Sample records for jcv family bunyaviridae

  1. Bag3-Induced Autophagy Is Associated with Degradation of JCV Oncoprotein, T-Ag

    PubMed Central

    Sariyer, Ilker Kudret; Merabova, Nana; Patel, Prem Kumer; Knezevic, Tijana; Rosati, Alessandra; Turco, Maria C.; Khalili, Kamel

    2012-01-01

    JC virus, JCV, is a human neurotropic polyomavirus whose replication in glial cells causes the fatal demyelinating disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). In addition, JCV possesses oncogenic activity and expression of its transforming protein, large T-antigen (T-Ag), in several experimental animals induces tumors of neural origin. Further, the presence of JCV DNA and T-Ag have been repeatedly observed in several human malignant tissues including primitive neuroectodermal tumors and glioblastomas. Earlier studies have demonstrated that Bag3, a member of the Bcl-2-associated athanogene (Bag) family of proteins, which is implicated in autophagy and apoptosis, is downregulated upon JCV infection of glial cells and that JCV T-Ag is responsible for suppressing the activity of the BAG3 promoter. Here, we investigated the possible impact of Bag3 on T-Ag expression in JCV-infected human primary glial cells as well as in cells derived from T-Ag-induced medulloblastoma in transgenic animals. Results from these studies revealed that overexpression of Bag3 drastically decreases the level of T-Ag expression by inducing the autophagic degradation of the viral protein. Interestingly, this event leads to the inhibition of JCV infection of glial cells, suggesting that the reduced levels of T-antigen seen upon the overexpression of Bag3 has a biological impact on the viral lytic cycle. Results from protein-protein interaction studies showed that T-Ag and Bag3 physically interact with each other through the zinc-finger of T-Ag and the proline rich domains of Bag3, and this interaction is important for the autophagic degradation of T-Ag. Our observations open a new avenue of research for better understanding of virus-host interaction by investigating the interplay between T-Ag and Bag3, and their impact on the development of JCV-associated diseases. PMID:22984599

  2. Bag3-induced autophagy is associated with degradation of JCV oncoprotein, T-Ag.

    PubMed

    Sariyer, Ilker Kudret; Merabova, Nana; Patel, Prem Kumer; Knezevic, Tijana; Rosati, Alessandra; Turco, Maria C; Khalili, Kamel

    2012-01-01

    JC virus, JCV, is a human neurotropic polyomavirus whose replication in glial cells causes the fatal demyelinating disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). In addition, JCV possesses oncogenic activity and expression of its transforming protein, large T-antigen (T-Ag), in several experimental animals induces tumors of neural origin. Further, the presence of JCV DNA and T-Ag have been repeatedly observed in several human malignant tissues including primitive neuroectodermal tumors and glioblastomas. Earlier studies have demonstrated that Bag3, a member of the Bcl-2-associated athanogene (Bag) family of proteins, which is implicated in autophagy and apoptosis, is downregulated upon JCV infection of glial cells and that JCV T-Ag is responsible for suppressing the activity of the BAG3 promoter. Here, we investigated the possible impact of Bag3 on T-Ag expression in JCV-infected human primary glial cells as well as in cells derived from T-Ag-induced medulloblastoma in transgenic animals. Results from these studies revealed that overexpression of Bag3 drastically decreases the level of T-Ag expression by inducing the autophagic degradation of the viral protein. Interestingly, this event leads to the inhibition of JCV infection of glial cells, suggesting that the reduced levels of T-antigen seen upon the overexpression of Bag3 has a biological impact on the viral lytic cycle. Results from protein-protein interaction studies showed that T-Ag and Bag3 physically interact with each other through the zinc-finger of T-Ag and the proline rich domains of Bag3, and this interaction is important for the autophagic degradation of T-Ag. Our observations open a new avenue of research for better understanding of virus-host interaction by investigating the interplay between T-Ag and Bag3, and their impact on the development of JCV-associated diseases.

  3. Generation and Characterization of JCV Permissive Hybrid Cell Lines

    PubMed Central

    Sariyer, Ilker K.; Safak, Mahmut; Gordon, Jennifer; Khalili, Kamel

    2009-01-01

    JC virus (JCV) is a human neurotropic polyomavirus whose replication in the central nervous system induces the fatal demyelinating disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). JCV particles have been detected primarily in oligodendrocytes and astrocytes of the brains of patients with PML and in the laboratory its propagation is limited to primary cultures of human fetal glial cells. In this short communication, the development of a new cell culture system is described through the fusion of primary human fetal astrocytes with the human glioblastoma cell line, U-87MG. The new hybrid cell line obtained from this fusion has the capacity to support efficiently expression of JCV and replication of viral DNA in vitro up to 16 passages. This cell line can serve as a reliable culture system to study the biology of JCV host cell interaction, determine the mechanisms involved in cell type specific replication of JCV, and provide a convenient cell culture system for high throughput screening of anti-viral agents. PMID:19442856

  4. Changes to anti-JCV antibody levels in a Swedish national MS cohort.

    PubMed

    Warnke, Clemens; Ramanujam, Ryan; Plavina, Tatiana; Bergström, Tomas; Goelz, Susan; Subramanyam, Meena; Kockum, Ingrid; Rahbar, Afsar; Kieseier, Bernd C; Holmén, Carolina; Olsson, Tomas; Hillert, Jan; Fogdell-Hahn, Anna

    2013-11-01

    The anti-JC virus (JCV) antibody status has been introduced to stratify patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) for higher or lower risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). To assess the potential utility of anti-JCV antibody levels for earlier diagnosis or prediction of PML. An analytically validated antibody assay was used to determine serological status, normalised optical density values, and dilution titres for anti-JCV antibodies. The method was applied to stored sera of 1157 patients with MS including five cases of PML, all enrolled in the Swedish pharmacovigilance study for natalizumab (NAT). Anticytomegalovirus (CMV) and antivaricella-zoster (VZV) antibody levels served as controls. Prior to treatment with NAT, anti-JCV antibody levels were stable in the anti-JCV positive patients. During therapy, a slight decrease in anti-JCV and anti-VZV antibody levels, but not anti-CMV antibody levels, was observed. All five patients who developed PML showed a mild to moderate increase in anti-JCV antibody levels at time of PML diagnosis; pre-PML samples suggested that this increase might start already prior to diagnosis of PML. Treatment initiation with NAT may lead to a slight decrease in anti-JCV and anti-VZV antibody levels, suggestive of a mild suppressive effect of NAT on antibody levels. Our findings in five cases of PML demonstrate that the onset of PML can be accompanied by increasing anti-JCV antibodies in serum. Monitoring of anti-JCV antibody levels could potentially be used as a tool for prediction or earlier diagnosis of PML during NAT treatment for MS. Further studies are warranted.

  5. Changes to anti-JCV antibody levels in a Swedish national MS cohort

    PubMed Central

    Warnke, Clemens; Ramanujam, Ryan; Plavina, Tatiana; Bergström, Tomas; Goelz, Susan; Subramanyam, Meena; Kockum, Ingrid; Rahbar, Afsar; Kieseier, Bernd C; Holmén, Carolina; Olsson, Tomas; Hillert, Jan; Fogdell-Hahn, Anna

    2013-01-01

    Background The anti-JC virus (JCV) antibody status has been introduced to stratify patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) for higher or lower risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Objective To assess the potential utility of anti-JCV antibody levels for earlier diagnosis or prediction of PML. Methods An analytically validated antibody assay was used to determine serological status, normalised optical density values, and dilution titres for anti-JCV antibodies. The method was applied to stored sera of 1157 patients with MS including five cases of PML, all enrolled in the Swedish pharmacovigilance study for natalizumab (NAT). Anticytomegalovirus (CMV) and antivaricella-zoster (VZV) antibody levels served as controls. Results Prior to treatment with NAT, anti-JCV antibody levels were stable in the anti-JCV positive patients. During therapy, a slight decrease in anti-JCV and anti-VZV antibody levels, but not anti-CMV antibody levels, was observed. All five patients who developed PML showed a mild to moderate increase in anti-JCV antibody levels at time of PML diagnosis; pre-PML samples suggested that this increase might start already prior to diagnosis of PML. Conclusions Treatment initiation with NAT may lead to a slight decrease in anti-JCV and anti-VZV antibody levels, suggestive of a mild suppressive effect of NAT on antibody levels. Our findings in five cases of PML demonstrate that the onset of PML can be accompanied by increasing anti-JCV antibodies in serum. Monitoring of anti-JCV antibody levels could potentially be used as a tool for prediction or earlier diagnosis of PML during NAT treatment for MS. Further studies are warranted. PMID:23463870

  6. Polyomavirus JCV excretion and genotype analysis in HIV-infected patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lednicky, John A.; Vilchez, Regis A.; Keitel, Wendy A.; Visnegarwala, Fehmida; White, Zoe S.; Kozinetz, Claudia A.; Lewis, Dorothy E.; Butel, Janet S.

    2003-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To assess the frequency of shedding of polyomavirus JC virus (JCV) genotypes in urine of HIV-infected patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). METHODS: Single samples of urine and blood were collected prospectively from 70 adult HIV-infected patients and 68 uninfected volunteers. Inclusion criteria for HIV-infected patients included an HIV RNA viral load < 1000 copies, CD4 cell count of 200-700 x 106 cells/l, and stable HAART regimen. PCR assays and sequence analysis were carried out using JCV-specific primers against different regions of the virus genome. RESULTS: JCV excretion in urine was more common in HIV-positive patients but not significantly different from that of the HIV-negative group [22/70 (31%) versus 13/68 (19%); P = 0.09]. HIV-positive patients lost the age-related pattern of JCV shedding (P = 0.13) displayed by uninfected subjects (P = 0.01). Among HIV-infected patients significant differences in JCV shedding were related to CD4 cell counts (P = 0.03). Sequence analysis of the JCV regulatory region from both HIV-infected patients and uninfected volunteers revealed all to be JCV archetypal strains. JCV genotypes 1 (36%) and 4 (36%) were the most common among HIV-infected patients, whereas type 2 (77%) was the most frequently detected among HIV-uninfected volunteers. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that JCV shedding is enhanced by modest depressions in immune function during HIV infection. JCV shedding occurred in younger HIV-positive persons than in the healthy controls. As the common types of JCV excreted varied among ethnic groups, JCV genotypes associated with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy may reflect demographics of those infected patient populations.

  7. The full genome sequence of three strains of Jamestown Canyon virus and their pathogenesis in mice or monkeys

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), family Bunyaviridae, is a mosquito-borne pathogen endemic in the United States and Canada that can cause encephalitis in humans and is considered an emerging threat to public health. The virus is genetically similar to Inkoo virus circulating in Europe, suggesting that much of the northern hemisphere contains JCV or similar variants. Results We have completed the sequence of three isolates of JCV collected in geographically diverse locations over a 57 year time span. The nucleotide identity for the three strains is 90, 83, and 85% for the S, M, and L segments respectively whereas the percent identify for the predicted amino acid sequences of the N, NSS, M poly, GN, NSM, GC, and L proteins was 97, 91, 94, 98, 91, 94, and 97%, respectively. In Swiss Webster mice, each JCV isolate exhibits low neuroinvasiveness but high infectivity. Two of the three JCV isolates were highly neurovirulent after IC inoculation whereas one isolate, JCV/03/CT, exhibited low neurovirulence. In rhesus monkeys, JCV infection is accompanied by a low-titered viremia, lack of clinical disease, but a robust neutralizing antibody response. Conclusions The first complete sequence of JCV is reported for three separate isolates, and a relatively high level of amino acid sequence conservation was observed even for viruses isolated 57 years apart indicating that the virus is in relative evolutionary stasis. JCV is highly infectious for mice and monkeys, and these animals, especially mice, represent useful experimental hosts for further study. PMID:21435230

  8. Association between hMLH1 hypermethylation and JC virus (JCV) infection in human colorectal cancer (CRC).

    PubMed

    Vilkin, Alex; Niv, Yaron

    2011-04-01

    Incorporation of viral DNA may interfere with the normal sequence of human DNA bases on the genetic level or cause secondary epigenetic changes such as gene promoter methylation or histone acetylation. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in the USA. Chromosomal instability (CIN) was established as the key mechanism in cancer development. Later, it was found that CRC results not only from the progressive accumulation of genetic alterations but also from epigenetic changes. JC virus (JCV) is a candidate etiologic factor in sporadic CRC. It may act by stabilizing β-catenin, facilitating its entrance to the cell nucleus, initialing proliferation and cancer development. Diploid CRC cell lines transfected with JCV-containing plasmids developed CIN. This result provides direct experimental evidence for the ability of JCV T-Ag to induce CIN in the genome of colonic epithelial cells. The association of CRC hMLH1 methylation and tumor positivity for JCV was recently documented. JC virus T-Ag DNA sequences were found in 77% of CRCs and are associated with promoter methylation of multiple genes. hMLH1 was methylated in 25 out of 80 CRC patients positive for T-Ag (31%) in comparison with only one out of 11 T-Ag negative cases (9%). Thus, JCV can mediate both CIN and aberrant methylation in CRC. Like other viruses, chronic infection with JCV may induce CRC by different mechanisms which should be further investigated. Thus, gene promoter methylation induced by JCV may be an important process in CRC and the polyp-carcinoma sequence.

  9. A recombinant chimeric La Crosse virus expressing the surface glycoproteins of Jamestown Canyon virus is immunogenic and protective against challenge with either parental virus in mice or monkeys.

    PubMed

    Bennett, R S; Gresko, A K; Nelson, J T; Murphy, B R; Whitehead, S S

    2012-01-01

    La Crosse virus (LACV) and Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), family Bunyaviridae, are mosquito-borne viruses that are endemic in North America and recognized as etiologic agents of encephalitis in humans. Both viruses belong to the California encephalitis virus serogroup, which causes 70 to 100 cases of encephalitis a year. As a first step in creating live attenuated viral vaccine candidates for this serogroup, we have generated a recombinant LACV expressing the attachment/fusion glycoproteins of JCV. The JCV/LACV chimeric virus contains full-length S and L segments derived from LACV. For the M segment, the open reading frame (ORF) of LACV is replaced with that derived from JCV and is flanked by the untranslated regions of LACV. The resulting chimeric virus retained the same robust growth kinetics in tissue culture as observed for either parent virus, and the virus remains highly infectious and immunogenic in mice. Although both LACV and JCV are highly neurovirulent in 21 day-old mice, with 50% lethal dose (LD₅₀) values of 0.1 and 0.5 log₁₀ PFU, respectively, chimeric JCV/LACV is highly attenuated and does not cause disease even after intracerebral inoculation of 10³ PFU. Parenteral vaccination of mice with 10¹ or 10³ PFU of JCV/LACV protected against lethal challenge with LACV, JCV, and Tahyna virus (TAHV). The chimeric virus was infectious and immunogenic in rhesus monkeys and induced neutralizing antibodies to JCV, LACV, and TAHV. When vaccinated monkeys were challenged with JCV, they were protected against the development of viremia. Generation of highly attenuated yet immunogenic chimeric bunyaviruses could be an efficient general method for development of vaccines effective against these pathogenic viruses.

  10. Detection of a new JCV strain of genotype A in a subpopulation of colorectal adenocarcinomas in Tunisia

    PubMed

    Toumi, Wafa; Ripalti, Alessandro; Ricciardiello, Luigi; Cherif, Abderraouf; Gargouri, Dalila; Bouhafa, Ahmed; Kharrat, Jamel; Jarboui, Slim; Benrhouma, Hichem; Zili, Mohamed; Khelifa, Ridha

    2017-04-01

    The etiology of colorectal cancer (CRC) remains elusive in spite of major advances in knowledge of this disease and related risk factors. Several studies report the detection of human polyomavirus JC (JCV) in colorectal tumors and some suggest its association with CRC. Since many known human virus associations with cancer are linked to factors such as ethnic and geographical origin, it is interesting to search for the postulated association of JCV with CRC in different populations and regions. In this perspective, the present work was undertaken to assess the presence of JCV in CRC tumors in Tunisia. Fresh biopsies were obtained from both colorectal tumors and adjacent normal tissues of 47 CRC patients. Only tumors diagnosed as adenocarcinomas were included in the present study. Twenty patients with other gastroenterological disorders were taken as controls. DNA was extracted from fresh biopsies or formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. A region of the viral T-Ag gene was amplified by PCR and the DNA amplicons were subjected to automated sequencing. JCV DNA was found in 22 (46%) of the adenocarcinomas but in none of the normal mucosa biopsies of either CRC or control patients. Sequence analysis indicated that the amplified DNA belonged to a new JCV variant of genotype A. The presence of JCV DNA was correlated with tumor location and grade. The data obtained suggest that JCV may be associated either with a subpopulation of colorectal tumors or with CRC in general, possibly through a hit and run mechanism.

  11. Microarray analysis of glial cells resistant to JCV infection suggests a correlation between viral infection and inflammatory cytokine gene expression

    PubMed Central

    Manley, Kate; Gee, Gretchen V; Simkevich, Carl P; Sedivy, John M; Atwood, Walter J

    2007-01-01

    The human polyomavirus, JCV, has a highly restricted tropism and primarily infects glial cells. The mechanisms restricting infection of cells by JCV are poorly understood. Previously we developed and described a glial cell line that was resistant to JCV infection with the aim of using these cells to identify factors that determine JCV tropism. Gene expression profiling of susceptible and resistant glial cells revealed a direct correlation between the expression of inflammatory cytokines and susceptibility to JCV infection. This correlation manifested at the level of viral gene transcription. Previous studies have suggested a link between an increase in cytokine gene expression in HIV patients and the development of PML and these data support this hypothesis. PMID:17555786

  12. Definition and characterization of novel HLA-*A02-restricted CD8+ T cell epitopes derived from JCV polyomavirus with clinical relevance

    PubMed Central

    Mani, Jiju; Wang, Lei; Hückelhoven, Angela G.; Schmitt, Anita; Gedvilaite, Alma; Jin, Nan; Kleist, Christian; Ho, Anthony D; Schmitt, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Human JC and BK polyomaviruses (JCV/BKV) can establish a latent infection without any clinical symptoms in healthy individuals. In immunocompromised hosts infection or reactivation of JCV and BKV can cause lethal progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and hemorrhagic cystitis, respectively. Vaccination with JCV/BKV derived antigen epitope peptides or adoptive transfer of virus-specific T cells would constitute an elegant approach to clear virus-infected cells. Furthermore, donor leukocyte infusion (DLI) is another therapeutic approach which could be helpful for patients with JCV/BKV infections. So far, only few immunodominant T cell epitopes of JCV and BKV have been described and therefore is a fervent need for the definition of novel epitopes. In this study, we identified novel T cell epitopes by screening libraries of overlapping peptides derived from the major capsid protein VP1 of JCV. Virus like particles (VLPs) were used to confirm naturally processing. Two human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-A*02-restricted epitopes were characterized by fine mapping with overlapping peptides and nonamer peptide sequences were identified. Cytokine release profile of the epitope-specific T cells was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assays and by flow cytometry. We demonstrated that T cell responses were of polyfunctional nature with the potential of epitope-specific killing and cross-reactivity between JCV and BKV. These novel epitopes might constitute a new potential tool to design effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches against both polyomaviruses. PMID:27705933

  13. Definition and characterization of novel HLA-*A02-restricted CD8+ T cell epitopes derived from JCV polyomavirus with clinical relevance.

    PubMed

    Mani, Jiju; Wang, Lei; Hückelhoven, Angela G; Schmitt, Anita; Gedvilaite, Alma; Jin, Nan; Kleist, Christian; Ho, Anthony D; Schmitt, Michael

    2017-01-10

    Human JC and BK polyomaviruses (JCV/BKV) can establish a latent infection without any clinical symptoms in healthy individuals. In immunocompromised hosts infection or reactivation of JCV and BKV can cause lethal progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and hemorrhagic cystitis, respectively. Vaccination with JCV/BKV derived antigen epitope peptides or adoptive transfer of virus-specific T cells would constitute an elegant approach to clear virus-infected cells. Furthermore, donor leukocyte infusion (DLI) is another therapeutic approach which could be helpful for patients with JCV/BKV infections.So far, only few immunodominant T cell epitopes of JCV and BKV have been described and therefore is a fervent need for the definition of novel epitopes. In this study, we identified novel T cell epitopes by screening libraries of overlapping peptides derived from the major capsid protein VP1 of JCV. Virus like particles (VLPs) were used to confirm naturally processing. Two human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-A*02-restricted epitopes were characterized by fine mapping with overlapping peptides and nonamer peptide sequences were identified. Cytokine release profile of the epitope-specific T cells was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assays and by flow cytometry. We demonstrated that T cell responses were of polyfunctional nature with the potential of epitope-specific killing and cross-reactivity between JCV and BKV. These novel epitopes might constitute a new potential tool to design effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches against both polyomaviruses.

  14. Human JCV Infections as a Bio-Anthropological Marker of the Formation of Brazilian Amazonian Populations

    PubMed Central

    Cayres-Vallinoto, Izaura M. V.; Vallinoto, Antonio C. R.; Azevedo, Vânia N.; Machado, Luis Fernando Almeida; Ishak, Marluísa de Oliveira Guimarães; Ishak, Ricardo

    2012-01-01

    JC polyomavirus (JCV) is a member of the Polyomaviridae family. It presents a tropism to kidney cells, and the infection occurs in a variety of human population groups of different ethnic background. The present study investigated the prevalence of JCV infection among human populations from the Brazilian Amazon region, and describes the molecular and phylogenetic features of the virus. Urine samples from two urban groups of Belém (healthy subjects), one Brazilian Afro-descendant “quilombo” from the Rio Trombetas region, and native Indians from the Wai-Wai, Urubu-Kaapor, Tembé, Assurini, Arara do Laranjal, Aukre, Parakanã, Surui and Munduruku villages were investigated for the presence of the virus by amplifying VP1 (230 bp) and IG (610 bp) regions using a polymerase chain reaction. Nucleotide sequences (440 nucleotides, nt) from 48 samples were submitted to phylogenetic analysis. The results confirmed the occurrence of types A (subtype EU), B (subtypes Af-2, African and MY, Asiatic) and C (subtype Af-1) among healthy subjects; type B, subtypes Af-2 and MY, among the Afro-Brazilians; and type B, subtype MY, within the Surui Indians. An unexpected result was the detection of another polyomavirus, the BKV, among Afro-descendants. The present study shows, for the first time, the occurrence of JC and BK polyomaviruses infecting humans from the Brazilian Amazon region. The results show a large genetic variability of strains circulating in the region, infecting a large group of individuals. The presence of European, Asiatic and African subtypes associated to the ethnic origin of the population samples investigated herein, highlights the idea that JCV is a fairly good marker for studying the early migration of human populations, reflecting their early and late history. Furthermore, the identification of the specific mutations associated to the virus subtypes, suggests that these mutations have occurred after the entrance of the virus in the Amazon region of Brazil

  15. The VirusBanker database uses a Java program to allow flexible searching through Bunyaviridae sequences.

    PubMed

    Fourment, Mathieu; Gibbs, Mark J

    2008-02-05

    Viruses of the Bunyaviridae have segmented negative-stranded RNA genomes and several of them cause significant disease. Many partial sequences have been obtained from the segments so that GenBank searches give complex results. Sequence databases usually use HTML pages to mediate remote sorting, but this approach can be limiting and may discourage a user from exploring a database. The VirusBanker database contains Bunyaviridae sequences and alignments and is presented as two spreadsheets generated by a Java program that interacts with a MySQL database on a server. Sequences are displayed in rows and may be sorted using information that is displayed in columns and includes data relating to the segment, gene, protein, species, strain, sequence length, terminal sequence and date and country of isolation. Bunyaviridae sequences and alignments may be downloaded from the second spreadsheet with titles defined by the user from the columns, or viewed when passed directly to the sequence editor, Jalview. VirusBanker allows large datasets of aligned nucleotide and protein sequences from the Bunyaviridae to be compiled and winnowed rapidly using criteria that are formulated heuristically.

  16. The VirusBanker database uses a Java program to allow flexible searching through Bunyaviridae sequences

    PubMed Central

    Fourment, Mathieu; Gibbs, Mark J

    2008-01-01

    Background Viruses of the Bunyaviridae have segmented negative-stranded RNA genomes and several of them cause significant disease. Many partial sequences have been obtained from the segments so that GenBank searches give complex results. Sequence databases usually use HTML pages to mediate remote sorting, but this approach can be limiting and may discourage a user from exploring a database. Results The VirusBanker database contains Bunyaviridae sequences and alignments and is presented as two spreadsheets generated by a Java program that interacts with a MySQL database on a server. Sequences are displayed in rows and may be sorted using information that is displayed in columns and includes data relating to the segment, gene, protein, species, strain, sequence length, terminal sequence and date and country of isolation. Bunyaviridae sequences and alignments may be downloaded from the second spreadsheet with titles defined by the user from the columns, or viewed when passed directly to the sequence editor, Jalview. Conclusion VirusBanker allows large datasets of aligned nucleotide and protein sequences from the Bunyaviridae to be compiled and winnowed rapidly using criteria that are formulated heuristically. PMID:18251994

  17. Isolation of Madre de Dios Virus (Orthobunyavirus; Bunyaviridae), an Oropouche Virus Species Reassortant, from a Monkey in Venezuela

    PubMed Central

    Navarro, Juan-Carlos; Giambalvo, Dileyvic; Hernandez, Rosa; Auguste, Albert J.; Tesh, Robert B.; Weaver, Scott C.; Montañez, Humberto; Liria, Jonathan; Lima, Anderson; da Rosa, Jorge Fernando Soares Travassos; da Silva, Sandro P.; Vasconcelos, Janaina M.; Oliveira, Rodrigo; Vianez, João L. S. G.; Nunes, Marcio R. T.

    2016-01-01

    Oropouche virus (OROV), genus Orthobunyavirus, family Bunyaviridae, is an important cause of human illness in tropical South America. Herein, we report the isolation, complete genome sequence, genetic characterization, and phylogenetic analysis of an OROV species reassortant, Madre de Dios virus (MDDV), obtained from a sick monkey (Cebus olivaceus Schomburgk) collected in a forest near Atapirire, a small rural village located in Anzoategui State, Venezuela. MDDV is one of a growing number of naturally occurring OROV species reassortants isolated in South America and was known previously only from southern Peru. PMID:27215299

  18. Isolation of Madre de Dios Virus (Orthobunyavirus; Bunyaviridae), an Oropouche Virus Species Reassortant, from a Monkey in Venezuela.

    PubMed

    Navarro, Juan-Carlos; Giambalvo, Dileyvic; Hernandez, Rosa; Auguste, Albert J; Tesh, Robert B; Weaver, Scott C; Montañez, Humberto; Liria, Jonathan; Lima, Anderson; Travassos da Rosa, Jorge Fernando Soares; da Silva, Sandro P; Vasconcelos, Janaina M; Oliveira, Rodrigo; Vianez, João L S G; Nunes, Marcio R T

    2016-08-03

    Oropouche virus (OROV), genus Orthobunyavirus, family Bunyaviridae, is an important cause of human illness in tropical South America. Herein, we report the isolation, complete genome sequence, genetic characterization, and phylogenetic analysis of an OROV species reassortant, Madre de Dios virus (MDDV), obtained from a sick monkey (Cebus olivaceus Schomburgk) collected in a forest near Atapirire, a small rural village located in Anzoategui State, Venezuela. MDDV is one of a growing number of naturally occurring OROV species reassortants isolated in South America and was known previously only from southern Peru. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

  19. Specific and quantitative detection of human polyomaviruses BKV, JCV, and SV40 by real time PCR.

    PubMed

    McNees, Adrienne L; White, Zoe S; Zanwar, Preeti; Vilchez, Regis A; Butel, Janet S

    2005-09-01

    The polyomaviruses that infect humans, BK virus (BKV), JC virus (JCV), and simian virus 40 (SV40), typically establish subclinical persistent infections. However, reactivation of these viruses in immunocompromised hosts is associated with renal nephropathy and hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) caused by BKV and with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) caused by JCV. Additionally, SV40 is associated with several types of human cancers including primary brain and bone cancers, mesotheliomas, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Advancements in detection of these viruses may contribute to improved diagnosis and treatment of affected patients. To develop sensitive and specific real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) assays for the detection of T-antigen DNA sequences of the human polyomaviruses BKV, JCV, and SV40 using the ABI Prism 7000 Sequence Detection System. Assays for absolute quantification of the viral T-ag sequences were designed and the sensitivity and specificity were evaluated. A quantitative assay to measure the single copy human RNAse P gene was also developed and evaluated in order to normalize viral gene copy numbers to cell numbers. Quantification of the target genes is sensitive and specific over a 7 log dynamic range. Ten copies each of the viral and cellular genes are reproducibly and accurately detected. The sensitivity of detection of the RQ-PCR assays is increased 10- to 100-fold compared to conventional PCR and agarose gel protocols. The primers and probes used to detect the viral genes are specific for each virus and there is no cross reactivity within the dynamic range of the standard dilutions. The sensitivity of detection for these assays is not reduced in human cellular extracts; however, different DNA extraction protocols may affect quantification. These assays provide a technique for rapid and specific quantification of polyomavirus genomes per cell in human samples.

  20. Viruses in the Anopheles A, Anopheles B, and Tete serogroups in the Orthobunyavirus genus (family Bunyaviridae) do not encode an NSs protein.

    PubMed

    Mohamed, Maizan; McLees, Angela; Elliott, Richard M

    2009-08-01

    Viruses in the genus Orthobunyavirus, family Bunyaviridae, have a genome comprising three segments (called L, M, and S) of negative-sense RNA. Serological studies have classified the >170 named virus isolates into 18 serogroups, with a few additional as yet ungrouped viruses. Until now, molecular studies and full-length S-segment nucleotide sequences were available for representatives of eight serogroups; in all cases, the S segment encodes two proteins, N (nucleocapsid) and NSs (nonstructural), in overlapping open reading frames (ORFs) that are translated from the same mRNA. The NSs proteins of Bunyamwera virus (BUNV) and California serogroup viruses have been shown to play a role in inhibiting host cell mRNA and protein synthesis, thereby preventing induction of interferon (IFN). We have determined full-length sequences of the S segments of representative viruses in the Anopheles A, Anopheles B, and Tete serogroups, and we report here that these viruses do not show evidence of having an NSs ORF. In addition, these viruses have rather longer N proteins than those in the other serogroups. Most of the naturally occurring viruses that lack the NSs protein behaved like a recombinant BUNV with the NSs gene deleted in that they failed to prevent induction of IFN-beta mRNA. However, Tacaiuma virus (TCMV) in the Anopheles A serogroup inhibited IFN induction in a manner similar to that of wild-type BUNV, suggesting that TCMV has evolved an alternative mechanism, not involving a typical NSs protein, to antagonize the host innate immune response.

  1. Morphologic Differentiation of Viruses beyond the Family Level

    PubMed Central

    Goldsmith, Cynthia S.

    2014-01-01

    Electron microscopy has been instrumental in the identification of viruses by being able to characterize a virus to the family level. There are a few cases where morphologic or morphogenesis factors can be used to differentiate further, to the genus level. These include viruses in the families Poxviridae, Reoviridae, Retroviridae, Herpesviridae, Filoviridae, and Bunyaviridae. PMID:25502324

  2. Phylogenetic Relationship of Necoclí Virus to Other South American Hantaviruses (Bunyaviridae: Hantavirus).

    PubMed

    Montoya-Ruiz, Carolina; Cajimat, Maria N B; Milazzo, Mary Louise; Diaz, Francisco J; Rodas, Juan David; Valbuena, Gustavo; Fulhorst, Charles F

    2015-07-01

    The results of a previous study suggested that Cherrie's cane rat (Zygodontomys cherriei) is the principal host of Necoclí virus (family Bunyaviridae, genus Hantavirus) in Colombia. Bayesian analyses of complete nucleocapsid protein gene sequences and complete glycoprotein precursor gene sequences in this study confirmed that Necoclí virus is phylogenetically closely related to Maporal virus, which is principally associated with the delicate pygmy rice rat (Oligoryzomys delicatus) in western Venezuela. In pairwise comparisons, nonidentities between the complete amino acid sequence of the nucleocapsid protein of Necoclí virus and the complete amino acid sequences of the nucleocapsid proteins of other hantaviruses were ≥8.7%. Likewise, nonidentities between the complete amino acid sequence of the glycoprotein precursor of Necoclí virus and the complete amino acid sequences of the glycoprotein precursors of other hantaviruses were ≥11.7%. Collectively, the unique association of Necoclí virus with Z. cherriei in Colombia, results of the Bayesian analyses of complete nucleocapsid protein gene sequences and complete glycoprotein precursor gene sequences, and results of the pairwise comparisons of amino acid sequences strongly support the notion that Necoclí virus represents a novel species in the genus Hantavirus. Further work is needed to determine whether Calabazo virus (a hantavirus associated with Z. brevicauda cherriei in Panama) and Necoclí virus are conspecific.

  3. Rift Valley fever virus (Bunyaviridae: Phlebovirus): an update on pathogenesis, molecular epidemiology, vectors, diagnostics and prevention

    PubMed Central

    Pepin, Michel; Bouloy, Michèle; Bird, Brian H.; Kemp, Alan; Paweska, Janusz

    2010-01-01

    Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus is an arbovirus in the Bunyaviridae family that, from phylogenetic analysis, appears to have first emerged in the mid-19th century and was only identified at the begininning of the 1930s in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. Despite being an arbovirus with a relatively simple but temporally and geographically stable genome, this zoonotic virus has already demonstrated a real capacity for emerging in new territories, as exemplified by the outbreaks in Egypt (1977), Western Africa (1988) and the Arabian Peninsula (2000), or for re-emerging after long periods of silence as observed very recently in Kenya and South Africa. The presence of competent vectors in countries previously free of RVF, the high viral titres in viraemic animals and the global changes in climate, travel and trade all contribute to make this virus a threat that must not be neglected as the consequences of RVF are dramatic, both for human and animal health. In this review, we present the latest advances in RVF virus research. In spite of this renewed interest, aspects of the epidemiology of RVF virus are still not fully understood and safe, effective vaccines are still not freely available for protecting humans and livestock against the dramatic consequences of this virus. PMID:21188836

  4. Viruses of the Bunya- and Togaviridae families: potential as bioterrorism agents and means of control.

    PubMed

    Sidwell, Robert W; Smee, Donald F

    2003-01-01

    When considering viruses of potential importance as tools for bioterrorism, several viruses in the Bunya- and Togaviridae families have been cited. Among those in the Bunyaviridae family are Rift Valley fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, hanta, and sandfly fever viruses, listed in order of priority. Those particularly considered in the Togaviridae family are Venezuelan, eastern and western equine encephalitis viruses. Factors affecting the selection of these viruses are the ability for them to induce a fatal or seriously incapacitating illness, their ease of cultivation in order to prepare large volumes, their relative infectivity in human patients, their ability to be transmitted by aerosol, and the lack of measures available for their control. Each factor is fully considered in this review. Vaccines for the control of infections induced by these viruses are in varying stages of development, with none universally accepted to date. Viruses in the Bunyaviridae family are generally sensitive to ribavirin, which has been recommended as an emergency therapy for infections by viruses in this family although has not yet been FDA-approved. Interferon and interferon inducers also significantly inhibit these virus infections in animal models. Against infections induced by viruses in the Togaviridae family, interferon-alpha would appear to currently be the most useful for therapy.

  5. Electron microscopy and antigenic studies of uncharacterized viruses. I. Evidence suggesting the placement of viruses in families Arenaviridae, Paramyxoviridae, or Poxviridae.

    PubMed

    Zeller, H G; Karabatsos, N; Calisher, C H; Digoutte, J P; Murphy, F A; Shope, R E

    1989-01-01

    During approximately 35 years, investigators in various laboratories studying arbovirus ecology and epidemiology accumulated many virus isolates, more than 60 of which were not characterized or placed in taxa. By a combination of electron microscopic and antigenic studies we collected information sufficient to provisionally classify 60 isolates. Electron microscopic observations suggest that 20 are members of the virus family Bunyaviridae, 20 Rhabdoviridae, 14 Reoviridae, one Togaviridae, one Paramyxoviridae (Mapuera virus, from a bat), and one Poxviridae (Yoka virus, from mosquitoes). Serologic studies provided evidence sufficient to place some of these viruses in recognized antigenic groups, within families and genera, and to establish new antigenic groups and taxa for others. Three viruses were found to have morphologic and morphogenetic characteristics consistent with those of members of the family Arenaviridae: Quaranfil virus, a human pathogen, Johnston Atoll virus, isolated from birds and ticks, and Araguari virus, isolated from an opossum. This, the first in a series of three papers, described methods used for these investigations and also presents descriptions of viruses provisionally placed in the families Arenaviridae, Paramyxoviridae, or Poxviridae. Descriptions of viruses provisionally placed in families Bunyaviridae and Reoviridae are published in the second and third papers, respectively. Viruses of the family Rhabdoviridae have been described separately.

  6. World Reference Center for Arboviruses.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-03-01

    revised the taxonomy of Bunyaviridae, Orbivirus, Rhabdoviridae , Arenaviridae, and Togaviridae. Outbreaks were diagnosed such as Rift Valley fever in...Flavivirus), Rhabdoviridae , Reoviridae (genus Orbivirus), and Bunyaviridae (genera Bunyavirus, Nairovirus, Phlebovirus, and Uukuvirus). Reference sera and...family Rhabdoviridae was done by complement fixation, immunofluorescence, and plaque reduction neutralization involving 51 viruses. A similar revision

  7. Andes Virus M Genome Segment is Not Sufficient to Confer the Virulence Associated With Andres Virus in Syrian Hamsters

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2004-01-01

    Hantavirus ; Reassortant; Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome ; HamsterIntroduction Hantaviruses are members of the Bunyaviridae...Andes virus (ANDV), members of the genus Hantavirus , in the family Bunyaviridae, are causative agents of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in North and...in humans: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) (Lee et al., 1982; Nichol et al., 1993). Almost

  8. Genomic Characterization of the Genus Nairovirus (Family Bunyaviridae).

    PubMed

    Kuhn, Jens H; Wiley, Michael R; Rodriguez, Sergio E; Bào, Yīmíng; Prieto, Karla; Travassos da Rosa, Amelia P A; Guzman, Hilda; Savji, Nazir; Ladner, Jason T; Tesh, Robert B; Wada, Jiro; Jahrling, Peter B; Bente, Dennis A; Palacios, Gustavo

    2016-06-10

    Nairovirus, one of five bunyaviral genera, includes seven species. Genomic sequence information is limited for members of the Dera Ghazi Khan, Hughes, Qalyub, Sakhalin, and Thiafora nairovirus species. We used next-generation sequencing and historical virus-culture samples to determine 14 complete and nine coding-complete nairoviral genome sequences to further characterize these species. Previously unsequenced viruses include Abu Mina, Clo Mor, Great Saltee, Hughes, Raza, Sakhalin, Soldado, and Tillamook viruses. In addition, we present genomic sequence information on additional isolates of previously sequenced Avalon, Dugbe, Sapphire II, and Zirqa viruses. Finally, we identify Tunis virus, previously thought to be a phlebovirus, as an isolate of Abu Hammad virus. Phylogenetic analyses indicate the need for reassignment of Sapphire II virus to Dera Ghazi Khan nairovirus and reassignment of Hazara, Tofla, and Nairobi sheep disease viruses to novel species. We also propose new species for the Kasokero group (Kasokero, Leopards Hill, Yogue viruses), the Ketarah group (Gossas, Issyk-kul, Keterah/soft tick viruses) and the Burana group (Wēnzhōu tick virus, Huángpí tick virus 1, Tǎchéng tick virus 1). Our analyses emphasize the sister relationship of nairoviruses and arenaviruses, and indicate that several nairo-like viruses (Shāyáng spider virus 1, Xīnzhōu spider virus, Sānxiá water strider virus 1, South Bay virus, Wǔhàn millipede virus 2) require establishment of novel genera in a larger nairovirus-arenavirus supergroup.

  9. Prevalence of polyomavirus BK and JC infection and replication in 400 healthy blood donors.

    PubMed

    Egli, Adrian; Infanti, Laura; Dumoulin, Alexis; Buser, Andreas; Samaridis, Jacqueline; Stebler, Christine; Gosert, Rainer; Hirsch, Hans H

    2009-03-15

    The replication of BK virus (BKV) and JC virus (JCV) is linked to polyomavirus-associated nephropathy, hemorrhagic cystitis, and multifocal leukoencephalopathy in immunodeficient patients, but the behavior of these viruses in immunocompetent individuals has hardly been characterized. We used EIA to study samples obtained from 400 healthy blood donors aged 20-59 years for BKV- and JCV-specific antibodies against virus-like particles. We also studied BKV and JCV loads in plasma and urine among these individuals by use of real-time polymerase chain reaction. IgG seroprevalence was 82% (328 of 400 donors) for BKV and 58% (231 of400) for JCV. As age increased (age groups were divided by decade), the seroprevalence of BKV decreased from 87% (87 of 100) in the youngest group (aged 20-29 years) to 71% (71 of 100) in the oldest group (aged 50-59 years) (P = .006), whereas the seroprevalence of JCV increased from 50% (50 of 100) in the youngest group to 68% (68 of 100) in the oldest group (P = .06). Asymptomatic urinary shedding of BKV and JCV was observed in 28 (7%) and 75 (19%) of 400 subjects, respectively, with median viral loads of 3.51 and 4.64 log copies/mL, respectively (P < .001). Unlike urinary BKV loads, urinary JCV loads were positively correlated with IgG levels. The shedding of JCV was more commonly observed among individuals who were seropositive only for JCV, compared with individuals who were seropositive for both BKV and JCV, suggesting limited cross-protection from BKV immunity. Noncoding control regions were of archetype architecture in all cases, except for 1 rearranged JCV variant. Neither BKV nor JCV DNA was detected in plasma. Our study provides important data about polyomavirus infection and replication in healthy, immunocompetent individuals. These data indicate significant differences between BKV and JCV with respect to virus-host interaction and epidemiology.

  10. T Cell Epitope Mapping of JC Polyoma Virus-Encoded Proteome Reveals Reduced T Cell Responses in HLA-DRB1*04:01+ Donors

    PubMed Central

    Jelčić, Ilijas; Aly, Lilian; Binder, Thomas M. C.; Jelčić, Ivan; Bofill-Mas, Sílvia; Planas, Raquel; Demina, Victoria; Eiermann, Thomas H.; Weber, Thomas; Girones, Rosina; Sospedra, Mireia

    2013-01-01

    JC polyomavirus (JCV) infection is highly prevalent and usually kept in a persistent state without clinical signs and symptoms. It is only during immunocompromise and especially impaired CD4+ T cell function in the brain, as seen in AIDS patients or natalizumab-treated multiple sclerosis patients, that JCV may cause progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), an often life-threatening brain disease. Since CD4+ T cells likely play an important role in controlling JCV infection, we here describe the T cell response to JCV in a group of predominantly HLA-DR-heterozygotic healthy donors (HD) by using a series of overlapping 15-mer peptides spanning all JCV-encoded open reading frames. We identified immunodominant epitopes and compared T cell responses with anti-JCV VP1 antibody production and with the presence of urinary viral shedding. We observed positive JCV-specific T cell responses in 28.6% to 77.6%, humoral immune response in 42.6% to 89.4%, and urinary viral shedding in 36.4% to 45.5% of HD depending on the threshold. Four immunodominant peptides were mapped, and at least one immunogenic peptide per HLA-DRB1 allele was detected in DRB1*01+, DRB1*07+, DRB1*11+, DRB1*13+, DRB1*15+, and DRB1*03+ individuals. We show for the first time that JCV-specific T cell responses may be directed not only against JCV VP1 and large T antigen but also against all other JCV-encoded proteins. Heterozygotic DRB1*04:01+ individuals showed very low T cell responses to JCV together with normal anti-VP1 antibody levels and no urinary viral shedding, indicating a dominant-negative effect of this allele on global JCV-directed T cell responses. Our data are potentially relevant for the development of vaccines against JCV. PMID:23302880

  11. Transcriptional activation of JC virus by human T-lymphotropic virus type I Tax protein in human neuronal cell lines.

    PubMed

    Okada, Y; Sawa, H; Tanaka, S; Takada, A; Suzuki, S; Hasegawa, H; Umemura, T; Fujisawa, J; Tanaka, Y; Hall, W W; Nagashima, K

    2000-06-02

    Polyomavirus JC (JCV) causes the human demyelinating disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). The recent demonstration of cases of PML in association with human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infection prompted us to examine whether the HTLV-I-encoded regulatory protein Tax activates JCV transcription. By employing a dual luciferase assay, we initially found that the expression of Tax activated the transcriptional potential of both early and late promoters of JCV in human neuronal but not in non-neuronal cells. We subsequently analyzed the mechanism of Tax-induced activation of the JCV promoter in neuronal cells with the following results: 1) the JCV promoter that lacks the NF-kappaB-binding motif could not be activated by Tax; 2) the overexpression of IkappaBalpha abolished Tax-induced transcriptional activation of the JCV promoter; 3) a Tax mutant (M22) lacking the potential for activation via the NF-kappaB pathway did not activate the JCV promoter. Furthermore, Tax enhances the gene expression of JCV T antigen and VP1. We examined mechanisms of the cell-specific activation of the JCV promoter by Tax. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay demonstrated the presence of Tax-bound protein(s) that were specifically present in non-neuronal cells. This study is the first demonstration of the activation of JCV promoter by HTLV-I Tax in an NF-kappaB-dependent manner.

  12. Mutations Allow JC Polyomaviruses to Elude Antibody Recognition | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    JC polyomavirus (JCV) infects the urinary tract of most adults. In healthy individuals, JCV infection does not cause noticeable symptoms. However, in those with compromised immune systems, JCV can cause a lethal brain disease called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Data from a recently approved assay to detect serum antibodies specific for the JCV protein VP1

  13. Recombined sequences between the non-coding control regions of JC and BK viruses found in the urine of a renal transplantation patient.

    PubMed

    Liaw, Yu-Ching; Chen, Cheng-Hsu; Shu, Kuo-Hsiung; Fang, Chiung-Yao; Ou, Wei-Chih; Chen, Pei-Lain; Shen, Cheng-Huang; Lin, Mien-Chun; Chang, Deching; Wang, Meilin

    2012-12-01

    Kidney cells are the common host for JC virus (JCV) and BK virus (BKV). Reactivation of JCV and/or BKV in patients after organ transplantation, such as renal transplantation, may cause hemorrhagic cystitis and polyomavirus-associated nephropathy. Furthermore, JCV and BKV may be shed in the urine after reactivation in the kidney. Rearranged as well as archetypal non-coding control regions (NCCRs) of JCV and BKV have been frequently identified in human samples. In this study, three JC/BK recombined NCCR sequences were identified in the urine of a patient who had undergone renal transplantation. They were designated as JC-BK hybrids 1, 2, and 3. The three JC/BK recombinant NCCRs contain up-stream JCV as well as down-stream BKV sequences. Deletions of both JCV and BKV sequences were found in these recombined NCCRs. Recombination of DNA sequences between JCV and BKV may occur during co-infection due to the relatively high homology of the two viral genomes.

