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BACKGROUND In many parts of the world, polymorphous light eruption (PLE) is the commonest cause of photosensitivity. Previous studies have suggested the association of PLE with multiple autoimmune diseases. Few studies are available suggesting the association of PLE with autoimmune thyroiditis. We have undertaken this study to conrm such an association and to predict which cases of PLE are likely to have hypothyroidism and autoimmune thyroiditis. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study with comparative group with 75 PLE cases and 75 controls. Thyroid function test (TFT) was done for all subjects and, if found abnormal, anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies were tested. The studied parameters were compared using Pearson's chi-squared test for signicance. RESULTS The male to female ratio was 1:2.1. Hypothyroidism and autoimmune thyroiditis were signicantly present in PLE cases. PLE lesions with papular morphology, persistent and recurrent PLE, positive family history and associated other autoimmune diseases were signicantly associated with autoimmune thyroiditis. CONCLUSION PLE is signicantly associated with hypothyroidism and autoimmune thyroiditis. Hence we suggest screening of PLE patients for hypothyroidism and, if required, for autoimmune thyroiditis for early diagnosis and treatment.

Much of the misunderstanding concerning planning, programing, and budgeting stems from the lack of operational planning systems. However, such a system has been developed and field tested over the past 3 years in two counties and six school districts in Pennsylvania. Key concepts used in the system include forecasting, indicators, the status report, and project alternatives. These concepts have been modified and adopted for the recommended New Jersey Vocational Educational Planning system. The system is primarily concerned with planning decisions and only secondarily with management and operations decision processes. It provides a formalized, sequential process, functioning continuously during the planning cycle and incorporates planning subsystem procedures, indicator sets, forecast procedures, and data files and report generation procedures. (Author/JS)

This report, the first of four phases of an ESEA Title III study of five Pennsylvania counties, is devoted primarily to research, an examination of the educational systems at local and county levels, an analysis of system requirements, and the completion of a PPB system design to be used by intermediate units in Pennsylvania. Statistical data and a narrative report are included. Appendixes provide task descriptions, progress report meetings, a program planning study for the intermediate unit in Pennsylvania, and a University of Pennsylvania budget breakdown. (JF)

Following the 2005 London bombings, a novel public health program was instituted to address the mental health needs of survivors. In this article, the authors describe the rationale for the program, characteristics of individuals assessed within the program, and preliminary outcome data. In addition to validated screening instruments and routine service usage data, standardized questionnaire outcome measures were collected. Seventy-one percent of individuals screened positive for a mental disorder. Of those receiving a more detailed clinical assessment, PTSD was the predominant diagnosis. Preliminary outcome data on 82 patients revealed large effect sizes for treatment comparable to those previously obtained in randomized controlled trials. The program succeeded in its aim of generating many more referrals of affected individuals than came through normal referral channels.

Over-involved parenting is commonly hypothesized to be it risk factor for the development of anxiety disorders in childhood. This parenting style may result from parental attempts to prevent child distress based on expectations that the child will be unable to cope in a challenging situation. Naturalistic studies are limited in their ability to disentangle the overlapping contribution of child and parent factors in driving parental behaviours. To overcome this difficulty, an experimental study was conducted in which parental expectations of child distress were manipulated and the effects on parent behaviour and child mood were assessed. Fifty-two children (aged 7 - 11 years) and their primary caregiver participated. Parents were allocated to either a "positive" or a "negative" expectation group. Observations were made of the children and their parents interacting whilst completing a difficult anagram task. Parents given negative expectations of their child's response displayed higher levels of involvement. No differences were found on indices of child mood and behaviour and possible explanations for this are considered. The findings are consistent with suggestions that increased parental involvement may be a "natural" reaction to enhanced perceptions of child vulnerability and an attempt to avoid child distress.

Overestimation of threat and underestimation of coping have been frequently reported amongst anxious adults and children. The current study examines the longitudinal relationship between mothers' anxious cognitions and expectations about their child, and children's anxious cognitions. 54 children (aged 10-11 years) and their mothers reported on their interpretation of ambiguous scenarios at two time points. Mothers also reported on their expectations about their child's reaction to ambiguous situations. Significant cross-sectional associations were found between mother and child anticipation of distress. Associations were most consistent between mothers' expectations and children's cognitions. Furthermore, based on regression analyses, mothers' expectations predicted change in children's anxious cognitions over time. Evidence for a reciprocal relationship, that child cognitions predict change in mothers' expectations, was found for girls. The results provide empirical support for potential influences on the development of children's 'anxious cognitive style,' and suggest targets for preventing and reducing maladaptive cognitions in children.

This study investigated whether attributions of opiate addicts would predict both their ability to abstain from future use and their reactions to abstinence violations. Measures of generalized beliefs about responsibility for positive and negative outcomes and specific attributions about relapse episodes were elicited from 80 addicts at the time of admission for inpatient detoxification and treatment. Addicts who at admission attributed to themselves greater responsibility for negative outcomes and who attributed relapse episodes to more personally controllable factors were subsequently (at 6-month follow-up) more likely either to be completely abstinent or to contain the effects of temporary lapses into opiate use.