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There is increasing evidence that adult attachment plays a role in the development and perseverance of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This meta-analysis aims to synthesise this evidence and investigate the relationship between adult attachment styles and PTSD symptoms. A random-effects model was used to analyse 46 studies (N=9268) across a wide range of traumas. Results revealed a medium association between secure attachment and lower PTSD symptoms (ρˆ=-.27), and a medium association, in the opposite direction, between insecure attachment and higher PTSD symptoms (ρˆ=.26). Attachment categories comprised of high levels of anxiety most strongly related to PTSD symptoms, with fearful attachment displaying the largest association (ρˆ=.44). Dismissing attachment was not significantly associated with PTSD symptoms. The relationship between insecure attachment and PTSD was moderated by type of PTSD measure (interview or questionnaire) and specific attachment category (e.g. secure, fearful). Results have theoretical and clinical significance., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The primary objective of this pilot study was to measure the variation of ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) concentration with increasing distance from a major highway in Montréal, Canada, in order to assess the validity of distance from the roadways as a surrogate for exposure to traffic-related air pollution in epidemiologic studies. A total of 31 two-sided Ogawa passive samplers (using triethanolamine-impregnated filters as an absorbent) were installed for 7 days in groups of two or three along an axis perpendicular to a major highway where traffic density exceeds 100000 vehicles/day. Distances ranged from 0 to 1310 m from the highway. Concentrations of NO(2) ranged from 11.9 to 29.3 ppb, and decreased significantly with increasing logarithmic distance from the highway (P<0.0001). Concentrations of NO(2) were also significantly lower upwind than downwind relative to the highway (P=0.0012). These findings indicate that distance from highways may be a valid surrogate for traffic-related air pollution.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of correlation between physical signs of genital atrophy and symptoms that are suggestive of atrophic vaginitis., Study Design: Female volunteers (n = 135; mean age, 69 years) rated the presence and severity (rating, 0-3) of vaginal atrophy symptoms. The presence and severity of vaginal mucosal changes, which included vaginal pH (0-3), were recorded during a pelvic examination. A vaginal cytologic maturation value was performed. Symptoms, signs, pH, and maturation value were correlated by the Spearman rank test., Results: Symptom scores were low (mean, 0.41; range, 0-2.6). Symptoms were only weakly correlated with physical findings (r = 0.14) and not with maturation value (r = 0.06) or age (r = -0.004). There was a moderate correlation between physical examination score and maturation value (r = -0.48). In women > or =65 years old, symptom score and physical examination score were correlated weakly (r = 0.25). Low pH correlated well with high maturation value (r = -0.52). Women who were undergoing estrogen therapy had higher symptoms scores (P =.0007) and maturation values (P =.0002) than women who were not undergoing therapy., Conclusion: Although urogenital atrophy occurs universally after menopause, most elderly women are minimally symptomatic. Those women on estrogen replacement therapy may be more symptomatic. Symptoms alone should not be used as a guide for the initiation of estrogen therapy.

The aim of the present studies was to examine the ability of a potent, systemically active, selective Group II mGlu receptor (mGluR2/3) agonist, 1R,4R,5S,6R-2-oxa-4-minobicyclo[3.1.0.]hexane-4,6-dicarboxylate (LY379268) to provide both functional relief and neuroprotection in rodent models of Parkinson's disease (PD). In functional studies, intracerebroventricular administration of LY379268 (1, 5, 10, 20 nmol/2 microl) produced a dose-dependent increase in locomotor activity in the reserpine (5 mg/kg ip)-treated rat. In contrast, systemic administration of LY379268 (0.1, 1, 10 mg/kg ip) did not reverse reserpine-induced akinesia and failed to effect rotational behaviour 1 month after unilateral lesioning of the nigrostriatal tract by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA; 4 microg infused into the substantia nigra (SN)). In neuroprotective studies, animals were treated with LY379268 (10 mg/kg/day ip) either for 7 days following 6-OHDA injection into the SN (4 microg) or for 21 days following 6-OHDA injection into the striatum (10 microg) before measurement of tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the striatum and/or SN as an index of neuroprotection. LY379268 provided some protection against nigral infusion of 6-OHDA and also some functional improvement and correction of dopamine turnover was observed. The compound also provided significant protection in the striatum and some protection in the SN against striatal infusion of 6-OHDA. These data suggest that activation of Group II mGlu receptors can provide some protection in models of PD, while their role in providing functional improvement is less clear.