  14. Pharmacological cdk inhibitor R-Roscovitine suppresses JC virus proliferation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Orba, Yasuko; Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, N15, W7, Kita-ku, 060-8638, Sapporo; Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

    2008-01-05

    The human Polyomavirus JC virus (JCV) utilizes cellular proteins for viral replication and transcription in the host cell nucleus. These cellular proteins represent potential targets for antiviral drugs against the JCV. In this study, we examined the antiviral effects of the pharmacological cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) inhibitor R-Roscovitine, which has been shown to have antiviral activity against other viruses. We found that Roscovitine significantly inhibited the viral production and cytopathic effects of the JCV in a JCV-infected cell line. Roscovitine attenuated the transcriptional activity of JCV late genes, but not early genes, and also prevented viral replication via inhibiting phosphorylation ofmore » the viral early protein, large T antigen. These data suggest that the JCV requires cdks to transcribe late genes and to replicate its own DNA. That Roscovitine exhibited antiviral activity in JCV-infected cells suggests that Roscovitine might have therapeutic utility in the treatment of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)« less

  15. Serological Investigation of Heartland Virus (Bunyaviridae: Phlebovirus) Exposure in Wild and Domestic Animals Adjacent to Human Case Sites in Missouri 2012–2013

    PubMed Central

    Bosco-Lauth, Angela M.; Panella, Nicholas A.; Root, J. Jeffrey; Gidlewski, Tom; Lash, R. Ryan; Harmon, Jessica R.; Burkhalter, Kristen L.; Godsey, Marvin S.; Savage, Harry M.; Nicholson, William L.; Komar, Nicholas; Brault, Aaron C.

    2015-01-01

    Heartland virus (HRTV; Bunyaviridae: Phlebovirus) has recently emerged as a causative agent of human disease characterized by thrombocytopenia and leukopenia in the United States. The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum L.) has been implicated as a vector. To identify candidate vertebrate amplification hosts associated with enzootic maintenance of the virus, sera and ticks were sampled from 160 mammals (8 species) and 139 birds (26 species) captured near 2 human case residences in Andrew and Nodaway Counties in northwest Missouri. HRTV-specific neutralizing antibodies were identified in northern raccoons (42.6%), horses (17.4%), white-tailed deer (14.3%), dogs (7.7%), and Virginia opossums (3.8%), but not in birds. Virus isolation attempts from sera and ticks failed to detect HRTV. The high antibody prevalence coupled with local abundance of white-tailed deer and raccoons identifies these species as candidate amplification hosts. PMID:25870419

  16. Genotypes of JC virus, DNA of cytomegalovirus, and proviral DNA of human immunodeficiency virus in eyes of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients.

    PubMed

    Eberwein, Philipp; Hansen, Lutz L; Agostini, Hansjürgen T

    2005-02-01

    JC virus (JCV) is a human polyomavirus that exists in at least eight different genotypes as a result of coevolution with different human populations all over the world. Well adapted to its host, it usually persists in the kidneys and possibly the brain. If the host becomes immunodeficient, JCV can cause the fatal demyelinating disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). There is increasing evidence that JCV is transactivated by cytomegalovirus (CMV) and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Both CMV and HIV can infect the retina of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients, causing severe necrosis in the case of CMV retinitis or a mild HIV-associated vasculopathy, with bleeding and cotton wool spots. The authors therefore investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) whether DNA of these three viruses was detectable in paraffin-embedded eyes of AIDS patients with a clinical history of CMV retinitis. From a total of 65 eyes, JCV was detected in 21 (32%). Thirty-six (55%) were positive for CMV and 6 (9%) for proviral DNA of HIV. JCV and CMV were found in 13 eyes, JCV and HIV in 3 eyes, CMV and HIV in 1 eye, and DNA from all three viruses in 1 eye. The JCV genotypes were types 1A, 2A, 2E, 3, and 4. In 21 eyes of patients without AIDS, only one sample was JCV positive. In conclusion, JCV DNA can be detected in ocular tissue of AIDS patients at a significantly higher level than in eyes of nonimmunosuppressed patients. Further investigations will help to decide if JCV contributes to the retinopathy caused by CMV and HIV.

  17. Analysis of JC virus DNA replication using a quantitative and high-throughput assay

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shin, Jong; Phelan, Paul J.; Chhum, Panharith

    2014-11-15

    Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) is caused by lytic replication of JC virus (JCV) in specific cells of the central nervous system. Like other polyomaviruses, JCV encodes a large T-antigen helicase needed for replication of the viral DNA. Here, we report the development of a luciferase-based, quantitative and high-throughput assay of JCV DNA replication in C33A cells, which, unlike the glial cell lines Hs 683 and U87, accumulate high levels of nuclear T-ag needed for robust replication. Using this assay, we investigated the requirement for different domains of T-ag, and for specific sequences within and flanking the viral origin, in JCVmore » DNA replication. Beyond providing validation of the assay, these studies revealed an important stimulatory role of the transcription factor NF1 in JCV DNA replication. Finally, we show that the assay can be used for inhibitor testing, highlighting its value for the identification of antiviral drugs targeting JCV DNA replication. - Highlights: • Development of a high-throughput screening assay for JCV DNA replication using C33A cells. • Evidence that T-ag fails to accumulate in the nuclei of established glioma cell lines. • Evidence that NF-1 directly promotes JCV DNA replication in C33A cells. • Proof-of-concept that the HTS assay can be used to identify pharmacological inhibitor of JCV DNA replication.« less

  18. Analysis of JC virus DNA replication using a quantitative and high-throughput assay

    PubMed Central

    Shin, Jong; Phelan, Paul J.; Chhum, Panharith; Bashkenova, Nazym; Yim, Sung; Parker, Robert; Gagnon, David; Gjoerup, Ole; Archambault, Jacques; Bullock, Peter A.

    2015-01-01

    Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) is caused by lytic replication of JC virus (JCV) in specific cells of the central nervous system. Like other polyomaviruses, JCV encodes a large T-antigen helicase needed for replication of the viral DNA. Here, we report the development of a luciferase-based, quantitative and high-throughput assay of JCV DNA replication in C33A cells, which, unlike the glial cell lines Hs 683 and U87, accumulate high levels of nuclear T-ag needed for robust replication. Using this assay, we investigated the requirement for different domains of T-ag, and for specific sequences within and flanking the viral origin, in JCV DNA replication. Beyond providing validation of the assay, these studies revealed an important stimulatory role of the transcription factor NF1 in JCV DNA replication. Finally, we show that the assay can be used for inhibitor testing, highlighting its value for the identification of antiviral drugs targeting JCV DNA replication. PMID:25155200

  19. Mutations Allow JC Polyomaviruses to Elude Antibody Recognition | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    JC polyomavirus (JCV) infects the urinary tract of most adults. In healthy individuals, JCV infection does not cause noticeable symptoms. However, in those with compromised immune systems, JCV can cause a lethal brain disease called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Data from a recently approved assay to detect serum antibodies specific for the JCV protein VP1 revealed that patients with antibodies are at increased risk of developing PML. At the same time, sequencing studies of JCV in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) identified a number of mutations in VP1. Christopher Buck, Ph.D., and Diana Pastrana, Ph.D., of CCR’s Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, and their colleagues hypothesized that the VP1 mutations could allow the virus to evade antibody-mediated elimination.

  20. Evidence that a sequence similar to TAR is important for induction of the JC virus late promoter by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat.

    PubMed Central

    Chowdhury, M; Taylor, J P; Chang, C F; Rappaport, J; Khalili, K

    1992-01-01

    A specific RNA sequence located in the leader of all human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) mRNAs termed the transactivation response element, or TAR, is a primary target for induction of HIV-1 long terminal repeat activity by the HIV-1-derived trans-regulatory protein, Tat. Human neurotropic virus, JC virus (JCV), a causative agent of the degenerative demyelinating disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, contains sequences in the 5' end of the late RNA species with an extensive homology to HIV-1 TAR. In this study, we examined the possible role of the JCV-derived TAR-homologous sequence in Tat-mediated activation of the JCV late promoter (Tada et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:3479-3483, 1990). Results from site-directed mutagenesis revealed that critical G residues required for the function of HIV-1 TAR that are conserved in the JCV TAR homolog play an important role in Tat activation of the JCV promoter. In addition, in vivo competition studies suggest that shared regulatory components mediate Tat activation of the JCV late and HIV-1 long terminal repeat promoters. Furthermore, we showed that the JCV-derived TAR sequence behaves in the same way as HIV-1 TAR in response to two distinct Tat mutants, one of which that has no ability to bind to HIV-1 TAR and another that lacks transcriptional activity on a responsive promoter. These results suggest that the TAR homolog of the JCV late promoter is responsive to HIV-1 Tat induction and thus may participate in the overall activation of the JCV late promoter mediated by this transactivation. Images PMID:1331525

  1. Detection of polyoma virus in brain tissue of patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy by real-time PCR and pyrosequencing.

    PubMed

    Beck, Rose C; Kohn, Debra J; Tuohy, Marion J; Prayson, Richard A; Yen-Lieberman, Belinda; Procop, Gary W

    2004-03-01

    We evaluated 2 methods, a LightCycler PCR assay and pyrosequencing for the detection of the JC polyoma virus (JCV) in fixed brain tissue of 10 patients with and 3 control patients without progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Nucleic acid extraction was performed after deparaffinization and proteinase K digestion. The LightCycler assay differentiates the BK virus (BKV), JCV, and SV40 using melt curve analysis. Conventional PCR was used with the same primers to generate products for pyrosequencing. Two sequencing primers were used that differentiate the polyoma viruses. Seven of 11 biopsies (1 patient had 2 biopsies) with PML were positive for JCV by real-time PCR and/or PCR/pyrosequencing. Three of 4 remaining biopsies were positive by real-time PCR but had melting points between JCV and SV40. The 4 specimens that were negative or atypical by LightCycler PCR were positive by traditional PCR, but 1 had an amplicon of lower molecular weight by gel electrophoresis. These were shown to represent JCV by at least 1 of the 2 pyrosequencing primers. The biopsies from patients without PML were PCR negative. Both the LightCycler and pyrosequencing assays are useful for confirming JCV in brain biopsies from patients with PML, but variant JCVs may require supplementary methods to confirm JCV infection.

  2. JC Virus Mediates Invasion and Migration in Colorectal Metastasis

    PubMed Central

    Link, Alexander; Shin, Sung Kwan; Nagasaka, Takeshi; Balaguer, Francesc; Koi, Minoru; Jung, Barbara; Boland, C. Richard; Goel, Ajay

    2009-01-01

    Introduction JC Virus (JCV), a human polyomavirus, is frequently present in colorectal cancers (CRCs). JCV large T-Ag (T-Ag) expressed in approximately half of all CRC's, however, its functional role in CRC is poorly understood. We hypothesized that JCV T-Ag may mediate metastasis in CRC cells through increased migration and invasion. Material and Methods CRC cell lines (HCT116 and SW837) were stably transfected with JCV early transcript sequences cloned into pCR3 or empty vectors. Migration and invasion assays were performed using Boyden chambers. Global gene expression analysis was performed to identify genetic targets and pathways altered by T-Ag expression. Microarray results were validated by qRT-PCR, protein expression analyses and immunohistochemistry. Matching primary CRCs and liver metastases from 33 patients were analyzed for T-Ag expression by immunohistochemistry. Results T-Ag expressing cell lines showed 2 to 3-fold increase in migration and invasion compared to controls. JCV T-Ag expression resulted in differential expression of several genetic targets, including genes that mediate cell migration and invasion. Pathway analysis suggested a significant involvement of these genes with AKT and MAPK signaling. Treatment with selective PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathway inhibitors resulted in reduced migration and invasion. In support of our in-vitro results, immunohistochemical staining of the advanced stage tumors revealed frequent JCV T-Ag expression in metastatic primary tumors (92%) as well as in their matching liver metastasis (73%). Conclusion These data suggest that JCV T-Ag expression in CRC associates with a metastatic phenotype, which may partly be mediated through the AKT/MAPK signaling pathway. Frequent expression of JCV T-Ag in CRC liver metastasis provides further clues supporting a mechanistic role for JCV as a possible mediator of cellular motility and invasion in CRC. PMID:19997600

  3. Tracing Jomon and Yayoi ancestries in Japan using ALDH2 and JC virus genotype distributions.

    PubMed

    Miyamori, Daisuke; Ishikawa, Noboru; Idota, Nozomi; Kakiuchi, Yasuhiro; McLean, Stuart; Kitamura, Tadaichi; Ikegaya, Hiroshi

    2015-01-01

    According to the dual structure model, the modern Japanese ethnic population consists of a mixture of the Jomon people, who have existed in Japan since at least the New Stone Age, and the Yayoi people, who migrated to western Japan from China around the year 300 bc Some reports show that the Yayoi are linked to a mutation of the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 gene (ALDH2). Recent viral studies indicate two major groups found in the Japanese population: a group with the CY genotype JC virus (JCV) and a group with the MY genotype JCV. It is unclear whether either genotype of the JC virus is related to the Jomon or Yayoi. In this study, we attempted to detect JCV genotypes and ALDH2 mutations from the DNA of 247 Japanese urine samples to clarify the relationship between the dual structure model and the JCV genotype through ALDH2 mutation analysis and JCV genotyping. The ALDH2 polymorphism among 66 JC virus-positive samples was analyzed, and it was found that the ALDH2 variant is significantly higher in the population with CY genotype JCV (51.5 %) than in the population with the MY genotype (24.2 %) (p < 0.05). From these findings, it may be inferred that the ALDH2 mutation, which is related to the Yayoi, is related to CY genotype JCV. When the Yayoi migrated to the Japanese archipelago, they brought the ALDH2 mutation as well as the CY genotype JCV.

  4. Systematic review of the published data on the worldwide prevalence of John Cunningham virus in patients with multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica.

    PubMed

    Paz, Sonia Patricia Castedo; Branco, Luciana; Pereira, Marina Alves de Camargo; Spessotto, Caroline; Fragoso, Yara Dadalti

    2018-01-01

    John Cunningham virus (JCV) is a polyoma virus that infects humans, mainly in childhood or adolescence, and presents no symptomatic manifestations. JCV can cause progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in immunosuppressed individuals, including those undergoing treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO). PML is a severe and potentially fatal disease of the brain. The prevalence of JCV antibodies in human serum has been reported to be between 50.0 and 90.0%. The aim of the present study was to review worldwide data on populations of patients with MS and NMO in order to establish the rates of JCV seropositivity in these individuals. The present review followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and used the following search terms: "JCV" OR "JC virus" AND "multiple sclerosis" OR "MS" OR "NMO" OR "neuromyelitis optica" AND "prevalence." These terms were searched for both in smaller and in larger clusters of words. The databases searched included PubMed, MEDLINE, SciELO, LILACS, Google Scholar, and Embase. After the initial selection, 18 papers were included in the review. These articles reported the prevalence of JCV antibodies in the serum of patients with MS or NMO living in 26 countries. The systematic review identified data on 29,319 patients with MS/NMO and found that 57.1% of them (16,730 individuals) were seropositive for the anti-JCV antibody (range, 40.0 to 69.0%). The median worldwide prevalence of JCV among adults with MS or NMO was found to be 57.1%.

  5. JC virus induces altered patterns of cellular gene expression: Interferon-inducible genes as major transcriptional targets

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Verma, Saguna; Ziegler, Katja; Ananthula, Praveen

    2006-02-20

    Human polyomavirus JC (JCV) infects 80% of the population worldwide. Primary infection, typically occurring during childhood, is asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals and results in lifelong latency and persistent infection. However, among the severely immunocompromised, JCV may cause a fatal demyelinating disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Virus-host interactions influencing persistence and pathogenicity are not well understood, although significant regulation of JCV activity is thought to occur at the level of transcription. Regulation of the JCV early and late promoters during the lytic cycle is a complex event that requires participation of both viral and cellular factors. We have used cDNA microarraymore » technology to analyze global alterations in gene expression in JCV-permissive primary human fetal glial cells (PHFG). Expression of more than 400 cellular genes was altered, including many that influence cell proliferation, cell communication and interferon (IFN)-mediated host defense responses. Genes in the latter category included signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), interferon stimulating gene 56 (ISG56), myxovirus resistance 1 (MxA), 2'5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS), and cig5. The expression of these genes was further confirmed in JCV-infected PHFG cells and the human glioblastoma cell line U87MG to ensure the specificity of JCV in inducing this strong antiviral response. Results obtained by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot analyses supported the microarray data and provide temporal information related to virus-induced changes in the IFN response pathway. Our data indicate that the induction of an antiviral response may be one of the cellular factors regulating/controlling JCV replication in immunocompetent hosts and therefore constraining the development of PML.« less

  6. Improved Survival of HIV-1-Infected Patients with Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy Receiving Early 5-Drug Combination Antiretroviral Therapy

    PubMed Central

    Hendel-Chavez, Houria; Dulioust, Anne; Pakianather, Sophie; Mazet, Anne-Aurélie; de Goer de Herve, Marie-Ghislaine; Lancar, Rémi; Lascaux, Anne-Sophie; Porte, Lydie; Delfraissy, Jean-François; Taoufik, Yassine

    2011-01-01

    Background Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare devastating demyelinating disease caused by the polyomavirus JC (JCV), occurs in severely immunocompromised patients, most of whom have advanced-stage HIV infection. Despite combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), 50% of patients die within 6 months of PML onset. We conducted a multicenter, open-label pilot trial evaluating the survival benefit of a five-drug cART designed to accelerate HIV replication decay and JCV-specific immune recovery. Methods and Findings All the patients received an optimized cART with three or more drugs for 12 months, plus the fusion inhibitor enfuvirtide during the first 6 months. The main endpoint was the one-year survival rate. A total of 28 patients were enrolled. At entry, median CD4+ T-cell count was 53 per microliter and 86% of patients had detectable plasma HIV RNA and CSF JCV DNA levels. Seven patients died, all before month 4. The one-year survival estimate was 0.75 (95% confidence interval, 0.61 to 0.93). At month 6, JCV DNA was undetectable in the CSF of 81% of survivors. At month 12, 81% of patients had undetectable plasma HIV RNA, and the median CD4+ T-cell increment was 105 per microliter. In univariate analysis, higher total and naive CD4+ T-cell counts and lower CSF JCV DNA level at baseline were associated with better survival. JCV-specific functional memory CD4+ T-cell responses, based on a proliferation assay, were detected in 4% of patients at baseline and 43% at M12 (P = 0.008). Conclusions The early use of five-drug cART after PML diagnosis appears to improve survival. This is associated with recovery of anti-JCV T-cell responses and JCV clearance from CSF. A low CD4+ T-cell count (particularly naive subset) and high JCV DNA copies in CSF at PML diagnosis appear to be risk factors for death. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00120367 PMID:21738597

  7. Characterization of Botrytis cinerea negative-stranded RNA virus 1, a new mycovirus related to plant viruses, and a reconstruction of host pattern evolution in negative-sense ssRNA viruses.

    PubMed

    Donaire, Livia; Pagán, Israel; Ayllón, María A

    2016-12-01

    The molecular characterization of a novel negative single-stranded RNA virus infecting the plant pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea is reported here. Comparison of the sequence of Botrytis cinerea negative-stranded RNA virus 1 (BcNSRV-1) showed a strong identity with RNA dependent RNA polymerases (RdRps) of plant pathogenic emaraviruses and tospoviruses. We have also found all the molecular signatures present in the RdRp of the genus Emaravirus and in other genera of family Bunyaviridae: the conserved TPD triplet and RY dinucleotide, the three basic residues in premotif A and the conserved motifs A, B, C, D, and E. Our results showed that BcNSRV-1 is phylogenetically close to members of the genus Emaravirus and of the family Bunyaviridae, and an ancestral state reconstruction using the conserved RdRp motifs of type members of each family of (-)ssRNA viruses indicated that BcNSRV-1 could possibly derive from an invertebrate and vertebrate-infecting virus. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Polyoma virus JC DNA detection by polymerase chain reaction in CSF of HIV infected patients with suspected progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.

    PubMed

    Giri, J A; Gregoresky, J; Silguero, P; García Messina, O; Planes, N

    2001-01-01

    Several studies had previously demonstrated the high sensitivity and specificity of JCV DNA detection in CSF by PCR. This paper reported the implementation of a simple PCR procedure to detect JCV in the CSF in a cohort of HIV-1 infected patients from Argentina. Years ago, the confirmatory diagnosis of this disease was made by in-situ hybridization or immunohistochemistry techniques on brain biopsies. The PCR procedure described here improves the diagnosis of PML because it is simple and noninvasive, and allows the differential diagnosis of PML from other neurological syndromes associated with AIDS. Many recent studies report a significant benefit of combined antiretroviral therapy on the survival of HIV patients without clear neurological improvements. A negative correlation has been described between the concentration of JCV in the CSF and survival time in HIV-1 infected patients, and the level of immune depression may influence JCV replication. This suggests that a single CSF JCV viral load determination during the course of PML disease progression may be of prognostic value for managing HIV patients.

  9. The dynamics of herpesvirus and polyomavirus reactivation and shedding in healthy adults: a 14-month longitudinal study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ling, Paul D.; Lednicky, John A.; Keitel, Wendy A.; Poston, David G.; White, Zoe S.; Peng, RongSheng; Liu, Zhensheng; Mehta, Satish K.; Pierson, Duane L.; Rooney, Cliona M.; hide

    2003-01-01

    Humans are infected with viruses that establish long-term persistent infections. To address whether immunocompetent individuals control virus reactivation globally or independently and to identify patterns of sporadic reactivation, we monitored herpesviruses and polyomaviruses in 30 adults, over 14 months. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA was quantitated in saliva and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), cytomegalovirus (CMV) was assayed in urine, and JC virus (JCV) and BK virus (BKV) DNAs were assayed in urine and PBMCs. All individuals shed EBV in saliva, whereas 67% had >or=1 blood sample positive for EBV. Levels of EBV varied widely. CMV shedding occurred infrequently but occurred more commonly in younger individuals (P<.03). JCV and BKV virurias were 46.7% and 0%, respectively. JCV shedding was age dependent and occurred commonly in individuals >or=40 years old (P<.03). Seasonal variation was observed in shedding of EBV and JCV, but there was no correlation among shedding of EBV, CMV, and JCV (P>.50). Thus, adults independently control persistent viruses, which display discordant, sporadic reactivations.

  10. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome: encephalitis caused by virus Andes.

    PubMed

    Talamonti, Lionel; Padula, Paula J; Canteli, María Sol; Posner, Federico; Marczeski, Fanny Pires; Weller, Carlos

    2011-04-01

    Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) are rodent-borne emerging diseases caused by members of the genus Hantavirus, family Bunyaviridae. Some species of hantavirus may cause encephalitis, but this is the first report in Andes virus associated to HPS.

  11. Association of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy Lesion Volume With JC Virus Polymerase Chain Reaction Results in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Natalizumab-Treated Patients With Multiple Sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Wijburg, Martijn T; Kleerekooper, Iris; Lissenberg-Witte, Birgit I; de Vos, Marlieke; Warnke, Clemens; Uitdehaag, Bernard M J; Barkhof, Frederik; Killestein, Joep; Wattjes, Mike P

    2018-03-12

    The JC virus (JCV) was named after the first patient to be described with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), John Cunningham. Detection of JC virus DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and of specific lesions by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are both considered essential for the diagnosis of natalizumab-associated PML (NTZ-PML) in patients with multiple sclerosis. However, strict pharmacovigilance by MRI can result in detection of patients with small lesions and undetectable JCV DNA in CSF. To investigate the association of PML lesion characteristics on MRI with both qualitative and quantitative JCV PCR results in CSF of patients with NTZ-PML. This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study conducted from January 2007 to December 2014 in patients considered to have NTZ-PML based on a set of predefined criteria. Follow-up was at least 6 months. Data of patients from the Dutch-Belgian NTZ-PML cohort and patients treated at multiple medical centers in Belgium and the Netherlands and selected for research purposes were included as a convenience sample. Brain MRI scans were analyzed for PML lesion volume, location, dissemination, and signs of inflammation. Associations of the qualitative and quantitative CSF JCV PCR results with PML MRI characteristics were calculated. Of the 73 patients screened, 56 were included (37 were women). At inclusion, 9 patients (16.1%) had undetectable JCV DNA in CSF. Patients with a positive PCR had larger total PML lesion volumes than those with undetectable JCV DNA (median volume, 22.9 mL; interquartile range, 9.2-60.4 mL vs median volume, 6.7 mL; interquartile range, 4.9-14.7 mL; P = .008), and logistic regression showed that a lower PML lesion volume significantly increased the probability for undetectable JCV DNA. There was a positive correlation between PML lesion volume and JCV copy numbers (Spearman ρ, 0.32; P = .03). Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy lesion

  12. HIV-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy: longitudinal study of JC virus non-coding control region rearrangements and host immunity.

    PubMed

    Iannetta, Marco; Bellizzi, Anna; Lo Menzo, Sara; Anzivino, Elena; D'Abramo, Alessandra; Oliva, Alessandra; D'Agostino, Claudia; d'Ettorre, Gabriella; Pietropaolo, Valeria; Vullo, Vincenzo; Ciardi, Maria Rosa

    2013-06-01

    John Cunningham virus (JCV), the etiological agent of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), contains a hyper-variable non-coding control region usually detected in urine of healthy individuals as archetype form and in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of PML patients as rearranged form. We report a case of HIV-related PML with clinical, immunological and virological data longitudinally collected. On admission (t0), after 8-week treatment with a rescue highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the patient showed a CSF-JCV load of 16,732 gEq/ml, undetectable HIV-RNA and an increase of CD4+ cell count. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed PML-compatible lesions without contrast enhancement. We considered PML-immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome as plausible because of the sudden onset of neurological symptoms after the effective HAART. An experimental JCV treatment with mefloquine and mirtazapine was added to steroid boli. Two weeks later (t1), motor function worsened and MRI showed expanded lesions with cytotoxic oedema. CSF JCV-DNA increased (26,263 gEq/ml) and JCV viremia was detected. After 4 weeks (t2), JCV was detected only in CSF (37,719 gEq/ml), and 8 weeks after admission (t3), JC viral load decreased in CSF and JCV viremia reappeared. The patient showed high level of immune activation both in peripheral blood and CSF. He died 4 weeks later. Considering disease progression, combined therapy failure and immune hyper-activation, we finally classified the case as classical PML. The archetype variant found in CSF at t0/t3 and a rearranged sequence detected at t1/t2 suggest that PML can develop from an archetype virus and that the appearance of rearranged genotypes contribute to faster disease progression.

  13. Pathology Review of Two New Rift Valley Fever Virus Ruminant Models

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), is a mosquito-borne, zoonotic pathogen within genus Phlebovirus, family Bunyaviridae that typically causes outbreaks in sub-Saharan Africa and recently spread to the Arabian Peninsula. In ruminants, RVFV infections cause mass abortion and high mortality rates in neona...

  14. Rift Valley Fever Virus Growth Curve Kinetics in Cattle and Sheep Peripheral Blood Monocyte Derived Macrophages

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), is a mosquito-borne, zoonotic pathogen within genus Phlebovirus, family Bunyaviridae that typically causes outbreaks in sub-Saharan Africa and recently spread to the Arabian Peninsula. In ruminants, RVFV infections cause mass abortion and high mortality rates in neona...

  15. Rift Valley fever virus incorporates the 78kDa glycoprotein into virions matured in C6/36 2 mosquito cells

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), genus Phlebovirus, family Bunyaviridae is a zoonotic arthropod-borne virus able to transition between distant host species, causing potentially severe disease in humans and ruminants. Viral proteins are encoded by three genomic segments, with the medium M segment codi...

  16. Complete Genome Sequence of a Novel Hantavirus Variant of Rio Mamoré Virus, Maripa Virus, from French Guiana

    PubMed Central

    Matheus, Séverine; Lavergne, Anne; de Thoisy, Benoît; Dussart, Philippe

    2012-01-01

    We report the first complete genome sequence of Maripa virus identified in 2009 from a patient with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in French Guiana. Maripa virus corresponds to a new variant of the Rio Mamoré virus species in the Bunyaviridae family, genus Hantavirus. PMID:22492924

  17. Bunyaviridae and Their Replication. Part 2. Replication of Bunyaviridae

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-01-01

    have quired, they are likely to be of viral origin. also been observed in other eukaryotic systems and For the rhabdovirus , vesicular stomatitis virus... rhabdoviruses . Orlando: Academic Press. 1983:131:482-491. 1984:147-152. 143. Schmaljohn CS. Dalrymple JM. Biochemical characterization 117. Pennington TH

  18. Bunyaviridae and Their Replication. Part 2. Replication of Bunyaviridae

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-01-01

    Ivatt RJ. Synthesis and processing of asparagine- mulates intracellularly: cellular process of the large glycopro- linked oligosaccharides . Anna Rev...the high-mannose rather than complex type, and no evidence for the presence of 0-linked oligosaccharides A- has been obtained (86,87,93,120,146). AA ’U...and Pulse -chase experiments revealed no precursor/prod- G2 has not been identified. However, an intergenic uct relationship between the 78- and 14-kd

  19. Management of diseases caused by thrips-transmitted tospoviruses in subsistence agriculture: the case of Peanut bud necrosis virus in India

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Among the tospoviruses (genus Tospovirus, family Bunyaviridae) reported in India, Peanut bud necrosis virus is by far the most economically significant for tomato production in subsistence agriculture. Management of PBNV has been a challenge for farmers due to the broad host-range of PBNV and its ve...

  20. Development of Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays Using Expressed Proteins of Rift Valley Fever Virus

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a member of the genus Phlebovirus, family Bunyaviridae that can cause severe disease in both humans and animals. The disease is enzootic in sub-Saharan Africa and RVFV epidemics/epizootics occur periodically, primarily in eastern and southern Africa. Since the virus...

  1. Development of a Rift Valley fever virus viremia challenge model in sheep and goats

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Rift valley fever virus (RVFV), a member of the family Bunyaviridae, causes severe to fatal disease in newborn ruminants, as well as abortions in pregnant animals; both preventable by vaccination. Availability of a challenge model is a pre-requisite for vaccine efficacy trials. Several modes of ino...

  2. Efficacy of a recombinant Rift Valley fever virus MP-12 with NSm deletion as a vaccine candidate in sheep

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), a mosquito-borne virus in the Bunyaviridae family and Phlebovirus genus, causes RVF, a disease of ruminants and man, endemic in Sub-Saharan African countries. However, outbreaks in Yemen and Saudi Arabia demonstrate the ability for RVFV to spread into virgin territory...

  3. A Glycoprotein Subunit Vaccine Elicits a Strong Rift Valley Fever Virus Neutralizing Antibody Response in Sheep

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), a member of the Bunyaviridae family, is a mosquito-borne zoonotic pathogen that causes serious morbidity and mortality in livestock and humans. The recent spread of the virus beyond its traditional endemic boundaries in Africa to the Arabian Peninsula coupled with the...

  4. Toscana virus induces interferon although its NSs protein reveals antagonistic activity.

    PubMed

    Gori Savellini, Gianni; Weber, Friedemann; Terrosi, Chiara; Habjan, Matthias; Martorelli, Barbara; Cusi, Maria Grazia

    2011-01-01

    Toscana virus (TOSV) is a phlebotomus-transmitted virus that belongs to the family Bunyaviridae and causes widespread infections in humans; about 30 % of these cases result in aseptic meningitis. In the present study, it was shown that TOSV is an inducer of beta interferon (IFN-β), although its non-structural protein (NSs) could inhibit the induction of IFN-β if expressed in a heterologous context. A recombinant Rift Valley fever virus expressing the TOSV NSs could suppress IFN-β expression in infected cells. Moreover, in cells expressing NSs protein from a cDNA plasmid, IFN-β transcripts were not inducible by poly(I : C). Unlike other members of the family Bunyaviridae, TOSV appears to express an NSs protein that is a weak antagonist of IFN induction. Characterization of the interaction of TOSV with the IFN system will help our understanding of virus-host cell interactions and may explain why the pathogenesis of this disease is mostly mild in humans.

  5. COS-7-based model: methodological approach to study John Cunningham virus replication cycle.

    PubMed

    Prezioso, C; Scribano, D; Rodio, D M; Ambrosi, C; Trancassini, M; Palamara, A T; Pietropaolo, V

    2018-02-05

    John Cunningham virus (JCV) is a human neurotropic polyomavirus whose replication in the Central Nervous System (SNC) induces the fatal demyelinating disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). JCV propagation and PML investigation have been severely hampered by the lack of an animal model and cell culture systems to propagate JCV have been very limited in their availability and robustness. We previously confirmed that JCV CY strain efficiently replicated in COS-7 cells as demonstrated by the progressive increase of viral load by quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) during the time of transfection and that archetypal regulatory structure was maintained, although two characteristic point mutations were detected during the viral cycle. This short report is an important extension of our previous efforts in defining our reliable model culture system able to support a productive JCV infection.Supernatants collected from transfected cells have been used to infect freshly seeded COS-7 cell line. An infectious viral progeny was obtained as confirmed by Western blot and immunofluorescence assay. During infection, the archetype regulatory region was conserved.Importantly, in this study we developed an improved culture system to obtain a large scale production of JC virus in order to study the genetic features, the biology and the pathogenic mechanisms of JC virus that induce PML.

  6. Rift Valley Fever Virus Control: Integration of Virus, Host and Vector Studies

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a disease of animals and humans that occurs in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It is caused by a Phlebovirus in the family Bunyaviridae. Mosquito-borne epizootics occur during years of unusually heavy rainfall. Domestic cattle, sheep and goats are highly susceptible to i...

  7. [Correlation between load of polyomavirus and hemorrhagic cystitis].

    PubMed

    Tong, Chun-Rong; Teng, Zhi-Ping; Liu, Hong-Xing; Cai, Peng; Ma, Si-Kun; Zhen, Cheng-Liang; Zeng, Yi; Lu, Dao-Pei

    2007-09-01

    To study the correlation between polyoma virus load and hemorrhagic cystitis after allogeneic stem cells transplantation for prevention of hemorrhagic cystitis. Blood and urine specimens were collected from 40 healthy persons, 40 patient with stem cells transplantation and 20 cases complicated with hemorrhagic cystitis for determination of VP1 gene of polyomaviruses BK virus (BKV)/Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV) and simian virus 40 (SV40) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and EvaGreen stain fluorescence quantitative assay. In the peripheral blood, all genes of BKV/JCV and SV40 were negative, while BKV gene in urine and blood from healthy persons and patient with stem cells transplantation was 15% (6/40) and 100% (40/40), respectively. The gene of JCV was positive in 10% (4/40) and 12% (5/40), the gene of SV40 was negative. Genes of BKV and JCV was detectable in urine specimens of healthy persons and there was a correlation between the load of polyomavirus and incidence of hemorrhagic cystitis.

  8. Hypothesis: {open_quotes}Rogue cell{close_quotes}-type chromosomal damage in lymphocytes is associated with infection with the JC human polyoma virus and has implications for oncopenesis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neel, J.V.; Glover, T.; Burgess, A.

    The hemagglutination inhibition antibody titers against the JC and BK polyoma viruses (JCV and BKV, respectively) are significantly elevated in individuals exhibiting {open_quotes}rogue{close_quotes} cells among their cultured lymphocytes. However, the elevation is so much greater with respect to JCV that the BKV elevation could readily be explained by cross reactivity to the capsid protein of these two closely related viruses. The JCV exhibits highly sequence homology with the simian papovavirus, simian virus 40 (SV40), and inoculation of human fetal brain cells with JCV produces polyploidy and chromosomal damage very similar to that produced by SV40. We suggest, by analogy withmore » the effects of SV40, that these changes are due to the action of the viral large tumor antigen, a pluripotent DNA binding protein that acts in both transcription and replication. The implications of these findings for oncogenesis are briefly discussed. 45 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs.« less

  9. Human polyomavirus JC variants in Papua New Guinea and Guam reflect ancient population settlement and viral evolution.

    PubMed

    Ryschkewitsch, C F; Friedlaender, J S; Mgone, C S; Jobes, D V; Agostini, H T; Chima, S C; Alpers, M P; Koki, G; Yanagihara, R; Stoner, G L

    2000-07-01

    The peopling of the Pacific was a complex sequence of events that is best reconstructed by reconciling insights from various disciplines. Here we analyze the human polyomavirus JC (JCV) in Highlanders of Papua New Guinea (PNG), in Austronesian-speaking Tolai people on the island of New Britain, and in nearby non-Austronesian-speaking Baining people. We also characterize JCV from the Chamorro of Guam, a Micronesian population. All JCV strains from PNG and Guam fall within the broad Asian group previously defined in the VP1 gene as Type 2 or Type 7, but the PNG strains were distinct from both genotypes. Among the Chamorro JCV samples, 8 strains (Guam-1) were like the Type 7 strains found in Southeast Asia, while nine strains (Guam-2) were distinct from both the mainland strains and most PNG strains. We identified three JCV variants within Papua New Guinea (PNG-1, PNG-2 and PNG-3), but none of the Southeast Asian (Type 7) strains. PNG-1 strains were present in all three populations (Highlanders and the Baining and Tolai of New Britain), but PNG-2 strains were restricted to the Highlanders. Their relative lack of DNA sequence variation suggests that they arose comparatively recently. The single PNG-3 strain, identified in an Austronesian-speaking Tolai individual, was closely related to the Chamorro variants (Guam-2), consistent with a common Austronesian ancestor. In PNG-2 variants a complex regulatory region mutation inserts a duplication into a nearby deletion, a change reminiscent of those seen in the brains of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy patients. This is the first instance of a complex JCV rearrangement circulating in a human population.

  10. Tick-borne viruses: a review from the perspective of therapeutic approaches.

    PubMed

    Lani, Rafidah; Moghaddam, Ehsan; Haghani, Amin; Chang, Li-Yen; AbuBakar, Sazaly; Zandi, Keivan

    2014-09-01

    Several important human diseases worldwide are caused by tick-borne viruses. These diseases have become important public health concerns in recent years. The tick-borne viruses that cause diseases in humans mainly belong to 3 families: Bunyaviridae, Flaviviridae, and Reoviridae. In this review, we focus on therapeutic approaches for several of the more important tick-borne viruses from these 3 families. These viruses are Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHF) and the newly discovered tick-borne phleboviruses, known as thrombocytopenia syndromevirus (SFTSV), Heartland virus and Bhanja virus from the family Bunyaviridae, tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Powassan virus (POWV), Louping-ill virus (LIV), Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus (OHFV), Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV), and Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus (AHFV) from the Flaviviridae family. To date, there is no effective antiviral drug available against most of these tick-borne viruses. Although there is common usage of antiviral drugs such as ribavirin for CCHF treatment in some countries, there are concerns that ribavirin may not be as effective as once thought against CCHF. Herein, we discuss also the availability of vaccines for the control of these viral infections. The lack of treatment and prevention approaches for these viruses is highlighted, and we hope that this review may increase public health awareness with regard to the threat posed by this group of viruses. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  11. Gene Gun-Delivered DNA Vaccines for Hemorrhagic Fever With Renal Syndrome: Advancement to Clinical Trials

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-12-01

    bioterrorism pathogens that threaten troops. 1. INTRODUCTION Hantaviruses are RNA viruses belonging to the family Bunyaviridae, and are...the etiologic agents of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in the Old World and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the New World. The...viruses are carried by persistently infected rodents and are found worldwide. There are no licensed vaccines for hantaviruses ; thus, they continue to

  12. [Molecular-genetic characterization of the Bhanja virus (BHAV) and the Razdan virus (RAZV) (Bunyaviridae, Phlebovirus) isolated from the Ixodes ticks Rhipicephalus bursa (Canestrini and Fanzago, 1878) and Dermacentor marginatus (Sulzer, 1776) in transcaucasus].

    PubMed

    Al'khovskiĭ, S V; L'vov, D K; Shchelkanov, M Iu; Shchetinin, A M; Krasnoslobodtsev, K G; Deriabin, P G; Samokhvalov, E I; Botikov, A G; Zakarian, V A

    2013-01-01

    Two bunyaviruses, Bhanja (BHAV, LEIV-Az1818) isolated from the Ixodes ticks Rhipecephalus bursa (Canestrini and Fanzago, 1878) in Azerbaijan (1973) and Razdan (RAZV; strain LEIV-Arm2741) isolated from the Dermacentor marginatus (Sulzer, 1776) ticks in Armenia (1972), were de novo sequenced (on the Illumina platform). The amino acid identity between these viruses proteins were 95.8% (RdRp, L-segment), 90.3% (GnGc, M-segment), and 92.5% (N, S-segment). Thus, RAZV was classified to BHAV group. GnGc protein identity of RAZV withEuropean BHAV strains is more than 90%. With the African Forécariah virus (FORV) RAZV has 85% identity. BHAV LEIV-Az1818 is most closely related to the Indian strain BHAV IG690 (99%), while showing 90% identity with the European BHAV isolates. The genome structure of BHAV and RAZV is typical of the tick-transmitted phleboviruses. Based onthe result of the molecular-genetic and phylogenetic analysis RAZV has been classified as belonging to BHAVgroup in the genus Phlebovirus (Bunyaviridae).

  13. Use of interleukin-2 for management of natalizumab-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy: case report and review of literature

    PubMed Central

    Dubey, Divyanshu; Zhang, Yinan; Graves, Donna; DeSena, Allen D.; Frohman, Elliot; Greenberg, Benjamin

    2015-01-01

    A 51-year-old woman with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and 3-year history of natalizumab use developed expressive aphasia. A brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) showed left frontotemporal and right parietal lesion with mild contrast enhancement and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was positive for John Cunningham virus (JCV) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The patient received five cycles of plasmapheresis followed by intravenous immunoglobulin. Despite this intervention, her speech deteriorated and she developed right hemiparesis. Upon referral to our institution, CSF quantitative JCV PCR was notable for 834 copies/ml. The patient was given an initial dose of 50,000 units of interleukin-2 (IL-2) subcutaneously (SQ) followed by 1 million units IL-2 SQ daily. Due to concern for immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), the patient also received intravenous methylprednisone weekly. The regimen was tolerated well by the patient with no severe adverse effects. Clinically, the patient showed some improvement, and became more responsive and regained right lower extremity antigravity strength. After 12 weeks of IL-2 therapy, JCV quantitative PCR was notable for 31 copies/ml and the patient was more responsive. Due to persistence of JCV, IL-2 therapy was changed to mefloquine. At follow up after 6 months, the patient showed no clinical deterioration. PMID:27134676

  14. Decontamination of Bioaerosols within Engineering Tolerances of Aircraft Materials

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-09-04

    sources with intestinal typhoid bacteria. They also released plague infected fleas over several villages in China and Mongolia in 1941. Around the...smallpox, Marburg, Ebola, and Q fever . During their program, the Soviets produced more than 100 tons of anthrax, 20 tons of plague, and 20 tons of...Filoviridae, Bunyaviridae, and Flavividae families, which cause hemorrhagic fevers . The category B viruses include several arboviruses, which cause

  15. Human and Murine IFIT1 Proteins Do Not Restrict Infection of Negative-Sense RNA Viruses of the Orthomyxoviridae, Bunyaviridae, and Filoviridae Families

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pinto, Amelia K.; Williams, Graham D.; Szretter, Kristy J.

    Interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 1 (IFIT1) is a host protein with reported cell-intrinsic antiviral activity against several RNA viruses. The proposed basis for the activity against negative-sense RNA viruses is the binding to exposed 5'-triphosphates (5'-ppp) on the genome of viral RNA. However, recent studies reported relatively low binding affinities of IFIT1 for 5'-ppp RNA, suggesting that IFIT1 may not interact efficiently with this moiety under physiological conditions. To evaluate the ability of IFIT1 to have an impact on negative-sense RNA viruses, we infectedIfit1 -/-and wild-type control mice and primary cells with four negative-sense RNA viruses (influenza A virusmore » [IAV], La Crosse virus [LACV], Oropouche virus [OROV], and Ebola virus) corresponding to three distinct families. Unexpectedly, a lack ofIfit1gene expression did not result in increased infection by any of these viruses in cell culture. Analogously, morbidity, mortality, and viral burdens in tissues were identical betweenIfit1 -/-and control mice after infection with IAV, LACV, or OROV. Finally, deletion of the human IFIT1 protein in A549 cells did not affect IAV replication or infection, and reciprocally, ectopic expression of IFIT1 in HEK293T cells did not inhibit IAV infection. To explain the lack of antiviral activity against IAV, we measured the binding affinity of IFIT1 for RNA oligonucleotides resembling the 5' ends of IAV gene segments. The affinity for 5'-ppp RNA was approximately 10-fold lower than that for non-2'-O-methylated (cap 0) RNA oligonucleotides. Based on this analysis, we conclude that IFIT1 is not a dominant restriction factor against negative-sense RNA viruses. IMPORTANCENegative-sense RNA viruses, including influenza virus and Ebola virus, have been responsible for some of the most deadly outbreaks in recent history. The host interferon response and induction of antiviral genes contribute to the control of infections by these viruses

  16. Kidney and urinary tract polyomavirus infection and distribution: molecular biology investigation of 10 consecutive autopsies.

    PubMed

    Boldorini, Renzo; Veggiani, Claudia; Barco, Diana; Monga, Guido

    2005-01-01

    Distinct human polyomavirus genotypes cause different diseases in patients with renal transplants: BK virus (BKV) causes tubulointerstitial nephritis and ureteral stenosis, whereas both JC virus (JCV) and BKV are responsible for hemorrhagic cystitis. These findings could result from a selective infection of kidney and urinary tract segments by JCV or BKV. To verify this hypothesis, 10 complete, unselected, consecutive autopsies from 9 immunocompetent patients and 1 patient affected by acquired immunodeficiency syndrome were investigated. Samples from kidneys (n = 80), renal pelvis (n = 20), ureter (n = 40), and urinary bladder (n = 30) obtained from 10 consecutive autopsies were investigated by means of multiplex nested polymerase chain reaction to detect polyomavirus DNA and to distinguish different species of the Polyomavirus genus. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry were also carried out to define the viral status of the infected tissues. Polyomavirus DNA was detected in all of the subjects (positive samples ranging from 2 to 7 samples), for a total of 43 of 170 samples (25.3%), distributed as follows: urinary bladder (10/30, 33%), renal pelvis (6/20, 30%), ureter (10/40, 25%), and kidney tissue (17/80, 21%). We found that JCV was most frequently detected overall (23/43 samples, 53.5%) and was also detected most frequently within the kidney (8/17 positive samples, 47%), the renal pelvis (5/6 positive samples, 70%), and the ureter (7/10 positive samples, 70%), whereas BKV was found in 14 samples (32.5%), and it was the prevailing genotype in urinary bladder (6/10 positive samples, 60%). Coinfection of BKV-JCV was found in 6 samples (14%). Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization returned negative results. The viruses JCV and BKV latently persist randomly in kidney and urinary tract. Distinct diseases induced by them could be related more closely to molecular viral rearrangements than to the topographic distribution of latent viruses.

  17. Immune Serum Produced by DNA Vaccination Protects Hamsters against Lethal Respiratory Challenge with Andes Virus

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-02-01

    responses in the hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. J. Infect. Dis. 182:43–48. 3. Butler, J. C., and C. J. Peters. 1994. Hantaviruses and hantavirus ...November 2007 Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a highly pathogenic disease (40% case fatality rate) carried by rodents chronically infected with...certain viruses within the genus Hantavirus of the family Bunyaviridae. The primary mode of transmission to humans is thought to be inhalation of excreta

  18. Human and Murine IFIT1 Proteins Do Not Restrict Infection of Negative-Sense RNA Viruses of the Orthomyxoviridae, Bunyaviridae, and Filoviridae Families.

