Women's understanding of abnormal cervical smear test results: a qualitative interview study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe how women interpret their experiences of diagnosis and treatment of a cervical abnormality and how healthcare services for such women can be improved. DESIGN: Qualitative study using detailed individual interviews. SETTING: Australian gynaecology clinics. SUBJECTS: 29 Women who had a cervical cytological abnormality and who attended a gynaecologist. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Women''s views on their diagnosis and their information needs. RESULTS: Most women wanted to participate in decisions about their care but found it difficult to get the information they required from doctors because they were confused by what their doctors told them and felt unable to ask questions in the consultation. Medical terms such as wart virus and precancer were difficult to understand. Not being able to see their cervix also made it hard for women to understand what their abnormality meant and what treatment entailed. Most women tried to make sense of their abnormality in the context of their everyday lives. For some women their gynaecological care was not consistent with the way they understood their abnormality. CONCLUSIONS: The inherent power structure of medical practice combined with time pressures often make it difficult for doctors to give the detailed information and reassurance patients need when a diagnosis is distressing or when investigation and treatment are strange and upsetting.     

A homopolymer of the potent antitumor drug 2′-deoxy-5-fluorouridylate

Poly(5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridylic acid) was synthesized and its properties were compared with those of poly(dT) and poly(dU). It readily complexed with poly(dA). The 1:1 complex melted at about 20°C lower than poly(dA) · poly(dT). A triple-stranded helix, poly(dA)·2 poly(dF⁵U) was formed only in high salt (2.0 M NaCl).     

Phylogenetic relationships among transposon-like elements in human and primate DNA

A THE-1 sequence in intron 7 of the human dystrophin gene has been found to represent a new subfamily of THE-1 elements. The sequence is closely related to the MstII family of repetitive sequences and is more like single-copy sequences found in the galago genome than any other THE-1 sequence previously reported. This new THE-1 sequence has been compared with two other complete THE-1 sequences and three related long-terminal repeat elements that we have previously found in intron 7 of the dystrophin gene, and with members of the same family from elsewhere in the primate genome. Parsimony and deletion analysis show that the cluster of THE-1 sequences in intron 7 of the dystrophin gene has arisen from at least three individual insertion events, rather than from the insertion and duplication of a single progenitor sequence. Correspondence to: G.B. Petersen     

Poly (8-bromo-2′-deoxyadenylic acid): The syn/anti relationship

The synthesis of a high-molecular-weight, putatively all-syn DNA analogue, poly(8-bromo-2′-deoxyadenylic acid), is described. The syn → anti transition was shown to be both salt and temperature dependent. Conditions were found which favored ‘normal’ Watson-Crick pairing and duplex formation with poly(dT).     

Effects of group-rearing or partial isolation on later social behaviour of calves

Calves were either isolated, spatially but not visually, or group-reared for eight months and then kept together. Rank orders based upon competitive interactions were similar at eight and 20 months. Almost all group-reared animals were higher in rank than all isolation-reared animals. The most frequent nearest neighbour associations were between group-reared animals especially those from the same rearing group. Also frequent at eight months were associations between calves which had been isolated in adjacent pens. Isolation-reared animals associated infrequently with group-reared animals and spent more time alone. Body weight was not correlated with rearing conditions or with behavioural measures. Increase, or decrease, in rank between eight and 20 months was associated with faster, or slower, than average weight gain.     

Lung tissue extracellular matrix-derived hydrogels protect against radiation-induced lung injury by suppressing epithelial–mesenchymal transition