When fed in semi-artificial diet the lectins from snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis: GNA: mannose-specific) and jackbean (Canavalia ensiformis: Con A: specific for glucose and mannose) were shown to accumulate in vivo in the guts, malpighian tubules and haemolymph of Lacanobia oleracea (tomato moth) larvae. Con A, but not GNA, also accumulated in the fat bodies of lectin-fed larvae. The presence of glycoproteins which bind to both lectins in vitro was confirmed using labelled lectins to probe blots of polypeptides extracted from larval tissues. Immunolocalisation studies revealed a similar pattern of GNA and Con A binding along the digestive tract with binding concentrated in midgut sections. Binding of lectins to microvilli appeared to lead to transport of the proteins into cells of the gut and malpighian tubules. These results suggested that both lectins are able to exert systemic effects via transport from the gut contents to the haemolymph across the gut epithelium. The delivery of GNA and Con A to the haemolymph was shown to be dependent on their functional integrity by feeding larvae diets containing denatured lectins. Con A, but not GNA, was shown to persist in gut and fat body tissue of lectin-fed larvae chased with control diet for three days. Con A also shows more extensive binding to larval tissues in vitro than GNA, and these two factors are suggested to contribute to the higher levels of toxicity shown by Con A, relative to GNA, in previous long term bioassays.

Two-spot ladybird (Adalia bipunctata L.) larvae were fed on aphids (Myzus persicae (Sulz.)) which had been loaded with snowdrop lectin (Galanthus nivalis agglutinin; GNA) by feeding on artificial diet containing the protein. Treatment with GNA significantly decreased the growth of aphids. No acute toxicity of GNA-containing aphids towards the ladybird larvae was observed, although there were small effects on development. When fed a fixed number of aphids, larvae exposed to GNA spent longer in the 4th instar, taking 6 extra days to reach pupation; however, retardation of development was not observed in ladybird larvae fed equal weights of aphids. Ladybird larvae fed GNA-containing aphids were found to be 8-15% smaller than controls, but ate a significantly greater number of aphids (approx. 40% to pupation). GNA was shown to be present on the microvilli of the midgut brush border membrane and within gut epithelial cells in ladybird larvae fed on GNA-dosed aphids, although disruption of the brush border was not observed. It is hypothesised that GNA does not have significant direct toxic or adverse effects on developing ladybird larvae, but that the effects observed may be due to the fact that the aphids fed on GNA are compromised and are thus a suboptimal food.

Twenty-three apparently normal untrained men aged 20--55 participated in a 4-month self-regulated training programme ending in a marathon run. Fasting plasma and lipoprotein lipid concentrations, adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase activity, anthropometric data, alcohol consumption, smoking habits, weekly mileage run and performance on a bicycle ergometer were recorded before and after the training period. Training induced an increase in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentration which was not directly related to concomitant decreases in mean very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) concentration or mean total skinfold thickness. The degree of the changes in VLDL lipids and HDL-C levels were related to pretraining values, and changes in HDL-C and VLDL triglycerides (VLDL-TG) were also associated. Initial total skinfold thickness correlated inversely with the change in VLDL-TG levels during training. The pretaining concentration of VLDL-C was related to the corresponding value for HDL-C after training. The magnitude of exercise-induced changes in VLDL-C and HDL-C levels are more related to pre-training levels than to changes in measured exercise parameters, indices of obesity or adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase activity. However, the level of adiposity of subjects at the beginning of the study influenced the response of VLDL-TG levels to increased physical activity. The data suggest that VLDL contributes to the increase in HDL-C levels with exercise but is not the major source of the increment.

Resuscitation for cardiac arrest was monitored over 4 years to examine the effect on survival of a change in the ventricular fibrillation (VF) protocol to include the routine early use of "high-dose" intravenous or transbronchial adrenaline. A significant reduction in the immediate survival of patients with VF was seen when the protocol was changed (22% after the change, 43% before). Prior predictors of poor response were similar in each group, except for the number of witnessed arrests, delay until cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and occurrence of endotracheal intubation, but multiple logistic regression showed the use of adrenaline to be an independent predictor of outcome. Early high-dose adrenaline was associated with a reduction in immediate survival in patients with persistent VF.

Twenty-three moderately active apparently normal men aged 20-55 participated in a 4-month stamina training programme ending in a marathon run. Fourteen men decreased their training levels and 5 men continued training at the same level in the subsequent 2 months. Fasting lipoprotein lipid concentrations, anthropometric data, performance on a bicycle ergometer, reported values for alcohol consumption, smoking and weekly distance run were recorded at each phase of the study. Both groups of men showed significantly increased levels of plasma triglycerides (TG) and very low density lipoprotein triglycerides (VLDL-TG) during the detraining and continued training period. At the same time, plasma total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDC-C) and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) increased significantly only in men who decreased their level of training. However, final mean values for plasma lipids and lipoproteins did not significantly differ between the 2 groups of men. It is concluded that levels of plasma lipids and lipoproteins, excepting VLDL-C, do not return to pretraining values during 2 months of detraining.

Aortic dissection uncommonly occurs in multiple family members, and this association is most commonly seen in kindreds with Marfan's syndrome. There is increasing evidence that such connective tissue disturbances may not always appear in their complete phenotypic pattern. This report describes two siblings with aortic dissection. It is proposed that this suggests underlying connective tissue disease and warrants investigation of close relatives.

A case is described where severe hypophosphataemia was induced by a widely used protocol for glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) infusion. Hypophosphataemia was found to be a universal sequel to the use of this infusion. A new regimen for administering this agent was designed, and shown to lack the potentially serious side effect of phosphate depletion.