    PubMed

    Pinto, Amelia K; Williams, Graham D; Szretter, Kristy J; White, James P; Proença-Módena, José Luiz; Liu, Gai; Olejnik, Judith; Brien, James D; Ebihara, Hideki; Mühlberger, Elke; Amarasinghe, Gaya; Diamond, Michael S; Boon, Adrianus C M

    2015-09-01

    Interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 1 (IFIT1) is a host protein with reported cell-intrinsic antiviral activity against several RNA viruses. The proposed basis for the activity against negative-sense RNA viruses is the binding to exposed 5'-triphosphates (5'-ppp) on the genome of viral RNA. However, recent studies reported relatively low binding affinities of IFIT1 for 5'-ppp RNA, suggesting that IFIT1 may not interact efficiently with this moiety under physiological conditions. To evaluate the ability of IFIT1 to have an impact on negative-sense RNA viruses, we infected Ifit1(-/-) and wild-type control mice and primary cells with four negative-sense RNA viruses (influenza A virus [IAV], La Crosse virus [LACV], Oropouche virus [OROV], and Ebola virus) corresponding to three distinct families. Unexpectedly, a lack of Ifit1 gene expression did not result in increased infection by any of these viruses in cell culture. Analogously, morbidity, mortality, and viral burdens in tissues were identical between Ifit1(-/-) and control mice after infection with IAV, LACV, or OROV. Finally, deletion of the human IFIT1 protein in A549 cells did not affect IAV replication or infection, and reciprocally, ectopic expression of IFIT1 in HEK293T cells did not inhibit IAV infection. To explain the lack of antiviral activity against IAV, we measured the binding affinity of IFIT1 for RNA oligonucleotides resembling the 5' ends of IAV gene segments. The affinity for 5'-ppp RNA was approximately 10-fold lower than that for non-2'-O-methylated (cap 0) RNA oligonucleotides. Based on this analysis, we conclude that IFIT1 is not a dominant restriction factor against negative-sense RNA viruses. Negative-sense RNA viruses, including influenza virus and Ebola virus, have been responsible for some of the most deadly outbreaks in recent history. The host interferon response and induction of antiviral genes contribute to the control of infections by these viruses. IFIT1 is

  19. Bunyavirus-Vector Interactions

    PubMed Central

    Horne, Kate McElroy; Vanlandingham, Dana L.

    2014-01-01

    The Bunyaviridae family is comprised of more than 350 viruses, of which many within the Hantavirus, Orthobunyavirus, Nairovirus, Tospovirus, and Phlebovirus genera are significant human or agricultural pathogens. The viruses within the Orthobunyavirus, Nairovirus, and Phlebovirus genera are transmitted by hematophagous arthropods, such as mosquitoes, midges, flies, and ticks, and their associated arthropods not only serve as vectors but also as virus reservoirs in many cases. This review presents an overview of several important emerging or re-emerging bunyaviruses and describes what is known about bunyavirus-vector interactions based on epidemiological, ultrastructural, and genetic studies of members of this virus family. PMID:25402172

  20. Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy Complicating HIV-1 Infection

    PubMed Central

    Cinque, Paola; Koralnik, Igor J.; Gerevini, Simonetta; Miro, Jose M.; Price, Richard W.

    2010-01-01

    Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) caused by the polyomavirus, JC virus (JCV), is one of the most dreaded complications of HIV-1 infection. Unlike other opportunistic infections, PML may present while blood CD4+ T cells remain above AIDS-defining levels and while patients receive combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), either shortly after starting or, more rarely, during chronic successful treatment. PML can be suspected by typical presentation with focal neurological deficits and corresponding demyelinating lesions at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), while definitive diagnosis requires identification of JCV in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or brain tissue. While there is no specific treatment, reversal of immunosuppression by cART leads to clinical and MRI stabilization in 50-60% of PML patients and JCV clearance from CSF. A proportion of cART-treated patients develop inflammatory lesions, which may either accompany a favorable outcome or associate with clinical worsening. The reasons for variability in PML natural history and treatment responses are largely undefined, and more specific and rational approaches to management are sorely needed. PMID:19778765

  1. An identical miRNA of the human JC and BK polyoma viruses targets the stress-induced ligand ULBP3 to escape immune elimination.

    PubMed

    Bauman, Yoav; Nachmani, Daphna; Vitenshtein, Alon; Tsukerman, Pinchas; Drayman, Nir; Stern-Ginossar, Noam; Lankry, Dikla; Gruda, Raizy; Mandelboim, Ofer

    2011-02-17

    The human polyoma viruses JCV and BKV establish asymptomatic persistent infection in 65%-90% of humans but can cause severe illness under immunosuppressive conditions. The mechanisms by which these viruses evade immune recognition are unknown. Here we show that a viral miRNA identical in sequence between JCV and BKV targets the stress-induced ligand ULBP3, which is a protein recognized by the killer receptor NKG2D. Consequently, viral miRNA-mediated ULBP3 downregulation results in reduced NKG2D-mediated killing of virus-infected cells by natural killer (NK) cells. Importantly, when the activity of the viral miRNA was inhibited during infection, NK cells killed the infected cells more efficiently. Because NKG2D is also expressed by various T cell subsets, we propose that JCV and BKV use an identical miRNA that targets ULBP3 to escape detection by both the innate and adaptive immune systems, explaining how these viruses remain latent without being eliminated by the immune system. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Arboviruses in North Dakota, 2003–2006

    PubMed Central

    Anderson, John F.; Main, Andy J.; Armstrong, Philip M.; Andreadis, Theodore G.; Ferrandino, Francis J.

    2015-01-01

    To investigate arbovirus transmission in North Dakota, we collected and screened mosquitoes for viral infection by Vero cell culture assay. Seven viruses were isolated from 13 mosquito species. Spatial and temporal distributions of the important vectors of West Nile virus (WNV), Cache Valley virus, Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), and trivittatus virus are reported. Snowshoe hare virus, Potosi virus, and western equine encephalomyelitis virus were also isolated. The risks of Culex tarsalis and Aedes vexans transmitting WNV to humans were 61.4% and 34.0% in 2003–2006, respectively, but in 2003 when the largest epidemic was reported, risks for Ae. vexans and Cx. tarsalis in Cass County were 73.6% and 23.9%, respectively. Risk of humans acquiring an infectious bite was greatest from about the second week of July through most of August. West Nile virus sequences were of the WN02 genotype. Most JCV strains belonged to a single clade of genetically related strains. Cache Valley virus and JCV were prevalent during August and early September and during July and August, respectively. PMID:25487728

  3. Incidence, clinical outcome, and management of virus-induced hemorrhagic cystitis in children and adolescents after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

    PubMed

    Gorczynska, Ewa; Turkiewicz, Dominik; Rybka, Katarzyna; Toporski, Jacek; Kalwak, Krzysztof; Dyla, Agnieszka; Szczyra, Zofia; Chybicka, Alicja

    2005-10-01

    We analyzed the incidence, etiology, risk factors, and clinical management of hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) in 102 children who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation: 28 from matched siblings, 57 from unrelated donors, and 17 from mismatched relatives. Conditioning regimens consisted of high-dose chemotherapy (n=83) or total body irradiation (n=19). In all children, urine and plasma were prospectively screened for human polyomavirus (HPV; BK virus [BKV] and JC virus [JCV]) or adenovirus (AdV) DNA with a polymerase chain reaction-based assay. Viral DNA was detected in the urine of 56 children (54.9%): BKV in 48 (47%), JCV in 4 (3.9%), and AdV in 4 (3.9%). HC occurred in 26 children (25.5%), and viruria was detected in all of them: BKV in 21 (80.8%), AdV in 4 (14.4%), and JCV in 1 (3.8%). All patients with AdV viruria developed HC. The cumulative incidence of HC in patients with HPV viruria was 0.43. The only significant risk factor for HC in patients with HPV-positive urine was conditioning with high-dose chemotherapy. Twenty-two children were treated with cidofovir, with no significant toxicity. In all treated patients but 1, the clinical symptoms were moderate, and no HC-related death was observed. We conclude that virus-induced HC is a frequent complication after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Treatment with cidofovir is feasible, and further studies are warranted to evaluate its activity in HC mediated by BKV or JCV.

  4. RNA Encapsidation and Packaging in the Phleboviruses

    PubMed Central

    Hornak, Katherine E.; Lanchy, Jean-Marc; Lodmell, J. Stephen

    2016-01-01

    The Bunyaviridae represents the largest family of segmented RNA viruses, which infect a staggering diversity of plants, animals, and insects. Within the family Bunyaviridae, the Phlebovirus genus includes several important human and animal pathogens, including Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), Uukuniemi virus (UUKV), and the sandfly fever viruses. The phleboviruses have small tripartite RNA genomes that encode a repertoire of 5–7 proteins. These few proteins accomplish the daunting task of recognizing and specifically packaging a tri-segment complement of viral genomic RNA in the midst of an abundance of host components. The critical nucleation events that eventually lead to virion production begin early on in the host cytoplasm as the first strands of nascent viral RNA (vRNA) are synthesized. The interaction between the vRNA and the viral nucleocapsid (N) protein effectively protects and masks the RNA from the host, and also forms the ribonucleoprotein (RNP) architecture that mediates downstream interactions and drives virion formation. Although the mechanism by which all three genomic counterparts are selectively co-packaged is not completely understood, we are beginning to understand the hierarchy of interactions that begins with N-RNA packaging and culminates in RNP packaging into new virus particles. In this review we focus on recent progress that highlights the molecular basis of RNA genome packaging in the phleboviruses. PMID:27428993

  5. Insights into bunyavirus architecture from electron cryotomography of Uukuniemi virus

    PubMed Central

    Överby, A. K.; Pettersson, R. F.; Grünewald, K.; Huiskonen, J. T.

    2008-01-01

    Bunyaviridae is a large family of viruses that have gained attention as “emerging viruses” because many members cause serious disease in humans, with an increasing number of outbreaks. These negative-strand RNA viruses possess a membrane envelope covered by glycoproteins. The virions are pleiomorphic and thus have not been amenable to structural characterization using common techniques that involve averaging of electron microscopic images. Here, we determined the three-dimensional structure of a member of the Bunyaviridae family by using electron cryotomography. The genome, incorporated as a complex with the nucleoprotein inside the virions, was seen as a thread-like structure partially interacting with the viral membrane. Although no ordered nucleocapsid was observed, lateral interactions between the two membrane glycoproteins determine the structure of the viral particles. In the most regular particles, the glycoprotein protrusions, or “spikes,” were seen to be arranged on an icosahedral lattice, with T = 12 triangulation. This arrangement has not yet been proven for a virus. Two distinctly different spike conformations were observed, which were shown to depend on pH. This finding is reminiscent of the fusion proteins of alpha-, flavi-, and influenza viruses, in which conformational changes occur in the low pH of the endosome to facilitate fusion of the viral and host membrane during viral entry. PMID:18272496

  6. Investigation of Molecular Mechanism of JC virus Viroporin Activity.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, Tadaki

    2015-01-01

    Viroporins are small and hydrophobic viral proteins that form pores on host cell membranes, and their expression can increase the permeability of cellular membranes and the production of progeny virus particles. JC virus (JCV) is the causative agent of progressive multifocal leukoenchephalopathy (PML). We demonstrate that JCV Agno, which is the small and hydrophobic protein, andincreases the plasma membrane permeability and virion release, acts as a viroporin. We also demonstrate that an interaction of Agno with a host cellular protein regulates the viroporin activity of Agno. These findings indicate a new paradigm in virus-host interactions regulating viroporin activity and viral replication.

  7. Hantavirus infection: a global zoonotic challenge.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Hong; Zheng, Xuyang; Wang, Limei; Du, Hong; Wang, Pingzhong; Bai, Xuefan

    2017-02-01

    Hantaviruses are comprised of tri-segmented negative sense single-stranded RNA, and are members of the Bunyaviridae family. Hantaviruses are distributed worldwide and are important zoonotic pathogens that can have severe adverse effects in humans. They are naturally maintained in specific reservoir hosts without inducing symptomatic infection. In humans, however, hantaviruses often cause two acute febrile diseases, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS). In this paper, we review the epidemiology and epizootiology of hantavirus infections worldwide.

  8. REACTIVATION OF LATENT VIRUSES IN INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING RITUXIMAB FOR NEW ONSET TYPE 1 DIABETES

    PubMed Central

    Kroll, Jing Lu; Beam, Craig; Li, Shaobing; Viscidi, Raphael; Dighero, Bonnie; Cho, Alice; Boulware, David; Pescovitz, Mark; Weinberg, Adriana

    2013-01-01

    Background Rituximab has been successfully used as an experimental therapy in different autoimmune diseases. Recently, a double-blind placebo-controlled phase-2 study in early onset type 1 diabetes showed that rituximab delayed progression of the disease. However, like with any immunosuppressive therapy, there is a concern of opportunistic viral reactivations with the use of rituximab, including herpes and polyomaviruses. Objectives To study the incidence of new infections and reactivations with BK, JC, Epstein-Barr and cytomegalovirus (BKV, JCV, EBV and CMV) in T1D participants in the phase-2 rituximab study. Study Design Subjects received 4 weekly doses of rituximab (N=57) or placebo (N=30) during the first month of study. Blood samples obtained at weeks 0, 12, 26, 56 and 78 were assayed for CMV, EBV, BKV and JCV by real-time DNA PCR and serology. Results EBV reactivations were diagnosed by PCR in 25% of placebo, but none of rituximab recipients (p<0.01). There were no episodes of CMV viremia in either treatment group. BKV viremias were significantly more common in the rituximab recipients (9%) compared with placebo controls (0, p<0.01). No JCV reactivations were detected in this study, but among 6 rituximab and 2 placebo recipients who seroconverted for JCV during the study, only one rituximab recipient had detectable viremia. All infections were asymptomatic. Conclusions Four doses of rituximab administered to individuals with early onset T1D decreased the incidence of asymptomatic EBV reactivations, as predicted by the rituximab-mediated elimination of memory B-cells, but increased the frequency of asymptomatic viremias caused by polyomaviruses. PMID:23422292

  9. Reactivation of latent viruses in individuals receiving rituximab for new onset type 1 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Kroll, Jing Lu; Beam, Craig; Li, Shaobing; Viscidi, Raphael; Dighero, Bonnie; Cho, Alice; Boulware, David; Pescovitz, Mark; Weinberg, Adriana

    2013-06-01

    Rituximab has been successfully used as an experimental therapy in different autoimmune diseases. Recently, a double-blind placebo-controlled phase-2 study in early onset type 1 diabetes showed that rituximab delayed progression of the disease. However, like with any immunosuppressive therapy, there is a concern of opportunistic viral reactivations with the use of rituximab, including herpes and polyomaviruses. To study the incidence of new infections and reactivations with BK, JC, Epstein-Barr and cytomegalovirus (BKV, JCV, EBV and CMV) in T1D participants in the phase-2 rituximab study. Subjects received 4 weekly doses of rituximab (N = 57) or placebo (N = 30) during the first month of study. Blood samples obtained at weeks 0, 12, 26, 56 and 78 were assayed for CMV, EBV, BKV and JCV by real-time DNA PCR and serology. EBV reactivations were diagnosed by PCR in 25% of placebo, but none of rituximab recipients (p < 0.01). There were no episodes of CMV viremia in either treatment group. BKV viremias were significantly more common in the rituximab recipients (9%) compared with placebo controls (0, p < 0.01). No JCV reactivations were detected in this study, but among 6 rituximab and 2 placebo recipients who seroconverted for JCV during the study, only one rituximab recipient had detectable viremia. All infections were asymptomatic. Four doses of rituximab administered to individuals with early onset T1D decreased the incidence of asymptomatic EBV reactivations, as predicted by the rituximab-mediated elimination of memory B-cells, but increased the frequency of asymptomatic viremias caused by polyomaviruses. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Human polyomaviruses in disease and cancer.

    PubMed

    Dalianis, Tina; Hirsch, Hans H

    2013-03-15

    Today the human polyomavirus (HPyV) family consists of 10 members, BK virus (BKV) and JC virus (JCV) isolated 40 years ago and the more recently identified KI virus (KIPyV), WU virus (WUPyV), Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), HPyV6, HPyV7, trichodysplasia spinulosa virus (TSPyV), HPyV9 and MWPyV. Serological studies suggest that HPyVs subclinically infect the general population with rates ranging from 35% to 90%. However, significant disease is only observed in patients with impaired immune functions. Thus, BKV has been linked to hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and PyV-associated nephropathy (PyVAN) after kidney transplantation; JCV to progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in HIV-AIDS, hematological diseases and in autoimmune diseases treated with certain lymphocyte-specific antibodies. KIPyV and WUPyV have been found in the respiratory tract, HPyV6 and 7 in the skin, and HPyV9 in serum and skin, and MWPyV in stools and skin, but so far none of these PyVs have been linked to any disease. TSPyV, on the other hand, was identified in trichodysplasia spinulosa, a rare skin disease characterized by virus-induced lytic as well as proliferative tumor-like features that is observed in immune-suppressed transplant patients. In contrast to all the other HPyVs so far, MCPyV is unique in its association with a cancer, Merkel cell carcinoma, which is a rare skin cancer arising in the elderly and chronically immunosuppressed individuals. The discovery of the new HPyVs has revived interest in the Polyomaviridae and their association to human disease and cancer. In this review, we summarize knowledge about this expanding family of human pathogens. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. A ΩXaV motif in the Rift Valley fever virus NSs protein is essential for degrading p62, forming nuclear filaments and virulence

    PubMed Central

    Cyr, Normand; de la Fuente, Cynthia; Lecoq, Lauriane; Guendel, Irene; Chabot, Philippe R.; Kehn-Hall, Kylene; Omichinski, James G.

    2015-01-01

    Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a single-stranded RNA virus capable of inducing fatal hemorrhagic fever in humans. A key component of RVFV virulence is its ability to form nuclear filaments through interactions between the viral nonstructural protein NSs and the host general transcription factor TFIIH. Here, we identify an interaction between a ΩXaV motif in NSs and the p62 subunit of TFIIH. This motif in NSs is similar to ΩXaV motifs found in nucleotide excision repair (NER) factors and transcription factors known to interact with p62. Structural and biophysical studies demonstrate that NSs binds to p62 in a similar manner as these other factors. Functional studies in RVFV-infected cells show that the ΩXaV motif is required for both nuclear filament formation and degradation of p62. Consistent with the fact that the RVFV can be distinguished from other Bunyaviridae-family viruses due to its ability to form nuclear filaments in infected cells, the motif is absent in the NSs proteins of other Bunyaviridae-family viruses. Taken together, our studies demonstrate that p62 binding to NSs through the ΩXaV motif is essential for degrading p62, forming nuclear filaments and enhancing RVFV virulence. In addition, these results show how the RVFV incorporates a simple motif into the NSs protein that enables it to functionally mimic host cell proteins that bind the p62 subunit of TFIIH. PMID:25918396

  12. A ΩXaV motif in the Rift Valley fever virus NSs protein is essential for degrading p62, forming nuclear filaments and virulence.

    PubMed

    Cyr, Normand; de la Fuente, Cynthia; Lecoq, Lauriane; Guendel, Irene; Chabot, Philippe R; Kehn-Hall, Kylene; Omichinski, James G

    2015-05-12

    Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a single-stranded RNA virus capable of inducing fatal hemorrhagic fever in humans. A key component of RVFV virulence is its ability to form nuclear filaments through interactions between the viral nonstructural protein NSs and the host general transcription factor TFIIH. Here, we identify an interaction between a ΩXaV motif in NSs and the p62 subunit of TFIIH. This motif in NSs is similar to ΩXaV motifs found in nucleotide excision repair (NER) factors and transcription factors known to interact with p62. Structural and biophysical studies demonstrate that NSs binds to p62 in a similar manner as these other factors. Functional studies in RVFV-infected cells show that the ΩXaV motif is required for both nuclear filament formation and degradation of p62. Consistent with the fact that the RVFV can be distinguished from other Bunyaviridae-family viruses due to its ability to form nuclear filaments in infected cells, the motif is absent in the NSs proteins of other Bunyaviridae-family viruses. Taken together, our studies demonstrate that p62 binding to NSs through the ΩXaV motif is essential for degrading p62, forming nuclear filaments and enhancing RVFV virulence. In addition, these results show how the RVFV incorporates a simple motif into the NSs protein that enables it to functionally mimic host cell proteins that bind the p62 subunit of TFIIH.

  13. The NSs protein of tomato spotted wilt virus is required for persistent infection and transmission by Frankliniella occidentalis.

    PubMed

    Margaria, P; Bosco, L; Vallino, M; Ciuffo, M; Mautino, G C; Tavella, L; Turina, M

    2014-05-01

    Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is the type member of tospoviruses (genus Tospovirus), plant-infecting viruses that cause severe damage to ornamental and vegetable crops. Tospoviruses are transmitted by thrips in the circulative propagative mode. We generated a collection of NSs-defective TSWV isolates and showed that TSWV coding for truncated NSs protein could not be transmitted by Frankliniella occidentalis. Quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and immunostaining of individual insects detected the mutant virus in second-instar larvae and adult insects, demonstrating that insects could acquire and accumulate the NSs-defective virus. Nevertheless, adults carried a significantly lower viral load, resulting in the absence of transmission. Genome sequencing and analyses of reassortant isolates showed genetic evidence of the association between the loss of competence in transmission and the mutation in the NSs coding sequence. Our findings offer new insight into the TSWV-thrips interaction and Tospovirus pathogenesis and highlight, for the first time in the Bunyaviridae family, a major role for the S segment, and specifically for the NSs protein, in virulence and efficient infection in insect vector individuals. Our work is the first to show a role for the NSs protein in virus accumulation in the insect vector in the Bunyaviridae family: demonstration was obtained for the system TSWV-F. occidentalis, arguably one of the most damaging combination for vegetable crops. Genetic evidence of the involvement of the NSs protein in vector transmission was provided with multiple approaches.

  14. The NSs Protein of Tomato spotted wilt virus Is Required for Persistent Infection and Transmission by Frankliniella occidentalis

    PubMed Central

    Margaria, P.; Bosco, L.; Vallino, M.; Ciuffo, M.; Mautino, G. C.; Tavella, L.

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is the type member of tospoviruses (genus Tospovirus), plant-infecting viruses that cause severe damage to ornamental and vegetable crops. Tospoviruses are transmitted by thrips in the circulative propagative mode. We generated a collection of NSs-defective TSWV isolates and showed that TSWV coding for truncated NSs protein could not be transmitted by Frankliniella occidentalis. Quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and immunostaining of individual insects detected the mutant virus in second-instar larvae and adult insects, demonstrating that insects could acquire and accumulate the NSs-defective virus. Nevertheless, adults carried a significantly lower viral load, resulting in the absence of transmission. Genome sequencing and analyses of reassortant isolates showed genetic evidence of the association between the loss of competence in transmission and the mutation in the NSs coding sequence. Our findings offer new insight into the TSWV-thrips interaction and Tospovirus pathogenesis and highlight, for the first time in the Bunyaviridae family, a major role for the S segment, and specifically for the NSs protein, in virulence and efficient infection in insect vector individuals. IMPORTANCE Our work is the first to show a role for the NSs protein in virus accumulation in the insect vector in the Bunyaviridae family: demonstration was obtained for the system TSWV-F. occidentalis, arguably one of the most damaging combination for vegetable crops. Genetic evidence of the involvement of the NSs protein in vector transmission was provided with multiple approaches. PMID:24623427

  15. World Reference Center for Arboviruses.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-01-01

    antigenic relationships among viruses some--Congo, Dugbe, Ganjam , Hazara and NSD--currently placed in the family Bunyaviridae, subdivision "Bunyavirus...to these 5 antigenic groups, except for a small crossing repeatedly observed between antisera for Ganjam virus and a strain of CCHF virus, C-3010...8 4 0 0 0 0 0 Hazara 32 64 0 0 0 ? 0 0 NSD NSD Ganjam 4 2 16 Dugbe 16 2 128 0 0 ? 4 0 DGK Abu Hammad 0 0 0 256 64 und 0 Abu Minah 0 0 0 64 256 DGK 2

  16. Epidemiology, molecular virology and diagnostics of Schmallenberg virus, an emerging orthobunyavirus in Europe

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    After the unexpected emergence of Bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) in northern Europe in 2006, another arbovirus, Schmallenberg virus (SBV), emerged in Europe in 2011 causing a new economically important disease in ruminants. The virus, belonging to the Orthobunyavirus genus in the Bunyaviridae family, was first detected in Germany, in The Netherlands and in Belgium in 2011 and soon after in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Denmark and Switzerland. This review describes the current knowledge on the emergence, epidemiology, clinical signs, molecular virology and diagnosis of SBV infection. PMID:23675914

  17. [Neuropathology of Natalizumab-Associated Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy].

    PubMed

    Kanda, Takashi

    2015-07-01

    The pathological findings of natalizumab-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) are reviewed. In addition to the classical pathology of PML including the presence of enlarged abnormal astrocytes, intranuclear inclusions mainly found within large swollen oligodendrocytes and abundant myelin-laden macrophages/microglia, massive perivascular and parenchymal mononuclear cell infiltration was observed. The latter pathologic picture is that of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), and most of these infiltrating cells are CD8-positive T cells. Because IRIS inevitably occurs after the cessation of natalizumab therapy due to the development of PML and subsequent plasma exchange, most of the published pathologic pictures of natalizumab-associated PML patients were a mixture of PML and PML-IRIS. PML-IRIS is also characterized by fewer oligodendroglial viral inclusions and fewer cells that are immunoreactive against anti-JCV antibodies. These findings suggest the effective removal of JCV after the return of normal immune-surveillance in the central nervous system, but clinicians should be aware that JCV elimination is not complete under the IRIS condition, and the immunosuppressive therapy against IRIS should be carefully performed. Mononuclear cell infiltration in natalizumab-associated PML-IRIS patients was much more prominent than that in HIV-associated PML-IRIS patients, reflecting the retained, even enhanced, systemic immunities in patients treated by natalizumab.

  18. Generation and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against Rift Valley fever virus nucleoprotein.

    PubMed

    Fafetine, J M; Domingos, A; Antunes, S; Esteves, A; Paweska, J T; Coetzer, J A W; Rutten, V P M G; Neves, L

    2013-11-01

    Due to the unpredictable and explosive nature of Rift Valley fever (RVF) outbreaks, rapid and accurate diagnostic assays for low-resource settings are urgently needed. To improve existing diagnostic assays, monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for the nucleocapsid protein of RVF virus (RVFV) were produced and characterized. Four IgG2a MAbs showed specific binding to denatured nucleocapsid protein, both from a recombinant source and from inactivated RVFV, in Western blot analysis and in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cross-reactivity with genetically related and non-related arboviruses including Bunyamwera and Calovo viruses (Bunyaviridae family), West Nile and Dengue-2 viruses (Flaviviridae family), and Sindbis and Chikungunya viruses (Togaviridae family) was not detected. These MAbs represent a useful tool for the development of rapid diagnostic assays for early recognition of RVF. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  19. Rift valley fever virus nonstructural protein NSs promotes viral RNA replication and transcription in a minigenome system.

    PubMed

    Ikegami, Tetsuro; Peters, C J; Makino, Shinji

    2005-05-01

    Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), which belongs to the genus Phlebovirus, family Bunyaviridae, has a tripartite negative-strand genome (S, M, and L segments) and is an important mosquito-borne pathogen for domestic animals and humans. We established an RVFV T7 RNA polymerase-driven minigenome system in which T7 RNA polymerase from an expression plasmid drove expression of RNA transcripts for viral proteins and minigenome RNA transcripts carrying a reporter gene between both termini of the M RNA segment in 293T cells. Like other viruses of the Bunyaviridae family, replication and transcription of the RVFV minigenome required expression of viral N and L proteins. Unexpectedly, the coexpression of an RVFV nonstructural protein, NSs, with N and L proteins resulted in a significant enhancement of minigenome RNA replication. Coexpression of NSs protein with N and L proteins also enhanced minigenome mRNA transcription in the cells expressing viral-sense minigenome RNA transcripts. NSs protein expression increased the RNA replication of minigenomes that originated from S and L RNA segments. Enhancement of minigenome RNA synthesis by NSs protein occurred in cells lacking alpha/beta interferon (IFN-alpha/beta) genes, indicating that the effect of NSs protein on minigenome RNA replication was unrelated to a putative NSs protein-induced inhibition of IFN-alpha/beta production. Our finding that RVFV NSs protein augmented minigenome RNA synthesis was in sharp contrast to reports that Bunyamwera virus (genus Bunyavirus) NSs protein inhibits viral minigenome RNA synthesis, suggesting that RVFV NSs protein and Bunyamwera virus NSs protein have distinctly different biological roles in viral RNA synthesis.

  20. Tula hantavirus NSs protein accumulates in the perinuclear area in infected and transfected cells.

    PubMed

    Virtanen, Jussi Oskari; Jääskeläinen, Kirsi Maria; Djupsjöbacka, Janica; Vaheri, Antti; Plyusnin, Alexander

    2010-01-01

    The small RNA segment of some hantaviruses (family Bunyaviridae) encodes two proteins: the nucleocapsid protein and, in an overlapping reading frame, a non-structural (NSs) protein. The hantavirus NSs protein, like those of orthobunya- and phleboviruses, counteracts host innate immunity. Here, for the first time, the NSs protein of a hantavirus (Tula virus) has been observed in infected cells and shown to localize in the perinuclear area. Transiently expressed NSs protein showed similar localization, although the kinetics was slightly different, suggesting that to reach its proper location in the infected cell, the NSs protein does not have to cooperate with other viral proteins.

  1. Adenovirus is a key pathogen in hemorrhagic cystitis associated with bone marrow transplantation.

    PubMed

    Akiyama, H; Kurosu, T; Sakashita, C; Inoue, T; Mori Si; Ohashi, K; Tanikawa, S; Sakamaki, H; Onozawa, Y; Chen, Q; Zheng, H; Kitamura, T

    2001-05-01

    Late-onset hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) is a well-known complication of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) that is mainly attributed to infection with BK virus (BKV) and adenovirus (AdV). From 1986 through 1998, 282 patients underwent BMT, and 45 of them developed HC. Urine samples tested positive for AdV in 26 patients, of which 22 showed virus type 11. Among patients who underwent allogeneic BMT, logistic regression analysis revealed acute graft-versus-host disease (grade, > or = 2) to be the most significant predictive factor for HC (P < .0001). In addition, a total of 193 urine samples regularly obtained from 26 consecutive patients who underwent allogeneic BMT were examined for BKV, JC virus (JCV), and AdV by means of polymerase chain reaction. Of patients without HC, approximately 30% of the specimens tested positive for BKV (58 samples) and JCV (55 samples), whereas 5 (3%) tested positive for AdV. Of the 3 samples obtained from patients with HC, the numbers of positive results for BKV, JCV, and AdV were 3, 1, and 1, respectively; the numbers of positive results increased to 14 of 17, 9 of 17, and 10 of 17, respectively, when we added another 14 samples obtained from 14 patients with HC (P < .0001, P = .026, and P < .0001, respectively). In conclusion, there was significant correlation between AdV and HC in the patients we studied.

  2. Pneumonitis in Syrian golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) infected with Rio Mamoré virus (family Bunyaviridae, genus Hantavirus).

    PubMed

    Milazzo, Mary Louise; Eyzaguirre, Eduardo J; Fulhorst, Charles F

    2014-10-13

    Rio Mamoré virus is an etiological agent of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in South America. The purpose of this study was to determine whether Rio Mamoré virus strain HTN-007 in Syrian golden hamsters is pathogenic. None of 37 adult hamsters infected by intramuscular injection of HTN-007, including 10 animals killed on Day 42 or 43 post-inoculation, exhibited any symptom of disease. Histological abnormalities included severe or moderately severe pneumonitis in 6 (46.2%) of the 13 animals killed on Day 7 or 10 post-inoculation. The primary target of infection in lung was the endothelium of the microvasculature. Collectively, these results indicate that Rio Mamoré virus strain HTN-007 in adult Syrian golden hamsters can cause a nonlethal disease that is pathologically similar to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Seroprevalence of Epstein-Barr Virus, Cytomegalovirus, and Polyomaviruses in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

    PubMed

    Hradsky, Ondrej; Copova, Ivana; Zarubova, Kristyna; Durilova, Marianna; Nevoral, Jiri; Maminak, Miroslav; Hubacek, Petr; Bronsky, Jiri

    2015-11-01

    Young age and thiopurine therapy are risk factors for lymphoproliferative disease among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of seropositivity for the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human cytomegalovirus (CMV) among children and adolescents with IBD, to assess the viral load of EBV, CMV, and BK and JC polyomaviruses (BKV, JCV) in these patients, and to assess the influence of different therapeutic regimens on seroprevalence and viral load. Children who had been followed in our center were tested for EBV, CMV, BKV, and JCV in a cross-sectional study. One hundred and six children were included who had Crohn's disease (68%), ulcerative colitis (29%), and unclassified IBD (3%). We found that 64% of patients were EBV seropositive. The proportion of EBV seropositive patients increased during childhood. Azathioprine therapy (p = 0.003) was associated with EBV seropositivity in a multiple logistic regression model, after adjusting for gender, age, and disease activity at determination. We found a significant association between the number of polymerase chain reaction copies and infliximab dose (p = 0.023). We did not find any significant association between CMV serology and CMV, BKV, or JCV viral load, or any other therapeutic regimen or clinical characteristics. Treatment with azathioprine appears to be a risk factor for early EBV seropositivity in children with IBD, and the infliximab dose was associated with a higher EBV viral load.

  4. Pathogenesis and management of polyomavirus infection in transplant recipients.

    PubMed

    Kwak, Eun Jeong; Vilchez, Regis A; Randhawa, Parmjeet; Shapiro, Ron; Butel, Janet S; Kusne, Shimon

    2002-11-01

    Polyomaviruses (JC virus [JCV], BK virus [BKV], and simian virus 40 [SV40]) establish subclinical and persistent infections and share the capacity for reactivation from latency in their host under immunosuppression. JCV establishes latency mainly in the kidney, and its reactivation results in the development of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. BKV causes infection in the kidney and the urinary tract, and its activation causes a number of disorders, including nephropathy and hemorrhagic cystitis. Recent studies have reported SV40 in the allografts of children who received renal transplants and in the urine, blood, and kidneys of adults with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, which is a cause of end-stage renal disease and an indication for kidney transplantation. Clinical syndromes related to polyomavirus infection are summarized in the present review, and strategies for the management of patients who receive transplants are discussed.

  5. Orthobunyavirus antibodies among humans in selected parts of the Rift Valley and northeastern Kenya.

    PubMed

    Odhiambo, Collins; Venter, Marietjie; Swanepoel, Robert; Sang, Rosemary

    2015-05-01

    Ngari, Bunyamwera, Ilesha, and Germiston viruses are among the mosquito-borne human pathogens in the Orthobunyavirus genus, family Bunyaviridae, associated with febrile illness. Although the four orthobunyaviruses have been isolated from mosquito and/or tick vectors sampled from different geographic regions in Kenya, little is known of human exposure in such areas. We conducted a serologic investigation to determine whether orthobunyaviruses commonly infect humans in Kenya. Orthobunyavirus-specific antibodies were detected by plaque reduction neutralization tests in 89 (25.8%) of 345 persons tested. Multivariable analysis revealed age and residence in northeastern Kenya as risk factors. Implementation of acute febrile illness surveillance in northeastern Kenya will help to detect such infections.

  6. Diagnosis of hantavirus infection in humans.

    PubMed

    Mattar, Salim; Guzmán, Camilo; Figueiredo, Luis Tadeu

    2015-08-01

    Rodent-borne hantaviruses (family Bunyaviridae, genus Hantavirus) cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the Americas and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Europe and Asia. The viruses are transmitted to humans mainly by inhalation of virus-contaminated aerosols of rodent excreta and secreta. Classic clinical hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome occurs in five phases: fever, hypotension, oliguria, polyuria, and convalescence. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a severe acute disease that is associated with respiratory failure, pulmonary edema and cardiogenic shock. The diagnosis of hantavirus infections in humans is based on clinical and epidemiological information as well as laboratory tests. We review diagnosis for hantavirus infections based on serology, PCR, immunochemistry and virus culture.

  7. Countermeasure development for Rift Valley fever: deletion, modification or targeting of major virulence factor NSs.

    PubMed

    Lihoradova, Olga; Ikegami, Tetsuro

    2014-01-01

    Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease characterized by a high rate of abortion in ruminants, and febrile illness, hemorrhagic fever, retinitis and encephalitis in humans. RVF is caused by the RVF virus (RVFV), belonging to the genus Phlebovirus of the family Bunyaviridae . RVFV encodes a major virulence factor, NSs , which is dispensable for viral replication, yet required for evasion of host innate immune responses. RVFV NSs inhibits host gene upregulation at the transcriptional level, while promoting viral translation in the cytoplasm. In this article, we summarize the virology and pathology of RVF, and countermeasure development for RVF, with emphasis on NSs function and applications.

  8. Countermeasure development for Rift Valley fever: deletion, modification or targeting of major virulence factor NSs

    PubMed Central

    Lihoradova, Olga; Ikegami, Tetsuro

    2014-01-01

    Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease characterized by a high rate of abortion in ruminants, and febrile illness, hemorrhagic fever, retinitis and encephalitis in humans. RVF is caused by the RVF virus (RVFV), belonging to the genus Phlebovirus of the family Bunyaviridae. RVFV encodes a major virulence factor, NSs, which is dispensable for viral replication, yet required for evasion of host innate immune responses. RVFV NSs inhibits host gene upregulation at the transcriptional level, while promoting viral translation in the cytoplasm. In this article, we summarize the virology and pathology of RVF, and countermeasure development for RVF, with emphasis on NSs function and applications. PMID:24910709

  9. Non-Structural Proteins of Arthropod-Borne Bunyaviruses: Roles and Functions

    PubMed Central

    Eifan, Saleh; Schnettler, Esther; Dietrich, Isabelle; Kohl, Alain; Blomström, Anne-Lie

    2013-01-01

    Viruses within the Bunyaviridae family are tri-segmented, negative-stranded RNA viruses. The family includes several emerging and re-emerging viruses of humans, animals and plants, such as Rift Valley fever virus, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, La Crosse virus, Schmallenberg virus and tomato spotted wilt virus. Many bunyaviruses are arthropod-borne, so-called arboviruses. Depending on the genus, bunyaviruses encode, in addition to the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and the different structural proteins, one or several non-structural proteins. These non-structural proteins are not always essential for virus growth and replication but can play an important role in viral pathogenesis through their interaction with the host innate immune system. In this review, we will summarize current knowledge and understanding of insect-borne bunyavirus non-structural protein function(s) in vertebrate, plant and arthropod. PMID:24100888

  10. The Andes hantavirus NSs protein is expressed from the viral small mRNA by a leaky scanning mechanism.

    PubMed

    Vera-Otarola, Jorge; Solis, Loretto; Soto-Rifo, Ricardo; Ricci, Emiliano P; Pino, Karla; Tischler, Nicole D; Ohlmann, Théophile; Darlix, Jean-Luc; López-Lastra, Marcelo

    2012-02-01

    The small mRNA (SmRNA) of all Bunyaviridae encodes the nucleocapsid (N) protein. In 4 out of 5 genera in the Bunyaviridae, the smRNA encodes an additional nonstructural protein denominated NSs. In this study, we show that Andes hantavirus (ANDV) SmRNA encodes an NSs protein. Data show that the NSs protein is expressed in the context of an ANDV infection. Additionally, our results suggest that translation initiation from the NSs initiation codon is mediated by ribosomal subunits that have bypassed the upstream N protein initiation codon through a leaky scanning mechanism.

  11. Pneumonitis in Syrian golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) infected with Río Mamoré virus (family Bunyaviridae, genus Hantavirus)

    PubMed Central

    Milazzo, Mary Louise; Eyzaguirre, Eduardo J.; Fulhorst, Charles F.

    2014-01-01

    Rio Mamoré virus is an etiological agent of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in South America. The purpose of this study was to determine whether Rio Mamoré virus strain HTN-007 in Syrian golden hamsters is pathogenic. None of 37 adult hamsters infected by intramuscular injection of HTN-007, including 10 animals killed on Day 42 or 43 post-inoculation, exhibited any symptom of disease. Histological abnormalities included severe or moderately severe pneumonitis in 6 (46.2%) of the 13 animals killed on Day 7 or 10 post-inoculation. The primary target of infection in lung was the endothelium of the microvasculature. Collectively, these results indicate that Rio Mamoré virus strain HTN-007 in adult Syrian golden hamsters can cause a nonlethal disease that is pathologically similar to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. PMID:25064267

  12. Medical devices; immunology and microbiology devices; classification of John Cunningham Virus serological reagents. Final order.

    PubMed

    2014-01-23

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is classifying John Cunningham Virus (JCV) serological reagents into class II (special controls). The Agency is classifying the device into class II (special controls) in order to provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device.

  13. Development and characterization of a Rift Valley fever virus cell-cell fusion assay using alphavirus replicon vectors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Filone, Claire Marie; Heise, Mark; Doms, Robert W.

    2006-12-20

    Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), a member of the Phlebovirus genus in the Bunyaviridae family, is transmitted by mosquitoes and infects both humans and domestic animals, particularly cattle and sheep. Since primary RVFV strains must be handled in BSL-3+ or BSL-4 facilities, a RVFV cell-cell fusion assay will facilitate the investigation of RVFV glycoprotein function under BSL-2 conditions. As for other members of the Bunyaviridae family, RVFV glycoproteins are targeted to the Golgi, where the virus buds, and are not efficiently delivered to the cell surface. However, overexpression of RVFV glycoproteins using an alphavirus replicon vector resulted in the expressionmore » of the glycoproteins on the surface of multiple cell types. Brief treatment of RVFV glycoprotein expressing cells with mildly acidic media (pH 6.2 and below) resulted in rapid and efficient syncytia formation, which we quantified by {beta}-galactosidase {alpha}-complementation. Fusion was observed with several cell types, suggesting that the receptor(s) for RVFV is widely expressed or that this acid-dependent virus does not require a specific receptor to mediate cell-cell fusion. Fusion occurred over a broad temperature range, as expected for a virus with both mosquito and mammalian hosts. In contrast to cell fusion mediated by the VSV-G glycoprotein, RVFV glycoprotein-dependent cell fusion could be prevented by treating target cells with trypsin, indicating that one or more proteins (or protein-associated carbohydrate) on the host cell surface are needed to support membrane fusion. The cell-cell fusion assay reported here will make it possible to study the membrane fusion activity of RVFV glycoproteins in a high-throughput format and to screen small molecule inhibitors for the ability to block virus-specific membrane fusion.« less

  14. [Polyomavirus infection in an immunocompetent patient and literature overview].

    PubMed

    Chiarinotti, D; Ruva, C E; David, P; Capurro, F; Brustia, M; Omodeo Zorini, E; Benigni, E; Turello, E; De Leo, M; Verzetti, G

    2002-01-01

    Polyoma virus (PV) is a double-stranded DNA virus, member of the Papovaviridae family. BKV and JCV are the most studied in human pathology, whereas simian virus 40 (SV40) is pathogenic in the monkey and has been implicated in human carcinogenesis. PV is associated with renal and urinary tract pathology. The initial infection by PV occurs in childhood, probably by airways, and is usually asymptomatic. Subsequently, it remains latent in kidneys, tonsils and CNS and may reactivate in concomitance with significant T-cell dysfunction. Infection in immunocompromised patients can be clinically relevant. However, asymptomatic viruria may be detected in 0.3 % of individuals without a known history of immunodeficiency. We describe the case of a male patient, aged 31, admitted to our Unit for arterial hypertension and urinary abnormalities. He had a history of hemorrhagic cystitis in 1996 and persistent microscopic hematuria thereafter. Renal function was normal, arterial pressure well controlled with an ACE-inhibitor; urine culture was negative and most of the immunologic and rheumatologic tests were normal, with the exception of slightly reduced levels of C3 and an inverted CD4/CD8 ratio. Serology for HCV, HBV, HIV and screening for tumor markers were negative. Renal ultrasonography displayed an increased reflectivity, as seen in medical nephropathies; no nephrolithiasis was found. Urinary cytology showed "decoy cells", as typically found in PV infection, whose presence was confirmed by n-PCR. Diagnosis at discharge from the hospital was primary arterial hypertension and urinary JCV infection. Currently, no treatment of proven efficacy against PV is available. We think that there is an increasing amount of evidence to include screening for PV in the diagnosis of urinary tract abnormalities of unknown origin, even in apparently immunocompetent patients. Urinary cytology, in experienced hands, may be a useful and relatively inexpensive first step diagnostic tool.

  15. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome: a concise clinical review.

    PubMed

    Vinh, Donald C; Embil, John M

    2009-06-01

    In 1978, hantaviruses were first described as the etiological agent of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Korea. Since then, numerous related, enveloped, negative-stranded RNA viruses have been identified, forming the genus Hantavirus within the family Bunyaviridae. These pathogens are distributed worldwide and thus can be classified, on the basis of phylogenetic origins, into Old World viruses or New World viruses (ie North, Central, and South America). Similarly, these viruses cause two major types of syndromes, corresponding respectively to their phylogenies: the original HFRS or the more recently described hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). As the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is the primary hantaviral disease in North America, it will thus be the focus of this review.

  16. Advances in the management of PML: focus on natalizumab.

    PubMed

    Fox, Robert

    2011-11-01

    Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare opportunistic infection of the central nervous system, occurs mainly in the setting of broad-based and selective immunosuppression. The immunomodulatory agent most often implicated in the development of PML is the monoclonal antibody natalizumab. Management of PML begins with risk stratification. Factors that predict the risk of PML are JC virus (JCV) antibody status, history of chemotherapy use, and cumulative exposure to natalizumab. The risk of natalizumab-related PML increases up to a duration of 36 months of therapy, after which the risk appears to level off. If suspicious for PML, the use of a sensitive JCV polymerase chain reaction assay permits early diagnosis. Immune reconstitution represents the mainstay of treatment for PML. With rapid reversal of immunosuppression followed by immunologic recovery, almost all patients suffer clinical deterioration termed immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). High-dose corticosteroids are often recommended if a clinical and imaging syndrome resembling IRIS develops after immune restoration.

  17. JC Virus Leuko-Encephalopathy in Reduced Intensity Conditioning Cord Blood Transplant Recipient with a Review of the Literature.

    PubMed

    El-Cheikh, Jean; Fürst, Sabine; Casalonga, Francois; Crocchiolo, Roberto; Castagna, Luca; Granata, Angela; Oudin, Claire; Faucher, Catherine; Berger, Pierre; Sarran, Anthony; Blaise, Didier

    2012-01-01

    We report here the case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) related to human polyomavirus JC (JCV) infection after an allogeneic transplantation with umbilical cord blood cells in 59-year-old woman with follicular Non Hodgkin lymphoma. She presented with dysphagia and weakness; magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated marked signal abnormality in the sub-cortical white matter of the left frontal lobe and in the posterior limb of the right internal capsule. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was positive for John Cunningham (JC) virus. JC viral DNA in the CSF was positive, establishing the diagnosis of PML. Brain biopsy was not done. Extensive investigations for other viral infections seen in immuno-compromised patients were negative. The patient's neurologic deficits rapidly increased throughout her hospital stay, and she died one month after the diagnosis. These findings could have practical implications and demonstrate that in patients presenting neurological symptoms and radiological signs after UCBT, the JCV encephalitis must be early suspected.

