuals engaging in suicide attempts of different degrees of severity could help us to understand the processes underlying the link of personality and nonfatal suicidal behaviours and to identify at-risk groups. One approach may be to examine whether narrow, i.e., lower-order personality traits may be more useful than their underlying, broad personality trait dimensions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We investigated qualitative and quantitative differences in broad and narrow personality traits between one-time and repeated suicide attempters in a longitudinal, population-based sample of young French Canadian adults using two multivariate regression models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One broad (Compulsivity: OR = 2.0; 95% CI 1.2–3.5) and one narrow personality trait (anxiousness: OR = 1.1; 95% CI 1.01–1.1) differentiated between individuals with histories of repeated and one-time suicide attempts. Affective instability [(OR = 1.1; 95% CI 1.04–1.1)] and anxiousness [(OR = .92; 95% CI .88–.95)], on the other hand, differentiated between nonattempters and one-time suicide attempters.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Emotional and cognitive dysregulation and associated behavioural manifestations may be associated with suicide attempts of different severity. While findings associated with narrow traits may be easier to interpret and link to existing sociobiological theories, larger effect sizes associated with broad traits such as Compulsivity may be better suited to objectives with a more clinical focus.</p

Two Alleles of NF-κB in the Sea Anemone Nematostella vectensis Are Widely Dispersed in Nature and Encode Proteins with Distinct Activities

BACKGROUND. NF-κB is an evolutionarily conserved transcription factor that controls the expression of genes involved in many key organismal processes, including innate immunity, development, and stress responses. NF-κB proteins contain a highly conserved DNA-binding/dimerization domain called the Rel homology domain. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS. We characterized two NF-κB alleles in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis that differ at nineteen single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Ten of these SNPs result in amino acid substitutions, including six within the Rel homology domain. Both alleles are found in natural populations of Nematostella. The relative abundance of the two NF-κB alleles differs between populations, and departures from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium within populations indicate that the locus may be under selection. The proteins encoded by the two Nv-NF-κB alleles have different molecular properties, in part due to a Cys/Ser polymorphism at residue 67, which resides within the DNA recognition loop. In nearly all previously characterized NF-κB proteins, the analogous residue is fixed for Cys, and conversion of human RHD proteins from Cys to Ser at this site has been shown to increase DNA-binding ability and increase resistance to inhibition by thiol-reactive compounds. However, the naturally-occurring Nematostella variant with Cys at position 67 binds DNA with a higher affinity than the Ser variant. On the other hand, the Ser variant activates transcription in reporter gene assays more effectively, and it is more resistant to inhibition by a thiol-reactive compound. Reciprocal Cys<->Ser mutations at residue 67 of the native Nv-NF-κB proteins affect DNA binding as in human NF-κB proteins, e.g., a Cys->Ser mutation increases DNA binding of the native Cys variant. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE. These results are the first demonstration of a naturally occurring and functionally significant polymorphism in NF-κB in any species. The functional differences between these alleles and their uneven distribution in the wild suggest that different genotypes could be favored in different environments, perhaps environments that vary in their levels of peroxides or thiol-reactive compounds.National Institutes of Health (CA047763); National Science Foundation (FP-91656101-0); Environmental Protection Agency (F5E11155); Conservation International Marine Management Area Science Program; Boston University (SPRInG grant); Postdoctoral Scholar Program at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; The Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries; the J Seward Johnson Fund; Boston University (5 P42 ES07381