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Objective: The present study clarified factors related to mother-child communication openness when fathers suffer neurobehavioural sequelae after stroke or traumatic brain injury. Research design: A cross-sectional study using self-report anonymous questionnaires was conducted. Methods and procedures: Forty-one mothers with 6-22-year-old children participated. The questionnaire examined personal factors (mother's psychological distress), social/family factors (family support functioning), illness-related factors (father's time at home and neurobehavioural sequelae severity) and mother's perceived level of open communication. Multiple regression was used to analyse factors related to mother-child communication openness. Results:Mother-child open communication was explained by family support functioning (β = 0.449), father's time at home (β = -0.325) and mother's psychological distress (β = -0.303). Neurobehavioural sequelae severity was not associated with mother-child open communication. Conclusions: Personal, social/family and illness-related factors were related to mother-child communication about paternal illness. Professionals should promote optimal family support functioning, connect families with external resources and assess families' interaction processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify self-care strategies and assess physical and psychosocial factors associated with premenstrual distress among high school students. A cross-sectional survey of 217 adolescent girls aged 15 to 18 years was conducted in October 2009. Most (84.3 percent) had at least one or more symptoms of premenstrual distress. Premenstrual distress interfered with normal school activity in 51.2 percent. Most participants (57.1 percent) did not perform any self-care strategies for premenstrual distress. A hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis was conducted. Comprehension of one’s own physical and mental states during premenstrual phases mediated the relationship between neuroticism and premenstrual distress. Activity restrictions due to menstrual distress mediated the relationship between the family’s understanding of one’s behavior during premenstrual phases and premenstrual distress. Findings suggest that, even if girls have neuroticism, it will be important to teach them to address the comprehension of one’s own physical and mental states so that perceptions of both premenstruation and menstruation become more positive. Findings also suggest that the family’s understanding was associated with alleviation of premenstrual distress. This study suggests the need for education to help adolescent girls and their families manage premenstrual distress and increase awareness of the benefit of managing its associated symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background aims. Human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) have considerable potential for cell-based therapies, including applications for regenerative medicine and immune suppression in graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). However, harvesting cells from the human body can cause iatrogenic disorders and in vitro expansion of MSC carries a risk of tumorigenesis and/or expansion of unexpected cell populations. Methods. Given these problems, we have focused on umbilical cord, a tissue obtained with few ethical problems that contains significant numbers of MSC. We have developed a modified method to isolate MSC from umbilical cord, and investigated their properties using flow cytometry, mRNA analysis and an in vivo GvHD model. Results. Our study demonstrates that, using umbilical cord, large numbers of MSC can be safely obtained using a simple procedure without in vitro expansion, and these non-expanded MSC have the potential to suppress GvHD. Conclusions. Our results suggest that the combined banking of umbilical cord-derived MSC and identical cord blood-derived hematopoietic stem cell banking, where strict inspection of the infectious disease status of donors is performed, as well as further benefits of HLA-matched mesenchymal cells, could become one of the main sources of cells for cell-based therapy against various disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]