  18. JC Virus Leuko-Encephalopathy in Reduced Intensity Conditioning Cord Blood Transplant Recipient with a Review of the Literature

    PubMed Central

    El-Cheikh, Jean; Fürst, Sabine; Casalonga, Francois; Crocchiolo, Roberto; Castagna, Luca; Granata, Angela; Oudin, Claire; Faucher, Catherine; Berger, Pierre; Sarran, Anthony; Blaise, Didier

    2012-01-01

    We report here the case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) related to human polyomavirus JC (JCV) infection after an allogeneic transplantation with umbilical cord blood cells in 59-year-old woman with follicular Non Hodgkin lymphoma. She presented with dysphagia and weakness; magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated marked signal abnormality in the sub-cortical white matter of the left frontal lobe and in the posterior limb of the right internal capsule. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was positive for John Cunningham (JC) virus. JC viral DNA in the CSF was positive, establishing the diagnosis of PML. Brain biopsy was not done. Extensive investigations for other viral infections seen in immuno-compromised patients were negative. The patient’s neurologic deficits rapidly increased throughout her hospital stay, and she died one month after the diagnosis. These findings could have practical implications and demonstrate that in patients presenting neurological symptoms and radiological signs after UCBT, the JCV encephalitis must be early suspected. PMID:22811792

  19. Family Structure and Family Processes in Mexican American Families

    PubMed Central

    Zeiders, Katharine H.; Roosa, Mark W.; Tein, Jenn-Yun

    2010-01-01

    Despite increases in single-parent families among Mexican Americans (MA), few studies have examined the association of family structure and family adjustment. Utilizing a diverse sample of 738 Mexican American families (21.7% single parent), the current study examined differences across family structure on early adolescent outcomes, family functioning, and parent-child relationship variables. Results revealed that early adolescents in single parent families reported greater school misconduct, CD/ODD and MDD symptoms, and greater parent-child conflict than their counterparts in two parent families. Single parent mothers reported greater economic hardship, depression and family stress. Family stress and parent-child conflict emerged as significant mediators of the association between family structure and early adolescent outcomes, suggesting important processes linking MA single parent families and adolescent adjustment. PMID:21361925

  20. The Andes Hantavirus NSs Protein Is Expressed from the Viral Small mRNA by a Leaky Scanning Mechanism

    PubMed Central

    Vera-Otarola, Jorge; Solis, Loretto; Soto-Rifo, Ricardo; Ricci, Emiliano P.; Pino, Karla; Tischler, Nicole D.; Ohlmann, Théophile; Darlix, Jean-Luc

    2012-01-01

    The small mRNA (SmRNA) of all Bunyaviridae encodes the nucleocapsid (N) protein. In 4 out of 5 genera in the Bunyaviridae, the smRNA encodes an additional nonstructural protein denominated NSs. In this study, we show that Andes hantavirus (ANDV) SmRNA encodes an NSs protein. Data show that the NSs protein is expressed in the context of an ANDV infection. Additionally, our results suggest that translation initiation from the NSs initiation codon is mediated by ribosomal subunits that have bypassed the upstream N protein initiation codon through a leaky scanning mechanism. PMID:22156529

  1. Classical swine fever virus replicated poorly in cells from MxA transgenic pigs.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Yicheng; Wang, Tiedong; Yao, Li; Liu, Bo; Teng, Chunbo; Ouyang, Hongsheng

    2016-08-17

    In addition to their value as livestock, pigs are susceptible to classical swine fever virus (CSFV) and can serve as reservoirs for CSFV, allowing it to develop into an epizootic. CSFV, a pestivirus of the Flaviviridae family, has a single-stranded RNA genome. Recent research has indicated that the human MxA protein inhibits the life cycles of certain RNA viruses, such as members of the Bunyaviridae family, the Flaviviridae family and others. To produce pigs with antiviral protection against CSFV, transgenic pigs expressing human MxA were generated by nuclear transplantation. Cells from three MxA transgenic piglets were used to investigate in vitro antiviral activity of MxA aganist CSFV, and the results of in vitro indirect immunofluorescence assays, virus titration and real-time PCR indicated that the MxA transgenic pig has an antiviral capacity against CSFV. Transgene with human MxA on pigs is feasible. High levels of MxA expression do inhibit CSFV in vitro at early time points post-infection at 60-96dpi.

  2. Family ties: constructing family time in low-income families.

    PubMed

    Tubbs, Carolyn Y; Roy, Kevin M; Burton, Linda M

    2005-03-01

    "Family time" is reflected in the process of building and fortifying family relationships. Whereas such time, free of obligatory work, school, and family maintenance activities, is purchased by many families using discretionary income, we explore how low-income mothers make time for and give meaning to focused engagement and relationship development with their children within time constraints idiosyncratic to being poor and relying on welfare. Longitudinal ethnographic data from 61 low-income African American, European American, and Latina American mothers were analyzed to understand how mothers construct family time during daily activities such as talking, play, and meals. We also identify unique cultural factors that shape family time for low-income families, such as changing temporal orientations, centrality of television time, and emotional burdens due to poverty. Implications for family therapy are also discussed.

  3. Phleboviruses and the Type I Interferon Response

    PubMed Central

    Wuerth, Jennifer Deborah; Weber, Friedemann

    2016-01-01

    The genus Phlebovirus of the family Bunyaviridae contains a number of emerging virus species which pose a threat to both human and animal health. Most prominent members include Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), sandfly fever Naples virus (SFNV), sandfly fever Sicilian virus (SFSV), Toscana virus (TOSV), Punta Toro virus (PTV), and the two new members severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) and Heartland virus (HRTV). The nonstructural protein NSs is well established as the main phleboviral virulence factor in the mammalian host. NSs acts as antagonist of the antiviral type I interferon (IFN) system. Recent progress in the elucidation of the molecular functions of a growing list of NSs proteins highlights the astonishing variety of strategies employed by phleboviruses to evade the IFN system. PMID:27338447

  4. [The clinico-laboratory characteristics of cases of diseases connected with viruses of the California encephalitis complex in the inhabitants of Moscow].

    PubMed

    Kolobukhina, L V; L'vov, D K; Butenko, A M; Kuznetsov, A A; Galkina, I V

    1989-10-01

    To study the role of viruses of the California encephalitis virus complex (the family Bunyaviridae) in infectious pathology, 187 fever patients admitted to the Clinical Infectious Hospital in May-September 1986 were examined. In 10 of these patients the neutralization test revealed the presence of diagnostically significant changes in neutralizing antibodies (neutralization indices), which was indicative of the role played by Tahyna virus or other related viruses belonging to the California encephalitis virus complex in the etiology of the diseases. The analysis of the clinical picture showed that in all patients the disease took an acute course in its initial stage, starting with shivering and characterized by high fever, headache, pronounced toxicosis, the possibility of the formation of intracerebral hypertension and pneumonia.

  5. Isolation of a novel orthobunyavirus from bat flies (Eucampsipoda africana)

    PubMed Central

    Palacios, Gustavo; Storm, Nadia; Markotter, Wanda; Birkhead, Monica; Kemp, Alan

    2017-01-01

    The Bunyaviridae family comprises viruses causing diseases of public and veterinary health importance, including viral haemorrhagic and arboviral fevers. We report the isolation, identification and genome characterization of a novel orthobunyavirus, named Wolkberg virus (WBV), from wingless bat fly ectoparasites (Eucampsipoda africana) of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) in South Africa. Complete genome sequence data of WBV suggests it is most closely related to two bat viruses (Mojuí dos Campos and Kaeng Khoi viruses) and an arbovirus (Nyando virus) previously shown to infect humans. WBV replicates to high titres in VeroE6 and C6-36 cells, characteristic of mosquito-borne arboviruses. These findings expand our knowledge of the diversity of orthobunyaviruses and their insect vector host range. PMID:28488954

  6. The Pathogenesis of Rift Valley Fever

    PubMed Central

    Ikegami, Tetsuro; Makino, Shinji

    2011-01-01

    Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an emerging zoonotic disease distributed in sub-Saharan African countries and the Arabian Peninsula. The disease is caused by the Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) of the family Bunyaviridae and the genus Phlebovirus. The virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, and virus replication in domestic ruminant results in high rates of mortality and abortion. RVFV infection in humans usually causes a self-limiting, acute and febrile illness; however, a small number of cases progress to neurological disorders, partial or complete blindness, hemorrhagic fever, or thrombosis. This review describes the pathology of RVF in human patients and several animal models, and summarizes the role of viral virulence factors and host factors that affect RVFV pathogenesis. PMID:21666766

  7. Discovery and evolution of bunyavirids in arctic phantom midges and ancient bunyavirid-like sequences in insect genomes.

    PubMed

    Ballinger, Matthew J; Bruenn, Jeremy A; Hay, John; Czechowski, Donna; Taylor, Derek J

    2014-08-01

    Bunyaviridae is a large family of RNA viruses chiefly comprised of vertebrate and plant pathogens. We discovered novel bunyavirids that are approximately equally divergent from each of the five known genera. We characterized novel genome sequences for two bunyavirids, namely, Kigluaik phantom virus (KIGV), from tundra-native phantom midges (Chaoborus), and Nome phantom virus (NOMV), from tundra-invading phantom midges, and demonstrated that these bunyavirid-like sequences belong to an infectious virus by passaging KIGV in mosquito cell culture, although the infection does not seem to be well sustained beyond a few passages. Virus and host gene sequences from individuals collected on opposite ends of North America, a region spanning 4,000 km, support a long-term, vertically transmitted infection of KIGV in Chaoborus trivittatus. KIGV-like sequences ranging from single genes to full genomes are present in transcriptomes and genomes of insects belonging to six taxonomic orders, suggesting an ancient association of this clade with insect hosts. In Drosophila, endogenous virus genes have been coopted, forming an orthologous tandem gene family that has been maintained by selection during the radiation of the host genus. Our findings indicate that bunyavirid-host interactions in nonbloodsucking arthropods have been much more extensive than previously thought. Very little is known about the viral diversity in polar freshwater ponds, and perhaps less is known about the effects that climate-induced habitat changes in these regions will have on virus-host interactions in the coming years. Our results show that at the tundra-boreal boundary, a hidden viral landscape is being altered as infected boreal phantom midges colonize tundra ponds. Likewise, relatively little is known of the deeper evolutionary history of bunyavirids that has led to the stark lifestyle contrasts between some genera. The discovery of this novel bunyavirid group suggests that ancient and highly divergent

  8. Who counts as family? Family typologies, family support, and family undermining among young adult gay and bisexual men.

    PubMed

    Soler, Jorge H; Caldwell, Cleopatra H; Córdova, David; Harper, Gary; Bauermeister, José A

    2018-06-01

    Gay and bisexual men may form chosen families in addition to or in place of families of origin. However, the characteristics of these diverse families remain largely unexamined in the quantitative literature. The purpose of this study was to develop a family typology based on responses from a racially and ethnically diverse sample of young adult gay and bisexual men (YGBM) recruited from the Detroit Metropolitan Area (N=350; 18-29 years old). To explore the role of family, we then examined family social support and social undermining in relation to YGBM psychological distress within different family types. A series of multivariate regressions were used to examine associations between family social support and social undermining with depression and anxiety outcomes. The majority (88%) of YGBM included family of origin in their definitions of family and 63% indicated having chosen families. Associations between family social processes and psychological outcomes varied by type of family, suggesting that family composition shapes how perceptions of support and undermining relate to experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Chosen families play a prominent role in the lives of YGBM and should not be overlooked in family research. Findings also highlight the importance of examining co-occurring family social support and social stress processes to further address psychological distress symptoms among YGBM.

  9. Family Violence and Family Physicians

    PubMed Central

    Herbert, Carol P.

    1991-01-01

    The acronym IDEALS summarizes family physicians' obligations when violence is suspected: to identify family violence; document injuries; educate families and ensure safety for victims; access resources and coordinate care; co-operate in the legal process; and provide support for families. Failure to respond reflects personal and professional experience and attitudes, fear of legal involvement, and lack of knowledge. Risks of intervention include physician burnout, physician overfunctioning, escalation of violence, and family disruption. PMID:21228987

  10. Family functioning in the families of psychiatric patients: a comparison with nonclinical families.

    PubMed

    Trangkasombat, Umaporn

    2006-11-01

    To examine family functioning in the families of psychiatric patients. Families of psychiatric patients and nonclinical families were compared. There were 60 families in each group. The instrument included a semistructured interview of family functioning and the Chulalongkorn Family Inventory (CFI), a self-report questionnaire designed to assess the perception of one's family. From the assessment by semistructured interview, 83.3% of psychiatric families and 45.0% of nonclinical families were found to be dysfunctional in at least one dimension. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The average number of dysfunctional dimensions in the psychiatric families was significantly higher than in the nonclinical control group, 3.5 +/- 1.9 and 0.98 +/- 1.5 respectively, p < 0.0001. The CFI scores of the psychiatric families were significantly lower than the control group, reflecting poor family functioning. The dysfunctions were mostly in the following dimensions: problem-solving, communication, affective responsiveness, affective involvement, and behavior control. Psychiatric families faced more psychosocial stressors and the average number of stressors was higher than the control families, 88.3% vs. 56.7% and 4.2 +/- 2.7 vs. 1.3 +/- 1.47 stressors respectively, p < 0.0001. Family functioning of psychiatric patients was less healthy than the nonclinical control. The present study underlined the significance of family assessment and family intervention in the comprehensive care of psychiatric patients.

  11. Strengthening Family Practices for Latino Families.

    PubMed

    Chartier, Karen G; Negroni, Lirio K; Hesselbrock, Michie N

    2010-01-01

    The study examined the effectiveness of a culturally-adapted Strengthening Families Program (SFP) for Latinos to reduce risks for alcohol and drug use in children. Latino families, predominantly Puerto Rican, with a 9-12 year old child and a parent(s) with a substance abuse problem participated in the study. Pre- and post-tests were conducted with each family. Parental stress, parent-child dysfunctional relations, and child behavior problems were reduced in the families receiving the intervention; family hardiness and family attachment were improved. Findings contribute to the validation of the SFP with Latinos, and can be used to inform social work practice with Puerto Rican families.

  12. [Electron microscopic study on the petechial hemorrhagic spots in patients with epidemic hemorrhage fever (EHF)].

    PubMed

    Wang, S Q; Feng, M; Yang, L

    1994-12-01

    EHF viral particles were found in the squamous epithelial cells and capillary endothelial cells of the petechial spots located at the mucous membrane of the soft palate in cases of early stage of severe type EHF by transmission electron microscopy. The viral particles are round or oval in shape, about 100 nm in diameter with a lipid bilayer envelope from which spikes are protruding. The virions matured by budding through the intracytoplasmic membranes into the smooth surfaced vesicles. The morphological characteristics of the virion coincided with the viral particles of Family Bunyaviridae. It was the first time to demonstrate that the squamous epithelial cells of the soft palate is one of the target cells in EHF virus infection and to describe the subcellular morphological evidence of the petechial spots at the soft palate by EM.

  13. Insect-specific viruses and their potential impact on arbovirus transmission

    PubMed Central

    Vasilakis, Nikos; Tesh, Robert B.

    2015-01-01

    Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are the causative agents of significant morbidity and mortality among humans and animals globally. In the last few years, the widespread adoption of next generation sequencing and metagenomics has led to a new era of virus discovery, where many novel viruses have been documented, exhibiting a restricted host-range in mosquitoes. They represent a wide-range of insect-specific viruses within the families of Bunyaviridae, Flaviviridae, Mesoniviridae, Reoviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Togaviridae, and the newly recognized taxon of Negeviruses. Collectively, their discovery has opened new vistas about the extent of viral diversity and evolution, their influence on vector competence and ability of their insect hosts to transmit human pathogens (e.g. arboviruses), and their potential development as biological control agents or novel vaccine platforms. PMID:26322695

  14. Insect-specific viruses and their potential impact on arbovirus transmission.

    PubMed

    Vasilakis, Nikos; Tesh, Robert B

    2015-12-01

    Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are the causative agents of significant morbidity and mortality among humans and animals globally. In the past few years, the widespread adoption of next generation sequencing and metagenomics has led to a new era of virus discovery, where many novel viruses have been documented, exhibiting a restricted host-range in mosquitoes. They represent a wide-range of insect-specific viruses within the families of Bunyaviridae, Flaviviridae, Mesoniviridae, Reoviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Togaviridae, and the newly recognized taxon of Negeviruses. Collectively, their discovery has opened new vistas about the extent of viral diversity and evolution, their influence on vector competence and ability of their insect hosts to transmit human pathogens (e.g. arboviruses), and their potential development as biological control agents or novel vaccine platforms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. An Update on Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever

    PubMed Central

    Appannanavar, Suma B; Mishra, Baijayantimala

    2011-01-01

    Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is one of the deadly hemorrhagic fevers that are endemic in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. It is a tick-borne zoonotic viral disease caused by CCHF virus of genus Nairovirus (family Bunyaviridae). CCHF not only forms an important public health threat but has a significant effect on the healthcare personnel, especially in resource-poor countries. India was always a potentially endemic area until an outbreak hit parts of Gujarat, taking four lives including the treating medical team. The current review is an attempt to summarize the updated knowledge on the disease particularly in modern era, with special emphasis on nosocomial infections. The knowledge about the disease may help answer certain questions regarding entry of virus in India and future threat to community. PMID:21887063

  16. Assessment of Recombination in the S-segment Genome of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Iran.

    PubMed

    Chinikar, Sadegh; Shah-Hosseini, Nariman; Bouzari, Saeid; Shokrgozar, Mohammad Ali; Mostafavi, Ehsan; Jalali, Tahmineh; Khakifirouz, Sahar; Groschup, Martin H; Niedrig, Matthias

    2016-03-01

    Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) belongs to genus Nairovirus and family Bunyaviridae. The main aim of this study was to investigate the extent of recombination in S-segment genome of CCHFV in Iran. Samples were isolated from Iranian patients and those available in GenBank, and analyzed by phylogenetic and bootscan methods. Through comparison of the phylogenetic trees based on full length sequences and partial fragments in the S-segment genome of CCHFV, genetic switch was evident, due to recombination event. Moreover, evidence of multiple recombination events was detected in query isolates when bootscan analysis was used by SimPlot software. Switch of different genomic regions between different strains by recombination could contribute to CCHFV diversification and evolution. The occurrence of recombination in CCHFV has a critical impact on epidemiological investigations and vaccine design.

  17. Family and family therapy in the Netherlands.

    PubMed

    Wagenaar, Karin; Baars, Jan

    2012-04-01

    This article describes how families are functioning in the Netherlands, and how family therapy is used in mental healthcare. In the open Dutch society, new ideas are easily incorporated, as exemplified by the rapid introduction and growth of family therapy in the 1980s. In recent decades, however, family therapy has lost ground to other treatment models that are more individually orientated, and adhere to stricter protocols. This decline of family therapy has been exacerbated by recent budget cuts in mental healthcare. In regular healthcare institutes family therapy now has a marginal position at best, although family treatment models are used in specific areas such as forensic treatments. In addition, the higher trained family therapists have found their own niches to work with couples and families. We argue that a stronger position of family therapy would be beneficial for patients and for families, in order to counteract the strong individualization of Dutch society.

  18. Family demands, social support and family functioning in Taiwanese families rearing children with Down syndrome.

    PubMed

    Hsiao, C-Y

    2014-06-01

    Down syndrome (DS) affects not only children but also their families. Much remains to be learned about factors that influence how families of children with DS function, especially families in non-Western populations. The purpose of this cross-sectional, correlational study was to examine how family demographics, family demands and social support relate to family functioning as well as the potential mediating effect of social support on the relationship between family demands and family functioning in Taiwanese families of children with DS. One hundred and fifty-five parents (80 mothers and 75 fathers) from 83 families independently completed mailed questionnaires. Data were analysed using a principal component analysis and mixed linear modelling. Families having older children with DS, greater parental education, higher family income, fewer family demands and greater social support contributed to healthier family functioning. Social support partially mediated the effects of family demands on family functioning. Family demographics, family demands and social support appear to be important factors that may play a critical role in how Taiwanese families respond to the birth of a child with DS. Care of children with DS and their families is likely to be more effective if professionals working with these families are aware of factors that contribute to healthy family functioning. © 2013 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Family functioning of child-rearing Japanese families on family-accompanied work assignments in Hong Kong.

    PubMed

    Hohashi, Naohiro; Honda, Junko

    2011-11-01

    Although the number of employees on overseas assignments accompanied by their families has increased steadily, little is known about the effects of this experience on family functioning. Japanese families on family-accompanied assignments living in Hong Kong were compared with families living in Japan (consisting of 135 and 248 paired partners, respectively). Applying an ecological framework, family functioning was examined using the Feetham Family Functioning Survey-Japanese (FFFS-J). Japanese wives living in Hong Kong rated family functioning lower, particularly in the area of "relationship between family and family members." Between paired marital partners living in Hong Kong, the level of satisfaction in the area of "relationship between family and society" was significantly lower for wives than for husbands. This study provides application of the family ecological framework in families in a multicultural environment and identifies potential areas for family assessment and intervention that may of interest to health care professionals who care for families living away from their home countries.

  20. Families and family therapy in Hong Kong.

    PubMed

    Tse, Samson; Ng, Roger M K; Tonsing, Kareen N; Ran, Maosheng

    2012-04-01

    Family therapy views humans not as separate entities, but as embedded in a network of relationships, highlighting the reciprocal influences of one's behaviours on one another. This article gives an overview of family demographics and the implementation of family therapy in Hong Kong. We start with a review of the family demographics in Hong Kong and brief notes on families in mainland China. Demographics show that the landscape has changed markedly in the past decade, with more cross-border marriages, an increased divorce rate, and an ageing overall population - all of which could mean that there is increasing demand for professional family therapy interventions. However, only a limited number of professionals are practising the systems-based approach in Hong Kong. Some possible reasons as to why family therapy is not well disseminated and practised are discussed. These reasons include a lack of mental health policy to support family therapy, a lack of systematic family therapy training, and a shortage of skilled professionals. Furthermore, challenges in applying the western model in Chinese culture are also outlined. We conclude that more future research is warranted to investigate how family therapy can be adapted for Chinese families.

  1. Methodological issues in interviewing families in family nursing research.

    PubMed

    Astedt-Kurki, P; Paavilainen, E; Lehti, K

    2001-07-01

    The aim of this study is to discuss what methodological problems can be met in family research with one family member as an interviewee speaking on behalf of the whole family and, vice versa, what is the meaning of having multiple family members or the whole family unit as informants. Family nursing research is part of multidisciplinary research with families. It is a basis for family nursing and contributes to research, especially from the perspective of family welfare and its promotion. Family nursing research generates knowledge concerning families' and family members' wellbeing and experiences and expectations of nursing and health care. The examination of methodological problems while pursuing family research is based on two studies conducted in Finland. Quantitative methods add to the general knowledge of families. Qualitative methods are well suited to the study of family experiences. Family interviews performed for research purposes differ from interviews aiming at caring for families. They aim at obtaining knowledge of families on a general level so as to improve family nursing. Family research has to be looked at as a whole. It faces many challenges such as the definition of the family, gaining access, methods of data collection and data management. A family is a complex system and research with families need flexible, sensitive and practical methods. Family research should also aim at developing new methods for data collection and analysis.

  2. Strengthening Families: Exploring the Impacts of Family Camp Experiences on Family Functioning and Parenting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garst, Barry A.; Baughman, Sarah; Franz, Nancy K.; Seidel, Richard W.

    2013-01-01

    Research suggests that family camp experiences can enhance family relationships. Families often participate in family camp experiences for a vacation, as part of a therapeutic and/or intervention strategy, or to gain general enrichment or engagement. To better understand the impacts of family camp experiences on family functioning, a mixed-methods…

  3. Family interactions in adoptive compared to nonadoptive families.

    PubMed

    Rueter, Martha A; Keyes, Margaret A; Iacono, William G; McGue, Matt

    2009-02-01

    Despite the large and growing numbers of adoptive families, little research describes interactions in families with adopted adolescents. Yet, adopted adolescents' increased risk for adjustment problems, combined with the association between family interactions and adolescent adjustment in nonadoptive families, raises questions about differences in adoptive and nonadoptive family interactions. We compared observed and self-reported family interactions between 284 adoptive and 208 nonadoptive families and within 123 families with 1 adopted and 1 nonadopted adolescent. Adolescents averaged 14.9 years of age. Comparisons were made using analysis of variance incorporating hierarchical linear methods in SAS PROC MIXED to control family-related correlations in the data. Parents and children reported more conflict in adoptive families when compared with nonadoptive families. Families with 1 adopted and 1 nonadopted adolescent reported more conflict between parents and adopted adolescents. Observed parental behavior was similar across adoptive and nonadoptive children although adopted adolescents were less warm and, in families with 2 adopted children, more conflictual than nonadopted adolescents. These findings suggest a need for further investigation of the association between family interactions and adopted adolescent problem behavior. Copyright 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

  4. Family Interactions in Adoptive Compared to Nonadoptive Families

    PubMed Central

    Rueter, Martha A.; Keyes, Margaret A.; Iacono, William G.; McGue, Matt

    2009-01-01

    Despite the large and growing numbers of adoptive families, little research describes interactions in families with adopted adolescents. Yet, adopted adolescents’ increased risk for adjustment problems, combined with the association between family interactions and adolescent adjustment in nonadoptive families, raises questions about differences in adoptive and nonadoptive family interactions. We compared observed and self-reported family interactions between 284 adoptive and 208 nonadoptive families and within 123 families with 1 adopted and 1 nonadopted adolescent. Adolescents averaged 14.9 years of age. Comparisons were made using analysis of variance incorporating hierarchical linear methods in SAS PROC MIXED to control family-related correlations in the data. Parents and children reported more conflict in adoptive families when compared with nonadoptive families. Families with 1 adopted and 1 nonadopted adolescent reported more conflict between parents and adopted adolescents. Observed parental behavior was similar across adoptive and nonadoptive children although adopted adolescents were less warm and, in families with 2 adopted children, more conflictual than nonadopted adolescents. These findings suggest a need for further investigation of the association between family interactions and adopted adolescent problem behavior. PMID:19203160

  5. A diverse virome in kidney transplant patients contains multiple viral subtypes with distinct polymorphisms

    PubMed Central

    Rani, Asha; Ranjan, Ravi; McGee, Halvor S.; Metwally, Ahmed; Hajjiri, Zahraa; Brennan, Daniel C.; Finn, Patricia W.; Perkins, David L.

    2016-01-01

    Recent studies have established that the human urine contains a complex microbiome, including a virome about which little is known. Following immunosuppression in kidney transplant patients, BK polyomavirus (BKV) has been shown to induce nephropathy (BKVN), decreasing graft survival. In this study we investigated the urine virome profile of BKV+ and BKV− kidney transplant recipients. Virus-like particles were stained to confirm the presence of VLP in the urine samples. Metagenomic DNA was purified, and the virome profile was analyzed using metagenomic shotgun sequencing. While the BK virus was predominant in the BKV+ group, it was also found in the BKV− group patients. Additional viruses were also detected in all patients, notably including JC virus (JCV) and Torque teno virus (TTV) and interestingly, we detected multiple subtypes of the BKV, JCV and TTV. Analysis of the BKV subtypes showed that nucleotide polymorphisms were detected in the VP1, VP2 and Large T Antigen proteins, suggesting potential functional effects for enhanced pathogenicity. Our results demonstrate a complex urinary virome in kidney transplant patients with multiple viruses with several distinct subtypes warranting further analysis of virus subtypes in immunosuppressed hosts. PMID:27633952

  6. The Family in Us: Family History, Family Identity and Self-Reproductive Adaptive Behavior.

    PubMed

    Ferring, Dieter

    2017-06-01

    This contribution is an essay about the notion of family identity reflecting shared significant experiences within a family system originating a set of signs used in social communication within and between families. Significant experiences are considered as experiences of events that have an immediate impact on the adaptation of the family in a given socio-ecological and cultural context at a given historical time. It is assumed that family history is stored in a shared "family memory" holding both implicit and explicit knowledge and exerting an influence on the behavior of each family member. This is described as transgenerational family memory being constituted of a system of meaningful signs. The crucial dimension underlying the logic of this essay are the ideas of adaptation as well as self-reproduction of systems.

  7. Family resources study: part 1: family resources, family function and caregiver strain in childhood cancer

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Severe illness can disrupt family life, cause family dysfunction, strain resources, and cause caregiver burden. The family's ability to cope with crises depends on their resources. This study sought to assess families of children with cancer in terms of family function-dysfunction, family caregiver strain and the adequacy of family resources using a new family resources assessment instrument. Methods This is a cross-sectional study involving 90 Filipino family caregivers of children undergoing cancer treatment. This used a self-administered questionnaire composed of a new 12-item family resources questionnaire (SCREEM-RES) based on the SCREEM method of analysis, Family APGAR to assess family function-dysfunction; and Modified Caregiver Strain Index to assess strain in caring for the patient. Results More than half of families were either moderately or severely dysfunctional. Close to half of caregivers were either predisposed to strain or experienced severe strain, majority disclosed that their families have inadequate economic resources; many also report inaccessibility to medical help in the community and insufficient educational resources to understand and care for their patients. Resources most often reported as adequate were: family's faith and religion; help from within the family and from health providers. SCREEM-RES showed to be reliable with Cronbach's alpha of 0.80. There is good inter-item correlation between items in each domain: 0.24-0.70. Internal consistency reliability for each domain was also good: 0.40-0.92. Using 2-point scoring system, Cronbach's alpha were slightly lower: full scale (0.70) and for each domain 0.26-.82. Results showed evidence of association between family resources and family function based on the family APGAR but none between family resources and caregiver strain and between family function and caregiver strain. Conclusion Many Filipino families of children with cancer have inadequate resources, especially economic

  8. Family resources study: part 1: family resources, family function and caregiver strain in childhood cancer.

    PubMed

    Panganiban-Corales, Avegeille T; Medina, Manuel F

    2011-10-31

    Severe illness can disrupt family life, cause family dysfunction, strain resources, and cause caregiver burden. The family's ability to cope with crises depends on their resources. This study sought to assess families of children with cancer in terms of family function-dysfunction, family caregiver strain and the adequacy of family resources using a new family resources assessment instrument. This is a cross-sectional study involving 90 Filipino family caregivers of children undergoing cancer treatment. This used a self-administered questionnaire composed of a new 12-item family resources questionnaire (SCREEM-RES) based on the SCREEM method of analysis, Family APGAR to assess family function-dysfunction; and Modified Caregiver Strain Index to assess strain in caring for the patient. More than half of families were either moderately or severely dysfunctional. Close to half of caregivers were either predisposed to strain or experienced severe strain, majority disclosed that their families have inadequate economic resources; many also report inaccessibility to medical help in the community and insufficient educational resources to understand and care for their patients. Resources most often reported as adequate were: family's faith and religion; help from within the family and from health providers. SCREEM-RES showed to be reliable with Cronbach's alpha of 0.80. There is good inter-item correlation between items in each domain: 0.24-0.70. Internal consistency reliability for each domain was also good: 0.40-0.92. Using 2-point scoring system, Cronbach's alpha were slightly lower: full scale (0.70) and for each domain 0.26-.82. Results showed evidence of association between family resources and family function based on the family APGAR but none between family resources and caregiver strain and between family function and caregiver strain. Many Filipino families of children with cancer have inadequate resources, especially economic; and are moderately or severely

  9. 24 CFR 982.515 - Family share: Family responsibility.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Family share: Family responsibility... Assistance Payment § 982.515 Family share: Family responsibility. (a) The family share is calculated by subtracting the amount of the housing assistance payment from the gross rent. (b) The family rent to owner is...

  10. 24 CFR 982.515 - Family share: Family responsibility.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Family share: Family responsibility... Assistance Payment § 982.515 Family share: Family responsibility. (a) The family share is calculated by subtracting the amount of the housing assistance payment from the gross rent. (b) The family rent to owner is...

  11. Family Support Builds Stronger Families: The Roots of Family-Supportive Child Care

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seiderman, Ethel

    2009-01-01

    Parent Services Project (PSP) is one model of family support that emerged from the heightened awareness of families' needs. Founded in 1980 to integrate family support into four San Francisco Bay Area early childhood programs, PSP since has spread to more than 800 organizations serving 30,000 families in Alaska, California, Delaware, Florida,…

  12. Family identity: black-white interracial family health experience.

    PubMed

    Byrd, Marcia Marie; Garwick, Ann Williams

    2006-02-01

    The purpose of this interpretive descriptive study was to describe how eight Black-White couples with school-aged children constructed their interracial family identity through developmental transitions and interpreted race to their children. Within and across-case data analytic strategies were used to identify commonalities and variations in how Black men and White women in couple relationships formed their family identities over time. Coming together was the core theme described by the Black-White couples as they negotiated the process of forming a family identity. Four major tasks in the construction of interracial family identity emerged: (a) understanding and resolving family of origin chaos and turmoil, (b) transcending Black-White racial history, (c) articulating the interracial family's racial standpoint, and (d) explaining race to biracial children across the developmental stages. The findings guide family nurses in promoting family identity formation as a component of family health within the nurse-family partnership with Black-White mixed-race families.

  13. Small Families

    MedlinePlus

    ... Life Family Life Family Life Medical Home Family Dynamics Media Work & Play Getting Involved in Your Community ... Find a Pediatrician Family Life Medical Home Family Dynamics Adoption & Foster Care Communication & Discipline Types of Families ...

  14. Family First? The Costs and Benefits of Family Centrality for Adolescents with High-Conflict Families.

    PubMed

    Yuen, Cynthia X; Fuligni, Andrew J; Gonzales, Nancy; Telzer, Eva H

    2018-02-01

    Youth who do not identify with or value their families (i.e., low family centrality) are considered to be at risk for maladjustment. However, the current study investigated whether low family centrality may be adaptive in negative family contexts (i.e., high family conflict) because youth's self-worth should be less tied to the quality of their family relationships. Multilevel models using daily diaries and latent variable interactions using longitudinal questionnaires indicated that, among a sample of 428 Mexican American adolescents (49.8% male, M age  = 15.02 years), lower family centrality was generally detrimental to youth's well-being. However, for youth in adverse family environments, low family centrality ceased to function as a risk factor. The present findings suggest that family centrality values play a more nuanced role in youth well-being than previously believed, such that low family centrality may be an adaptive response to significant family challenges.

  15. Family environment patterns in families with bipolar children.

    PubMed

    Belardinelli, Cecilia; Hatch, John P; Olvera, Rene L; Fonseca, Manoela; Caetano, Sheila C; Nicoletti, Mark; Pliszka, Steven; Soares, Jair C

    2008-04-01

    We studied the characteristics of family functioning in bipolar children and healthy comparison children. We hypothesized that the family environment of bipolar children would show greater levels of dysfunction as measured by the Family Environment Scale (FES). We compared the family functioning of 36 families that included a child with DSM-IV bipolar disorder versus 29 comparison families that included only healthy children. All subjects and their parents were assessed with the K-SADS-PL interview. The parents completed the FES to assess their current family functioning. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to compare the family environment of families with and without offspring with bipolar disorder. Parents of bipolar children reported lower levels of family cohesion (p<0.001), expressiveness (p=0.005), active-recreational orientation (p<0.001), intellectual-cultural orientation (p=0.04) and higher levels of conflict (p<0.001) compared to parents with no bipolar children. Secondary analyses within the bipolar group revealed lower levels of organization (p=0.031) and cohesion (p=0.014) in families where a parent had a history of mood disorders compared to families where parents had no history of mood disorders. Length of illness in the affected child was inversely associated with family cohesion (r=-0.47, p=0.004). Due to the case-control design of the study, we cannot comment on the development of these family problems or attribute their cause specifically to child bipolar disorder. Families with bipolar children show dysfunctional patterns related to interpersonal interactions and personal growth. A distressed family environment should be addressed when treating children with bipolar disorder.

  16. Epidemiology of Transfusion-Transmitted Infections Among Multi-Transfused Patients in Seven Hospitals in Peru

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-01-01

    locate jcv Epidemiology of transfusion-transmitted infections among multi-transfused patients in seven hospitals in Peru 1 VA. Laguna-Torres a...and risk factors associated with TTIs among a sample of multi-transfused adult patients in Peru Study design: A cross- sectional multi-center study...was conducted across seven major hospitals in Peru fi’om February 2003 to September 2004 Self-reported behavior lntbrmatlon (medical procedures

  17. Next-Generation Sequencing in Neuropathologic Diagnosis of Infections of the Nervous System (Open Access)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-06-13

    syndrome ; JCV 5 JC polyomavirus; NGS 5 next- generation sequencing; PML 5 progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Ascertainment of the etiology of...Hunt-like syndrome and focal pachymeningitis. A 69-year-old man developed left-sided ptosis and Figure 1 Heatmap shows the top microbial species in each...The symptoms were followed by decreased vision, diplopia, ophthalmoplegia, and facial numbness. He was diagnosed with Tolosa-Hunt syndrome and treated

  18. Family Efficacy within Ethnically Diverse Families: A Qualitative Study.

    PubMed

    Kao, Tsui-Sui A; Caldwell, Cleopatra H

    2017-03-01

    Family efficacy, which refers to a family's belief in its ability to produce a desired outcome, has been shown to protect adolescents from risky health behaviors. Few studies have examined family efficacy within diverse populations, however, and understanding of how efficacy is framed and formed within the context of cultural and familial values is limited. This descriptive qualitative study examined sources of family efficacy within ethnically and socioeconomically diverse families, evaluating how such families develop and exercise family efficacy with the intent to protect adolescents from risky health behaviors (i.e., marijuana and alcohol use and early sexual activity). We collected qualitative data via two semi-structured interviews, 4-6 months apart, with 31 adolescents (ages 12-14) and their parent/s, for total of 148 one-on-one interviews. Thematic analysis identified three distinct domains of family efficacy: relational, pragmatic, and value-laden. Prior experiences and cultural background influenced the domain/s utilized by families. Significantly, families that consistently tapped into all three domains were able to effectively manage personal and family difficulties; these families also had family strategies in place to prevent adolescents from risky behaviors. Health professionals could utilize this concept of multidimensional family efficacy to promote health within culturally diverse families. © 2015 Family Process Institute.

  19. Family Therapy, Family Practice, and Child and Family Poverty: Historical Perspectives and Recent Developments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frankel, Harvy; Frankel, Sid

    2006-01-01

    This paper assesses the engagement of family therapy and family practice with families with children, who are living in poverty. It analyzes four promising models from two perspectives. The first perspective relates to critiques, which have been made of the practice of family therapy with families living in poverty; and the second relates to the…

  20. Family Ties: The Role of Family Context in Family Health History Communication about Cancer

    PubMed Central

    Rodríguez, Vivian M.; Corona, Rosalie; Bodurtha, Joann N.; Quillin, John M.

    2016-01-01

    Family health history about cancer is an important prevention and health promotion tool. Yet, few studies have identified family context factors that promote such discussions. We explored relations among family context (cohesion, flexibility, and openness), self-efficacy, and cancer communication (gathering family history, sharing cancer risk information, and frequency) in a diverse group of women enrolled in a randomized control trial. Baseline survey data for 472 women were analyzed. Average age was 34 years, 59% identified as Black, 31% graduated high school, and 75% reported a family history of any cancer. Results showed that greater family cohesion and flexibility were related to higher communication frequency and sharing cancer information. Women who reported greater self-efficacy were more likely to have gathered family history, shared cancer risk information, and communicated more frequently with relatives. Openness was not associated with communication but was related to greater family cohesion and flexibility. Adjusting for demographic variables, self-efficacy and family cohesion significantly predicted communication frequency. Women with higher self-efficacy were also more likely to have gathered family health history about cancer and shared cancer risk information. Future research may benefit from considering family organization and self-efficacy when developing psychosocial theories that, in turn, inform cancer prevention interventions. PMID:26735646

  1. Family Ties: The Role of Family Context in Family Health History Communication About Cancer.

    PubMed

    Rodríguez, Vivian M; Corona, Rosalie; Bodurtha, Joann N; Quillin, John M

    2016-01-01

    Family health history about cancer is an important prevention and health promotion tool. Yet few studies have identified family context factors that promote such discussions. We explored relations among family context (cohesion, flexibility, and openness), self-efficacy, and cancer communication (gathering family history, sharing cancer risk information, and frequency) in a diverse group of women enrolled in a randomized control trial. Baseline survey data for 472 women were analyzed. The women's average age was 34 years, 59% identified as Black, 31% had graduated high school, and 75% reported a family history of any cancer. Results showed that greater family cohesion and flexibility were related to higher communication frequency and sharing cancer information. Women who reported greater self-efficacy were more likely to have gathered family history, shared cancer risk information, and communicated more frequently with relatives. Openness was not associated with communication but was related to greater family cohesion and flexibility. Adjusting for demographic variables, self-efficacy, and family cohesion significantly predicted communication frequency. Women with higher self-efficacy were also more likely to have gathered family health history about cancer and shared cancer risk information. Future research may benefit from considering family organization and self-efficacy when developing psychosocial theories that in turn inform cancer prevention interventions.

  2. Amending Koch’s postulates for viral disease: when “growth in pure culture” leads to a loss of virulence

    PubMed Central

    Prescott, Joseph; Feldmann, Heinz; Safronetz, David

    2016-01-01

    It is a common laboratory practice to propagate viruses in cell culture. While convenient, these methodologies often result in unintentional genetic alterations, which have lead to adaptation and even attenuation in animal models of disease. An example is the attenuation of hantaviruses (family: Bunyaviridae, genus: Hantavirus) when cultured in vitro. In this case, viruses propagated in the natural reservoir species cause disease in nonhuman primates that closely mimics the human disease, but passaging in cell culture attenuates these viruses to the extent that do not cause any measurable disease in nonhuman primates. As efforts to develop animal models progress, it will be important to take into account the influences that culture in vitro may have on the virulence of viruses. In this review we discuss this phenomenon in the context of past and recent examples in the published literature. PMID:27832942

  3. Imaging of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome: a potential bioterrorism agent of military significance.

    PubMed

    Bui-Mansfield, Liem T; Cressler, Dana K

    2011-11-01

    Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a potentially fatal infectious disease with worldwide distribution. Its etiologic agents are viruses of the genus Hantavirus of the virus family Bunyaviridae. Hypothetical ease of production and distribution of these agents, with their propensity to incapacitate victims and overwhelm health care resources, lend themselves as significant potential biological agents of terrorism. HFRS has protean clinical manifestations, which may mimic upper respiratory tract infection, nephrolithiasis, and Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and may delay proper treatment. Sequelae of HFRS, such as hemorrhage, acute renal failure, retroperitoneal edema, pancreatitis, pulmonary edema, and neurologic symptoms, can be detected by different imaging modalities. Medical providers caring for HFRS patients must be aware of its radiologic features, which may help to confirm its clinical diagnosis. In this article, the authors review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and complications of HFRS.

  4. Animal models for some important RNA viruses of public health concern in SEARO countries: viral hemorrhagic fever.

    PubMed

    Badole, Sachin L; Yadav, Pragya D; Patil, Dilip R; Mourya, Devendra T

    2015-03-01

    Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are major public health problems in the South-East Asia Regional (SEAR) countries. VHFs are a group of illnesses; that are caused by four families of viruses, viz. Arenaviridae, Bunyaviridae, Filoviridae and Flaviviridae. All VHFs have common features: they affect several organs and damage the blood vessels. These symptoms are often accompanied by hemorrhage. To understand pathogenesis, genetic and environmental influence that increase the risk of VHFs, efficacy and safety studies on candidate vaccines and testing of various therapeutic agents, appropriate animal models are essential tools in public and animals health. In the current review, the suitable animal models for Flavivirus [Dengue hemorhagic fever (DHF), Kyasanur forest disease (KFD)]; Bunyavirus [Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), Hantavirus fever (HF)]; and Paramyxovirus [Nipah virus fever (NiV)] have been reviewed with specific emphasis on emerging and reemerging viruses in SEAR countries.

  5. Single-particle cryo-electron microscopy of Rift Valley fever virus

    PubMed Central

    Sherman, Michael B.; Freiberg, Alexander N.; Holbrook, Michael R.; Watowich, Stanley J.

    2009-01-01

    Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV; Bunyaviridae; Phlebovirus) is an emerging human veterinary pathogen causing acute hepatitis in ruminants and has the potential to Single-particle cryo-EM reconstruction of RVFV MP-12 hemorrhagic fever in humans. We report a three-dimensional reconstruction of RVFV vaccine strain MP-12 (RVFV MP-12) by cryo-electron microcopy using icosahedral symmetry of individual virions. Although the genomic core of RVFV MP-12 is apparently poorly ordered, the glycoproteins on the virus surface are highly symmetric and arranged on a T=12 icosahedral lattice. Our RVFV MP-12 structure allowed clear identification of inter-capsomer contacts and definition of possible glycoprotein arrangements within capsomers. This structure provides a detailed model for phleboviruses, opens new avenues for high-resolution structural studies of the bunyavirus family, and aids the design of antiviral diagnostics and effective subunit-vaccines. PMID:19304307

  6. Assessment of Recombination in the S-segment Genome of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Iran

    PubMed Central

    Chinikar, Sadegh; Shah-Hosseini, Nariman; Bouzari, Saeid; Shokrgozar, Mohammad Ali; Mostafavi, Ehsan; Jalali, Tahmineh; Khakifirouz, Sahar; Groschup, Martin H; Niedrig, Matthias

    2016-01-01

    Background: Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) belongs to genus Nairovirus and family Bunyaviridae. The main aim of this study was to investigate the extent of recombination in S-segment genome of CCHFV in Iran. Methods: Samples were isolated from Iranian patients and those available in GenBank, and analyzed by phylogenetic and bootscan methods. Results: Through comparison of the phylogenetic trees based on full length sequences and partial fragments in the S-segment genome of CCHFV, genetic switch was evident, due to recombination event. Moreover, evidence of multiple recombination events was detected in query isolates when bootscan analysis was used by SimPlot software. Conclusion: Switch of different genomic regions between different strains by recombination could contribute to CCHFV diversification and evolution. The occurrence of recombination in CCHFV has a critical impact on epidemiological investigations and vaccine design. PMID:27047968

  7. Single-particle cryo-electron microscopy of Rift Valley fever virus

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sherman, Michael B.; Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555; Freiberg, Alexander N.

    2009-04-25

    Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV; Bunyaviridae; Phlebovirus) is an emerging human and veterinary pathogen causing acute hepatitis in ruminants and has the potential to cause hemorrhagic fever in humans. We report a three-dimensional reconstruction of RVFV vaccine strain MP-12 (RVFV MP-12) by cryo-electron microcopy using icosahedral symmetry of individual virions. Although the genomic core of RVFV MP-12 is apparently poorly ordered, the glycoproteins on the virus surface are highly symmetric and arranged on a T = 12 icosahedral lattice. Our RVFV MP-12 structure allowed clear identification of inter-capsomer contacts and definition of possible glycoprotein arrangements within capsomers. This structure providesmore » a detailed model for phleboviruses, opens new avenues for high-resolution structural studies of the bunyavirus family, and aids the design of antiviral diagnostics and effective subunit vaccines.« less

  8. Family Psychology and Family Therapy in Japan.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kameguchi, Kenji; Murphy-Shigematsu, Stephen

    2001-01-01

    Reviews the development of family psychology and family therapy in Japan, tracing the origins of these movements, explaining how these fields were activated by the problem of school refusal, and describing an approach to family therapy that has been developed to work with families confronting this problem, as well as preventive programs of family…

  9. Engaging Families in In-Home Family Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thompson, Ronald W.; Koley, Sarah

    2014-01-01

    Boys Town has created a program called In-Home Family Services to deliver help to families in stress. In-home family intervention programs have become widely used to help more families who are at risk and experiencing difficulties with a wide range of problems including domestic violence, child behavior problems, parent-child and family…

  10. Putting the "family" back into family therapy.

    PubMed

    Breunlin, Douglas C; Jacobsen, Elizabeth

    2014-09-01

    In this article, we examine the field of family therapy by drawing a distinction between two forms of practice: Whole Family Therapy (WFT), defined as treating the whole family, and Relational Family Therapy (RFT), defined as working with a subsystem of the family or an individual while retaining a systemic lens. Our thesis is that the practice of WFT has been in decline for some time and steps must be taken to keep it from becoming a defunct practice. We consider the trajectory of WFT and RFT throughout the development of family therapy through reference to the people, the literature, training, and practice patterns associated with family therapy. We remind the reader of the many benefits of WFT and suggest that today WFT is likely to be practiced in conjunction with RFT and individual therapy. Since training of family therapists today is largely located in degree-granting programs, we identify constraints to including WFT in such programs. We conclude by offering suggestions that can enhance a program's ability to train students in WFT. © 2014 FPI, Inc.

