Online scan of FASD prevention and health promotion resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

Issue addressed

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) includes a range of life‐long impairments caused by alcohol exposure in utero. Health professionals are vital to preventing FASD but many are hesitant to discuss FASD with clients due to their need for additional resources to aid the conversation. This scan sought to identify the scope and gaps in publicly available FASD prevention and health promotion resources, and assess their cultural appropriateness for use among five key groups of Indigenous Australian people including: (i) pregnant women, (ii) women of childbearing age, (iii) grandmothers and aunties, (iv) men, and (v) health professionals.

Methods

Relevant resources published 1995‐2017 were identified through the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, FASD organisation websites, grey literature, Google searches, and field experts. Results were screened by inclusion and cultural appropriateness criteria developed and piloted by the research team, and further screened by health professionals attending FASD training workshops.

Results

115 of the 2146 identified resources were eligible. Relevant resources were found for all five key groups; however, no resources were specifically designed for men, grandmothers or aunties.

Conclusions

A range of high‐quality, culturally appropriate resources were identified, however, health professionals attending the training workshops were not aware of their availability. Further resource development is suggested for men, grandmothers and aunties.

So what?

Prioritisation of active dissemination and implementation strategies is suggested to increase awareness and use of future resource developments. The inclusion of a resource trial among health professionals is a recommended strategy to increase awareness and use of newly developed resources.

     

HLA class I polymorphisms are associated with development of infectious mononucleosis upon primary EBV infection

Infectious mononucleosis (IM) is an immunopathological disease caused by EBV that occurs in young adults and is a risk factor for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). An association between EBV-positive HL and genetic markers in the HLA class I locus has been identified, indicating that genetic differences in the HLA class I locus may alter disease phenotypes associated with EBV infection. To further determine whether HLA class I alleles may affect development of EBV-associated diseases, we analyzed 2 microsatellite markers and 2 SNPs located near the HLA class I locus in patients with acute IM and in asymptomatic EBV-seropositive and -seronegative individuals. Alleles of both microsatellite markers were significantly associated with development of IM. Specific alleles of the 2 SNPs were also significantly more frequent in patients with IM than in EBV-seronegative individuals. IM patients possessing the associated microsatellite allele had fewer lymphocytes and increased neutrophils relative to IM patients lacking the allele. These patients also displayed higher EBV titers and milder IM symptoms. The results of this study indicate that HLA class I polymorphisms may predispose patients to development of IM upon primary EBV infection, suggesting that genetic variation in T cell responses can influence the nature of primary EBV infection and the level of viral persistence.     

Sensitive ELISA for the gp120 and gp160 surface glycoproteins of HIV-1

We have used a panel of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against gp120 and gp160, the envelope glycoproteins of human immunodeficiency virus type 1, to create rapid, simple, and sensitive twin-site sandwich ELISA specific for gp120 and gp160 or for gp160 alone. These assays can detect 500 COS cells in a population transiently transfected with a construct encoding gp120 and gp160, or 50 pg of recombinant gp160. We estimate that the mean amount of gp120 + gp160 in the transfected population is equivalent to 2.5 x 10(6) molecules per cell, 40-50% of which can be recovered from the culture medium as gp120 after 24 hours. The ELISA can be adapted to assess whether gp120 is detectable in the sera of HIV-1-infected persons: we show that gp120/gp160 is completely stable in normal human serum for at least 24 hours at 37 degrees C.     

Endotoxaemia and acute pancreatitis: correlation between the severity of the disease and the anti-enterobacterial common antigen antibody titre

Enterobacterial common antigen is a highly immunogenic component of the Gram negative bacterial cell wall that is common to all enteric bacteria. In the present study, the humoral antibody response against enteric bacteria was investigated by measuring antibodies to enterobacterial common antigen in paired serum samples in 38 patients with acute pancreatitis and in 31 healthy subjects. In mild pancreatitis (11 patients), no changes in anti-enterobacterial common antigen titres were observed as compared with healthy controls. Nine of the 10 patients had a significant increase (greater than or equal to 8 times) in anti-enterobacterial common antigen titres during the disease. Similarly, in patients with fulminant (haemorrhagic) pancreatitis who survived, a significant increase in anti-enterobacterial common antigen titres occurred during the course of the disease (in nine of the 11 patients). Paradoxically, only one of the six patients with fulminant pancreatitis with fatal outcome showed a significant increase in his anti-enterobacterial common antigen titre. The results suggest that Gram negative bacterial components escape into the systemic circulation in acute pancreatitis. This may have pathophysiologic significance in this disease.     

Plasma Levels of Nitrites/Nitrates in Patients with Chronic Atrial Fibrillation are Increased after Electrical Restoration of Sinus Rhythm

Introduction: Patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) have hemodynamic changes, which impair endothelial cell function resulting in decreased nitric oxide (NO) production. The aim of this work was to assess endothelial function in AF patients before and at various time points after cardioversion. Methods: Forty-two patients with AF and 21 normal and age-adjusted healthy controls were studied. Nitrites and nitrates (NO _x ) and von Willebrand factor (vWf) concentrations were measured on blood samples taken just before cardioversion and over a 30 day period after the procedure. Results: Plasma levels of NO _x in AF were significantly lower compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001), but after cardioversion gradually increased to approach to those of the healthy controls by the end of the first month of sustained sinus rhythm (p = 0.004). Interestingly plasma levels of NO _x were negatively correlated to left atrial volume measured by ultrasonography (r = –0.34, p < 0.05). Plasma levels of vWf in AF patients were significantly higher compared to the healthy controls (p < 0.01) but with sustained sinus rhythm decreased (p = 0.02). Conclusion: The parallel normalization of the NO _x titers and vWf levels suggests that vascular endothelial function improves after 30 days of normal sinus rhythm.     

The Relationship between Subjective Cognitive Impairment and Activity Participation: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT

This systematic review synthesizes current evidence to determine how subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) relates to physical, cognitive, and social activity participation in older adults. Nine peer-reviewed articles were reviewed and appraised for evidence quality. Most were cross-sectional and had high methodological quality. Higher levels of SCI were almost universally associated with lower levels of physical and social activity participation. These findings suggest that older adults who report higher SCI engage in fewer activities. Examining these relationships longitudinally is an important next step to determine whether SCI precedes withdrawing from activities in older adults.