This study aimed to examine whether lung tissue extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogels have protective effects on radiation-induced lung injury (RILI). The cytocompatibility and histocompatibility were tested for the obtained ECM-derived hydrogel. Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 18): control group (control); rats receiving irradiation and intratracheal injection of normal saline (IR + NS); and rats receiving irradiation and intratracheal injection of lung ECM-derived hydrogel (IR + ECM). The wet/dry weight ratio was used to evaluate the congestion and edema of the lungs. Histopathological analysis of lung tissues was performed using hemotoxylin and eosin staining and Masson's trichrome staining. Immunohistochemical staining and western blot analyses were carried out to determine the expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins in lung tissues (E-cadherin, α-smooth muscle actin [α-SMA], and vimentin). In addition, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), hydroxyproline, malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were also evaluated. The ECM-derived hydrogels had good cytocompatibility and histocompatibility. ECM-derived hydrogel treatment improved lung histopathology injury and pulmonary edema. Higher expression of E-cadherin and lower expression of vimentin and α-SMA were found in the IR + ECM group compared with those in the IR + NS group. Hydroxyproline levels were reduced by ECM-derived hydrogel treatment compared with those in the IR + NS group. Obvious increases of TNF-α, IL-6, and TGF-β1 were identified following irradiation. Marked reductions in MDA content and increases in SOD were induced by ECM-derived hydrogel treatment in rats after radiation. ECM-derived hydrogels were shown to protect against RILI, potentially by reducing EMT, inflammation, and oxidative damage.     

Gene Expression Profiling of Ampullary Carcinomas Classifies Ampullary Carcinomas into Biliary-Like and Intestinal-Like Subtypes That Are Prognostic of Outcome

Background

Adenocarcinomas of the ampulla of Vater are classified as biliary cancers, though the exact epithelium of origin for these cancers is not known. We sought to molecularly classify ampullary adenocarcinomas in comparison to known adenocarcinomas of the pancreas, bile duct, and duodenum by gene expression analysis.

Methods

We analyzed 32 fresh-frozen resected, untreated periampullary adenocarcinomas (8 pancreatic, 2 extrahepatic biliary, 8 duodenal, and 14 ampullary) using the Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0 genome array. Unsupervised and supervised hierarchical clustering identified two subtypes of ampullary carcinomas that were molecularly and histologically characterized.

Results

Hierarchical clustering of periampullary carcinomas segregated ampullary carcinomas into two subgroups, which were distinctly different from pancreatic carcinomas. Non-pancreatic periampullary adenocarcinomas were segregated into two subgroups with differing prognoses: 5 year RFS (77% vs. 0%, p = 0.007) and 5 year OS (100% vs. 35%, p = 0.005). Unsupervised clustering analysis of the 14 ampullary samples also identified two subgroups: a good prognosis intestinal-like subgroup and a poor prognosis biliary-like subgroup with 5 year OS of 70% vs. 28%, P = 0.09. Expression of CK7+/CK20- but not CDX-2 correlated with these two subgroups. Activation of the AKT and MAPK pathways were both increased in the poor prognostic biliary-like subgroup. In an independent 80 patient ampullary validation dataset only histological subtype (intestinal vs. pancreaticobiliary) was significantly associated with OS in both univariate (p = 0.006) and multivariate analysis (P = 0.04).

Conclusions

Gene expression analysis discriminated pancreatic adenocarcinomas from other periampullary carcinomas and identified two prognostically relevant subgroups of ampullary adenocarcinomas. Histological subtype was an independent prognostic factor in ampullary adenocarcinomas.     

Early‐Life Exposure to Pulsed LTE Radiofrequency Fields Causes Persistent Changes in Activity and Behavior in C57BL/6 J Mice

Despite much research, gaps remain in knowledge about the potential health effects of exposure to radiofrequency (RF) fields. This study investigated the effects of early‐life exposure to pulsed long term evolution (LTE) 1,846 MHz downlink signals on innate mouse behavior. Animals were exposed for 30 min/day, 5 days/week at a whole‐body average specific energy absorption rate (SAR) of 0.5 or 1 W/kg from late pregnancy (gestation day 13.5) to weaning (postnatal day 21). A behavioral tracking system measured locomotor, drinking, and feeding behavior in the home cage from 12 to 28 weeks of age. The exposure caused significant effects on both appetitive behaviors and activity of offspring that depended on the SAR. Compared with sham‐exposed controls, exposure at 0.5 W/kg significantly decreased drinking frequency (P ≤ 0.000) and significantly decreased distance moved (P ≤ 0.001). In contrast, exposure at 1 W/kg significantly increased drinking frequency (P ≤ 0.001) and significantly increased moving duration (P ≤ 0.005). In the absence of other plausible explanations, it is concluded that repeated exposure to low‐level RF fields in early life may have a persistent and long‐term effect on adult behavior. Bioelectromagnetics. 2019;40:498–511. © 2019 The Authors. Bioelectromagnetics Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.