  11. From Family Deficit to Family Strength: Viewing Families' Contributions to Children's Learning from a Family Resilience Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amatea, Ellen S.; Smith-Adcock, Sondra; Villares, Elizabeth

    2006-01-01

    This article presents an overview of a research-informed family resilience framework, developed as a conceptual map to guide school counselors' preventive and interventive efforts with students and their families. Key processes that characterize children's and families' resilience are outlined along with recommendations for how school counselors…

  12. Family Structure and Child Well-Being: Integrating Family Complexity

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Susan L.; Manning, Wendy D.; Stykes, J. Bart

    2014-01-01

    Although children’s family lives are diverse, the measurement of children’s living arrangements has lagged, focusing on the relationships of children to parents while largely ignoring sibling composition. Using data from the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation (N = 23,985) the authors documented patterns of family complexity among a nationally representative sample of children ages 0–17 living in a range of family structures. They also examined the independent and joint associations of family structure and family complexity on child economic well-being. Family complexity was independently related to economic disadvantage, namely, a lower income-to-needs ratio and a higher likelihood of public assistance receipt. The role of family complexity was partially contingent on family structure, with the positive association between family complexity and receipt of public assistance more pronounced for children in families with 2 married biological parents. This study demonstrates the utility of integrating family structure and family complexity in studies of children’s well-being. PMID:25620810

  13. Family Life Goes On: Disability in Contemporary Families

    PubMed Central

    Farrell, Anne F.; Krahn, Gloria L.

    2015-01-01

    Disability is part of life for most contemporary families, but to date the literature on disability in families is fragmented and narrow. This editorial commentary introduces the content and findings of peer-reviewed articles appearing in a special issue of Family Relations. The editors outline unanswered but core research questions and preview the themes present in the issue: families with disabilities are diverse; economic hardship disproportionately characterizes their lives; family life with disabilities is a journey that includes stress and resilience, with support contributing significantly to the latter; and that work benefits and taxes family life. Articles extrapolate beyond findings to explore implications for family policy and practice. The editors assert that developing understanding of how disability influences families requires a more diverse and rigorous research portfolio. They further cite the need to embed disability as a variable in a range of family studies and advocate more outlets for publication. PMID:26185356

  14. "Not a Real Family": Microaggressions Directed toward LGBTQ Families.

    PubMed

    Haines, Kari M; Boyer, C Reyn; Giovanazzi, Casey; Galupo, M Paz

    2018-01-01

    The present study investigates microaggressions toward individuals in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) families. Microaggressions are subtle forms of discrimination experienced on a daily basis as verbal or behavioral slights against individuals in oppressed groups. LGBTQ microaggressions are often studied at an individual level and understood as being directed toward an individual based on perceived identity. The present study allows for an understanding of bias directed at the family system level. Participants included 46 adults who identified as being part of an LGBTQ family. Participants completed an online questionnaire and described their experiences of LGBTQ family microaggressions. Thematic analysis revealed that LGBTQ family microaggressions were salient to individuals across multiple family roles. Three specific themes emerged: family legitimacy, conflicts with family values, and gender violation within family. These findings highlight the way LGBTQ microaggressions are influenced by cultural notions of family and impact the family system.

  15. Family Demands, Social Support and Family Functioning in Taiwanese Families Rearing Children with Down Syndrome

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsiao, C-Y.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Down syndrome (DS) affects not only children but also their families. Much remains to be learned about factors that influence how families of children with DS function, especially families in non-Western populations. The purpose of this cross-sectional, correlational study was to examine how family demographics, family demands and…

  16. Familial mesothelioma: a report of two families

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hammar, S.P.; Bockus, D.; Remington, F.

    1989-02-01

    Five reports of familial mesothelioma in which mesotheliomas occurred in two or more family members have been recorded in the medical literature. In this report, we describe two examples of familial mesothelioma. In one family, three brothers who worked in the asbestos insulation industry developed mesothelioma. In the second family, the father, who was occupationally exposed to asbestos, died from a tubulopapillary peritoneal mesothelioma 11 years before his son died from an identical histologic type of peritoneal mesothelioma. Our report, as with those previously recorded, suggests that genetic factors may be important in the genesis of some mesotheliomas.

  17. Family Care Responsibilities and Employment: Exploring the Impact of Type of Family Care on Work-Family and Family-Work Conflict

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stewart, Lisa M.

    2013-01-01

    This study compared work-family and family-work conflict for employed family caregivers with disability-related care responsibilities in contrast to employed family caregivers with typical care responsibilities. Using data from the 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce, a population-based survey of the U.S. workforce, formal and informal…

  18. Family environment of bipolar families: a UK study.

    PubMed

    Barron, Evelyn; Sharma, Aditya; Le Couteur, James; Rushton, Stephen; Close, Andrew; Kelly, Thomas; Grunze, Heinz; Nicol Ferrier, Ian; Le Couteur, Ann

    2014-01-01

    Aspects of family environment (FE) such as family support, organisational structure and levels of conflict can increase risk of Bipolar Disorder (BD) in offspring of BD parents. The family environment of 16 BD and 23 healthy control (HC) families was assessed using the Family Environment Scale (FES). Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was used to determine the degree of variation in scores on the FES dimensions within each family and a Generalised Linear Modelling (GLM) approach was used to investigate the extent to which scores on the different FES dimensions differed between families. On the FES, BD families experienced an environment with higher levels of conflict and lower levels of expressiveness, organisation, intellectual-cultural orientation and active-recreational orientation than healthy control families. Differences in FES scores were driven by presence of parental BD and total number of children in the family. However, socio-economic status (SES) was not found to have an effect in this study. As an American instrument the FES may not have been sensitive enough to the cultural context of a UK sample. The relatively small sample size used may have limited the statistical power of the study. Greater numbers of children have the same effect on levels of conflict as the presence of BD, while SES does not appear to be as important a factor in FE as previously thought. Our results suggest that family based interventions focusing on psychoeducation and improved communication within these families may address issues of conflict, organisation and expressiveness. Crown Copyright © 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Family Therapy

    MedlinePlus

    Family therapy Overview Family therapy is a type of psychological counseling (psychotherapy) that can help family members improve communication and resolve conflicts. Family therapy is usually provided by a psychologist, ...

  20. Family Therapy "Lite"? How Family Counsellors Conceptualise Their Primary Care Family Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Harriet; Moller, Naomi P.; Vossler, Andreas

    2017-01-01

    A number of current developments in the field potentially provide opportunities for preventative relationship and family interventions to be integrated into primary care. In this context, it is important to understand what family counselling is and how it might differ from family therapy. Thus, this paper investigates how the service of one…

  1. The Family, Family Therapy, and Borderline Personality Disorder

    PubMed Central

    GLICK, IRA D.; DULIT, REBECCA A.; WACHTER, EILEEN; CLARKIN, JOHN F.

    1995-01-01

    The authors review recent controlled studies on the interrelationship of the family and its members with borderline disorder and propose a new model for understanding and managing this relationship. The focus of the model is on psychopathology, evaluation, and treatment of patient and family as they influence each other. In the authors’ view this illness originates in cerebral dysfunction, in the patient in combination with impaired relationships among family members. When the family is available, we believe that the treatment of choice is a multimodal approach involving family psychoeducation and family systems or dynamic intervention where possible, in combination with medications, individual psychotherapy, or both. PMID:22700254

  2. Getting a High-Speed Family Connection: Associations between Family Media Use and Family Connection

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Padilla-Walker, Laura M.; Coyne, Sarah M.; Fraser, Ashley M.

    2012-01-01

    The way families have used the media has substantially changed over the past decade. Within the framework of family systems theory, this paper examines the relations between family media use and family connection in a sample of 453 adolescents (mean age of child = 14.32 years, SD = 0.98, 52% female) and their parents. Results revealed that cell…

  3. Associations between family characteristics and parental empowerment in the family, family service situations and the family service system.

    PubMed

    Vuorenmaa, M; Perälä, M-L; Halme, N; Kaunonen, M; Åstedt-Kurki, P

    2016-01-01

    Parental empowerment signifies parents' sense of confidence in managing their children, interacting with services that their children use and improving child care services. High empowerment is associated with parents' resilience to demands and their confidence to make decisions and take actions that positively affect their families. Most families with children access various healthcare and education services. Professionals working in these services are therefore ideally placed to reinforce parental empowerment. However, little is known about the characteristics associated with parental empowerment within a generic sample of parents or in the context of basic child care services. The aim of this study was to assess how family characteristics are associated with maternal and paternal empowerment in the family, in service situations and in the service system. Parental empowerment was measured among 955 parents (mothers = 571; fathers = 384) of children aged 0-9 years using the Generic Family Empowerment Scale. Family characteristics were assessed through questions on children, parents and the life situation. Associations between empowerment and family characteristics were evaluated using one-way analysis of variance and t-test. Parental empowerment was predicted by multiple linear regression analysis. Parents' concerns related to their parenting, such as whether they possessed sufficient skills as a parent or losing their temper with children, as well as experiences of stress in everyday life, were negatively associated with all dimensions of maternal and paternal empowerment. Both determinants were more common and more significant in empowerment than child-related problems. Promoting parental self-confidence and providing appropriate emotional and concrete support for everyday functioning may reinforce parental empowerment, thereby enhancing families' well-being and coping, as well as improving their access to required services and timely support. Finally

  4. Jamaican families.

    PubMed

    Miner, Dianne Cooney

    2003-01-01

    The study of the family in the Caribbean originated with European scholars who assumed the universality of the patriarchal nuclear family and the primacy of this structure to the healthy functioning of society. Matrifocal Caribbean families thus were seen as chaotic and disorganized and inadequate to perform the essential tasks of the social system. This article provides a more current discussion of the Jamaican family. It argues that its structure is the result of the agency and adaptation of its members and not the root cause of the increasing marginalization of peoples in the developing world. The article focuses on families living in poverty and how the family structure supports essential family functions, adaptations, and survival.

  5. Family Capital: Implications for Interventions with Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Belcher, John R.; Peckuonis, Edward V.; Deforge, Bruce R.

    2011-01-01

    Social capital has been extensively discussed in the literature as building blocks that individuals and communities utilize to leverage system resources. Similarly, some families also create capital, which can enable members of the family, such as children, to successfully negotiate the outside world. Families in poverty confront serious…

  6. Family medical leave as a resilience resource for family caregivers.

    PubMed

    Swanke, Jayme; Zeman, Laura Dreuth

    2009-01-01

    Case managers mobilize family networks to care for patients. Family medical leave can be a resource for case managers who seek to enhance resilience among family caregivers. The Family Medical Leave Act, passed in 1993, was the first U.S. policy to regulate employee leaves from work for family care purposes (29 CFR 825.102). This policy offers family caregivers increased flexibility and equality. Current and emerging policies also can reduce financial strain. The discussion examines how case managers can integrate family medical leave into best-practice models to support patients and family caregivers.

  7. Molecular Biology, Epidemiology, and Pathogenesis of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy, the JC Virus-Induced Demyelinating Disease of the Human Brain

    PubMed Central

    Ferenczy, Michael W.; Marshall, Leslie J.; Nelson, Christian D. S.; Atwood, Walter J.; Nath, Avindra; Khalili, Kamel

    2012-01-01

    Summary: Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a debilitating and frequently fatal central nervous system (CNS) demyelinating disease caused by JC virus (JCV), for which there is currently no effective treatment. Lytic infection of oligodendrocytes in the brain leads to their eventual destruction and progressive demyelination, resulting in multiple foci of lesions in the white matter of the brain. Before the mid-1980s, PML was a relatively rare disease, reported to occur primarily in those with underlying neoplastic conditions affecting immune function and, more rarely, in allograft recipients receiving immunosuppressive drugs. However, with the onset of the AIDS pandemic, the incidence of PML has increased dramatically. Approximately 3 to 5% of HIV-infected individuals will develop PML, which is classified as an AIDS-defining illness. In addition, the recent advent of humanized monoclonal antibody therapy for the treatment of autoimmune inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and Crohn's disease has also led to an increased risk of PML as a side effect of immunotherapy. Thus, the study of JCV and the elucidation of the underlying causes of PML are important and active areas of research that may lead to new insights into immune function and host antiviral defense, as well as to potential new therapies. PMID:22763635

  8. Viral diseases of marine invertebrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, P. T.

    1984-03-01

    Approximately 40 viruses are known from marine sponges; turbellarian and monogenetic flatworms; cephalopod, bivalve, and gastropod mollusks; nereid polychaetes; and isopod and decapod crustaceans. Most of the viruses can be tentatively assigned to the Herpesviridae, Baculoviridae, Iridoviridae, Adenoviridae, Papovaviridae, Reoviridae, “Birnaviridae”, Bunyaviridae, Rhabdoviridae, and Picornaviridae. Viruslike particles found in oysters might be representatives of the Togaviridae and Retroviridae. Enveloped single-stranded RNA viruses from crustaceans have developmental and morphological characteristics intermediate between families, and some show evidence of relationships to the Paramyxoviridae as well as the Bunyaviridae or Rhabdoviridae. Certain small viruses of shrimp cannot be assigned, even tentatively, to a particular family. Some viruses cause disease in wild and captive hosts, others are associated with disease states but may not be primary instigators, and many occur in apparently normal animals. The frequency of viral disease in natural populations of marine invertebrates is unknown. Several viruses that cause disease in captive animals, with or without experimental intervention, have also been found in diseased wild hosts, including herpeslike viruses of crabs and oysters, iridovirus of octopus, and reolike and bunyalike viruses of crabs. Iridolike viruses have been implicated in massive mortalities of cultured oysters. Baculoviruses, and IHHN virus, which is of uncertain affinities, cause economically damaging diseases in cultured penaeid shrimp. Double or multiple viral infection is common in crabs. For example, a reolike virus and associated rhabdolike virus act synergistically to cause paralytic and fatal disease in Callinectes sapidus. Information on host range, most susceptible stage, and viral latency is available only for viruses of shrimp. One baculovirus attacks five species of New World penaeid shrimp. IHHN virus infects three species of

  9. Normal Functioning Family

    MedlinePlus

    ... Life Family Life Family Life Medical Home Family Dynamics Media Work & Play Getting Involved in Your Community ... Find a Pediatrician Family Life Medical Home Family Dynamics Adoption & Foster Care Communication & Discipline Types of Families ...

  10. Where are family theories in family-based obesity treatment?: conceptualizing the study of families in pediatric weight management

    PubMed Central

    Skelton, JA; Buehler, C; Irby, MB; Grzywacz, JG

    2014-01-01

    Family-based approaches to pediatric obesity treatment are considered the ‘gold-standard,’ and are recommended for facilitating behavior change to improve child weight status and health. If family-based approaches are to be truly rooted in the family, clinicians and researchers must consider family process and function in designing effective interventions. To bring a better understanding of family complexities to family-based treatment, two relevant reviews were conducted and are presented: (1) a review of prominent and established theories of the family that may provide a more comprehensive and in-depth approach for addressing pediatric obesity; and (2) a systematic review of the literature to identify the use of prominent family theories in pediatric obesity research, which found little use of theories in intervention studies. Overlapping concepts across theories include: families are a system, with interdependence of units; the idea that families are goal-directed and seek balance; and the physical and social environment imposes demands on families. Family-focused theories provide valuable insight into the complexities of families. Increased use of these theories in both research and practice may identify key leverage points in family process and function to prevent the development of or more effectively treat obesity. The field of family studies provides an innovative approach to the difficult problem of pediatric obesity, building on the long-established approach of family-based treatment. PMID:22531090

  11. Perceived Family Functioning and Family Resources of Hong Kong Families: Implications for Social Work Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ma, Joyce L. C.; Wong, Timothy K. Y.; Lau, Luk King; Pun, Shuk Han

    2009-01-01

    This article reports the results of a telephone survey (n = 1,015 respondents) that aims to identify the perceived general family functioning and family resources of Hong Kong Chinese families and their linkage to each other in a rapidly transforming society. The perceived general family functioning of the respondents was average, and the five…

  12. Multi-Gene Detection and Identification of Mosquito-Borne RNA Viruses Using an Oligonucleotide Microarray

    PubMed Central

    Grubaugh, Nathan D.; McMenamy, Scott S.; Turell, Michael J.; Lee, John S.

    2013-01-01

    Background Arthropod-borne viruses are important emerging pathogens world-wide. Viruses transmitted by mosquitoes, such as dengue, yellow fever, and Japanese encephalitis viruses, infect hundreds of millions of people and animals each year. Global surveillance of these viruses in mosquito vectors using molecular based assays is critical for prevention and control of the associated diseases. Here, we report an oligonucleotide DNA microarray design, termed ArboChip5.1, for multi-gene detection and identification of mosquito-borne RNA viruses from the genera Flavivirus (family Flaviviridae), Alphavirus (Togaviridae), Orthobunyavirus (Bunyaviridae), and Phlebovirus (Bunyaviridae). Methodology/Principal Findings The assay utilizes targeted PCR amplification of three genes from each virus genus for electrochemical detection on a portable, field-tested microarray platform. Fifty-two viruses propagated in cell-culture were used to evaluate the specificity of the PCR primer sets and the ArboChip5.1 microarray capture probes. The microarray detected all of the tested viruses and differentiated between many closely related viruses such as members of the dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and Semliki Forest virus clades. Laboratory infected mosquitoes were used to simulate field samples and to determine the limits of detection. Additionally, we identified dengue virus type 3, Japanese encephalitis virus, Tembusu virus, Culex flavivirus, and a Quang Binh-like virus from mosquitoes collected in Thailand in 2011 and 2012. Conclusions/Significance We demonstrated that the described assay can be utilized in a comprehensive field surveillance program by the broad-range amplification and specific identification of arboviruses from infected mosquitoes. Furthermore, the microarray platform can be deployed in the field and viral RNA extraction to data analysis can occur in as little as 12 h. The information derived from the ArboChip5.1 microarray can help to establish public health

  13. Family Centers

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-12-30

    34 Family Policy," December 30, 1988 o / (b) DoD Directive 4001.1, "Installation Management ,, September 4, 1986 (c) DoD 4165.63-M, "DoD Housing Management ... managing the competing demands of the military mission and the family . They shall provide the information and family services necessary to support single...effectiveness of Family Centers. The evaluation system shall include: (1) A management information report to allow Family Centers to reflect actual workloads

  14. Family System Characteristics, Parental Behaviors, and Adolescent Family Life Satisfaction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henry, Carolyn S.

    1994-01-01

    Describes investigation examining adolescents' perceptions of overall family system characteristics, parental behaviors, and demographic factors in relation to adolescent family life satisfaction. Results indicate family bonding, family flexibility, parental support, and adolescent age are positively related to adolescent family life satisfaction,…

  15. Exploring the Immunopathogenesis of Viral Hemorrhagic Fever in Mice with a Humanized Immune System.

    PubMed

    Schönrich, Günther; Raftery, Martin J

    2017-01-01

    Viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) as a disease entity was first codified in the 1930s by soviet scientists investigating patients suffering from hantavirus infection. The group of hemorrhagic fever viruses (HFVs) has since expanded to include members from at least four different virus families: Arenaviridae, Bunyaviridae, Filoviridae , and Flaviviridae , all enveloped single-stranded RNA viruses. After infection, the natural hosts of HFVs do not develop symptoms, whereas humans can be severely affected. This observation and other evidence from experimental data suggest that the human immune system plays a crucial role in VHF pathogenesis. For this reason mice with a human immune system, referred to here as humanized mice (humice), are valuable tools that provide insight into disease mechanisms and allow for preclinical testing of novel vaccinations approaches as well as antiviral agents. In this article, we review the impact of humice in VHF research.

  16. Complete genome sequence of a Watermelon silver mottle virus isolate from China.

    PubMed

    Rao, Xueqin; Wu, Zhuyan; Li, Yuan

    2013-06-01

    The complete genome of a Watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMoV) (genus Tospovirus, family Bunyaviridae) isolate (WSMoV-GZ) from Guangdong province, China was sequenced. The genomes of WSMoV-GZ contained 3,603, 4,909, and 8,914 nt of small (S), medium (M), and large (L) RNA segments, respectively, and had a genomic organization characteristic of members of the genus Tospovirus. The amino acid sequence of the nucleocapsid (N) protein, S RNA-encoded nonstructural (NSs) protein, M RNA-encoded nonstructural (NSm) protein, Gn/Gc glycoprotein precursor, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) protein showed 94.3-97.5 % identity with those of other WSMoV isolates. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the N protein of WSMoV-GZ was clustered together with those of the WSMoV isolates. The full sequence of WSMoV-GZ provides a reference genome for comparison with other tospoviruses.

  17. [Morphological findings in fatal cases of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. Report of 7 autopsies].

    PubMed

    Guzmán G, Pablo; Tapia E, Oscar; Villaseca H, Miguel; Araya O, Juan; Antonio P, Lilia; Lee O, Bolívar; Roa S, Juan

    2010-10-01

    Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) is an acute infectious disease characterized by sudden cardiorespiratory failure and high mortality, caused by a RNA virus of the genus Hantavirus, family Bunyaviridae, 15% of Chilean cases have been detected in the Araucania Region. To determine in fatal cases of HCPS, clinical and morphological characteristics. Descriptive-retrospective analysis of seven fatal cases with postmortem study of HCPS, attended between 1997 and 2009 at the Hospital of Temuco, Chile. Cases were young patients from rural areas, and presented as an illness of progressive respiratory failure, with leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia and bilateral interstitial pulmonary infiltrates. Main morphological findings were marked intersticial and intraalveolar pulmonary edema, with minimal epithelial injury and mononuclear cell intersticial infiltrate and mild edematous intersticial inflamatory process. Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory background allow to suspect HCPS. In fatal cases, the autopsy makes possible to discard other similar pathologies and provide tissue for confirmation of the disease.

  18. Novel approaches to develop Rift Valley fever vaccines

    PubMed Central

    Indran, Sabarish V.; Ikegami, Tetsuro

    2012-01-01

    Rift Valley fever (RVF) is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, and has spread into Madagascar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) of the family Bunyaviridae, genus Phlebovirus causes hemorrhagic fever, neurological disorders or blindness in humans, and high rate abortion and fetal malformation in ruminants. RVFV is classified as a Category A Priority pathogen and overlap select agent by CDC/USDA due to its potential impact on public health and agriculture. There is a gap in the safety and immunogenicity in traditional RVF vaccines; the formalin-inactivated RVFV vaccine TSI-GSD-200 requires three doses for protection, and the live-attenuated Smithburn vaccine has a risk to cause abortion and fetal malformation in pregnant ruminants. In this review, problems of traditional vaccines and the safety and efficacy of recently reported novel RVF candidate vaccines including subunit vaccines, virus vector, and replicons are discussed. PMID:23112960

  19. Amending Koch's postulates for viral disease: When "growth in pure culture" leads to a loss of virulence.

    PubMed

    Prescott, Joseph; Feldmann, Heinz; Safronetz, David

    2017-01-01

    It is a common laboratory practice to propagate viruses in cell culture. While convenient, these methodologies often result in unintentional genetic alterations, which have led to adaptation and even attenuation in animal models of disease. An example is the attenuation of hantaviruses (family: Bunyaviridae, genus: Hantavirus) when cultured in vitro. In this case, viruses propagated in the natural reservoir species cause disease in nonhuman primates that closely mimics the human disease, but passaging in cell culture attenuates these viruses to the extent that do not cause any measurable disease in nonhuman primates. As efforts to develop animal models progress, it will be important to take into account the influences that culture in vitro may have on the virulence of viruses. In this review we discuss this phenomenon in the context of past and recent examples in the published literature. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Novel approaches to develop Rift Valley fever vaccines.

    PubMed

    Indran, Sabarish V; Ikegami, Tetsuro

    2012-01-01

    Rift Valley fever (RVF) is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, and has spread into Madagascar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) of the family Bunyaviridae, genus Phlebovirus causes hemorrhagic fever, neurological disorders or blindness in humans, and high rate abortion and fetal malformation in ruminants. RVFV is classified as a Category A Priority pathogen and overlap select agent by CDC/USDA due to its potential impact on public health and agriculture. There is a gap in the safety and immunogenicity in traditional RVF vaccines; the formalin-inactivated RVFV vaccine TSI-GSD-200 requires three doses for protection, and the live-attenuated Smithburn vaccine has a risk to cause abortion and fetal malformation in pregnant ruminants. In this review, problems of traditional vaccines and the safety and efficacy of recently reported novel RVF candidate vaccines including subunit vaccines, virus vector, and replicons are discussed.

  1. Use of family management styles in family intervention research.

    PubMed

    Alderfer, Melissa A

    2006-01-01

    Family management styles (FMSs) explain some of the complexities embedded in a family with a child who has chronic illness. The FMS typologies provide descriptions of family adjustment and management of care. These 5 distinct patterns may be valuable in tailoring and evaluating family interventions in research.

  2. Family Privilege

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seita, John R.

    2014-01-01

    Family privilege is defined as "strengths and supports gained through primary caring relationships." A generation ago, the typical family included two parents and a bevy of kids living under one roof. Now, every variation of blended caregiving qualifies as family. But over the long arc of human history, a real family was a…

  3. Small Family, Smart Family? Family Size and the IQ Scores of Young Men

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Black, Sandra E.; Devereux, Paul J.; Salvanes, Kjell G.

    2010-01-01

    This paper uses Norwegian data to estimate the effect of family size on IQ scores of men. Instrumental variables (IV) estimates using sex composition as an instrument show no significant negative effect of family size; however, IV estimates using twins imply that family size has a negative effect on IQ scores. Our results suggest that the effect…

  4. Understanding familial and non-familial renal cell cancer.

    PubMed

    Bodmer, Daniëlle; van den Hurk, Wilhelmina; van Groningen, Jan J M; Eleveld, Marc J; Martens, Gerard J M; Weterman, Marian A J; van Kessel, Ad Geurts

    2002-10-01

    Molecular genetic analysis of familial and non-familial cases of conventional renal cell carcinoma (RCC) revealed a critical role(s) for multiple genes on human chromosome 3. For some of these genes, e.g. VHL, such a role has been firmly established, whereas for others, definite confirmation is still pending. Additionally, a novel role for constitutional chromosome 3 translocations as risk factors for conventional RCC development is rapidly emerging. Also, several candidate loci have been mapped to other chromosomes in both familial and non-familial RCCs of distinct histologic subtypes. The MET gene on chromosome 7, for example, was found to be involved in both forms of papillary RCC. A PRCC-TFE3 fusion gene is typically encountered in t(X;1)-positive non-familial papillary RCCs and results in abrogation of the cell cycle mitotic spindle checkpoint in a dominant-negative fashion, thus leading to RCC. Together, these data turn human RCC into a model system in which different aspects of both familial and non-familial syndromes may act as novel paradigms for cancer development.

  5. Negative-strand RNA viruses: the plant-infecting counterparts.

    PubMed

    Kormelink, Richard; Garcia, Maria Laura; Goodin, Michael; Sasaya, Takahide; Haenni, Anne-Lise

    2011-12-01

    While a large number of negative-strand (-)RNA viruses infect animals and humans, a relative small number have plants as their primary host. Some of these have been classified within families together with animal/human infecting viruses due to similarities in particle morphology and genome organization, while others have just recently been/or are still classified in floating genera. In most cases, at least two striking differences can still be discerned between the animal/human-infecting viruses and their plant-infecting counterparts which for the latter relate to their adaptation to plants as hosts. The first one is the capacity to modify plasmodesmata to facilitate systemic spread of infectious viral entities throughout the plant host. The second one is the capacity to counteract RNA interference (RNAi, also referred to as RNA silencing), the innate antiviral defence system of plants and insects. In this review an overview will be presented on the negative-strand RNA plant viruses classified within the families Bunyaviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Ophioviridae and floating genera Tenuivirus and Varicosavirus. Genetic differences with the animal-infecting counterparts and their evolutionary descendants will be described in light of the above processes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Virus like particle-based vaccines against emerging infectious disease viruses.

    PubMed

    Liu, Jinliang; Dai, Shiyu; Wang, Manli; Hu, Zhihong; Wang, Hualin; Deng, Fei

    2016-08-01

    Emerging infectious diseases are major threats to human health. Most severe viral disease outbreaks occur in developing regions where health conditions are poor. With increased international travel and business, the possibility of eventually transmitting infectious viruses between different countries is increasing. The most effective approach in preventing viral diseases is vaccination. However, vaccines are not currently available for numerous viral diseases. Virus-like particles (VLPs) are engineered vaccine candidates that have been studied for decades. VLPs are constructed by viral protein expression in various expression systems that promote the selfassembly of proteins into structures resembling virus particles. VLPs have antigenicity similar to that of the native virus, but are non-infectious as they lack key viral genetic material. VLP vaccines have attracted considerable research interest because they offer several advantages over traditional vaccines. Studies have shown that VLP vaccines can stimulate both humoral and cellular immune responses, which may offer effective antiviral protection. Here we review recent developments with VLP-based vaccines for several highly virulent emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases. The infectious agents discussed include RNA viruses from different virus families, such as the Arenaviridae, Bunyaviridae, Caliciviridae, Coronaviridae, Filoviridae, Flaviviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, and Togaviridae families.

  7. Family Structure, Family Processes, and Adolescent Smoking and Drinking*

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Susan L.; Rinelli, Lauren N.

    2010-01-01

    This study examined whether family structure was associated with adolescent risk behaviors, including smoking and drinking. Family living arrangements have become increasingly diverse, yet research on adolescent risk behaviors has typically relied on measures of family structure that do not adequately capture this diversity. Data from the 1994-95 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were used to conduct logistic regression analyses that revealed adolescents in two biological married parent families were least likely to smoke or drink, whereas adolescents in cohabiting stepfamilies were most likely. Those in single-mother families and married stepfamilies were in between. Maternal socialization was related to reduced odds of smoking and drinking. Maternal modeling was positively associated with smoking and drinking. Family structure is indicative of distinct family processes that are linked to risky behaviors among adolescents. PMID:20543893

  8. Family Support & Health Care: Working Together for Healthy Families.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lalley, Jacqueline, Ed.; Ahsan, Nilofer, Ed.

    1998-01-01

    This report of the Family Resource Coalition of America examines partnerships between family support programs and health care providers, forged to ensure that the comprehensive needs of families are met. The report begins with two articles, "Family Support and the Emerging Health System" and "Social and Economic Issues Affecting…

  9. Family pediatrics: report of the Task Force on the Family.

    PubMed

    Schor, Edward L

    2003-06-01

    WHY A TASK FORCE ON THE FAMILY? The practice of pediatrics is unique among medical specialties in many ways, among which is the nearly certain presence of a parent when health care services are provided for the patient. Regardless of whether parents or other family members are physically present, their influence is pervasive. Families are the most central and enduring influence in children's lives. Parents are also central in pediatric care. The health and well-being of children are inextricably linked to their parents' physical, emotional and social health, social circumstances, and child-rearing practices. The rising incidence of behavior problems among children attests to some families' inability to cope with the increasing stresses they are experiencing and their need for assistance. When a family's distress finds its voice in a child's symptoms, pediatricians are often parents' first source for help. There is enormous diversity among families-diversity in the composition of families, in their ethnic and racial heritage, in their religious and spiritual orientation, in how they communicate, in the time they spend together, in their commitment to individual family members, in their connections to their community, in their experiences, and in their ability to adapt to stress. Within families, individuals are different from one another as well. Pediatricians are especially sensitive to differences among children-in their temperaments and personalities, in their innate and learned abilities, and in how they view themselves and respond to the world around them. It is remarkable and a testament to the effort of parents and to the resilience of children that most families function well and most children succeed in life. Family life in the United States has been subjected to extensive scrutiny and frequent commentary, yet even when those activities have been informed by research, they tend to be influenced by personal experience within families and by individual and

  10. Maternity and family leave policies in rural family practices.

    PubMed

    Mainguy, S; Crouse, B J

    1998-09-01

    To help recruit and retain physicians, especially women, rural family practice groups need to establish policies regarding maternity and other family leaves. Also important are policies regarding paternity leave, adoptive leave, and leave to care for elderly parents. We surveyed members of the American Academy of Family Physicians in rural practice in 1995 to assess the prevalence of leave policies, the degree to which physicians are taking family leave, and the characteristics of ideal policies. Currently, both men and women physicians are taking family leaves of absence, which indicates a need for leave policies. Furthermore, a lack of family leave policies may deter women from entering rural practice.

  11. Opportunity NYC--Family Rewards: Qualitative Study of Family Communication

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fraker, Carolyn A.; Greenberg, David

    2011-01-01

    Aimed at low-income families in six of New York City's highest-poverty communities, the Family Rewards program ties cash rewards to a pre-specified set of activities. This paper presents the qualitative findings from interviews with 77 families. It examines how families incorporated the program into their households, and specifically the…

  12. A perfect fit: connecting family therapy skills to family business needs.

    PubMed

    Cole, Patricia M; Johnson, Kit

    2012-06-01

    The purpose of this article is to encourage family therapists to become more interested in family business practice. It does so in three ways: (a) highlighting the number of therapists already involved in family business issues; (b) showing the parallels between family business and family therapy by applying family business research findings to couples therapy; (c) discussing how family therapists already have the practice wisdom to be effective in working with family business clients. Limitations of this practice are also discussed along with suggestions for overcoming them. © 2012 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

  13. Positive Family Functioning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sussman, Marvin B.

    The persistence of the nuclear family as the primary social unit in the United States and most all other societies, especially complex ones, is a fact. Values shape the definition of family, especially the "good family," and the "great debate" of this period on family failure, family corruption and the family's near demise originates in…

  14. Reclaiming Family Privilege

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seita, John

    2012-01-01

    The pull for family is strong, almost primeval, most likely it is evolutionary, and for those lacking the benefit of family or Family Privilege, the loss of family is painful and profoundly sad. Young people who struggle to cope without stable family connections are profoundly aware of their lack of "Family Privilege." In this article, the author…

  15. Family dynamics in families with children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

    PubMed

    Chu, Kangkang; Li, Shasha; Chen, Yixin; Wang, Mingchun

    2012-10-01

    Development of adjunctive family therapy for the treatment of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in China requires a detailed understanding of the family dynamics of these families. Assess the family dynamics of families with children who have ADHD in Nanjing, China. Forty-six children 10 to 17 years of age treated at the Nanjing Brain Hospital for ADHD and 46 control children of the same age and gender from schools in Nanjing completed the 19-item Questionnaire of Systematic Family Dynamics (QSFD) which assesses four dimensions of family functioning: Family Atmosphere, Individuation, Moral Absolutism, and Personal Responsibility for Psychological Problems. There were no differences between groups in the perceived causes of psychological problems but the ADHD children reported a poorer family atmosphere, less independence from parents, and more ambiguity about 'right' and 'wrong' in the family. After adjustment for the potential confounding effects of parental education and family economic status, the findings of poorer family atmosphere and less individuation in the ADHD children remained statistically significant. The internal consistency of the four dimensions of the QSFD as completed by the children were poor (alpha=0.44-0.53). This preliminary study on the family dynamics of families with children that have ADHD finds that the ADHD children report a poor family atmosphere and little independence from parents. Further work is needed to validate the methods for assessing family dynamics in Chinese families, particularly when using children as informants, but this method provides valuable information that could be used as the focus of adjunctive family therapy to augment the traditional pharmacological and behavioral approaches to the treatment of ADHD.

  16. Family dynamics in families with children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

    PubMed Central

    Chu, Kangkang; Li, Shasha; Chen, Yixin; Wang, Mingchun

    2012-01-01

    Background Development of adjunctive family therapy for the treatment of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in China requires a detailed understanding of the family dynamics of these families. Aim Assess the family dynamics of families with children who have ADHD in Nanjing, China. Methods Forty-six children 10 to 17 years of age treated at the Nanjing Brain Hospital for ADHD and 46 control children of the same age and gender from schools in Nanjing completed the 19-item Questionnaire of Systematic Family Dynamics (QSFD) which assesses four dimensions of family functioning: Family Atmosphere, Individuation, Moral Absolutism, and Personal Responsibility for Psychological Problems. Results There were no differences between groups in the perceived causes of psychological problems but the ADHD children reported a poorer family atmosphere, less independence from parents, and more ambiguity about ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ in the family. After adjustment for the potential confounding effects of parental education and family economic status, the findings of poorer family atmosphere and less individuation in the ADHD children remained statistically significant. The internal consistency of the four dimensions of the QSFD as completed by the children were poor (alpha=0.44-0.53). Conclusion This preliminary study on the family dynamics of families with children that have ADHD finds that the ADHD children report a poor family atmosphere and little independence from parents. Further work is needed to validate the methods for assessing family dynamics in Chinese families, particularly when using children as informants, but this method provides valuable information that could be used as the focus of adjunctive family therapy to augment the traditional pharmacological and behavioral approaches to the treatment of ADHD. PMID:25328351

  17. Family Health and Family Planning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    World Health Organization, Copenhagen (Denmark). Regional Office for Europe.

    This document is made up of a selection of some of the papers distributed to participants in courses on "Family Health and Family Planning" which have been organized each year since 1973 by the International Children's Center and the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. Six courses, held between 1973 and 1978, brought together a…

  18. Exploring families' experiences of health: contributions to a model of family health.

    PubMed

    Smith, Sarah L; DeGrace, Beth; Ciro, Carrie; Bax, Ami; Hambrick, Andrea; James, Jennifer; Evans, Alexandra

    2017-12-01

    Child health and developmental outcomes are influenced by the health of the family and the context created. Research suggests symptoms of poor family health (e.g. suboptimal family interactions, parenting stress) yet there is limited understanding of the factors which contribute to robust family health which may unveil opportunities for targeted intervention and family health promotion. The present study examined families' experiences of family health and factors contributing to family health. We performed a qualitative study using constructivist grounded theory methods to guide our understanding of family health for families with typically developing children aged 5-18. Interviews were conducted in family homes and all members were invited to participate. Data from interviews were transcribed, coded, thematically analyzed, and verified with select families. Ten families, including 10 mothers, 8 fathers, and 15 children participated in the study. Participants described family health as a process of balance, living purposefully, and sharing experiences together in alignment with family identity. Mediating family health were processes of awareness and reflection, and adapting, adjusting, and changing in response to family life including external stress factors. Results highlight the possibility for healthcare practitioners to facilitate families' self-reflection and awareness about their health in order to mediate family health development.

  19. Family Spirituality and Family Health Among Korean-American Elderly Couples.

    PubMed

    Kim, Suk-Sun; Kim-Godwin, Yeoun Soo; Koenig, Harold G

    2016-04-01

    Spirituality has been regarded as an individual and private matter; consequently, research on spirituality as a family phenomenon has been largely neglected. In addition, most published research has been focused on Western cultures. The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of family spirituality and how it influences health among Korean-American elderly couples who are the first generation to reside in the Southeastern USA. A thematic and interpretive data analysis method was used. Thirteen elderly couples (N = 26) participated in in-depth individual interviews in Korean with the primary author. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and then translated by two bilingual researchers with a background in Korean and American culture. Three main themes of family spirituality were identified: (1) family togetherness, (2) family interdependence, and (3) family coping. Also, participants reported that family spirituality strengthened family health by fostering family commitment, improving emotional well-being, developing new healthy behaviors, and providing healing experiences. This finding implies that healthcare providers need to assess family spiritual issues of elderly couples to maximize their strengths for coping with health problems. As our society becomes more culturally diverse, healthcare providers should seek to understand family spirituality from different cultural perspectives to develop a more holistic approach to care.

  20. A Perfect Fit: Connecting Family Therapy Skills to Family Business Needs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cole, Patricia M.; Johnson, Kit

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to encourage family therapists to become more interested in family business practice. It does so in three ways: (a) highlighting the number of therapists already involved in family business issues; (b) showing the parallels between family business and family therapy by applying family business research findings to…

  1. Family History

    MedlinePlus

    ... CDC Cancel Submit Search The CDC Family Health History Note: Javascript is disabled or is not supported ... visit this page: About CDC.gov . Family Health History The Basics Family Health History & Chronic Disease Planning ...

  2. Family climates: family factors specific to disturbed eating and bulimia nervosa.

    PubMed

    Laliberté, M; Boland, F J; Leichner, P

    1999-09-01

    More than a decade of research has characterized the families of individuals with bulimia and bulimia anorexia (Anorexia Nervosa, Binge/Purging Type) as less expressive, less cohesive, and experiencing more conflicts than normal control families. This two-part study investigated variables believed more directly related to disturbed eating and bulimia as contributing to a "family climate for eating disorders." In Study 1. a nonclinical sample of 324 women who had just left home for college and a sample of 121 mothers evaluated their families. Principal-components analyses revealed the same factor structure for both students and mothers, with Family Body Satisfaction, Family Social Appearance Orientation, and Family Achievement Emphasis loading together, representing the hypothesized family climate for eating disorders: the remaining variables loaded with the more traditional family process variables (conflict, cohesion, expressiveness), representing a more general family dysfunction. As predicted, the family climate for eating disorders factor score was a more powerful predictor of disturbed eating. Study 2 extended these findings into a clin ical population, examining whether the family climate for eating disorders variables would distinguish individuals with bulimia from both depressed and healthy controls. Groups of eating-disordered patients (n = 40) and depressed (n = 17) and healthy (n = 27) controls completed family measures. The eating-disordered group scored significantly higher on family climate variables than control groups. Family process variables distinguished clinical groups (depressed and eating disordered) from healthy controls, but not from one another. Controlling for depression removed group differences on family process variables, but family climate variables continued to distinguish the eating-disordered group from both control groups. Indications for further research are discussed.

  3. Familial risks of glomerulonephritis - a nationwide family study in Sweden.

    PubMed

    Akrawi, Delshad Saleh; Li, Xinjun; Sundquist, Jan; Fjellstedt, Erik; Sundquist, Kristina; Zöller, Bengt

    2016-08-01

    Familial risks of glomerulonephritis (acute, chronic and unspecified glomerulonephritis) have not been studied. This study aims to determine the familial risks of glomerulonephritis. Individuals born from1932 onwards diagnosed with glomerulonephritis (acute [n = 7011], chronic [n = 10,242] and unspecified glomerulonephritis [n = 5762]) were included. The familial risk (Standardized incidence ratio = SIR) was calculated for individuals whose parents/full-siblings were diagnosed with glomerulonephritis compared to those whose parents/full-siblings were not. The procedure was repeated for spouses. Familial concordant risk (same disease in proband and exposed relative) and discordant risk (different disease in proband and exposed relative) of glomerulonephritis were determined. Familial concordant risks (parents/full-sibling history) were: SIR = 3.57 (95% confidence interval, 2.77-4.53) for acute glomerulonephritis, SIR = 3.84 (3.37-4.36) for chronic glomerulonephritis and SIR = 3.75 (2.85-4.83) for unspecified glomerulonephritis. High familial risks were observed if two or more relatives were affected; the SIR was 209.83 (150.51-284.87) in individuals with at least one affected parent as well as one full-sibling. The spouse risk was only moderately increased (SIR = 1.53, 1.33-1.75). Family history of glomerulonephritis is a strong predictor for glomerulonephritis, and is a potentially useful tool in clinical risk assessment. Our data emphasize the contribution of familial factors to the glomerulonephritis burden in the community. Key Messages The familial risks (full-sibling/parent history) of glomerulonephritis (acute, chronic and unspecified glomerulonephritis) have not been determined previously. The familial risks of glomerulonephritis were increased among individuals with family history of acute, chronic or unspecified glomerulonephritis. The familial risks of glomerulonephritis were slightly increased among spouses indicating a

  4. Strengthening Family Resilience. The Guilford Family Therapy Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walsh, Froma

    Offering an alternative to clinician's prevalent focus on family dysfunction, this book draws upon extensive clinical and research experience to present a framework for therapeutic and preventive work with couples and families who are distressed, vulnerable, or at risk. The book identifies key interactional processes that enable family members to…

  5. Family ties and economic stability concerns of migrant labour families in Jordan.

    PubMed

    Kamiar, M S; Ismail, H F

    1991-12-01

    74 labor migrant families from various socioeconomic classes in Amman, Jordan were interviewed to examine changes in relationships among family members, extended family, and neighbors and their concerns about economic stability in the host country, Jordan, and the world market. Another purpose was to determine how current migration policies of the Arab oil-producing countries which prohibit labor migrants from bringing their families to the host country affect labor migration among families. The families consisted of either those who did or did not accompany the labor migrant. Overall labor migration affected unaccompanied families more than accompanied families, e.g., only 19% of the unaccompanied families reported increased family unity compared with 56% of accompanied families. Problems within unaccompanied families increased in 43% of the cases but in only 6% of the accompanied families. Many of these problems resulted in children dropping out of school which reflected the control fathers had within the family, separation, or divorce. Yet labor migration reduced family ties with extended family members and neighbors almost equally for both groups. Accompanied families were not as concerned about economic stability in Jordan as unaccompanied families (38% vs. 50%). Perhaps these families tended not to invest remittances received from the labor migrants working in Arab oil-producing countries in Jordan. Both groups were quite concerned about the economic stability in the host countries (66% and 72%, respectively) and the world market (59% and 62%, respectively), however. Since family unity suffers when families do not accompany labor migrants, it is suggested that oil-producing nations that depend on foreign labor should guarantee family unity as a human right.

  6. Family Treatment for Bipolar Disorder: Family Impairment by Treatment Interactions

    PubMed Central

    Miller, Ivan W.; Keitner, Gabor I.; Ryan, Christine E.; Uebelacker, Lisa A.; Johnson, Sheri L.; Solomon, David A.

    2010-01-01

    Objective There is a clear need for psychosocial treatments to supplement pharmacotherapy for bipolar disorder. In this study, the efficacy of 2 forms of adjunctive family intervention were compared to pharmacotherapy alone. In addition to evaluating overall differences between treatments, a chief goal was to examine whether family impairment levels moderated the effects of family intervention on outcome. Method Ninety-two patients diagnosed with bipolar I disorder (according to DSM-III-R) were randomly assigned to receive (1) pharmacotherapy alone, (2) family therapy + pharmacotherapy, or (3) multi-family psychoeducational group + pharmacotherapy. Treatments and assessments continued for up to 28 months. Primary outcome measures were number of episodes per year and percentage of time symptomatic throughout the entire follow-up period. The study was conducted from September 1992 through March 1999. Results No significant main effects were found for treatment condition. Thus, for the total sample, the addition of a family intervention did not improve outcome. However, there were significant treatment condition by family impairment interactions (p < .05). In patients from families with high levels of impairment, the addition of a family intervention (family therapy or psychoeducational group) resulted in a significantly improved course of illness, particularly the number of depressive episodes (p <.01) and proportion of time spent in a depressive episode (p <.01). These effects were relatively large (Cohen d = 0.7–1.0), with patients receiving either family intervention having roughly half the number of depressive episodes and amount of time spent depressed as those receiving pharmacotherapy alone. In contrast, for patients from low-impairment families, the addition of a family intervention did not improve course of illness. Conclusions Our findings build on previous literature suggesting the importance of treatment matching within the mood disorders and suggest

  7. The context of collecting family health history: examining definitions of family and family communication about health among African American women.

    PubMed

    Thompson, Tess; Seo, Joann; Griffith, Julia; Baxter, Melanie; James, Aimee; Kaphingst, Kimberly A

    2015-04-01

    Public health initiatives encourage the public to discuss and record family health history information, which can inform prevention and screening for a variety of conditions. Most research on family health history discussion and collection, however, has predominantly involved White participants and has not considered lay definitions of family or family communication patterns about health. This qualitative study of 32 African American women-16 with a history of cancer-analyzed participants' definitions of family, family communication about health, and collection of family health history information. Family was defined by biological relatedness, social ties, interactions, and proximity. Several participants noted using different definitions of family for different purposes (e.g., biomedical vs. social). Health discussions took place between and within generations and were influenced by structural relationships (e.g., sister) and characteristics of family members (e.g., trustworthiness). Participants described managing tensions between sharing health information and protecting privacy, especially related to generational differences in sharing information, fear of familial conflict or gossip, and denial (sometimes described as refusal to "own" or "claim" a disease). Few participants reported that anyone in their family kept formal family health history records. Results suggest family health history initiatives should address family tensions and communication patterns that affect discussion and collection of family health history information.

  8. Heat Shock Protein 70 Family Members Interact with Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus and Hazara Virus Nucleocapsid Proteins and Perform a Functional Role in the Nairovirus Replication Cycle.

    PubMed

    Surtees, Rebecca; Dowall, Stuart D; Shaw, Amelia; Armstrong, Stuart; Hewson, Roger; Carroll, Miles W; Mankouri, Jamel; Edwards, Thomas A; Hiscox, Julian A; Barr, John N

    2016-10-15

    The Nairovirus genus of the Bunyaviridae family contains serious human and animal pathogens classified within multiple serogroups and species. Of these serogroups, the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) serogroup comprises sole members CCHFV and Hazara virus (HAZV). CCHFV is an emerging zoonotic virus that causes often-fatal hemorrhagic fever in infected humans for which preventative or therapeutic strategies are not available. In contrast, HAZV is nonpathogenic to humans and thus represents an excellent model to study aspects of CCHFV biology under conditions of more-accessible biological containment. The three RNA segments that form the nairovirus genome are encapsidated by the viral nucleocapsid protein (N) to form ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes that are substrates for RNA synthesis and packaging into virus particles. We used quantitative proteomics to identify cellular interaction partners of CCHFV N and identified robust interactions with cellular chaperones. These interactions were validated using immunological methods, and the specific interaction between native CCHFV N and cellular chaperones of the HSP70 family was confirmed during live CCHFV infection. Using infectious HAZV, we showed for the first time that the nairovirus N-HSP70 association was maintained within both infected cells and virus particles, where N is assembled as RNPs. Reduction of active HSP70 levels in cells by the use of small-molecule inhibitors significantly reduced HAZV titers, and a model for chaperone function in the context of high genetic variability is proposed. These results suggest that chaperones of the HSP70 family are required for nairovirus replication and thus represent a genetically stable cellular therapeutic target for preventing nairovirus-mediated disease. Nairoviruses compose a group of human and animal viruses that are transmitted by ticks and associated with serious or fatal disease. One member is Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), which

  9. Family-initiated dialogue about medications during family-centered rounds.

    PubMed

    Benjamin, Jessica M; Cox, Elizabeth D; Trapskin, Philip J; Rajamanickam, Victoria P; Jorgenson, Roderick C; Weber, Holly L; Pearson, Rachel E; Carayon, Pascale; Lubcke, Nikki L

    2015-01-01

    Experts suggest family engagement in care can improve safety for hospitalized children. Family-centered rounds (FCRs) can offer families the opportunity to participate in error recovery related to children's medications. The objective of this study was to describe family-initiated dialogue about medications and health care team responses to this dialogue during FCR to understand the potential for FCR to foster safe medication use. FCR were video-recorded daily for 150 hospitalized children. Coders sorted family-initiated medication dialogue into mutually exclusive categories, reflecting place of administration, therapeutic class, topic, and health care team responses. Health care team responses were coded to reflect intent, actions taken by the team, and appropriateness of any changes. Eighty-three (55%) of the 150 families raised 318 medication topics during 347 FCR. Most family-initiated dialogue focused on inpatient medications (65%), with home medications comprising 35%. Anti-infectives (31%), analgesics (14%), and corticosteroids (11%) were the most commonly discussed medications. The most common medication topics raised by families were scheduling (24%) and adverse drug reactions (11%). Although most health care team responses were provision of information (74%), appropriate changes to the child's medications occurred in response to 8% of family-initiated dialogue, with most changes preventing or addressing adverse drug reactions or scheduling issues. Most families initiated dialogue regarding medications during FCRs, including both inpatient and home medications. They raised topics that altered treatment and were important for medication safety, adherence, and satisfaction. Study findings suggest specific medication topics that health care teams can anticipate addressing during FCR. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  10. Family History

    MedlinePlus

    Your family history includes health information about you and your close relatives. Families have many factors in common, including their genes, ... as heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Having a family member with a disease raises your risk, but ...

  11. Bequeathing Family Continuity.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spanier, Graham B.

    1989-01-01

    Notes that many children who experience abuse, family disruption, or poverty reach adulthood with a strong commitment to family life. Questions whether changes in American families are indicators of pathology, deterioration, and instability; and asks how dysfunctional families transmit commitment to the concept of family to succeeding generations.…

  12. The Relationship between Dysfunctional Family Environments and Family Member Food Intake.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kintner, Martha; And Others

    1981-01-01

    Explores relationships between family environment and family food intake. Findings indicate a significant negative relationship between the family's dysfunctional environment (indicated by high conflict, control, and organization) and family dietary intake. A significant positive relationship was found between the family's cohesive and independent…

  13. Hospitalized elders and family caregivers: a typology of family worry.

    PubMed

    Li, Hong

    2005-01-01

    This qualitative study explored the kinds of worry that family caregivers experience when their older relatives are hospitalized. Little is known about what kinds of worries family caregivers may have in association with the hospitalizations of older relatives. An understanding of the different patterns of family worry may help health care teams intervene more effectively to meet family caregiver's needs by reducing their anxiety. A qualitative descriptive design with Loftland and Loftland (1984) approach for the study of a phenomenon occurring in a social setting was used. A purposeful sample of 10 participants was obtained that included six family caregivers and four nurses. Participants were recruited from two hospitals in the northwest US. Intensive interviews and participant observations were used for data collection, and Loftland and Loftland's (1984) qualitative approach was used for data analysis. Family worry was defined as family caregivers' felt difficulty in fulfilling their roles because of worry. Four categories of family worry were identified as a result of this study: (i) worry about the patient's condition; (ii) worry about the patient's care received from the health care team; (iii) worry about future care for the patient provided by the family caregiver; and (iv) worry about finances. The findings of this pilot study provide nurses with the initial knowledge of the typology of family worry associated with elderly relatives' hospitalizations. The findings of this study may sensitize the nurses to more precisely evaluate family caregivers' worry about their hospitalized elders and provide more effective nursing interventions to improve outcomes of both patients and their family caregivers.

  14. Adoptive Family Adjustment and Its Relation to Perceived Family Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Betty; Kelly, Mary Margaret; Towner-Thyrum, Elizabeth

    1999-01-01

    Interviewed adopted college students regarding perceptions of adoptive family life. Found that overall satisfaction with adoptive status and family life was the strongest predictor of perceived general family environment. Perception of adoptive parents' communication styles predicted different aspects of family environment. Acknowledgment of life…

  15. 75 FR 55588 - Family-to-Family Health Information Center Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-13

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Family-to-Family Health Information Center Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS... Florida Family-to-Family Health Information Center (F2F HIC) grant (H84MC00006) from the Florida Institute...

  16. Understanding Family Caregiver Communication to Provide Family-Centered Cancer Care.

    PubMed

    Wittenberg, Elaine; Buller, Haley; Ferrell, Betty; Koczywas, Marianna; Borneman, Tami

    2017-12-01

    To describe a family caregiver communication typology and demonstrate identifiable communication challenges among four caregiver types: Manager, Carrier, Partner, and Lone. Case studies based on interviews with oncology family caregivers. Each caregiver type demonstrates unique communication challenges that can be identified. Recognition of a specific caregiver type will help nurses to adapt their own communication to provide tailored support. Family-centered cancer care requires attention to the communication challenges faced by family caregivers. Understanding the challenges among four family caregiver communication types will enable nurses to better address caregiver burden and family conflict. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Family Structure, Family Stability, and Outcomes of Five-Year-Old Children

    PubMed Central

    Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Waldfogel, Jane

    2013-01-01

    This study exploits data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a birth cohort study of a diverse sample of children from twenty U.S. cities (N = 3,676), to examine how cognitive, behavioural, and health outcomes of five-year old children differ according to their family structure and family stability. We define three models: one that measures family structure at birth only, a second that measures current family structure at year five conditional on family structure at birth, and a third that measures changes in family structure from birth to age five. We find that while family structure has persistent links to child outcomes, the effects are significantly altered by stability of the family structure over time. These findings remain robust even after addressing selection. PMID:24163735

  18. The impact of changes in China's family patterns on family pension functions.

    PubMed

    Su, Zhongxin; Hu, Z; Peng, Xizhe

    2017-07-01

    Using data from the Chinese census and the China Statistical Yearbook, this paper will analyze the historical changes and future trends of family households in China over the past 30 years and explore the changes of family pension functions and corresponding policies. Our analysis yielded 3 notable results. First, in family size miniaturization and structural simplification, 1- and 2-generation family households are the main body of contemporary China. Second, for family aging and changes in living patterns, which primarily manifest as an increase in; the proportion of elderly households and in middle-aged and elderly people in the family, the elderly model and the "multigenerational model" have become the 2 major residence models for the elderly in China. Third, nontraditional families have emerged in large numbers, such as the exclusively elderly family, empty nest family, grandparents family, Double Income, No Kids (DINK) family, older single family, and single-parent family. We argue that in the process of simplification, China's family structure is increasingly showing characteristics of networking. The change in family patterns entails the restoration of traditional functions and taking on new functions of the family by issuing relevant social policies. Only when these social policies are based on family functions and demands can they provide effective help to social members, particularly regarding the family's responsibilities to parent children and support the elderly. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. Rift Valley fever: a mosquito-borne emerging disease

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Rift Valley fever (RVF) (Bunyaviridae: Phlebovirus) is mosquito-borne zoonotic emerging infectious viral disease caused by RVF virus (RVFV) that presents significant threats to global public health and agriculture in Africa and the Middle East. RVFV is listed as a select agent with significant conce...

  20. Using Information and Communication Technologies for Family Communication and Its Association With Family Well-Being in Hong Kong: FAMILY Project.

    PubMed

    Wang, Man Ping; Chu, Joanna T W; Viswanath, Kasisomayajula; Wan, Alice; Lam, Tai Hing; Chan, Sophia S

    2015-08-24

    Family communication is central to the family and its functioning. It is a mutual process in which family members create, share, and regulate meaning. Advancement and proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) continues to change methods of family communication. However, little is known about the use of different methods for family communication and the influence on family well-being. We investigated the sociodemographic factors associated with different methods of family communication and how they are associated with perceived family harmony, happiness, and health (3Hs) among Chinese adults in Hong Kong. Data came from a territory-wide probability-based telephone survey using the Family and Health Information Trend survey (FHInTs). Frequency of family communication using different methods (ie, face-to-face, phone, instant messaging [IM], social media sites, and email) were recoded and classified as frequent (always/sometimes) and nonfrequent (seldom/never) use. Family well-being was measured using 3 questions of perceived family harmony, happiness, and health with higher scores indicating better family well-being. Adjusted odds ratios for family communication methods by sociodemographic characteristics and adjusted beta coefficients for family well-being by communication methods were calculated. A total of 1502 adults were surveyed. Face-to-face (94.85%, 1408/1484) was the most frequent means of communication followed by phone (78.08%, 796/1484), IM (53.64%, 796/1484), social media sites (17.60%, 261/1484), and email (13.39%, 198/1484). Younger age was associated with the use of phone, IM, and social media sites for family communication. Higher educational attainment was associated with more frequent use of all modes of communication, whereas higher family income was only significantly associated with more frequent use of IM and email (P=.001). Face-to-face (beta 0.65, 95% CI 0.33-0.97) and phone use (beta 0.20, 95% CI 0.02-0.38) for family

  1. Family and Family Change in Ireland: An Overview

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Canavan, John

    2012-01-01

    In Ireland, historically and in the current era, family has been a central concern for society and the State. This article provides a descriptive overview of family life in Ireland and of major family-related changes over the past 40 years. It presents a general framework of analysis within which these changes can be understood, considers the…

  2. Parental Stress, Family-Professional Partnerships, and Family Quality of Life: Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsiao, Yun-Ju

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among the quality of life of families that have at least one child with autism spectrum disorder, parental stress level, and partnerships between the family and professionals. Also, parent perceptions of parental stress, family quality of life, and family-professional partnerships were…

  3. Family Reading Night

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hutchins, Darcy; Greenfeld, Marsha; Epstein, Joyce

    2007-01-01

    This book offers clear and practical guidelines to help engage families in student success. It shows families how to conduct a successful Family Reading Night at their school. Family Night themes include Scary Stories, Books We Love, Reading Olympics, Dr. Seuss, and other themes. Family reading nights invite parents to come to school with their…

  4. A mini-review of Bunyaviruses recorded in India.

    PubMed

    Yadav, Pragya D; Chaubal, Gouri Y; Shete, Anita M; Mourya, Devendra T

    2017-05-01

    Newly emerging and re-emerging viral infections are of major public health concern. Bunyaviridae family of viruses comprises a large group of animal viruses. Clinical symptoms exhibited by persons infected by viruses belonging to this family vary from mild-to-severe diseases i.e., febrile illness, encephalitis, haemorrhagic fever and acute respiratory illness. Several arthropods-borne viruses have been discovered and classified at serological level in India in the past. Some of these are highly pathogenic as the recent emergence and spread of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus and presence of antibodies against Hantavirus in humans in India have provided evidences that it may become one of the emerging diseases in this country. For many of the discovered viruses, we still need to study their relevance to human and animal health. Chittoor virus, a variant of Batai virus; Ganjam virus, an Asian variant of Nairobi sheep disease virus; tick-borne viruses such as Bhanja, Palma and mosquito-borne viruses such as Sathuperi, Thimiri, Umbre and Ingwavuma viruses have been identified as the members of this family. As Bunyaviruses are three segmented RNA viruses, they can reassort the segments into genetically distinct viruses in target cells. This ability is believed to play a major role in evolution, pathogenesis and epidemiology of the viruses. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of discovery, emergence and distribution of Bunyaviruses in India.

  5. A mini-review of Bunyaviruses recorded in India

    PubMed Central

    Yadav, Pragya D.; Chaubal, Gouri Y.; Shete, Anita M.; Mourya, Devendra T.

    2017-01-01

    Newly emerging and re-emerging viral infections are of major public health concern. Bunyaviridae family of viruses comprises a large group of animal viruses. Clinical symptoms exhibited by persons infected by viruses belonging to this family vary from mild-to-severe diseases i.e., febrile illness, encephalitis, haemorrhagic fever and acute respiratory illness. Several arthropods-borne viruses have been discovered and classified at serological level in India in the past. Some of these are highly pathogenic as the recent emergence and spread of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus and presence of antibodies against Hantavirus in humans in India have provided evidences that it may become one of the emerging diseases in this country. For many of the discovered viruses, we still need to study their relevance to human and animal health. Chittoor virus, a variant of Batai virus; Ganjam virus, an Asian variant of Nairobi sheep disease virus; tick-borne viruses such as Bhanja, Palma and mosquito-borne viruses such as Sathuperi, Thimiri, Umbre and Ingwavuma viruses have been identified as the members of this family. As Bunyaviruses are three segmented RNA viruses, they can reassort the segments into genetically distinct viruses in target cells. This ability is believed to play a major role in evolution, pathogenesis and epidemiology of the viruses. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of discovery, emergence and distribution of Bunyaviruses in India. PMID:28948950

  6. The partial sequence of RNA 1 of the ophiovirus Ranunculus white mottle virus indicates its relationship to rhabdoviruses and provides candidate primers for an ophiovirus-specific RT-PCR test.

    PubMed

    Vaira, A M; Accotto, G P; Costantini, A; Milne, R G

    2003-06-01

    A 4018 nucleotide sequence was obtained for RNA 1 of Ranunculus white mottle virus (RWMV), genus Ophiovirus, representing an incomplete ORF of 1339 aa. Amino acid sequence analysis revealed significant similarities with RNA polymerases of viruses in the family Rhabdoviridae and a conserved domain of 685 aa, corresponding to the RdRp domain of those in the order Mononegavirales. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the genus Ophiovirus is not related to the genus Tenuivirus or the family Bunyaviridae, with which it has been linked, and probably deserves a special taxonomic position, within a new family. A pair of degenerate primers was designed from a consensus sequence obtained from a relatively conserved region in the RNA 1 of two members of the genus, Citrus psorosis virus (CPsV) and RWMV. The primers, used in RT-PCR experiments, amplified a 136 bp DNA fragment from all the three recognized members of the genus, i.e. CPsV, RWMV and Tulip mild mottle mosaic virus (TMMMV) and from two tentative ophioviruses from lettuce and freesia. The amplified DNAs were sequenced and compared with the corresponding sequences of CPsV and RWMV and phylogenetic relationships were evaluated. Assays using extracts from plants infected by viruses belonging to the genera Tospovirus, Tenuivirus, Rhabdovirus and Varicosavirus indicated that the primers are genus-specific.

  7. Families and Education: An Educator's Resource for Family Involvement. (Revised Edition).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    App, Marie, Comp.; Grinde, Jane, Comp.

    This handbook for educators offers guidance on ways to understand families, family-teacher communication, the process of reinforcing classwork at home, caring for the whole child, and selected resources. Chapter 1 discusses the climate for family involvement, different perceptions of teachers and families, what families want to know, today's…

  8. Family Physician Support for a Family With a Mentally Ill Member.

    PubMed

    McBride, J LeBron

    2016-09-01

    Mentally ill family members can have a formidable impact on the families in which they reside. Family physicians can intervene in powerful ways when they are sensitive to those who are mentally ill and their families and can provide much needed compassionate support. © 2016 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

  9. Clarifying Work-Family Intervention Processes: The Roles of Work-Family Conflict and Family Supportive Supervisor Behaviors

    PubMed Central

    Hammer, Leslie B.; Kossek, Ellen E.; Anger, W. Kent; Bodner, Todd; Zimmerman, Kristi L.

    2010-01-01

    Drawing on a conceptual model integrating research on training, work-family interventions, and social support, we conducted a quasi-experimental field study to assess the impact of a supervisory training and self-monitoring intervention designed to increase supervisors' use of family supportive supervisor behaviors. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were completed, nine months apart, by 239 employees at six intervention (N = 117) and six control (N = 122) grocery store sites. Thirty-nine supervisors in the six intervention sites received the training consisting of one hour of self-paced computer-based training, one hour of face-to-face group training, followed by instructions for behavioral self-monitoring (recording the frequency of supportive behaviors) to support on-the-job transfer. Results demonstrated a disordinal interaction for the effect of training and family-to-work conflict on employee job satisfaction, turnover intentions and physical health. In particular, for these outcomes, positive training effects were observed for employees with high family-to-work conflict, while negative training effects were observed for employees with low family-to-work conflict. These moderation effects were mediated by the interactive effect of training and family-to-work conflict on employee perceptions of family-supportive supervisor behaviors. Implications of our findings for future work-family intervention development and evaluation are discussed. PMID:20853943

  10. Education, Parenting and Family: The Social Geographies of Family Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wainwright, Emma; Marandet, Elodie

    2017-01-01

    This paper explores the relationship between education, parenting and family through the prism and particularities of family learning. Family learning is an example of an educational initiative, primarily aimed at parents and linked to wider policy concerns, which can be explored through a mapping of its social geographies; family learning is…

  11. We Are Family: Using Diverse Family Structure Literature with Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gilmore, Deanna Peterschick; Bell, Kari

    2006-01-01

    The structure of the American family has changed over the years. Although the traditional father, mother, child structure still dominates, other family patterns are emerging. In this article the authors present: (1) current statistics relating to diverse family structures; (2) reasons for using diverse family structure literature with children;…

  12. Work Role Characteristics, Family Structure Demands, and Work/Family Conflict.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Voydanoff, Patricia

    1988-01-01

    Examined relationships between work role characteristics, family structure demands, and work/family conflict, using data from 757 married men and 270 married women. Found that amount and scheduling of work time, job demands, and presence of children in home were related to work/family conflict. Work role characteristics and family structure…

  13. The Influence of Family Climate and Family Process on Child Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bell, Linda G.; Bell, David C.

    This study investigates the relationship between the degree of individuation in families and the personality development of adolescent family members. A subsample of 30 white, middle-class families were chosen for analysis from a larger sample of 99 families. Fifteen families from the subsample had adolescent girls who scored high, and fifteen had…

  14. Family losses following truncation selection in populations of half-sib families

    Treesearch

    J. H. Roberds; G. Namkoong; H. Kang

    1980-01-01

    Family losses during truncation selection may be sizable in populations of half-sib families. Substantial losses may occur even in populations containing little or no variation among families. Heavier losses will occur, however, under conditions of high heritability where there is considerable family variation. Standard deviations and therefore variances of family loss...

  15. Using Information and Communication Technologies for Family Communication and Its Association With Family Well-Being in Hong Kong: FAMILY Project

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Man Ping; Chu, Joanna TW; Viswanath, Kasisomayajula; Wan, Alice; Chan, Sophia S

    2015-01-01

    Background Family communication is central to the family and its functioning. It is a mutual process in which family members create, share, and regulate meaning. Advancement and proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) continues to change methods of family communication. However, little is known about the use of different methods for family communication and the influence on family well-being. Objective We investigated the sociodemographic factors associated with different methods of family communication and how they are associated with perceived family harmony, happiness, and health (3Hs) among Chinese adults in Hong Kong. Methods Data came from a territory-wide probability-based telephone survey using the Family and Health Information Trend survey (FHInTs). Frequency of family communication using different methods (ie, face-to-face, phone, instant messaging [IM], social media sites, and email) were recoded and classified as frequent (always/sometimes) and nonfrequent (seldom/never) use. Family well-being was measured using 3 questions of perceived family harmony, happiness, and health with higher scores indicating better family well-being. Adjusted odds ratios for family communication methods by sociodemographic characteristics and adjusted beta coefficients for family well-being by communication methods were calculated. Results A total of 1502 adults were surveyed. Face-to-face (94.85%, 1408/1484) was the most frequent means of communication followed by phone (78.08%, 796/1484), IM (53.64%, 796/1484), social media sites (17.60%, 261/1484), and email (13.39%, 198/1484). Younger age was associated with the use of phone, IM, and social media sites for family communication. Higher educational attainment was associated with more frequent use of all modes of communication, whereas higher family income was only significantly associated with more frequent use of IM and email (P=.001). Face-to-face (beta 0.65, 95% CI 0.33-0.97) and phone use

  16. Parental stress, family quality of life, and family-teacher partnerships: Families of children with autism spectrum disorder.

    PubMed

    Hsiao, Yun-Ju; Higgins, Kyle; Pierce, Tom; Whitby, Peggy J Schaefer; Tandy, Richard D

    2017-11-01

    Reducing parental stress and improving family quality of Life (FQOL) are continuing concerns for families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Family-teacher partnerships have been identified as a positive factor to help parents reduce their stress and improve their FQOL. However, the interrelations among parental stress, FQOL, and family-teacher partnerships need to be further examined so as to identify the possible paths to help parents reduce their stress and improve their FQOL. The purpose of this study was to examine the interrelations among these three variables. A total of 236 parents of school children with ASD completed questionnaires, which included three measures: (a) the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale, (b) the Parental Stress Scale, and (c) the Beach Center Family-Professional Partnerships Scale. The structural equation modeling was used to analyze the interrelations among these three variables. Perceived parental stress had a direct effect on parental satisfaction concerning FQOL and vice versa. Perceived family-teacher partnerships had a direct effect on FQOL, but did not have a direct effect on parental stress. However, family-teacher partnerships had an indirect effect on parental stress through FQOL. Reducing parental stress could improve FQOL for families of children with ASD and vice versa. Strong family-teacher partnerships could help parents of children with ASD improve their FQOL and indirectly reduce their stress. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Family-nurse co-construction of meaning: a central phenomenon of family caring.

    PubMed

    Meiers, Sonja J; Tomlinson, Patricia S

    2003-06-01

    The purpose of the study was to understand and interpret caring in the family health experience by exploring the interactional phenomenon of family-nurse co-construction of meaning in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). A hermeneutic phenomenological method within a framework of existentialism and symbolic interactionism was used in the investigation. The convenience sample for this study was four family-nurse dyads, that is four families of critically ill children (all with positive outcomes) and the four nurses assigned to their care who were participating in a larger study. Data were derived from semi-structured interviews regarding significant interactions throughout the child's illness and subsequent significant interactions of families with other nurses and nurses with other families. Trustworthiness of the study was addressed through the criteria of credibility, dependability, transferability and confirmability. Co-construction of meaning in the family health experience was found to have two dimensions: interdependent and independent. Both families and nurses described being like family as an essential component of the interdependent experience. Independent dimensions for families were journeying through troubled waters of learning the meaning of the illness event and sensing family comfort through the nurse's care. Independent dimensions described by nurses were journeying through troubled waters of learning to care for families and living with another's fear. The family-nurse interaction, the relational connection and the evolution of meanings that families and nurses construct, was affirmed as the major vehicle in the co-construction experience. Family caring is influenced by the existential meaning constructing, process-oriented, interactional nature of the family health experience. Caring in the family health experience is enhanced through actions the nurse performs on behalf of, and with, the family while understanding the family's unique

  18. Family functioning in lesbian families created by donor insemination.

    PubMed

    Vanfraussen, Katrien; Ponjaert-Kristoffersen, Ingrid; Brewaeys, Anne

    2003-01-01

    The quantitative and qualitative data of this study on family functioning in lesbian donor insemination families reveal that according to both parents and children, the quality of children's relationship with the social mother is comparable to that with the biological mother. Unlike fathers in heterosexual families, the lesbian social mother is as much involved in child activities as is the biological mother. Furthermore, the lesbian social mother has as much authority as does the father in heterosexual families.

  19. Family Communication Standards: What Counts as Excellent Family Communication and How Are Such Standards Associated with Family Satisfaction?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caughlin, John P.

    2003-01-01

    Investigates the standards by which people judge communication in families. Presents three investigations that examine communication standards in family relationships. Suggests that both distressful ideals and unmet ideals are associated with family satisfaction. Notes that the results were consistent with the notion that family communication…

  20. Beyond family satisfaction: Family-perceived involvement in residential care.

    PubMed

    Irving, Justine

    2015-09-01

    To explore perceived family involvement and its relationship with satisfaction and facility impressions. A questionnaire was posted to residents' next of kin from four South Australian residential aged care facilities. One hundred and fifty next of kin participated in the survey. Family-perceived involvement was significantly and positively correlated with satisfaction and facility impressions. The findings of this study add to the limited body of research into family involvement in long-term residential care. Feedback from the family regarding particular aspects of involvement may also improve the experience of long-term care for both family and resident, and assist with the identification of specific issues towards which organisations may target their quality improvement efforts. © 2014 ACOTA.

  1. Familial colorectal cancer.

    PubMed

    Lung, M S; Trainer, A H; Campbell, I; Lipton, L

    2015-05-01

    Identifying individuals with a genetic predisposition to developing familial colorectal cancer (CRC) is crucial to the management of the affected individual and their family. In order to do so, the physician requires an understanding of the different gene mutations and clinical manifestations of familial CRC. This review summarises the genetics, clinical manifestations and management of the known familial CRC syndromes, specifically Lynch syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis, MUTYH-associated neoplasia, juvenile polyposis syndrome and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. An individual suspected of having a familial CRC with an underlying genetic predisposition should be referred to a familial cancer centre to enable pre-test counselling and appropriate follow up. © 2015 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

  2. Families overcoming under stress: implementing family-centered prevention for military families facing wartime deployments and combat operational stress.

    PubMed

    Lester, Patricia; Mogil, Catherine; Saltzman, William; Woodward, Kirsten; Nash, William; Leskin, Gregory; Bursch, Brenda; Green, Sara; Pynoos, Robert; Beardslee, William

    2011-01-01

    The toll of multiple and prolonged deployments on families has become clearer in recent years as military families have seen an increase in childhood anxiety, parental psychological distress, and marital discord. Families overcoming under stress (FOCUS), a family-centered evidence-informed resiliency training program developed at University of California, Los Angeles and Harvard Medical School, is being implemented at military installations through an initiative from Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. The research foundation for FOCUS includes evidence-based preventive interventions that were adapted to meet the specific needs of military families facing combat operational stress associated with wartime deployments. Using a family narrative approach, FOCUS includes a customized approach utilizing core intervention components, including psychoeducation, emotional regulation skills, goal setting and problem solving skills, traumatic stress reminder management techniques, and family communication skills. The purpose of this study is to describe the development and implementation of FOCUS for military families. A case example is also presented.

  3. Parent Perceptions of Family Social Supports in Families With Children With Epilepsy.

    PubMed

    Decker, Kim A; Miller, Wendy R; Buelow, Janice M

    2016-12-01

    When a child is diagnosed with epilepsy, not only has the child's life been disrupted but also the family's sense of normalcy. Although there is considerable literature discussing family concerns and social support issues in families with chronically ill children, a major gap lies in the exploration of how the specifics of childhood epilepsy affect parents and family operations. The purpose of this study was to identify psychosocial care needs of parents of children with epilepsy. Utilizing the Family Systems Nursing theory as a framework, this correlation study examined the relationships among social and community support, family needs, family empowerment, and family quality of life in 29 primary caregivers of a child with epilepsy. These families felt highly supported; they had low needs and high perceptions of empowerment. There was a negative association between social supports and the total family needs survey scale and the subscales of financial support, help regarding explaining to others, and professional support. There was no association between family empowerment or quality of life with parental perceptions of social support. In general, as parental perceptions of family needs increased, perceptions of familial social supports decreased. Further research is recommended to investigate varying socioeconomic status effects in families with children with pediatric epilepsy.

  4. Family Matters.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mainor, Peggy

    2001-01-01

    Describes a Kellogg Family Collaborative project that involves the University of Montana and four tribal colleges in a family-strengths approach to improving student retention and achievement. States that the project is grounded in social work theory and research that recognize and reinforce family and student resilience through promotion of…

  5. Associations of family meal frequency with family meal habits and meal preparation characteristics among families of youth with type 1 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Kornides, M L; Nansel, T R; Quick, V; Haynie, D L; Lipsky, L M; Laffel, L M B; Mehta, S N

    2014-05-01

    While benefits of family mealtimes, such as improved dietary quality and increased family communication, have been well-documented in the general population, less is known about family meal habits that contribute to more frequent family meals in youth with type 1 diabetes. This cross-sectional study surveyed 282 youth ages 8-18 years with type 1 diabetes and their parents on measures regarding diabetes-related and dietary behaviours. T-tests determined significant differences in youth's diet quality, adherence to diabetes management and glycaemic control between those with and without regular family meals (defined as ≥ 5 meals per week). Logistic regression analyses determined unadjusted and adjusted associations of age, socio-demographics, family meal habits, and family meal preparation characteristics with regular family meals. 57% of parents reported having regular family meals. Families with regular family meals had significantly better diet quality as measured by the Healthy Eating Index (P < 0.05) and the NRF9.3 (P < 0.01), and adherence to diabetes management (P < 0.001); the difference in glycaemic control approached statistical significance (P = 0.06). Priority placed on, pleasant atmosphere and greater structure around family meals were each associated with regular family meals (P < 0.05). Meals prepared at home were positively associated with regular family meals, while convenience and fast foods were negatively associated (P < 0.05). Families in which at least one parent worked part-time or stayed at home were significantly more likely to have regular family meals than families in which both parents worked full-time (P < 0.05). In the multivariate logistic regression model, greater parental priority given to family mealtimes (P < 0.001) and more home-prepared meals (P < 0.001) predicted occurrence of regular family meals; adjusting for parent work status and other family meal habits. Strategies for promoting families meals should not only highlight

  6. Associations of family meal frequency with family meal habits and meal preparation characteristics among families of youth with type 1 diabetes

    PubMed Central

    Kornides, M. L.; Nansel, T. R.; Quick, V.; Haynie, D. L.; Lipsky, L. M.; Laffel, L. M. B.; Mehta, S. N.

    2014-01-01

    Background While benefits of family mealtimes, such as improved dietary quality and increased family communication, have been well-documented in the general population, less is known about family meal habits that contribute to more frequent family meals in youth with type 1 diabetes. Methods This cross-sectional study surveyed 282 youth ages 8–18 years with type 1 diabetes and their parents on measures regarding diabetes-related and dietary behaviours. T-tests determined significant differences in youth's diet quality, adherence to diabetes management and glycaemic control between those with and without regular family meals (defined as ≥5 meals per week). Logistic regression analyses determined unadjusted and adjusted associations of age, socio-demographics, family meal habits, and family meal preparation characteristics with regular family meals. Results 57% of parents reported having regular family meals. Families with regular family meals had significantly better diet quality as measured by the Healthy Eating Index (P < 0.05) and the NRF9.3 (P < 0.01), and adherence to diabetes management (P < 0.001); the difference in glycaemic control approached statistical significance (P = 0.06). Priority placed on, pleasant atmosphere and greater structure around family meals were each associated with regular family meals (P < 0.05). Meals prepared at home were positively associated with regular family meals, while convenience and fast foods were negatively associated (P < 0.05). Families in which at least one parent worked part-time or stayed at home were significantly more likely to have regular family meals than families in which both parents worked full-time (P < 0.05). In the multivariate logistic regression model, greater parental priority given to family mealtimes (P < 0.001) and more home-prepared meals (P < 0.001) predicted occurrence of regular family meals; adjusting for parent work status and other family meal habits. Conclusions Strategies for promoting

  7. Work, Family, and Mental Health: Testing Different Models of Work-Family Fit.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grzywacz, Joseph G.; Bass, Brenda L.

    2003-01-01

    Using family resilience theory, this study examined the effects of work-family conflict and work-family facilitation on mental health among working adults to gain a better understanding of work-family fit. Results suggest that family to work facilitation is a family protective factor that offsets and buffers the deleterious effects of work-family…

  8. Family Involvement in PSE: International Schools Easing the Transition of Mobile Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McLachlan, Debra A.

    2008-01-01

    The impact of family mobility from domestic or international moves can be challenging for families. Some families adjust and other families experience crisis. For some families, relocation may be due to a job promotion and transfer, while for other families moving may be due to divorce, loss of employment or other stressful circumstances.…

  9. Families as Partners: Supporting Family Resiliency through Early Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frantz, Rebecca; Hansen, Sarah Grace; Squires, Jane; Machalicek, Wendy

    2018-01-01

    Child development occurs within the context of the child's family, neighborhood, and community environment. Early childhood providers support positive outcomes, not only for the children with whom they directly work with but also for their families. Families of children with developmental delays often experience unique challenges. A family…

  10. Deconstructing family meals: Do family structure, gender and employment status influence the odds of having a family meal?

    PubMed

    Sharif, Mienah Z; Alcalá, Héctor E; Albert, Stephanie L; Fischer, Heidi

    2017-07-01

    We assessed the odds of having a family dinner by parental gender, family structure and parental employment. This study used data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) (2006-2008). Multivariate analyses assessed the odds of two outcomes among parents: 1) eating at all with children and 2) having a family dinner. Single men had lower odds of eating at all with children and eating a family dinner in comparison to partnered/married males. Partnered/married women had increased odds of eating at all with children and eating a family dinner compared to their partnered/married male counterparts. While single women had increased odds of eating at all with children compared to partnered/married males, no difference was detected in the odds of having a family dinner. Among dual-headed households, women had lower odds of eating a family dinner when both parents were employed compared a dual-headed household with employed male/non-employed female. There were no differences among men regardless of their employment status or that of their partner/spouse. Family structure, parental gender and employment status all influence the odds of having a family dinner. Future research on family meals should consider all of these factors to better understand trends and disparities across household compositions. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  11. Strengthening Family Practices for Latino Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chartier, Karen G.; Negroni, Lirio K.; Hesselbrock, Michie N.

    2010-01-01

    This study examined the effectiveness of a culturally adapted Strengthening Families Program (SFP) for Latinos to reduce risks for alcohol and drug use in children. Latino families, predominantly Puerto Rican, with a 9- to 12-year-old child and a parent(s) with a substance abuse problem participated in the study. Pre- and post-tests were conducted…

  12. Prenatal family support, postnatal family support and postpartum depression.

    PubMed

    Xie, Ri-Hua; Yang, Jianzhou; Liao, Shunping; Xie, Haiyan; Walker, Mark; Wen, Shi Wu

    2010-08-01

    Inadequate social support is an important determinant of postpartum depression (PPD). Social support for pregnant women consists of supports from various sources and can be measured at different gestation periods. Differentiating the effects of social support from different sources and measured at different gestation periods may have important implications in the prevention of PPD. In the family centred Chinese culture, family support is likely to be one of the most important components in social support. The aim of this study was to assess the association of prenatal family support and postnatal family support with PPD. A prospective cohort study was conducted between February and September 2007 in Hunan, China. Family support was measured with social support rating scale at 30-32 weeks of gestation (prenatal support) and again at 2 weeks of postpartum visit (postnatal support). PPD was defined as Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score > or =13. A total of 534 pregnant women were included, and among them, 103 (19.3%) scored 13 or more on the EPDS. PPD was 19.4% in the lowest tertile versus 18.4% in the highest quartile (adjusted odds ratio: 1.04, 95% confidence interval 0.60, 1.80) for prenatal support from all family members, and PPD was 39.8% in the lowest tertile versus 9.6% in the highest tertile (adjusted odds ratio: 4.4, 95% confidence interval 2.3, 8.4) for postnatal support from all family members. Among family members, support from husband had the largest impact on the risk of developing PPD. Lack of postnatal family support, especially the support from husband, is an important risk factor of PPD.

  13. Hemorrhagic cystitis in children undergoing bone marrow transplantation: a putative role for simian virus 40.

    PubMed

    Comar, Manola; D'Agaro, Pierlanfranco; Andolina, Marino; Maximova, Natasha; Martini, Fernanda; Tognon, Mauro; Campello, Cesare

    2004-08-27

    Late-onset hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) is a well-known severe complication of bone marrow transplantation (BMT), both in adults and in children. Protracted postengraftment HC is associated with graft-versus-host disease and viral infections, mainly caused by BK virus (BKV) or adenovirus (AV). This study investigated whether simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA sequences can be detected in specimens from pediatric patients affected by severe postengraftment HC. The clinical diagnosis of HC was made in 7 of 28 BMT children. DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and urine sediment cells and supernatants was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), AV, BKV, JC virus (JCV), and SV40. DNA filter hybridization and sequencing was carried out in SV40-positive samples. SV40 footprints were detected in two of seven cases of HC. Specific SV40 DNA sequences were detected by PCR and by filter hybridization both in urine and in PBMC samples at the HC onset and during the follow-up. The DNA sequencing proved that the amplicons belonged to the SV40 wild-type. Urine samples of the two HC cases tested negative by cell cultures, PCR, or both for HCMV, BKV, JCV, and AV. The detection of SV40 DNA sequences suggest that this simian polyomavirus could be involved, at least in some cases, in the HC occurring in children after BMT.

  14. Cellular immunotherapy for patients with reactivation of JC and BK polyomaviruses after transplantation.

    PubMed

    Mani, Jiju; Jin, Nan; Schmitt, Michael

    2014-10-01

    Immunosuppression of patients after hematopoietic stem cell or kidney transplantation potentially leads to reactivation of JC and BK polyomaviruses. In hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, the reactivation rate of BKV can be up to 60%, resulting in severe complications of the urogenital tract, particularly hemorrhagic cystitis and renal dysfunction. After kidney transplantation, BKV reactivation can cause a loss of the graft. JCV can cause progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, a lethal disease. Adoptive transfer of donor-derived polyomavirus-specific T cells is an attractive and promising treatment that restores virus-specific cellular immunity. Pioneering work in the early 1990s on the reconstitution of cellular immunity against cytomegalovirus and recent development in the field of monitoring and isolation of antigen-specific T cells paved the way toward a personalized T-cell therapy. Multimer technology and magnetic beads are available to produce untouched T cells in a single-step, good manufacturing practice-compliant procedure. Another exciting aspect of T-cell therapy against polyomaviruses is the fact that both JCV and BKV can be targeted simultaneously because of their high sequence homology. Finally, "designer T cells" can be redirected to recognize polyomavirus antigens with high-affinity T-cell receptors. This review summarizes the state-of-the art technologies and gives an outlook of future developments in the field. Copyright © 2014 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

    PubMed

    Macneil, Adam; Nichol, Stuart T; Spiropoulou, Christina F

    2011-12-01

    Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a severe disease characterized by a rapid onset of pulmonary edema followed by respiratory failure and cardiogenic shock. The HPS associated viruses are members of the genus Hantavirus, family Bunyaviridae. Hantaviruses have a worldwide distribution and are broadly split into the New World hantaviruses, which includes those causing HPS, and the Old World hantaviruses [including the prototype Hantaan virus (HTNV)], which are associated with a different disease, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Sin Nombre virus (SNV) and Andes virus (ANDV) are the most common causes of HPS in North and South America, respectively. Case fatality of HPS is approximately 40%. Pathogenic New World hantaviruses infect the lung microvascular endothelium without causing any virus induced cytopathic effect. However, virus infection results in microvascular leakage, which is the hallmark of HPS. This article briefly reviews the knowledge on HPS-associated hantaviruses accumulated since their discovery, less than 20 years ago. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Dual functions of Rift Valley fever virus NSs protein: inhibition of host mRNA transcription and post-transcriptional downregulation of protein kinase PKR.

    PubMed

    Ikegami, Tetsuro; Narayanan, Krishna; Won, Sungyong; Kamitani, Wataru; Peters, C J; Makino, Shinji

    2009-09-01

    Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), which belongs to the genus Phlebovirus, family Bunyaviridae, is a negative-stranded RNA virus carrying a single-stranded, tripartite RNA genome. RVFV is an important zoonotic pathogen transmitted by mosquitoes and causes large outbreaks among ruminants and humans in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Human patients develop an acute febrile illness, followed by a fatal hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis, or ocular diseases. A viral nonstructural protein, NSs, is a major viral virulence factor. Past studies showed that NSs suppresses the transcription of host mRNAs, including interferon-beta mRNAs. Here we demonstrated that the NSs protein induced post-transcriptional downregulation of dsRNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR), to prevent phosphorylation of eIF2alpha and promoted viral translation in infected cells. These two biological activities of the NSs most probably have a synergistic effect in suppressing host innate immune functions and facilitate efficient viral replication in infected mammalian hosts.

  17. Dual Functions of Rift Valley Fever Virus NSs Protein: Inhibition of Host mRNA Transcription and Post-transcriptional Downregulation of Protein Kinase PKR

    PubMed Central

    Ikegami, Tetsuro; Narayanan, Krishna; Won, Sungyong; Kamitani, Wataru; Peters, C. J.; Makino, Shinji

    2011-01-01

    Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), which belongs to the genus Phlebovirus, family Bunyaviridae, is a negative-stranded RNA virus carrying a single-stranded, tripartite RNA genome. RVFV is an important zoonotic pathogen transmitted by mosquitoes and causes large outbreaks among ruminants and humans in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Human patients develop an acute febrile illness, followed by a fatal hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis or ocular diseases. A viral nonstructural protein, NSs, is a major viral virulence factor. Past studies showed that NSs suppresses the transcription of host mRNAs, including interferon-β mRNAs. Here we demonstrated that the NSs protein induced post-transcriptional downregulation of dsRNA-dependent protein kinase, PKR, to prevent phosphorylation of eIF2α and promoted viral translation in infected cells. These two biological activities of the NSs most probably have a synergistic effect in suppressing host innate immune functions and facilitate efficient viral replication in infected mammalian hosts. PMID:19751406

  18. Temperature-sensitive mutations for live-attenuated Rift Valley fever vaccines: implications from other RNA viruses

    PubMed Central

    Nishiyama, Shoko; Ikegami, Tetsuro

    2015-01-01

    Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease endemic to the African continent. RVF is characterized by high rate of abortions in ruminants and hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis, or blindness in humans. RVF is caused by the Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV: genus Phlebovirus, family Bunyaviridae). Vaccination is the only known effective strategy to prevent the disease, but there are no licensed RVF vaccines available for humans. A live-attenuated vaccine candidate derived from the wild-type pathogenic Egyptian ZH548 strain, MP-12, has been conditionally licensed for veterinary use in the U.S. MP-12 displays a temperature-sensitive (ts) phenotype and does not replicate at 41°C. The ts mutation limits viral replication at a specific body temperature and may lead to an attenuation of the virus. Here we will review well-characterized ts mutations for RNA viruses, and further discuss the potential in designing novel live-attenuated vaccines for RVF. PMID:26322023

  19. Potential for La Crosse virus segment reassortment in nature

    PubMed Central

    Reese, Sara M; Blitvich, Bradley J; Blair, Carol D; Geske, Dave; Beaty, Barry J; Black, William C

    2008-01-01

    The evolutionary success of La Crosse virus (LACV, family Bunyaviridae) is due to its ability to adapt to changing conditions through intramolecular genetic changes and segment reassortment. Vertical transmission of LACV in mosquitoes increases the potential for segment reassortment. Studies were conducted to determine if segment reassortment was occurring in naturally infected Aedes triseriatus from Wisconsin and Minnesota in 2000, 2004, 2006 and 2007. Mosquito eggs were collected from various sites in Wisconsin and Minnesota. They were reared in the laboratory and adults were tested for LACV antigen by immunofluorescence assay. RNA was isolated from the abdomen of infected mosquitoes and portions of the small (S), medium (M) and large (L) viral genome segments were amplified by RT-PCR and sequenced. Overall, the viral sequences from 40 infected mosquitoes and 5 virus isolates were analyzed. Phylogenetic and linkage disequilibrium analyses revealed that approximately 25% of infected mosquitoes and viruses contained reassorted genome segments, suggesting that LACV segment reassortment is frequent in nature. PMID:19114023

  20. Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever.

    PubMed

    Shayan, Sara; Bokaean, Mohammad; Shahrivar, Mona Ranjvar; Chinikar, Sadegh

    2015-01-01

    Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a member of the Bunyaviridae family and Nairovirus genus. The viral genome consists of 3 RNA segments of 12 kb (L), 6.8 kb (M), and 3 kb (S). Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is the most widespread tickborne viral infection worldwide: it has been reported in many regions of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The geographical distribution of CCHFV corresponds most closely with the distribution of members of the tick genera, and Hyalomma ticks are the principal source of human infection. In contrast to human infection, CCHFV infection is asymptomatic in all species. Treatment options for CCHF are limited; immunotherapy and ribavirin are effective in the treatment of CCHF; the efficacy of ribavirin in the treatment of CCHF has not yet been proven. This article reviews the history, epidemiology, clinical symptoms, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of CCHFV, as well as the development of a vaccine against it.

  1. Molecular Assay on Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Ticks (Ixodidae) Collected from Kermanshah Province, Western Iran

    PubMed Central

    Mohammadian, Maria; Chinikar, Sadegh; Telmadarraiy, Zakkyeh; Vatandoost, Hassan; Oshaghi, Mohammad Ali; Hanafi-Bojd, Ahmad Ali; Sedaghat, Mohammad Mehdi; Noroozi, Mehdi; Faghihi, Faezeh; Jalali, Tahmineh; Khakifirouz, Sahar; Shahhosseini, Nariman; Farhadpour, Firoozeh

    2016-01-01

    Background: Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a feverous and hemorrhagic disease endemic in some parts of Iran and caused by an arbovirus related to Bunyaviridae family and Nairovirusgenus. The main virus reservoir in the nature is ticks, however small vertebrates and a wide range of domestic and wild animals are regarded as reservoir hosts. This study was conducted to determine the infection rate of CCHF virus in hard ticks of Sarpole-Zahab County, Kermanshah province, west of Iran. Methods: From total number of 851 collected ticks from 8 villages, 131 ticks were selected randomlyand investigated for detection of CCHF virus using RT-PCR. Results: The virus was found in 3.8% of the tested ticks. Hyalommaanatolicum, H. asiaticum and Rhipicephalus sanguineus species were found to have viral infection, with the highest infection rate (11.11%) in Rh. sanguineus. Conclusion: These findings provide epidemiological evidence for planning control strategies of the disease in the study area. PMID:27308296

  2. Geographical distribution and surveillance of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Iran.

    PubMed

    Chinikar, Sadegh; Ghiasi, Seyed Mojtaba; Moradi, Maryam; Goya, Mohammd M; Shirzadi, Mohammd R; Zeinali, Mohammd; Meshkat, Mohsen; Bouloy, Michele

    2010-10-01

    Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is viral hemorrhagic fever caused by CCHF virus, which belongs to the family Bunyaviridae and the genus Nairovirus. The virus is transmitted to humans via contact with blood and tissue from infected livestock, a tick bite, or contact with an infected person. Since 2000, we have shown the disease to be prevalent in 23 out of 30 provinces of Iran. Among those, Sistan-va-Baluchistan, Isfahan, Fars, Tehran, Khorasan, and Khuzestan demonstrated the highest infection, respectively. Notably, Sistan-va-Baluchistan province, southeast of Iran, has the highest prevalence of CCHF, and has shown to be present since at least 2000. Phylogenetic study of the CCHF virus genome isolated from Iranian patients showed a close relationship with the CCHF Matin strain (Pakistan). Our epidemiological data in the last decade have implied that the severity and fatality rate of the disease has ranged variably in different provinces of Iran. More pathogenesis and phylogenetic studies should therefore be investigated to clarify these differences.

  3. Family participation in intensive care unit rounds: Comparing family and provider perspectives.

    PubMed

    Au, Selena S; Roze des Ordons, Amanda; Soo, Andrea; Guienguere, Simon; Stelfox, Henry T

    2017-04-01

    To describe and compare intensive care unit (ICU) patient family member and provider experiences, preferences, and perceptions of family participation in ICU rounds. Cross-sectional survey of ICU family members and providers of patients admitted to 4 medical-surgical ICUs from September 2014 to March 2015. Surveys were completed by 63 (62%) family members and 258 (43%) providers. Provider respondents included physicians (9%), nurses (56%), respiratory therapists (24%), and other ICU team members (11%). Although 38% of providers estimated only moderate family member interest in participating in rounds, 97% of family members expressed high interest. Family members and providers reported listening (95% vs 96%; P=.594) and sharing information about the patient (82% vs 82%; P=.995) as appropriate roles for family members during rounds, but differed in their perceptions on asking questions (75% vs 86%; P=.043) and participating in decision making (36% vs 59%; P=.003). Compared with family members, providers were more likely to perceive family participation in rounds to cause family stress (7% vs 22%; P=.020) and confusion (0% vs 28%; P<.001). Family members and providers share some perspectives on family participation in ICU rounds although other perspectives are discordant, with implications for communication strategies and collaborative decision making. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. The effect of families on the process of outpatient visits in family practice.

    PubMed

    Main, D S; Holcomb, S; Dickinson, P; Crabtree, B F

    2001-10-01

    Our goal was to describe how physician knowledge of patients' families affects the processes of patient care in family practices. Using a multimethod comparative case study design, detailed dictated field notes were recorded after direct observation of patient encounters and the office environment as part of the Prevention and Competing Demands in Primary Care Study. We identified domains of outpatient visits in which patients were accompanied by a family member or in which family-oriented content was discussed. Outpatient encounters with 1637 patients presenting in 18 family practices in the Midwest were analyzed using an editing style. We developed a typology for ways in which family context affects outpatient visits. Patients were accompanied during 35% of all outpatient visits, the vast majority of these visits involving children. Family history or a family member's problems were discussed during 35% of visits during which no family member was present. An analysis of these "family-oriented" visits resulted in a typology of 6 ways that family context informs and affects the outpatient visit: (1) using family social context to illuminate patient disease, illness, and health; (2) using family to discover the source of an illness; (3) discussing and managing the health and illness of family members; (4) family concern for patient's health; (5) using the family as a care resource and care collaborator; and, (6) giving family members unscheduled care. Family context is an important feature of family practice that influences the processes of patient care. Since family-oriented care is an essential feature of family practice, outcomes of this largely hidden part of care deserve further study.

  5. Family quality of life of Chinese families of children with intellectual disabilities.

    PubMed

    Hu, X; Wang, M; Fei, X

    2012-01-01

    The concepts of quality of life and family quality of life (FQOL) are increasingly being studied in the field of intellectual disabilities (ID) in China as important frameworks for: (1) assessing families' need for supports and services; (2) guiding organisational and service delivery system changes; and (3) evaluating quality family outcomes. The present study focused on exploring the perceptions of Chinese families who have a child with an ID regarding FQOL as well as examining the factor structure of FQOL concept from Chinese families. The Chinese version of the Family Quality of Life Scale was used to survey Chinese families living in the urban and suburban areas of Beijing who have a child with ID. A total of 442 families participated in this study. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the factor structure of FQOL. Multivariate analysis was also used to examine group differences among families in terms of family demographic variables. A five-factor structure of the FQOL construct was found in the Chinese sample, suggesting a similar factor structure found from US families in the literature. Different living conditions (e.g. housing and transportation) tended to affect significantly families' satisfaction ratings of their FQOL. It is also found that family income and severity of disability of the child are predictors of families' satisfaction ratings of FQOL. The preliminary findings of this study suggest a cross-cultural factor structure comparability of FQOL between samples in the USA and China. Results call for further examination of the family-centred service and support as a mediator on the interactive relationship between family characteristics, family needs and FQOL outcomes. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  6. Factors associated with family-centered involvement in family practice--a cross-sectional multivariate analysis.

    PubMed

    Deutsch, Tobias; Frese, Thomas; Sandholzer, Hagen

    2014-01-01

    The importance of a family-centered approach in family practice has been emphasized. Knowledge about factors associated with higher family-centered involvement seems beneficial to stimulate its realization. German office-based family physicians completed a questionnaire addressing several aspects of family-centered care. Logistic regression was used to identify associations with the involvement overall and in different domains: routine inquiry and documentation of family-related information, family orientation regarding diagnosis and treatment, family-oriented dialogues, family conferences, and case-related collaboration with marriage and family therapists. We found significant associations between physicians' family-centered involvement and expected patient receptiveness, perceived impact of the family's influence on health, self-perceived psychosocial family-care competences (overall and concerning concepts for family orientation, psychosocial intervention in family conferences, and the communication of the idea of family counseling), advanced training in psychosocial primary care (PPC), personal acquaintance with family therapists (regarding case-related collaboration), and rural office environment. Increased emphasis on the family's influence on health in medical education and training, the provision of concepts for a family-centered perspective, and versatile skills for psychosocial intervention and inquiry of patient preferences, as well as the strengthening of networking between family physicians and family therapists, might promote the family-centered approach in family practice.

  7. Fostering Family-Centered Practices through a Family-Created Portfolio

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gregg, Katy; Rugg, Mary; Souto-Manning, Mariana

    2011-01-01

    When a child has disabilities, families and professionals must communicate their concerns and goals for the child. Often these concerns are expressed as weaknesses within a deficits-based framework. The use of a strengths-based, family-created portfolio is a communication strategy for reconceptualizing a child from the family's perspective in…

  8. Family-focused interventions and resources for veterans and their families.

    PubMed

    Sherman, Michelle D; Larsen, Jessica L

    2018-05-01

    Accelerated by the decreasing military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, many military members are currently transitioning out of active duty into civilian life. Many of these new veterans have recently experienced combat deployment(s), and some are struggling with the aftermath of combat exposure, separation from family, and reintegration stressors. These challenges often follow these military families as they enter the civilian world, a time with its own major life changes vocationally, socially, and interpersonally. Although numerous resources have been developed to assist service members during their transition to the civilian world, relatively fewer exist for partners, children, and broader family systems. Family psychoeducation is a nonpathologizing, strengths-focused model of care that has documented benefits in the arena of mental illness. This article describes some manualized family psychoeducational programs and online and phone-based resources that may be useful to veteran families during this time of change. The programs and resources described herein are all available for free, primarily online. Because of a wide variety of barriers and limitations for family based care in the Veterans Affairs health care system, veteran families are and will continue to seek mental health care in public sector settings. Community providers can enhance their military culture competence by familiarizing themselves with these resources and drawing upon them in working with transitioning military families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  9. Family resources for families of children with cerebral palsy in Jordan: psychometric properties of the Arabic-family resources scale.

    PubMed

    Almasri, N A; Saleh, M; Dunst, C J

    2014-05-01

    Resource-based, family-centred practices are associated with better health, emotional, and social well-being of children with disabilities. The adequacy of resources available for families of children with disabilities in Middle Eastern countries has not been described adequately in part because of lack of measures that are culturally adapted to be used in Arabic countries. Therefore, this study aims to (1) to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Arabic-Family Resource Scale (A-FRS) on a sample of families of children cerebral palsy (CP); (2) examine the adequacy of family resources as perceived by parents of children with CP in Jordan; and (3) examine the influence of child and family demographic variables on how parents report resources available to their families. A cross-section design was applied. One-hundred fifteen parents of children with CP with mean age 4.6 years (SD = 4.4) and their parents participated in the study. Research assistants interviewed the participants to complete the A-FRS, and family and child demographic questionnaire, and determined the Gross Motor Function Classification System level of children. The principal axis factoring of the A-FRS yielded a six-factor solution that accounted for 67.39% of the variance and that is different than the factor structure reported by the developers of the FRS. Cronbach’s coefficient alpha of the total score of family resources was 0.86 indicating a good internal consistency and the test–retest reliability for the total scale score was r = 0.92 (P = 0.000) indicating excellent test–retest reliability. Child health and family income were significantly associated with the total score of the A-FRS. The A-FRS is a valid and reliable measure of family resources for Jordanian families of children with CP. Service providers are encouraged to use A-FRS with families to plan resource-based interventions in which family resources are mobilized to meet family needs.

  10. Family members' influence on family meal vegetable choices

    PubMed Central

    Wenrich, Tionni R.; Brown, J. Lynne; Miller-Day, Michelle; Kelley, Kevin J.; Lengerich, Eugene J.

    2010-01-01

    Objective Characterize the process of family vegetable selection (especially cruciferous, deep orange, and dark green leafy vegetables); demonstrate the usefulness of Exchange Theory (how family norms and past experiences interact with rewards and costs) for interpreting the data. Design Eight focus groups, two with each segment (men/women vegetable-likers/dislikers based on a screening form). Participants completed a vegetable intake form. Setting Rural Appalachian Pennsylvania. Participants 61 low-income, married/cohabiting men (n=28) and women (n=33). Analysis Thematic analysis within Exchange Theory framework for qualitative data. Descriptive analysis, t-tests and chi-square tests for quantitative data. Results Exchange Theory proved useful for understanding that regardless of sex or vegetable-liker/disliker status, meal preparers see more costs than rewards to serving vegetables. Past experience plus expectations of food preparer role and of deference to family member preferences supported a family norm of serving only vegetables acceptable to everyone. Emphasized vegetables are largely ignored due to unfamiliarity; family norms prevented experimentation and learning through exposure. Conclusions and Implications Interventions to increase vegetable consumption of this audience could 1) alter family norms about vegetables served, 2) change perceptions of past experiences, 3) reduce social and personal costs of serving vegetables and 4) increase tangible and social rewards of serving vegetables. PMID:20452288

  11. Children's Self-Concepts as Related to Family Structure and Family Concept.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parish, Joycelyn G.; Parish, Thomas S.

    1983-01-01

    Surveyed 426 children from intact, divorced, and reconstituted families, who responded to the Personal Attribute Inventory for Children to evaluate their families and themselves. Results showed a significant association between children's self-concepts and both their family structure and family concepts. (JAC)

  12. Comprehension on family-centered rounds for limited English proficient families.

    PubMed

    Lion, K Casey; Mangione-Smith, Rita; Martyn, Molly; Hencz, Patty; Fernandez, Juan; Tamura, Glen

    2013-01-01

    To describe communication with limited English proficient (LEP) families during family-centered rounds (FCR); to examine differences in family understanding of diagnosis and plan by English proficiency and provider and interpreter rounding behaviors. Forty-one English proficient (EP) and 40 LEP parents of pediatric inpatients participated in a prospective cohort study from January to October 2011. Eligible LEP families self-reported a preference for medical communication in Spanish, Somali, or Vietnamese. Rounds were observed; families were interviewed afterward. Parent- and provider-reported diagnosis and plan were compared and classified as correct, incorrect, or incomplete by 3 blinded investigators. Logistic regression adjusted for potential confounders. Fifty percent of LEP rounding encounters involved interpreters filtering information conveyed to families; 43% involved initial medical discussions without families present (vs 12% for EP, P = .002). Providers more frequently provided a plain language summary for LEP families (88% vs 56%, P = .001). LEP and EP families had similar ability to correctly name the child's diagnosis (70% vs 83%, P = .17) and all plan elements (38% vs 39%, P = .88). Results were unchanged after adjusting for parental characteristics and hospital day. Among LEP families, naming the correct diagnosis was positively associated with experience with a hospitalized child (odds ratio 5.11, 95% confidence interval 1.04-24.9) and may be negatively associated with interpreter filtering (odds ratio 0.22, 95% confidence interval 0.05-1.13). Having initial medical discussions without the family and information filtering are common for LEP patients; filtering may be associated with poorer diagnosis comprehension. Experience with a hospitalized child is associated with increased comprehension among LEP parents. Copyright © 2013 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Families and Family Psychology at the Millennium: Intersecting Crossroads.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaslow, Florence W.

    2001-01-01

    Presents a global overview of issues and trends confronting families and family psychologists in the 21st century. Makes linkages to what psychologists can do as clinicians and researchers regarding different problems and issues, each of which is manifested at the individual, family, and societal level. Includes predictions about new and expanding…

  14. Family breakup and adolescents' psychosocial maladjustment: public health implications of family disruptions.

    PubMed

    Roustit, Christelle; Chaix, Basile; Chauvin, Pierre

    2007-10-01

    Recent changes in family structure are associated with an increase in psychosocial maladjustment in adolescents. We examined, from a public health intervention perspective, the association between family breakup and psychosocial maladjustment in adolescents and assessed the mediating role of family-functioning variables. We analyzed data from the Social and Health Survey of Children and Adolescents in Quebec, Montreal, Canada, which was conducted in 1999. Sample-weighted logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the risk of internalizing disorders, externalizing disorders, substance abuse, and alcohol consumption in relation to family breakups and family-functioning variables, after adjusting for socioeconomic factors. All 4 of the indicators of psychosocial maladjustment were significantly associated with family breakup. The association between family breakups and internalizing disorders was mediated by parental psychological distress and low paternal emotional support. Independently, the witnessing of interparental violence was also strongly associated with internalizing disorders. For the other 3 outcomes, that is, externalizing disorders, substance abuse, and alcohol consumption, family breakup and family-functioning variables had independent effects. Family-based interventions and social approaches are complementary support modalities for adolescents experiencing family disruptions.

  15. A discussion of HIV/AIDS family interventions: implications for family-focused nursing practice.

    PubMed

    Eustace, Rosemary W

    2013-07-01

    This article presents a discussion on the role of family interventions in HIV/AIDS disease prevention and care. Although HIV/AIDS epidemic and its impact on the society traditionally has been measured in terms of individual risk behaviours and individual-level HIV prevention, HIV/AIDS family-focused prevention and management strategies are increasingly becoming a priority. However, little is known as to what constitutes a HIV/AIDS family intervention. The search was limited to English and published literature starting in the year 1983 to date. CINAHL and PubMed were emphasized using a combination of text words and subject headings. Cochrane Library, PsycInfo, Scopus, and the ISI Web of Science databases were also searched using keywords and in the case of PsycInfo, subject headings were used. The main keywords were 'nurse', or 'nursing', 'HIV/AIDS', 'family interventions', 'family support' and 'family education', and/or 'family subsystems'. The process of theorizing about 'family interventions' and 'HIV/AIDS-family interventions' is critical for putting forth essential components unique for designing culturally specific HIV/AIDS family interventions. In addition, any proposed design of HIV/AIDS family intervention should consider the impact of HIV/AIDS on the family across the family life span, disease trajectory, and from an interdisciplinary perspective. Training needs of family nurses should be met when designing multidisciplinary HIV/AIDS-FIs. Furthermore, nurses should be proactive in advocating for HIV/AIDS family intervention and HIV/AIDS family policies to improve outcomes in family functioning, processes, and relationships. More needs to be done in regard to research on families, family interventions, effectiveness, and cost of family-focused approaches. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  16. Family Science Night: Changing Perceptions One Family at a Time

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pesnell, W. D.; Drobnes, E.; Mitchell, S.; Colina-Trujillo, M.

    2007-01-01

    If students are not encouraged to succeed in science, mathematics, and technology classes at school, efforts to improve the quality of content and teaching in these subjects may be futile. Parents and families are in a unique position to encourage children to enroll and achieve in these classes. The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Family Science Night program invites middle school students and their families to explore the importance of science and technology in our daily lives by providing a venue for families to comfortably engage in learning activities that change their perception and understanding of science - making it more practical and approachable for participants of all ages. Family Science Night strives to change the way that students and their families participate in science, within the program and beyond.

  17. Family boundary characteristics, work-family conflict and life satisfaction: A moderated mediation model.

    PubMed

    Qiu, Lin; Fan, Jinyan

    2015-10-01

    Although work-family border and boundary theory suggest individuals' boundary characteristics influence their work-family relationship, it is largely unknown how boundary flexibility and permeability mutually influence work-family conflict and subsequent employee outcomes. Moreover, the existing work-family conflict research has been mainly conducted in the United States and other Western countries. To address these gaps in the work-family literature, the present study examines a moderated mediation model regarding how family boundary characteristics may influence individuals' work-family conflict and life satisfaction with a sample of 278 Chinese full-time employees. Results showed that employees' family flexibility negatively related to their perceived work interference with family (WIF) and family interference with work (FIW), and both these two relationships were augmented by individuals' family permeability. In addition, WIF mediated the relationship between family flexibility and life satisfaction; the indirect effect of family flexibility on life satisfaction via WIF was stronger for individuals with higher family permeability. The theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

  18. Are single-parent families different from two-parent families in the treatment of adolescent bulimia nervosa using family-based treatment?

    PubMed

    Doyle, Angela Celio; McLean, Carmen; Washington, Blaine N; Hoste, Renee Rienecke; le Grange, Daniel

    2009-03-01

    To examine whether family-based treatment (FBT) for adolescent bulimia nervosa (BN), which emphasizes family involvement in helping to reduce binge eating and purging behaviors, is differentially efficacious in single-parent families versus two-parent families. Forty-one adolescents (97.6% female; 16.0 +/- 1.7 years old) with either BN (n = 18) or subthreshold BN (n = 23) were randomized to FBT as part of a larger randomized controlled trial studying treatments for adolescent BN. Two-parent (n = 27; 65.9%) and single-parent (n = 14; 34.2%) families were compared on demographic variables, presence of comorbid psychiatric illnesses, and symptoms of BN at baseline, post, and 6-month follow-up. ANOVA and chi-square analyses revealed no statistically significant differences between two-parent and single-parent families on any variables with the exception of ethnicity, for which a greater proportion of Caucasians and Hispanic families had two- parent families compared with African-American families (chi(2) = 8.68, p = .01). These findings suggest that FBT may be an appropriate and efficacious treatment for single-parent families as well as two-parent families, despite the reliance on parental intervention to reduce bulimic symptoms and normalize eating patterns.

  19. Two Paycheck Families: Therapeutic Techniques to Enhance Family Functioning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chambliss, Catherine; Hartl, Alan J.

    American family life is being transformed by the trend toward two paycheck families, yet most people have not been socialized to live in this way, and social institutions have been slow to accommodate the needs of two paycheck families. Accordingly, this paper presents a package of therapeutic techniques designed to help members of two paycheck…

  20. Families, Head Injury, and Cognitive-Communicative Impairments: Issues for Family Counseling.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DePompei, Roberta; Zarski, John J.

    1989-01-01

    This paper calls for the incorporation of family counseling into rehabilitation programs treating cognitive-communicative disorders in head-injured individuals. The paper describes general family responses that may be anticipated when a family system experiences head injury, functional versus dysfunctional family responses to a crisis, and three…

  1. Work-Family Conflict, Family-Supportive Supervisor Behaviors (FSSB), and Sleep Outcomes

    PubMed Central

    Crain, Tori L.; Hammer, Leslie B.; Bodner, Todd; Kossek, Ellen Ernst; Moen, Phyllis; Lilienthal, Richard; Buxton, Orfeu M.

    2014-01-01

    Although critical to health and well-being, relatively little research has been conducted in the organizational literature on linkages between the work-family interface and sleep. Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory, we use a sample of 623 information technology workers to examine the relationships between work-family conflict, family-supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB), and sleep quality and quantity. Validated wrist actigraphy methods were used to collect objective sleep quality and quantity data over a one week period of time, and survey methods were used to collect information on self-reported work-family conflict, FSSB, and sleep quality and quantity. Results demonstrated that the combination of predictors (i.e., work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict, FSSB) was significantly related to both objective and self-report measures of sleep quantity and quality. Future research should further examine the work-family interface to sleep link and make use of interventions targeting the work-family interface as a means for improving sleep health. PMID:24730425

  2. NASA Family Science Night: Changing perceptions one family at a time

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitchell, Sara E.; Drobnes, Emilie; Sol Colina-Trujillo, M.; Noel-Storr, Jacob

    2008-12-01

    Parents and families have the greatest influence on children's attitudes towards education and career choices. If students' attitudes towards science, particularly the physical sciences, are not influenced positively by parental/familial attitudes, efforts to improve the quality of content and teaching of these subjects in school may be futile. Research shows that parental involvement increases student achievement outcomes, and family-oriented programs have a direct impact on student performance. Based on this premise, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center started a series of Family Science Nights for middle school students and their families. The program provides a non-threatening venue for families to explore the importance of science and technology in our daily lives by engaging in learning activities that change their perception and understanding of science - making it more practical and approachable for participants of all ages. Family Science Night strives to change the way that students and their families participate in science, within the program and beyond.

  3. South African Families Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Relationship between Family Routines, Cognitive Appraisal and Family Quality of Life

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schlebusch, L.; Samuels, A. E.; Dada, S.

    2016-01-01

    Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between family routines, cognitive appraisal of the impact of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) on the family and family quality of life (FQOL) in families raising children with ASD in South Africa. Methods: A sample of 180 families of young children with ASD who were…

  4. A structural model of family empowerment for families of children with special needs.

    PubMed

    Han, Kuem Sun; Yang, Yunkyung; Hong, Yeong Seon

    2018-03-01

    To explain and predict family empowerment in families of children with special needs. Family empowerment of families of children with special needs can be explained using the Double ABCX model. Although constant stressors such as parenting stress and family demands can have negative effects on family empowerment, family resources and parenting efficacy can mediate the negative effect through effective coping strategies. A cross-sectional research design was employed. A survey was conducted with 240 parents of children with special needs. Upon exclusion of four responses deemed inadequate to the statistics process, 236 responses were selected for the analysis. Based on the items used in the previous research, we used the scale of family demands 38, the scale of parenting stress 24, the scale of parenting efficacy 37, the scale of pattern of organisation 30, the scale of communication process 16 and the scale of family empowerment 32. In families of children with special needs, parenting stress had a negative effect on parenting efficacy and family resources, namely, pattern of organisation and communication process. Family needs had a positive effect on parenting efficacy. Parenting stress and family demands influenced family empowerment through parenting efficacy and family resources (pattern of organisation and communication process), while parenting efficacy contributed to family empowerment. This study empirically analysed the usefulness of the Double ABCX model in predicting family empowerment. Family resource factors (organisation pattern and communication process) and perception or judgement factors (such as parenting efficacy) were found to mediate the negative impact of various stressors experienced by families of children with special needs. The study findings suggest that clinical practice and management should focus on providing efficient intervention methods to lower stress in families of children with special needs. Reinforcing factors contributing to

  5. Family Policy

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-12-30

    comander in coordination with installation residents, activities, and family support program managers . Unresourced requirements are forwarded through...members and their families in keeping their personal financial affairs in order. The program provides basic money management and consumer education...Directive 1342.16 (references (d) through (f)). 7. Deployment Support. Helps single and married Military Service members and their families to manage

  6. Familial Idiopathic Cranial Neuropathy in a Chinese Family.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Li; Liang, Jianfeng; Yu, Yanbing

    Cranial neuropathy is usually idiopathic and familial cases are uncommon. We describe a family with 5 members with cranial neuropathy over 3 generations. All affected patients were women, indicating an X-linked dominant or an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. Our cases and a review of the literature suggest that familial idiopathic cranial neuropathy is a rare condition which may be related to autosomal dominant vascular disorders (e.g. vascular tortuosity, sclerosis, elongation or extension), small posterior cranial fossas, anatomical variations of the posterior circulation, hypersensitivity of cranial nerves and other abnormalities. Moreover, microvascular decompression is the treatment of choice because vascular compression is the main factor in the pathogenesis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of familial cranial neuropathy in China.

  7. The Influences of Family Leisure Patterns on Perceptions of Family Functioning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zabriskie, Ramon B.; McCormick, Bryan P.

    2001-01-01

    Conducted a preliminary test of a model of family leisure functioning by examining the relationship of core and balance family leisure patterns to family cohesion and adaptability. Hypothesized that core leisure patterns address family needs for stability and facilitate cohesive relationships, whereas balance leisure patterns address the need for…

  8. Measuring Family Problem Solving: The Family Problem Solving Diary.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kieren, Dianne K.

    The development and use of the family problem-solving diary are described. The diary is one of several indicators and measures of family problem-solving behavior. It provides a record of each person's perception of day-to-day family problems (what the problem concerns, what happened, who got involved, what those involved did, how the problem…

  9. Are family characteristics associated with attendance at family centered rounds in the PICU?.

    PubMed

    Drago, Matthew J; Aronson, Paul L; Madrigal, Vanessa; Yau, Jennifer; Morrison, Wynne

    2013-02-01

    The objective of this study was to identify if family characteristics or opinions affected participation in family centered rounds. Observational study of 431 patient encounters on daily work rounds, followed by 100 questionnaires completed by family members of patients in the unit during observation. PICU at a tertiary care, academic, free-standing children's hospital. Patients and families admitted to the PICU during the observation period. None. The most frequent family members present for rounds were mothers (40%). Race, educational level, age of the family member, age of the child, whether the admission was expected, and whether the family member was a medical professional had no association with whether the family member attended rounds. Both family members who were present and those who were not present felt being at rounds would improve the care of their child (87% vs. 100%, p = 0.57). A family's response that they preferred to attend rounds was the only factor associated with a higher likelihood of attending rounds (odds ratio 3.4, 95% confidence interval 1.1-10.8, p = 0.03). Families feel that participating in family centered rounds improves the care of their children. Those that like attending rounds are more likely to participate in family centered rounds, but family demographic characteristics were not associated with rounds attendance. Future studies are needed to identify barriers to family participation in family centered rounds.

  10. Training Patient and Family Storytellers and Patient and Family Faculty

    PubMed Central

    Morrise, Lisa; Stevens, Katy Jo

    2013-01-01

    Narrative medicine has become a prominent method of developing more empathetic relationships between medical clinicians and patients, on the basis of a deeper understanding of the patient experience. Beyond its usefulness during clinical encounters, patient storytelling can inform processes and procedures in Advisory Councils, Committee Meetings, and Family as Faculty settings, leading to improved quality and safety in health care. Armed with a better understanding of the patient experience, clinicians and administrators can make decisions, hopefully in collaboration with patients, that will enrich the patient experience and increase satisfaction among patients, families, and staff. Patient and family storytelling is a key component of the collaboration that is ideal when an organization seeks to deliver patient- and family-centered care. Providing patients and families with training will make the narratives they share more powerful. Health care organizations will find that purposeful storytelling can be an invaluable aspect of a patient- and family-centered culture. Well-delivered storytelling will support quality- and safety-improvement efforts and contribute to improved patient satisfaction. This article provides instruction for teaching patients and families how to tell stories with purpose and offers advice about how to support patients, families, and clinicians participating in this effort. PMID:24355906

  11. Roles within the Family

    MedlinePlus

    ... Adoption & Foster Care Communication & Discipline Types of Families Media Work & Play Getting Involved in Your Community Healthy Children > Family Life > Family Dynamics > Roles Within the Family Family Life Listen Español Text ...

  12. Family patterns and primary prevention of family violence.

    PubMed

    Straus, M A; Smith, C

    1993-01-01

    Although services for victims and treatment programs for batterers have priority in efforts to ameliorate family violence, primary prevention programs are also essential. The importance of primary prevention lies not only in the suffering which can avoided, but also because it is unlikely that sufficient treatment resources can be allocated to match the magnitude of the problem. The latter point is illustrated by the results of a study of nationally representative samples of 2,143 families (studied in 1975) and 6,002 families (studied in 1985). These studies show that a minimum of 16% of American couples experienced an assault during the year of the study, and that about 40% of these involved severely violent acts, such as kicking, biting, punching, choking, and attacks with weapons. These studies also identified risk factors that can serve as the focus for primary prevention, for example, early marriage, male dominance in the family and use of physical punishment. Educational and therapeutic efforts, and economic changes, which encourage equality and which teach the skills necessary for an equal relationship, can help prevent family violence.

  13. Families living with chronic illness: beliefs about illness, family, and health care.

    PubMed

    Årestedt, Liselott; Benzein, Eva; Persson, Carina

    2015-05-01

    Beliefs can be described as the lenses through which we view the world. With emerging illness, beliefs about the illness experience become important for nurses to understand to enhance well-being and healing. The aim of this study was to illuminate illness beliefs of families living with chronic illness. A qualitative design was chosen, including repeated narrative research interviews with seven Swedish families living with chronic illness. Hermeneutic analysis was used to interpret the transcribed family interviews. The result described beliefs in families, both within and across families. Both core beliefs and secondary beliefs about illness, family, and health care were revealed. Illness beliefs have importance for how families respond to and manage situations that arise from their encounters with illness. Nurses have to make space for and listen to families' stories of illness to become aware of what beliefs may support and encourage family well-being and healing. The Illness Beliefs Model provides a touchstone whereby nurses can distinguish both individual and shared beliefs within families living with chronic illness and provide ideas for family intervention if needed. © The Author(s) 2015.

  14. Families and the Juvenile Justice System: Considerations for Family-Based Interventions.

    PubMed

    Amani, Bita; Milburn, Norweeta G; Lopez, Susana; Young-Brinn, Angela; Castro, Lourdes; Lee, Alex; Bath, Eraka

    We conducted focus groups with defense lawyers, clinicians, and education advocates to gather their perspectives on families' experiences with the juvenile justice system. Our quantitative descriptive analysis identified a range of themes such as discussions about the poor treatment of families as well as recommendations for a shifting of power to families. These perspectives may provide insights about the context in which families are expected to participate in interventions, meet probationary demands, and provide for their youth's well-being. The results support evidence gathered from families about the impact of youth incarceration on their lives and has implications for practitioners and researchers working with families whose youth have been incarcerated.

  15. Children's Influence on Family Dynamics: The Neglected Side of Family Relationships.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crouter, Ann C.; Booth, Alan

    The central premise of this volume is that children bring personal qualities to their relationships with other family members that help shape family interaction, relationships, and even processes that family researchers have called "parenting." The chapters address how children's personal qualities make their mark on families in ways that may in…

  16. South African families raising children with autism spectrum disorders: relationship between family routines, cognitive appraisal and family quality of life.

    PubMed

    Schlebusch, L; Samuels, A E; Dada, S

    2016-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between family routines, cognitive appraisal of the impact of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) on the family and family quality of life (FQOL) in families raising children with ASD in South Africa. A sample of 180 families of young children with ASD who were receiving disability-related services in the Gauteng province of South Africa completed a self-administered survey. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the direct relationship between the regularity of family routines and FQOL, and the mediating effect of cognitive appraisal on this relationship. The results suggested a direct, positive relationship between the regularity of family routines and families' satisfaction with their FQOL. Furthermore, cognitive appraisal of the impact of ASD on the family mediated this relationship in a partial manner. A higher frequency of regular family routines was strongly associated with a higher satisfaction level of FQOL. Also, cognitive appraisal of the impact of ASD acted as a mechanism through which the regularity of family routines influenced FQOL. We discuss the research and clinical implications of these findings. © 2016 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Family demands, social support and caregiver burden in Taiwanese family caregivers living with mental illness: the role of family caregiver gender.

    PubMed

    Hsiao, Chiu-Yueh

    2010-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess gender effects on family demands, social support and caregiver burden as well as to examine contributing factors of caregiver burden in caring for family members with mental illness. Providing continued care and support for people with mental illness is demanding and challenging. Findings of earlier caregiving studies on the role of caregiver gender in response to caregiver burden and caregiving-related factors have been inconsistent. Little research has been undertaken to examine gender effect on family demands, social support and caregiver burden in Taiwanese family caregivers of individuals with mental illness. Cross-sectional, descriptive correlation design. Data from 43 families, including at least one male and female family caregiver in each family, were analysed using descriptive statistics, principal component analysis and mixed linear modelling. Demographic data, Perceived Stress Scale, Perceived Social Support and Caregiver Burden Scale-Brief were used to collect data. Female family caregivers perceived less social support and experienced higher degrees of caregiver burden compared with male family caregivers. In contrast, no significant gender effect was associated with family demands. Family caregivers with greater family demands and less social support experienced higher degrees of caregiver burden. The results reinforced those of previously published studies that caregiver burden is highly prevalent among female family caregivers. Caregiver gender appears to be highly valuable for explaining family demands, social support and caregiver burden. Health care professionals should continue to collaborate with family caregivers to assess potential gender effects on available support and design gender-specific interventions to alleviate caregiver burden. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  18. Factors of caregiver burden and family functioning among Taiwanese family caregivers living with schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Hsiao, Chiu-Yueh; Tsai, Yun-Fang

    2015-06-01

    To assess the degree of caregiver burden and family functioning among Taiwanese primary family caregivers of people with schizophrenia and to test its association with demographic characteristics, family demands, sense of coherence and family hardiness. Family caregiving is a great concern in mental illness. Yet, the correlates of caregiver burden and family functioning in primary family caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia still remain unclear. A cross-sectional descriptive study. A convenience sample of 137 primary family caregivers was recruited from two psychiatric outpatient clinics in Taiwan. Measures included a demographic information sheet and the Chinese versions of the Family Stressors Index, Family Strains Index, 13-item Sense of Coherence Scale, 18-item Caregiver Burden Scale, Family Hardiness Index and Family Adaptability, Partnership, Growth, Affection, and Resolve Index. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients, t-test, one-way analysis of variance and a stepwise multiple linear regression. Female caregivers, additional dependent relatives, increased family demands and decreased sense of coherence significantly increased caregiver burden, whereas siblings as caregivers reported lower degrees of burden than parental caregivers. Family caregivers with lower family demands, increased family hardiness and higher educational level had significantly enhanced family functioning. Sense of coherence was significantly correlated with family hardiness. Our findings highlighted the importance of sense of coherence and family hardiness in individual and family adaptation. Special attention needs to focus on therapeutic interventions that enhance sense of coherence and family hardiness, thereby improving the perception of burden of care and family functioning. Given the nature of family caregiving in schizophrenia, understanding of correlates of caregiver burden and family functioning would help

  19. Family.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hurst, Hunter, Ed.; And Others

    1985-01-01

    This document contains the fourth volume of "Today's Delinquent," an annual publication of the National Center for Juvenile Justice. This volume deals with the issue of the family and delinquency. "The Family and Delinquency" (LaMar T. Empey) systematically reviews and weighs the evidence to support prominent theories on the origins of…

  20. Family Relationships and Psychosocial Dysfunction Among Family Caregivers of Patients With Advanced Cancer.

    PubMed

    Nissen, Kathrine G; Trevino, Kelly; Lange, Theis; Prigerson, Holly G

    2016-12-01

    Caring for a family member with advanced cancer strains family caregivers. Classification of family types has been shown to identify patients at risk of poor psychosocial function. However, little is known about how family relationships affect caregiver psychosocial function. To investigate family types identified by a cluster analysis and to examine the reproducibility of cluster analyses. We also sought to examine the relationship between family types and caregivers' psychosocial function. Data from 622 caregivers of advanced cancer patients (part of the Coping with Cancer Study) were analyzed using Gaussian Mixture Modeling as the primary method to identify family types based on the Family Relationship Index questionnaire. We then examined the relationship between family type and caregiver quality of life (Medical Outcome Survey Short Form), social support (Interpersonal Support Evaluation List), and perceived caregiver burden (Caregiving Burden Scale). Three family types emerged: low-expressive, detached, and supportive. Analyses of variance with post hoc comparisons showed that caregivers of detached and low-expressive family types experienced lower levels of quality of life and perceived social support in comparison to supportive family types. The study identified supportive, low-expressive, and detached family types among caregivers of advanced cancer patients. The supportive family type was associated with the best outcomes and detached with the worst. These findings indicate that family function is related to psychosocial function of caregivers of advanced cancer patients. Therefore, paying attention to family support and family members' ability to share feelings and manage conflicts may serve as an important tool to improve psychosocial function in families affected by cancer. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. All rights reserved.

  1. Happiness among Adolescent Students in Thailand: Family and Non-Family Factors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gray, Rossarin Soottipong; Chamratrithirong, Aphichat; Pattaravanich, Umaporn; Prasartkul, Pramote

    2013-01-01

    This paper explores family and non-family factors contributing to happiness among students aged 15-18 in Thailand. Data come from the Social and Cultural Situation and Mental Health Survey (n = 905). Based on regression analysis, family factors are more important than non- family factors in explaining the variations in adolescents' happiness.…

  2. 75 FR 9247 - Single Family Mortgage Insurance Premium, Single Family

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-01

    ... is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal. Lenders use the Single Family Premium... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5376-N-13] Single Family Mortgage Insurance Premium, Single Family AGENCY: Office of the Chief Information Officer, HUD. ACTION: Notice...

  3. Family Counseling Interventions: Understanding Family Systems and the Referral Process.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McWhirter, Ellen Hawley; And Others

    1993-01-01

    This article describes concepts underlying the idea of the "family as a system"; compares and contrasts four approaches to family therapy (those of Virginia Satir, Jay Haley, Murray Bowen, and Salvador Minuchin); and offers suggestions to teachers referring parents for family counseling. (DB)

  4. Families living with parental mental illness and their experiences of family interventions.

    PubMed

    Afzelius, M; Plantin, L; Östman, M

    2018-03-01

    WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Coping with parental mental illness in families can be challenging for both children and parents. Providing evidence-based family interventions to families where a parent has a mental illness can enhance the relationships in the family. Although psychiatric research has shown that evidence-based family interventions may improve the communication and understanding of parental mental illness, there is a lack in this area of research from an everyday clinical context. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Our study reinforces the fact that parents with mental illnesses are searching for support from psychiatric services in order to talk to their children about their illness. The finding that under-age children comply when they are told by their parents to join an intervention in psychiatric services supporting the family is something not observed earlier in research. This study once more illuminates the fact that partners of a person with parental mental illness are seldom, in an obvious way, included in family support interventions. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Psychiatric services, and especially mental health nurses, have an important task in providing families with parental mental illness with support concerning communication with their children and in including the "healthy" partner in family support interventions. Introduction Although research has shown that evidence-based family interventions in research settings improve the communication and understanding of parental mental illness, there is a lack of knowledge about interventions in an everyday clinical context. Aim This study explores how families with parental mental illness experience family interventions in a natural clinical context in psychiatric services. Method Five families with children aged 10-12 were recruited from psychiatric services in southern Sweden and interviewed in a manner inspired by naturalistic inquiry and content analysis. Both

  5. Work, family, and gender: elements for a theory of work-family balance.

    PubMed

    Cantera, Leonor M; Cubells, Ma Eugenia; Martínez, Luz Ma; Blanch, Josep M

    2009-11-01

    Over last century, work was not only a means of economic survival, but also a very strong factor of psychological structuring and of organization of personal, family, and everyday life. The new world of work provides new challenges to the balance of work and family life. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 453 people with the aim of analyzing the relation between variables such as family burdens and domestic responsibilities, and the appraisal of work and family, values involved in work-family balance. The results of this study show that, in the present economic and cultural context, assuming family burdens and domestic responsibilities increases the positive appraisal of work and family, both in men and women. This has theoretical and practical implications concerning the challenge of work-family balance.

  6. Human Service Employees Coping with Job Stress, Family Stress and Work-Family Conflict.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carbone, Dominic J.

    The intersection of work and family life has always been a popular topic of discussion among family theorists. This study examined human service employees in direct service positions coping with work stress, family stress, and work-family conflict. The effects of work stress, family stress and work-family conflict on depression were examined.…

  7. Supporting Family Engagement in Home Visiting with the Family Map Inventories.

    PubMed

    Kyzer, Angela; Whiteside-Mansell, Leanne; McKelvey, Lorraine; Swindle, Taren

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and usefulness of a universal screening tool, the Family Map Inventory (F MI), to assess family strengths and needs in a home visiting program. The FMI has been used successfully by center-based early childcare programs to tailor services to family need and build on existing strengths. Home visiting coordinators (N = 39) indicated the FMI would provide useful information, and they had the capacity to implement. In total, 70 families who enrolled in a Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program were screened by the coordinator. The results of the FMI provided meaningful information about the home and parenting environment. Overall, most caregivers provided high levels of school readiness and parental warmth and low levels of family conflict and parenting stress. On the other hand, many families did not provide adequate food quality, exhibited chaotic home environments, and practiced negative discipline. This study demonstrated that the FMI is a feasible and useful option to assess comprehensive family needs in home visiting programs. It also demonstrated that the FMI provided home visiting coordinators a system to measure family strengths and needs. This could provide an assessment of program effectiveness and changes in the family's environment.

  8. Family Care Map: Sustaining family-centered care in Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers

    PubMed Central

    Ford, James H.; Wise, Meg; Krahn, Dean; Oliver, Karen Anderson; Hall, Carmen; Sayer, Nina

    2015-01-01

    The study assessed sustainability of the Family Care Map, a family-centered approach to providing care for Veterans with polytrauma-related injuries, in four Department of Veterans Affairs Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers. We applied a mixed-methods approach. Staff surveys used standardized measures of sustainability, commitment to change, information, and participation during implementation. Qualitative inquiry assessed Family Care Map implementation and facilitators and barriers to sustainability. Staff sustainability perceptions had a significant positive correlation with affective commitment to change, participation, and information received about the change process. Family Care Map integration into standard practices and use of its concepts with patients and families related to staff perceptions about sustainability. The degree of use and integration of the Family Care Map in traumatic brain injury/polytrauma care varied among the Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers. Some successful sustainability strategies included integration into daily workflow and organizational culture. Examples of sustainability barriers included staff awareness and use and outdated information. Some practices, such as measuring and documenting the use of the Family Care Map in treatment plans, may not routinely occur. The focus on family-centered care will require further evaluation of organization-, staff-, and innovation-level attributes that influence sustainability of changes designed to improve family-centered care. PMID:25671632

  9. Liminality and low-income aging families by choice: meanings of family and support.

    PubMed

    McDaniel, Susan; Gazso, Amber

    2014-12-01

    Through the lens of individualization, aging families demonstrate changes both in family composition and in meanings of family and support. So, also, do low-income families that - in order to survive - choose flexible, sometimes novel, social-support relations, including kin and non-kin: these are aging families by choice. Applying the concept of liminality (transitional states of being) created through individualization, we explored the experiences of close relations in low-income families consisting of aging kin and non-kin members. Qualitative interviews with respondents representing two or three generations of aging families of choice illustrated how these families perceive the meanings of family and social support. We find that reciprocity is less vital to relationships of older with younger members in familial networks than may be expected. Liminality contours meanings and exchanges in low-income aging families of choice such that no matter how tenuous relations may be, they provide a sense of belonging and meaning.

  10. Family therapy and fundamentalism: One family therapist's exploration of ethics and collaboration with religious fundamentalist families.

    PubMed

    Sherbersky, Hannah

    2016-07-01

    What are the therapeutic limitations of systemic psychotherapy when working with families who hold religious fundamentalist beliefs? At a time of debate about religious fundamentalism, terrorism and radicalisation, where do family therapists position themselves when confronted by extreme beliefs in the therapy room? Research suggests that the increase in modernity within our society equates not just with an increase in secularisation, but rather an increase in pluralism. Contemporary models of family therapy pay explicit attention to issues of gender, culture, ethnicity, discrimination and societal contexts. The author, therefore, proposes that family therapists need to examine their position regarding religious fundamentalism in relation to the social constructionist relativist continuum and engage with uncomfortable questions about whether they believe that fundamentalism has essentially pathological roots. This article will explore whether the dualist position within some religious movements set against a more secular psychotherapeutic and psychiatric cultural milieu can invite a fundamentalised response from clinicians. The author draws on her own work with families who hold religious fundamentalist beliefs and enquires about ethics, transparency and collaboration within family therapy practice. This article invites complex ongoing challenging questions and debate. © The Author(s) 2015.

  11. Familial HCG syndrome.

    PubMed

    Cole, Laurence A

    2012-01-01

    An explanation is needed for why some men and women show positive in hCG screening tests when they are not pregnant, do not have cancer and are otherwise asymptomatic. In this study, a total of 10 families comprising 30 persons with a history of positive hCG tests were investigated. Total hCG was measured in serum and urine samples using the Siemens Immulite hCG test. Total hCG, C-terminal peptide determinant, and hCGβ were measured in 96 well plate assays. Twenty-four of 30 family members produced only hCGβ, and hCG or hCGβ missing the β-subunit C-terminal peptide, two rarely detected hCG degradation products as the only source of hCG immunoreactivity. In every one of the 10 families, hCG related molecules were detected first in one member and then later detected in other family members. In 8 of 10 families, all members produced comparable hCG concentration (Cases 1-8). All of the 10 original family members investigated were otherwise asymptomatic, and tested negative in ordered head and pelvis MRI scans and CT chest cancer tests. None had been administered hCG for dietary, anabolic or fertility reasons. Therefore Familial hCG Syndrome, a genetic defect, was indicated in each of the 10 families. In these cases of Familial hCG Syndrome only biologically inactive variants of hCG were detected. It is inferred that in Familial hCG Syndrome, hCG gene expression does not interfere with fertility. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. The Family Relationships Grid: Measuring Family Structure.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Copeland, Anne P.; And Others

    This study examined the Family Relationships Grid (FRG), a new measure of family structure that evaluates alliances, identification, isolation, and the relative strength of sibling and marital relationships. Subjects were 52 female and 35 male adolescents who were recruited through a university course and who each had at least one sibling.…

  13. Development and testing of the Survey of Family Environment (SFE): a novel instrument to measure family functioning and needs for family support.

    PubMed

    Hohashi, Naohiro; Honda, Junko

    2012-01-01

    Hohashi's Concentric Sphere Family Environment Model (CSFEM; Hohashi & Honda, 2011) is a newly proposed family nursing theory for holistically understanding the family environment that acts on family well-being. The purpose of this article is to develop and psychometrically test the Japanese version of the Survey of Family Environment (SFE-J), grounded in the CSFEM, for measuring family's perceived family functioning and family's perceived needs for family support. The SFE-J is a 30-item self-administered instrument that assesses five domains (suprasystem, macrosystem, microsystem, family internal environment system, and chronosystem) and has been subjected to rigorous reliability and validity investigations among paired partners in child-rearing families (N of family = 1,990). Internal consistency reliability was high as measured by Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Temporal stability over a 2-week interval was supported by high (substantial or perfect) and significant intraclass correlation coefficients. The total score for the SFE-J was significantly correlated with the Japanese version of the Feetham Family Functioning Survey (FFFS-J), indicating an acceptable concurrent validity. Construct validity was supported by a confirmatory factor analysis that evaluated the five-factor structure to measure the concept of CSFEM. Results also demonstrate that the SFE-J family functioning scores show no significant differences between paired partners. The SFE-J is a reliable and valid instrument to assess not only intrafamily functioning but also interfamily functioning and, by identifying items/domains with high requirements for family support, serves to facilitate the providing of appropriate support to families.

  14. Family size, cognitive outcomes, and familial interaction in stable, two-parent families: United States, 1997-2002.

    PubMed

    Sandberg, John; Rafail, Patrick

    2014-10-01

    Measures of children's time use, particularly with parents and siblings, are used to evaluate three hypotheses in relation to the vocabulary and mathematical skills development: (1) the resource dilution hypothesis, which argues that parental and household resources are diluted in larger families; (2) the confluence hypothesis, which suggests that the intellectual milieu of families is lowered with additional children; and (3) the admixture ("no effect") hypothesis, which suggests that the negative relationship between family size and achievement is an artifact of cross-sectional research resulting from unobserved heterogeneity. Each hypothesis is tested using within-child estimates of change in cognitive scores over time with the addition of new children to families.

  15. Three Generation Family Households: Differences by Family Structure at Birth

    PubMed Central

    Pilkauskas, Natasha V.

    2013-01-01

    Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study (N=4,898), this study investigates how the share, correlates, transition patterns, and duration of three generation households vary by mother’s relationship status at birth. Nine percent of married mothers, 17 % of cohabiting, and 45% of single mothers live in a three generation family household at the birth of the child. Incidence over time is much higher and most common among single mother households, 60% live in a three generation family household in at least one wave. Economic need, culture, and generational needs are associated with living in a three generation household and correlates vary by mother’s relationship status. Three generation family households are short lived and transitions are frequent. Kin support through coresidence is an important source of support for families with young children and in particular families that are unwed at the birth of their child. PMID:24014117

  16. Family Smoking, Exposure to Secondhand Smoke at Home and Family Unhappiness in Children

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Jian Jiu; Ho, Sai Yin; Au, Wing Man; Wang, Man Ping; Lam, Tai Hing

    2015-01-01

    Tobacco use adversely affects many aspects of well-being and is disliked by non-smokers. However, its association with family happiness is unknown. We investigated the associations of family unhappiness with smoking in family members and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure at home in Hong Kong children. In a school-based survey in 2012–2013, 1238 primary school students (mean age 8.5 years, standard deviation 0.9; 42.6% boys) reported family smoking, SHS exposure at home and whether their families had any unpleasant experience caused by smoking or SHS in the past 30 days (tobacco-related unpleasant experience), and rated the overall level of happiness in their families (family unhappiness). Multivariable logistic regression was used to study the associations of tobacco-related unpleasant experience and family unhappiness with family smoking and SHS exposure at home. Tobacco-related unpleasant experience and family unhappiness were reported by 27.5% and 16.5% of students. Unpleasant experience was more strongly associated with family smoking than SHS exposure at home. Family unhappiness was associated with both family smoking (odds ratio 2.37; 95% confidence interval 1.51–3.71) and SHS exposure at home (1.82; 1.39–2.40). These results suggest a previously neglected possible impact of tobacco use on family happiness. PMID:26580642

  17. Family structure and income inequality in families with children, 1976 to 2000.

    PubMed

    Martin, Molly A

    2006-08-01

    Using 24 years of data from the March supplements to the Current Population Survey and detailed categories of family structure, including cohabiting unions, I assess the contribution of changes in family structure to the dramatic rise in family income inequality. Between 1976 and 2000, family structure shifts explain 41% of the increase in inequality, but the influence of family structure change is not uniform within this period or across racial-ethnic groups. In general, the estimated role of family structure change is inversely related to the magnitude of the changes in inequality. Furthermore, by including cohabitation, I find lower levels of total inequality and a weaker role for demographic shifts in family structure for trends in income inequality.

  18. Familial Pulmonary Fibrosis

    MedlinePlus

    ... called Familial Pulmonary Fibrosis (FPF) or Familial Interstitial Pneumonia (FIP). The most common definition of FPF is two or more primary biological family members (parent, child, or sibling) with the diagnosis of IPF or ...

  19. The role of family institutes in promoting the practice of family therapy.

    PubMed

    Rampage, Cheryl

    2014-09-01

    Much of the development of family therapy as a discipline was an outcome of the clinical, training, and theory-building activities conducted at family institutes around the United States. Beginning in the 1960s, these institutes were the crucibles in which the concepts and practices of family therapy flourished. The author, a leader at one of the largest family institutes in the United States, discusses the role of family institutes in promoting the practice of family therapy, as well as the challenges of doing so. © 2014 FPI, Inc.

  20. The Context of Collecting Family Health History: Examining Definitions of Family and Family Communication About Health Among African American Women

    PubMed Central

    THOMPSON, TESS; SEO, JOANN; GRIFFITH, JULIA; BAXTER, MELANIE; JAMES, AIMEE; KAPHINGST, KIMBERLY A.

    2015-01-01

    Public health initiatives encourage the public to discuss and record family health history (FHH) information, which can inform prevention and screening for a variety of conditions. Most research on FHH discussion and collection, however, has involved predominantly White participants and has not considered lay definitions of family or family communication patterns about health. This qualitative study of 32 African American women, 16 with a history of cancer, analyzed participants’ definitions of family, family communication about health, and collection of FHH information. “Family” was defined by biological relatedness, social ties, interactions, and proximity. Several participants noted using different definitions of family for different purposes (e.g. biomedical vs. social). Health discussions took place between and within generations and were influenced by structural relationships (e.g. sister) and characteristics of family members (e.g. trustworthiness). Participants described managing tensions between sharing health information and protecting privacy, especially related to generational differences in sharing information, fear of familial conflict or gossip, and denial (sometimes described as refusal to “own” or “claim” a disease). Few participants reported that anyone in their family kept formal FHH records. Results suggest FHH initiatives should address family tensions and communication patterns that affect discussion and collection of FHH information. PMID:25730634

  1. A Community-Based Intervention Program to Enhance Family Communication and Family Well-being: The Learning Families Project in Hong Kong.

    PubMed

    Shen, Chen; Wan, Alice; Kwok, Lit Tung; Pang, Sally; Wang, Xin; Stewart, Sunita M; Lam, Tai Hing; Chan, Sophia Siu Chee

    2017-01-01

    Family communication is important to maintain family relationships and family well-being. To enhance family communication and family well-being, a community-based "Learning Families Project," based on the social ecological model was developed in Kwun Tong in Hong Kong, a district with high prevalence of family problems. This quasi-experimental study included two nearby government subsidized low-rent housing estates separated by busy main roads, as the intervention [Tsui Ping (South) Estate] and control (Shun Tin Estate) estate. The main intervention was resident training programs, such as talks, day camps, and thematic activities. No program was implemented in the control estate. Participants in the intervention group received assessments before the intervention (T1), immediately after the intervention (T2), and 6 weeks after the intervention (T3). Control group participants were assessed at baseline (March to April 2011) and follow-up (December 2011 to March 2012). Assessments of family communication (time and perceived adequacy) and family well-being (harmony, happiness, and health) at T1 and T3 were obtained in the intervention group to examine within-group changes. In addition, these differences in outcomes in the intervention group were compared with those in the control group to examine the effectiveness of the intervention. Family communication time and perceived communication adequacy increased significantly in the intervention group ( n  = 515) with a small effect size (Cohen effect d : 0.10 and 0.24, respectively). Compared with the control group ( n  = 476), the improvements in family communication time and perceived communication adequacy (Cohen effect d : 0.13 and 0.14, respectively), and perceived family harmony and happiness (Cohen effect d : 0.12 and 0.12, respectively) were significantly greater in the intervention group, adjusting for age and education, suggesting the intervention was effective in improving family communication and

  2. Familial gigantism

    PubMed Central

    de Herder, Wouter W.

    2012-01-01

    Familial GH-secreting tumors are seen in association with three separate hereditary clinical syndromes: multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1, Carney complex, and familial isolated pituitary adenomas. PMID:22584702

  3. Efficacy of family mediation and the role of family violence: study protocol.

    PubMed

    Cleak, Helen; Schofield, Margot; Bickerdike, Andrew

    2014-01-21

    Family law reforms in Australia require separated parents in dispute to attempt mandatory family dispute resolution (FDR) in community-based family services before court attendance. However, there are concerns about such services when clients present with a history of high conflict and family violence. This study protocol describes a longitudinal study of couples presenting for family mediation services. The study aims to describe the profile of family mediation clients, including type of family violence, and determine the impact of violence profiles on FDR processes and outcomes, such as the type and durability of shared parenting arrangements and clients' satisfaction with mediated agreements. A mixed method, naturalistic longitudinal design is used. The sampling frame is clients presenting at nine family mediation centres across metropolitan, outer suburban, and regional/rural sites in Victoria, Australia. Data are collected at pre-test, completion of mediation, and six months later. Self-administered surveys are administered at the three time points, and a telephone interview at the final post-test. The key study variable is family violence. Key outcome measures are changes in the type and level of acrimony and violent behaviours, the relationship between violence and mediated agreements, the durability of agreements over six months, and client satisfaction with mediation. Family violence is a major risk to the physical and mental health of women and children. This study will inform debates about the role of family violence and how to manage it in the family mediation context. It will also inform decision-making about mediation practices by better understanding how mediation impacts on parenting agreements, and the implications for children, especially in the context of family violence.

  4. Efficacy of family mediation and the role of family violence: study protocol

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Family law reforms in Australia require separated parents in dispute to attempt mandatory family dispute resolution (FDR) in community-based family services before court attendance. However, there are concerns about such services when clients present with a history of high conflict and family violence. This study protocol describes a longitudinal study of couples presenting for family mediation services. The study aims to describe the profile of family mediation clients, including type of family violence, and determine the impact of violence profiles on FDR processes and outcomes, such as the type and durability of shared parenting arrangements and clients’ satisfaction with mediated agreements. Methods A mixed method, naturalistic longitudinal design is used. The sampling frame is clients presenting at nine family mediation centres across metropolitan, outer suburban, and regional/rural sites in Victoria, Australia. Data are collected at pre-test, completion of mediation, and six months later. Self-administered surveys are administered at the three time points, and a telephone interview at the final post-test. The key study variable is family violence. Key outcome measures are changes in the type and level of acrimony and violent behaviours, the relationship between violence and mediated agreements, the durability of agreements over six months, and client satisfaction with mediation. Discussion Family violence is a major risk to the physical and mental health of women and children. This study will inform debates about the role of family violence and how to manage it in the family mediation context. It will also inform decision-making about mediation practices by better understanding how mediation impacts on parenting agreements, and the implications for children, especially in the context of family violence. PMID:24443936

  5. 'You put it all together' - families' evaluation of participating in Family Health Conversations.

    PubMed

    Benzein, Eva; Olin, Cecilia; Persson, Carina

    2015-03-01

    To evaluate the Family Health Conversations from the perspective of families living with chronic illness. This study has a descriptive qualitative design using semi-structured evaluative family interviews and conventional content analysis. The study was approved by a Regional Ethical Review Board. Family Health Conversations were used as an intervention with 14 families living with chronic illness. The outcome measures consisted of evaluative family interviews. Families' experiences of the conversations embraced their structure and the interactions with the conversation leaders. All families were satisfied with the conversations, pointing to the importance of having them early in the illness process. The opportunity to talk with someone outside the family was strongly emphasised as promoting well-being. The experienced significance of the conversations was captured in four categories: creating a whole picture, that is, being given the opportunity to listen to other family members' experiences and fill in potential memory gaps; making the situation manageable, that is, receiving support from other participants in order to handle problems and gain control; facilitating healing, that is, being able to tell their story about what had previously been 'the unspeakable'; and strengthened family cohesion, that is, increased understanding for each other's experiences, thus bringing family members closer together. Most families were partners, which could possibly limit transferability of the findings to families constituted by couples. Family Health Conversations should be offered as a part of standard care shortly after diagnosis and at various transitions in life. © 2014 Nordic College of Caring Science.

  6. Using a family systems approach to investigate cancer risk communication within melanoma families.

    PubMed

    Harris, Julie N; Hay, Jennifer; Kuniyuki, Alan; Asgari, Maryam M; Press, Nancy; Bowen, Deborah J

    2010-10-01

    The family provides an important communication nexus for information and support exchange about family cancer history, and adoption of family-wide cancer risk reduction strategies. The goals of this study were to (1) use the family systems theory to identify characteristics of this sample of families at increased risk of developing melanoma and (2) to relate familial characteristics to the frequency and style of familial risk communication. Participants were first-degree relatives (n=313) of melanoma patients, recruited into a family web-based intervention study. We used multivariable logistic regression models to analyze the association between family functioning and family communication. Most participants were female (60%), with an average age of 51 years. Fifty percent of participants reported that they spoke to their relatives about melanoma risk and people were more likely to speak to their female family members. Familial adaptation, cohesion, coping, and health beliefs were strongly associated with an open style of risk communication within families. None were associated with a blocked style of risk communication. Only cohesion and adaptation were associated with the amount of risk communication that occurred within families. Overall, individuals who came from families that were more highly cohesive, adaptable, and shared strong beliefs about melanoma risk were more likely to communicate openly about melanoma. The fact that this association was not consistent across blocked communication and communication frequency highlights the multifaceted nature of this process. Future research should focus on the interplay between different facets of communication. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. The ideology of small family.

    PubMed

    Lakshminarayana, H D

    1991-01-01

    Data are obtained and analyzed from 4232 rural families of handloom weavers in Karnataka state, India. 60.20% families are small families with 6 or fewer family members, of whom 25% have 3 members. 96.78% of small families have only one occupation. 30.50% of large families and 12.42% of medium sized families have more than one occupation. About 74% of families have income under the poverty line (under Rs 3500/year). 83% of small families are under the poverty line. The dependency ratio of small families is 1:2. 33% of all dependents are found among small families which are below the poverty line. 82% of dependents in small families are in small families under the poverty line. Almost 50% of dependents belong to small families. Small families are found to have slightly lower levels of education, although average level of education is very similar regardless of family size. The findings are used as evidence that small families do not necessarily augment the economy and that economic, educational, and cultural thresholds may be necessary before small family size affects economic development and improves the general well-being of family members. The social system that the small family is operating in is considered an important factor affecting the quality of life of the family.

  8. A Model of Family Background, Family Process, Youth Self-Control, and Delinquent Behavior in Two-Parent Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jeong, So-Hee; Eamon, Mary Keegan

    2009-01-01

    Using data from a national sample of two-parent families with 11- and 12-year-old youths (N = 591), we tested a structural model of family background, family process (marital conflict and parenting), youth self-control, and delinquency four years later. Consistent with the conceptual model, marital conflict and youth self-control are directly…

  9. Parental experience of family resources in single-parent families having a child with cancer.

    PubMed

    Huang, I-Chen; Mu, Pei-Fan; Chiou, Tzeon-Jye

    2008-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the essence of family experiences in terms of family resources and how these assist a single-parent caring for a child with cancer. When families face stresses caused by cancer, they need to readjust their roles, interactive patterns and relationships, both inside and outside the family. During the adaptation process, family resources may assist recovery from stress and a return to equilibrium. Most research has emphasised the support resources available to two-parent families during the treatment process. There is a lack of information on the experiences of single-parent families and their available resources together with the functions and roles played by family resources during the adjustment process. Qualitative. Five major themes were identified: (i) facing the disease with courage; (ii) hope kindled by professionals; (iii) constructing parental role ability; (iv) assisting the children to live with the illness; and (v) family flexibility. The results of the current study demonstrate that single-parent families with a child suffering from cancer employ family resources to assist family adjustment and to maintain family function/equilibrium. These results explain the dynamic interactions between the multiple levels of resources available to the family. The study results provide evidence-based information that identifies the nature of family resources in single-parent families and describes how these resources can be applied to assist the families.

  10. Which family--what therapy: Maori culture, families and family therapy in New Zealand.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Shailesh; Dean, Peter; Smith, Barry; Mellsop, Graham W

    2012-04-01

    New Zealand is a relatively young and small country which has seen steady migration for nearly seven centuries. Despite a long history of rivalry and hostility between Maori and European values, the country has also seen some significant synergism between the two cultures. For the last three decades Asians have also migrated at a significant pace. The country faces the challenge of delivering quality mental health services to such cultures which are bifurcated in being socio-centric (Maori, Pacific Islanders and Asian total 32% combined) or ego-centric (European total 68%). Significant progress has been made in including families of the mentally ill in their treatment and care planning. Legislative requirements have been introduced for the family to be consulted in the treatment of those who are being compelled to receive psychiatric care under the Mental Health Act. Models of family therapy developed through innovation meeting the unique local needs or adaptation of existing models from overseas are being used. An overview of such family therapy modalities is presented.

  11. Development and Examination of a Family Triadic Measure to Examine Quality of Life Family Congruence in Nursing Home Residents and Two Family Members.

    PubMed

    Aalgaard Kelly, Gina

    2015-01-01

    Objective: The overall purpose of this study was to propose and test a conceptual model and apply family analyses methods to understand quality of life family congruence in the nursing home setting. Method: Secondary data for this study were from a larger study, titled Measurement, Indicators and Improvement of the Quality of Life (QOL) in Nursing Homes . Research literature, family systems theory and human ecological assumptions, fostered the conceptual model empirically testing quality of life family congruence. Results: The study results supported a model examining nursing home residents and two family members on quality of life family congruence. Specifically, family intergenerational dynamic factors, resident personal and social-psychological factors, and nursing home family input factors were examined to identify differences in quality of life family congruence among triad families. Discussion: Formal family involvement and resident cognitive functioning were found as the two most influential factors to quality of life family congruence (QOLFC).

  12. Development and Examination of a Family Triadic Measure to Examine Quality of Life Family Congruence in Nursing Home Residents and Two Family Members

    PubMed Central

    Aalgaard Kelly, Gina

    2015-01-01

    Objective: The overall purpose of this study was to propose and test a conceptual model and apply family analyses methods to understand quality of life family congruence in the nursing home setting. Method: Secondary data for this study were from a larger study, titled Measurement, Indicators and Improvement of the Quality of Life (QOL) in Nursing Homes. Research literature, family systems theory and human ecological assumptions, fostered the conceptual model empirically testing quality of life family congruence. Results: The study results supported a model examining nursing home residents and two family members on quality of life family congruence. Specifically, family intergenerational dynamic factors, resident personal and social-psychological factors, and nursing home family input factors were examined to identify differences in quality of life family congruence among triad families. Discussion: Formal family involvement and resident cognitive functioning were found as the two most influential factors to quality of life family congruence (QOLFC). PMID:28138474

  13. Comprehensive Panel of Real-Time TaqMan™ Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays for Detection and Absolute Quantification of Filoviruses, Arenaviruses, and New World Hantaviruses

    PubMed Central

    Trombley, Adrienne R.; Wachter, Leslie; Garrison, Jeffrey; Buckley-Beason, Valerie A.; Jahrling, Jordan; Hensley, Lisa E.; Schoepp, Randal J.; Norwood, David A.; Goba, Augustine; Fair, Joseph N.; Kulesh, David A.

    2010-01-01

    Viral hemorrhagic fever is caused by a diverse group of single-stranded, negative-sense or positive-sense RNA viruses belonging to the families Filoviridae (Ebola and Marburg), Arenaviridae (Lassa, Junin, Machupo, Sabia, and Guanarito), and Bunyaviridae (hantavirus). Disease characteristics in these families mark each with the potential to be used as a biological threat agent. Because other diseases have similar clinical symptoms, specific laboratory diagnostic tests are necessary to provide the differential diagnosis during outbreaks and for instituting acceptable quarantine procedures. We designed 48 TaqMan™-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for specific and absolute quantitative detection of multiple hemorrhagic fever viruses. Forty-six assays were determined to be virus-specific, and two were designated as pan assays for Marburg virus. The limit of detection for the assays ranged from 10 to 0.001 plaque-forming units (PFU)/PCR. Although these real-time hemorrhagic fever virus assays are qualitative (presence of target), they are also quantitative (measure a single DNA/RNA target sequence in an unknown sample and express the final results as an absolute value (e.g., viral load, PFUs, or copies/mL) on the basis of concentration of standard samples and can be used in viral load, vaccine, and antiviral drug studies. PMID:20439981

  14. Acculturation-Based and Everyday Family Conflict in Chinese American Families

    PubMed Central

    Juang, Linda P.; Syed, Moin; Cookston, Jeffrey T.; Wang, Yijie; Kim, Su Yeong

    2016-01-01

    Everyday conflict (studied primarily among European American families) is viewed as an assertion of autonomy from parents that is normative during adolescence. Acculturation-based conflict (studied primarily among Asian-and Latino-heritage families) is viewed as a threat to relatedness with parents rather than the normative assertion of autonomy. Our overarching goal for the chapter is to integrate our knowledge of these two types of family conflict that have been studied separately to arrive at a new understanding of what family conflict means for Chinese American adolescents and their parents. PMID:22407880

  15. Uniqueness of family therapists as family business systems consultants: a cross-disciplinary investigation.

    PubMed

    Lee, Jinhee; Danes, Sharon M

    2012-06-01

    The purpose of this study is to address how the consulting approaches of family therapists working with family businesses differ from those of business consultants. The logic of analytic induction was used to analyze qualitative data from family business consultants with and without training in family therapy. Consultants were asked to respond to two vignettes: one emphasized primarily family system problems, whereas the other emphasized business problems with influencing issues at the family/business intersection. Both similarities and differences were found in reference to problem assessment, consulting goal orientation, intervention strategy focus, consultant role and function, and consulting setting preference between consultants with and without family therapy training. Results indicate that consultants of each discipline provide a unique perspective and expertise that allow them to successfully address the spectrum of issues that family firms face. Further, findings highlight the unique contribution of family therapists to an interdisciplinary consulting team. © 2012 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

  16. Worker, workplace or families: What influences family focused practices in adult mental health?

    PubMed

    Maybery, D; Goodyear, M; Reupert, A E; Grant, A

    2016-04-01

    WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Family focused practice leads to positive outcomes for parents and children. There are barriers and enablers for practitioners being family focused. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Worker skill, knowledge and confidence about family work are the most important factors associated with family focused practices. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Mental health nurses require specific skill training in family focused practices, time to engage with clients on parenting issues and that there are adequate services to refer family members to. Introduction Family focused practice is thought to lead to positive outcomes for all family members. However, there are multiple barriers and enablers in adult mental health services to practitioners undertaking these actions. Aim The aim of this study was to examine the relative importance of worker, workforce and family factors to predict family focused practices (FFPs) in adult mental health services. Method Three hundred and seven adult mental health workers completed a 45 items family focused practice measure of 16 family focused practices. Thesis It was found that worker skill and knowledge about family work and an ability to assess the degree of parental insight into the child's connections to other family members and the community were important predictors of FFP, along with the closely related-worker confidence. While aspects of the worker, workplace and family each contribute to FFPs, this study highlighted the importance of worker skill, knowledge and confidence as central issues for adult mental health workers. Implications for practice Study implications include the need for training in specific FFPs, the provision of time to engage with clients on parenting issues and the need 5 to ensure that there are adequate services for workers to refer family members to. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Shodagor Family Strategies : Balancing Work and Family on the Water.

    PubMed

    Starkweather, Kathrine E

    2017-06-01

    The Shodagor of Matlab, Bangladesh, are a seminomadic community of people who live and work on small wooden boats, within the extensive system of rivers and canals that traverse the country. This unique ecology places particular constraints on family and economic life and leads to Shodagor parents employing one of four distinct strategies to balance childcare and provisioning needs. The purpose of this paper is to understand the conditions that lead a family to choose one strategy over another by testing predictions about socioecological factors that impact the sexual division of labor, including a family's stage in the domestic cycle, aspects of the local ecology, and the availability of alloparents. Results show that although each factor has an impact on the division of labor individually, a confluence of these factors best explains within-group, between-family differences in how mothers and fathers divide subsistence and childcare labor. These factors also interact in particular ways for Shodagor families, and it appears that families choose their economic strategies based on the constellation of constraints that they face. The results of these analyses have implications for theory regarding the sexual division of labor across cultures and inform how Shodagor family economic and parenting strategies should be contextualized in future studies.

  18. Parental Ethnotheories and Family Language Policy in Transnational Adoptive Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fogle, Lyn Wright

    2013-01-01

    Family language policy refers to explicit and overt decisions parents make about language use and language learning as well as implicit processes that legitimize certain language and literacy practices over others in the home. Studies in family language policy have emphasized the ways in which family-internal processes are shaped by and shape…

  19. All in the family: Work-family enrichment and crossover among farm couples.

    PubMed

    Sprung, Justin M; Jex, Steve M

    2017-04-01

    This study expands upon the contextualization of the work-family interface by examining positive work-family experiences within the farming industry. Both individual and crossover effects were examined among a sample of 217 married farm couples. Results demonstrated multiple significant relationships between self-reported attitudes, work-family enrichment, and health outcomes. In addition, crossover effects reveal the importance of individual attitudes (husband work engagement and wife farm satisfaction) for spousal work-family enrichment and health outcomes. Furthermore, individual work-family enrichment was positively related to spousal psychological health and negatively related to spousal physical symptoms. Many of these findings remained significant after controlling for work-family conflict. Overall, our results suggest the potential beneficial impact of the integrated work-family dynamic associated with the farming profession for positive work-family experiences. Implications of these findings, as well as directions for future research, are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  20. Adolescent culture brokering and family functioning: a study of families from Vietnam.

    PubMed

    Trickett, Edison J; Jones, Curtis J

    2007-04-01

    In immigrant families, culture brokering (CB) refers to the ways in which children and adolescents serve as mediator between their family and aspects of the new culture. This study focused on the debate in the literature about whether CB implies "role reversal" in the family and "adultification" of the adolescent or whether CB is better understood as simply one of the many ways that immigrant children contribute to family functioning. Results indicated a mixed picture with respect to this debate. Greater amounts of adolescent CB were indeed related to higher adolescent reports of family conflict, but also to greater family adaptability. In addition, the amount of CB was unrelated to family satisfaction and family cohesion. Secondary questions centered on the relationship of CB to adolescent and parent demographic and acculturation variables. Here, CB was related to parent acculturation patterns but not those of adolescents. Implications for future research on the CB role are discussed. (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved.

  1. Village family planning volunteers in Indonesia: their role in the family planning programme.

    PubMed

    Utomo, Iwu Dwisetyani; Arsyad, Syahmida S; Hasmi, Eddy Nurul

    2006-05-01

    Family planning was once a sensitive issue in Indonesia, but today it is considered essential. This paper reports on a study in 1997-98 of the role of village family planning volunteers and the cadres who worked under them in West Java, Central Java and DI Yogyakarta, in implementing the national family planning programme in Indonesia. A total of 108 village family planning volunteers, 108 family planning cadres, 108 local leaders and 324 couples eligible for family planning from 36 villages in the three provinces were interviewed. The volunteers and cadres have made a significant contribution to the implementation of the family planning programme. They promote family planning, organise meetings, provide information, organise income-generation activities, give savings and credit assistance, collect and report data and deliver other family welfare services. Teachers, wives of government officials and others recognised by the community as better off in terms of education and living conditions were most often identified to become family planning volunteers. Because they are women and because they are the most distant arm of the programme, their work is taken for granted. As their activities are directed towards women, especially in women's traditional roles, the programme tends to entrench the existing gender gap in responsibility for family planning and family welfare.

  2. For love and money? The impact of family structure on family income.

    PubMed

    Thomas, Adam; Sawhill, Isabel

    2005-01-01

    What do the half-century decline in U.S. marriage and the attendant rise in single parenthood mean for the economic well-being of children, especially children living in single-parent families? Adam Thomas and Isabel Sawhill show how differing living arrangements can be expected to affect families' economic well-being. Married-parent and cohabiting households, for example, can benefit from economies of scale and from having two adult earners. The availability of child support for single-parent families and the marriage penalties in the tax and transfer system reduce but rarely completely offset the economic benefits of marriage. Consistent with these expectations, national data on family income show that across all races and for a variety of income measures, children in lone-parent families (single-parent households with no cohabiter) have less family income and are more likely to be poor than children in married-parent families. Cohabiting families are generally better off economically than lone-parent families, but considerably worse off than married-parent families. Thomas and Sawhill acknowledge the possibility that the link between famlily structure and family resources may not be causal. But new research that simulates niarriages between existing single mothers and unattached men with similar characteristics suggests that family structure does affect family resources and that child poverty rates would drop substantially if these mothers were to marry. It does not necessarily follow, however, that policymakers ought to, or even can, do anything about family structure. Marriage is not an economic cure-all for the complex problem of child poverty. It would be a mistake for policymakers to focus on promoting marriage to the exclusion of encouraging and rewarding work or addressing problems such as early out-of-wedlock childbearing. Still, Thomas and Sawhill conclude that a continuation of recent declines in single parenthood, linked most recently to declines in

  3. Strategies for improving family engagement during family-centered rounds.

    PubMed

    Kelly, Michelle M; Xie, Anping; Carayon, Pascale; DuBenske, Lori L; Ehlenbach, Mary L; Cox, Elizabeth D

    2013-04-01

    Family-centered rounds (FCR) are recommended as standard practice in the pediatric inpatient setting; however, limited data exist on best practices promoting family engagement during rounds. To identify strategies to enhance family engagement during FCR using a recognized systems engineering approach. In this qualitative study, stimulated recall interviews using video-recorded rounding sessions were conducted with participants representing the various stakeholders on rounds (15 parents/children and 22 healthcare team [HCT] members) from 4 inpatient services at a children's hospital in Wisconsin. On video review, participants were asked to provide strategies that would increase family engagement on FCR. Qualitative content analysis of interview transcripts was performed in an iterative process. We identified 21 categories of strategies corresponding to 2 themes related to the structure and process of FCR. Strategies related to the structure of FCR were associated with all five recognized work system elements: people (HCT composition), tasks (HCT roles), organization (scheduling of rounds and HCT training), environment (location of rounds and HCT positioning), and tools and technologies (computer use). Strategies related to the FCR process were associated with three rounding phases: before (HCT and family preparation), during (eg, introductions, presentation content, communication style), and after (follow-up) FCR. We identified a range of strategies to enhance family engagement during FCR. These strategies both confirm prior work on the importance of the content and style of communication on rounds and highlight other factors within the hospital work system, like scheduling and computer use, which may affect family engagement in care. Copyright © 2013 Society of Hospital Medicine.

  4. Psychologists and Families of the Severely Mentally Ill: The Role of Family Consultation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bernheim, Kayla F.

    1989-01-01

    The needs of families of the mentally ill are being newly evaluated. While family burden remains a real concomitant of mental disorders, assistance from mental health professionals often falls short of family needs. Family consultation seeks to address these serious family problems. Issues for graduate psychology education are discussed. (AF)

  5. Multiplex families with epilepsy

    PubMed Central

    Afawi, Zaid; Oliver, Karen L.; Kivity, Sara; Mazarib, Aziz; Blatt, Ilan; Neufeld, Miriam Y.; Helbig, Katherine L.; Goldberg-Stern, Hadassa; Misk, Adel J.; Straussberg, Rachel; Walid, Simri; Mahajnah, Muhammad; Lerman-Sagie, Tally; Ben-Zeev, Bruria; Kahana, Esther; Masalha, Rafik; Kramer, Uri; Ekstein, Dana; Shorer, Zamir; Wallace, Robyn H.; Mangelsdorf, Marie; MacPherson, James N.; Carvill, Gemma L.; Mefford, Heather C.; Jackson, Graeme D.; Scheffer, Ingrid E.; Bahlo, Melanie; Gecz, Jozef; Heron, Sarah E.; Corbett, Mark; Mulley, John C.; Dibbens, Leanne M.; Korczyn, Amos D.

    2016-01-01

    Objective: To analyze the clinical syndromes and inheritance patterns of multiplex families with epilepsy toward the ultimate aim of uncovering the underlying molecular genetic basis. Methods: Following the referral of families with 2 or more relatives with epilepsy, individuals were classified into epilepsy syndromes. Families were classified into syndromes where at least 2 family members had a specific diagnosis. Pedigrees were analyzed and molecular genetic studies were performed as appropriate. Results: A total of 211 families were ascertained over an 11-year period in Israel. A total of 169 were classified into broad familial epilepsy syndrome groups: 61 generalized, 22 focal, 24 febrile seizure syndromes, 33 special syndromes, and 29 mixed. A total of 42 families remained unclassified. Pathogenic variants were identified in 49/211 families (23%). The majority were found in established epilepsy genes (e.g., SCN1A, KCNQ2, CSTB), but in 11 families, this cohort contributed to the initial discovery (e.g., KCNT1, PCDH19, TBC1D24). We expand the phenotypic spectrum of established epilepsy genes by reporting a familial LAMC3 homozygous variant, where the predominant phenotype was epilepsy with myoclonic-atonic seizures, and a pathogenic SCN1A variant in a family where in 5 siblings the phenotype was broadly consistent with Dravet syndrome, a disorder that usually occurs sporadically. Conclusion: A total of 80% of families were successfully classified, with pathogenic variants identified in 23%. The successful characterization of familial electroclinical and inheritance patterns has highlighted the value of studying multiplex families and their contribution towards uncovering the genetic basis of the epilepsies. PMID:26802095

  6. Family planning education.

    PubMed

    Hamburg, M V

    1983-02-01

    17 days were spent devoted to the effort of learning about China's educational approach to family planning in the hope of discovering how they are achieving their remarkable success in reducing population growth. As a member of the 1981 New York University/SIECUS Colloquim in China, it was necessary to rely on the translation provided by the excellent guides. Discussions were focused on questions prepared in advance about the topics that concerned the group. These observations, based on a short and limited exposure, cover the following areas: marriage and family planning policies; the family planning program; school programs; adult education; family planning workers; and unique aspects of the program. China has an official position on marriage and family planning that continues to undergo revisions. The new marriage law sets the minimum ages of marriage at 22 for men and 20 for women. Almost everyone marries, and an unmarried person over age 28 is a rarity. The family planning program in China is carried out by an extensive organizational network at national, provincial, and local government levels. Officials termed it a "propaganda campaign." Hospitals, clinics, and factories invariably displayed posters; a popular set of four presents the advantages of the 1 child family as follows: late marriage is best, for it allows more time to work and study; 1 child is best for the health of the mother; one gets free medical care for his/her child if a family has only 1 child; and there is more time to teach 1 child. The state operated television regularly explains the 1 child policy utilizing special films. According to 1 family planning official, "before marriage there is little sex." There are few abortions for unmarried women. Education about sex is for adults, for those persons who are about to be married. There is little if any sex education in schools. Sexual teaching is not generally acceptable, especially in the rural areas. By contrast, in Shanghai the physiology

  7. [Different approaches to the family in the context of the family health program/strategy].

    PubMed

    Ribeiro, Edilza Maria

    2004-01-01

    This study presents the scenario that favored the inclusion of the family as a care focus in public policies. The strategies to interrupt the impoverishment and vulnerability of families in the XXth century occur in a different form, according to different "welfare states" in capitalist societies. However, in view of the welfare state crisis and the increasing costs of public and private services and privates, at least a partial family solution is required in terms of reducing its dependency. The Family Health Program (PSF) put the family on the Brazilian social policy agenda in 1994, reflecting interests from the neoliberal model as well as from solidary social forces. This inclusion generated different approaches, such as: family/individual; family/home; family/individual/home; family/community; family/social risk; family/family. These approaches, due to the lack of a mutual dialogue, end up composing an insufficiently identified picture, thus turning care more difficult. The conditions indicated here should be examined as a way of giving a true chance to the family

  8. Family physicians in Switzerland: transition from residency to family practice.

    PubMed

    Buddeberg-Fischer, Barbara; Klaghofer, Richard; Stamm, Martina

    2011-01-01

    The study is concerned with family physicians in the transition phase from residency to practice. Factors relating to the decision to take up a career in family medicine rather than a different medical career are investigated. Further, incentives and disincentives for starting a family practice as well as factors influencing the decision about practice location and practice model are addressed. In a prospective cohort study on physicians' career development, 88 family physicians and 437 physicians aspiring to a different medical career participated in a questionnaire survey on the reasons for their choice of specialty and career, their mentoring support, and their work-life balance aspirations. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using hierarchical logistic regression and content analysis, respectively. Family physician tutors should actively approach trainees in medical school and residency, pointing out the advantages of family medicine in terms of continuity of patient contact and the wide range of illnesses and patients, as well as the prospect of a work-life balance tailored to personal needs. Unlike other countries, Switzerland started its structured residency-training programs only recently.

  9. The Cooperative Family.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bass, Michele B.

    1989-01-01

    Cooperative learning approaches can create a cooperative family environment, involving positive interdependence and appropriate social and communication skills. This is especially important in families with a special needs child. Activities which can minimize competition among family members include participative rule-making, planning special…

  10. Federal Republic of Germany: family planning, family policy and demographic policy.

    PubMed

    Zuhlke, W

    1989-01-01

    Decades of social change in West Germany and the emergence of an ideology that stresses individualism have altered dramatically procreative behavioral patterns. At present, West Germany is characterized by a low marriage rate (6.1/1000 in 1986), declining fertility (10.3 birth/1000), rising divorce rates (20.1/1000), and increases in the proportion of single-person households (34%). The relationship between family planning, family policy, and demographic policy is unclear and changing. Family planning practice is viewed as a part of comprehensive life planning and is based on factors such as partnership or marital status, sex roles, the conflict between working in the home and having a career, consumer aspirations, and housing conditions. The Government's family policy includes the following components: child benefits, tax relief on children, tax splitting arrangements for married couples, childcare allowance, parental leave, student grants, tax deductions for domiciliary professional help and nursing assistance, and the provision of daycare. Thus, West Germany's family policy is directed more at encouraging and facilitating parenthood and family life than at a setting demographic goals. There is no evidence, however, that such measures will be successful and divergent influences of other policy areas are often more compelling. Nor is there any way to quantify the fertility-costing impact of individual family policy measures. The indistinct nature of family planning policy in West Germany mirrors political differences between the current coalition government, which maintains a traditional view of the family, and the opposition Social-Democratic and Green Parties, which question whether the equality of men and women can be achieved in the context of old family structures.

  11. Families living with acquired brain injury: a multiple family group experience.

    PubMed

    Charles, Nella; Butera-Prinzi, Franca; Perlesz, Amaryll

    2007-01-01

    Although the use of multifamily group work is well established within the mental health field, it remains an underutilised method of treatment for families affected by brain injury. This paper reports on a pilot project exploring multifamily group work with families with a parent with an acquired brain injury. Six families met for a total of 12 sessions over a period of 6 months, with session themes informed by the Bouverie Family tasks model of adaptation post-ABI. The project was evaluated using qualitative and quantitative research methods, with pre, post group and 3 month follow up measures of individual, couple and family functioning. Parents reported generally reduced levels of personal distress at follow up but continuing high levels of marital and family dysfunction. Children were generally reported to be well functioning, although parents were particularly concerned about the impact of family disruption and violence on their children. Families were unequivocally positive about their participation in the group with benefits including reduced feelings of shame and isolation, provision of mutual support, increased understanding of brain injury, sharing of difficult experiences and movement from blame to compassion. Further research is warranted on the specific applications of multifamily group work with acquired brain injury.

  12. Supporting Family Engagement in Home Visiting with the Family Map Inventories

    PubMed Central

    Kyzer, Angela; Whiteside-Mansell, Leanne; McKelvey, Lorraine; Swindle, Taren

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and usefulness of a universal screening tool, the Family Map Inventory (F MI), to assess family strengths and needs in a home visiting program. The FMI has been used successfully by center-based early childcare programs to tailor services to family need and build on existing strengths. Home visiting coordinators (N = 39) indicated the FMI would provide useful information, and they had the capacity to implement. In total, 70 families who enrolled in a Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program were screened by the coordinator. The results of the FMI provided meaningful information about the home and parenting environment. Overall, most caregivers provided high levels of school readiness and parental warmth and low levels of family conflict and parenting stress. On the other hand, many families did not provide adequate food quality, exhibited chaotic home environments, and practiced negative discipline. This study demonstrated that the FMI is a feasible and useful option to assess comprehensive family needs in home visiting programs. It also demonstrated that the FMI provided home visiting coordinators a system to measure family strengths and needs. This could provide an assessment of program effectiveness and changes in the family’s environment. PMID:26681837

  13. 75 FR 17946 - Family Report, MTW Family Report

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-08

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5376-N-25] Family Report, MTW Family Report AGENCY: Office of the Chief Information Officer, HUD. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The proposed... INFORMATION CONTACT: Leroy McKinney, Jr., Reports Management Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban...

  14. [Life lessons of eight families donating organs of deceased family members].

    PubMed

    Avilés R, Lissette; Rivera M, M Soledad; Catoni S, María Isabel

    2014-06-01

    Most organ donors are already death. Therefore family members become an essential link in the final decision for organ donation. To get acquainted about the life lessons of people who accepted donating an organ of a deceased family member. Qualitative research, in depth interviews to eight families that accepted donating an organ of a deceased family member. The interviews were analyzed using the method proposed by Streubert et al and modified by Rivera. The life lessons are described in six comprehensive categories. The painful experience changed towards the feeling that the loved one remains alive. This sensation generated a sense of pride in family members and sensitized them towards the painful experience of other people. Therefore, a desire to help and improve as humans beings was awakened. A compassionate approach towards families donating organs with improve organ donation and humanize the process.

  15. Family Quality of Life of South African Families Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

    PubMed

    Schlebusch, Liezl; Dada, Shakila; Samuels, Alecia E

    2017-07-01

    This article describes the family quality of life among families who are raising a young child with autism spectrum disorder. Survey research was conducted with 180 families of children with autism spectrum disorder who were receiving disability-related services in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The principle measure used was the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale to assess five subdomains: family interaction, parenting, emotional well-being, material/physical well-being, and disability-related support. Results indicated that families felt the most satisfied with disability-related support and the least satisfied with the family's emotional well-being. Family income, family type, and the severity level of autism were significantly associated with how satisfied families felt about their quality of life.

  16. Family Issues for the Nineties.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mirabelli, Alan

    This presentation reviews the characteristics of the Canadian family at present. Discussion focuses on divorce, family structure, reproductive technology, fertility, family size, family mobility, family support, government role, women's participation in the labor force, daily family routines, television viewing, work and the family, the need for…

  17. Oral features of a family with benign familial neutropenia.

    PubMed

    Porter, S R; Luker, J; Scully, C; Oakhill, A

    1994-05-01

    The oral features of three members of a family with familial benign neutropenia (a mother and two children) are detailed. Prepubertal periodontitis, oral ulceration, and angular stomatitis were the principal features.

  18. Corporal punishment in rural Colombian families: prevalence, family structure and socio-demographic variables.

    PubMed

    González, Martha Rocío; Trujillo, Angela; Pereda, Noemí

    2014-05-01

    To reveal the prevalence of corporal punishment in a rural area of Colombia and its correlates to family structure and other socio-demographic variables. A survey about childrearing and childcare was developed for this study, including a specific question about corporal punishment that was developed based on the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS). Family structure was categorized as follows, based on previous literature: 'nuclear family,' 'single parent' family, 'extended family,' 'simultaneous family' and 'composed family.' Forty-one percent of the parents surveyed admitted they had used corporal punishment of their children as a disciplinary strategy. The type of family structure, the number of children living at home, the age of the children, the gender of the parent who answered the survey, and the age and gender of the partner were significant predictors of corporal punishment. Family structure is an important variable in the understanding of corporal punishment, especially in regard to nuclear families that have a large number of children and parents who started their parental role early in life. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Family Counseling Psychology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levant, Ronald F., ed.

    1983-01-01

    Describes programs for family counseling which use psychological-educational and skills training methods to remediate individual and family problems or enhance family life. The six articles discuss client-centered skills training, behavioral approaches, cognitive behavioral marital therapy, Adlerian parent education, and couple communication. (JAC)

  20. Acculturation-based and everyday family conflict in Chinese American families.

    PubMed

    Juang, Linda P; Syed, Moin; Cookston, Jeffrey T; Wang, Yijie; Kim, Su Yeong

    2012-01-01

    Everyday conflict (studied primarily among European American families) is viewed as an assertion of autonomy from parents that is normative during adolescence. Acculturation-based conflict (studied primarily among Asian- and Latino-heritage families) is viewed as a threat to relatedness with parents rather than the normative assertion of autonomy. Our overarching goal for the chapter is to integrate our knowledge of these two types of family conflict that have been studied separately to arrive at a new understanding of what family conflict means for Chinese American adolescents and their parents. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

  1. Work-family fit: the impact of emergency medical services work on the family system.

    PubMed

    Roth, Sheila Gillespie; Moore, Crystal Dea

    2009-01-01

    The stress associated with a career in emergency medical services (EMS) can impact the work-family fit and function of the family system for EMS personnel. Little research has been conducted on how the demands associated with a career in EMS influences family life. Objective. To describe salient EMS work factors that can impact the family system. Twelve family members (11 spouses and one parent) of EMS workers were interviewed using a semistructured qualitative interview guide that explored issues related to their family members' work that could impact the quality of family life. Using a phenomenological approach, transcribed interview data were examined for themes that illuminated factors that influence work-family fit. Data analysis revealed that shift work impacts numerous aspects of family life, including marital and parental roles, leisure and social opportunities, and home schedules and rhythms. Furthermore, families coped with challenges associated with their loved one's EMS work through negotiating role responsibilities, developing their own interests, giving their family member "space," and providing support by listening and helping the EMS worker process his or her reactions to difficult work. In addition, family members reported concern over their EMS worker's physical safety. Implications from the data are discussed vis-a-vis the work-family fit and family systems models. Education, communication, support systems, and individual interests are key ways to promote a healthy work-family fit.

  2. Teachers' Beliefs about Parent and Family Involvement: Rethinking our Family Involvement Paradigm

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Souto-Manning, Mariana; Swick, Kevin J.

    2006-01-01

    This article seeks to provide insights into the role of teacher beliefs about parent and family involvement in supporting or inhibiting parent and family participation in partnerships related to the well being of child and family. The authors aim to offer positive beliefs and strategies for developing nurturing relations between families and…

  3. Strengthening Refugee Families: Designing Programs for Refugee and Other Families in Need.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scheinfeld, Daniel; Wallach, Lorraine B.; Langendorf, Trudi

    This manual details the principles and practices of the Refugee Families Program (RFP) in Chicago and the issues that have arisen in connecting these families to the educational, medical, welfare, and other institutions that can provide the family-strengthening support they need. The approach of RFP is to work with families through their…

  4. Family Resiliency, Family Needs, and Community Reintegration in Persons with Brain Injury

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frain, Julianne; Dillahunt-Aspillaga, Tina; Frain, Michael; Ehkle, Sarah

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of the study was to measure predictors of community reintegration and empirically test the resiliency model of family stress, adjustment, and adaptation in persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The study also aimed to measure family needs by surveying caregiving family members through the use of the Family Needs…

  5. Fostering interprofessional collaboration through a family-centred programme for grandparent-headed families.

    PubMed

    Lee, Youjung; Quranta, Judith; Anderson, Elizabeth

    2017-07-01

    Interprofessional education (IPE) is now widely considered an essential part of preparing professionals to work more effectively with marginalised families, such as grandparent-headed families. This study aims to explore the potential for IPE through a family-centred programme for grandparent-headed families during professional preparation for education, social work, and nursing students to foster collaboration. Using mixed methods with concurrent data collection and analyses, this study suggests that participation in IPE can positively impact perceptions of interprofessional collaboration to better meet the multifaceted needs of grandparent-headed families by increasing awareness and self-efficacy for interprofessional collaboration in schools and deepening understandings of non-traditional families. Implications highlight possibilities for more flexible and integrated professional identities in working with children and their families as well as the potential for future school professionals to embrace more comprehensive services in schools.

  6. [Family therapy of encopresis].

    PubMed

    Spitczok von Brisinski, Ingo; Lüttger, Fred

    2007-01-01

    Encopresis is a taboo symptom, which is connected with great suffering from mental pressure not only for the children concerned, but also their relatives. Family related approaches are indispensable to understand encopresis, because as a result of high symptom persistence and psychological comorbidity in many cases a purely behavior-therapeutic, symptom focused approach is not sufficient, and further psychotherapeutic interventions are necessary. There is a strong temporal correlation between family interaction and frequency of soiling and changes of interaction influence changes in soiling more than the other way round. In a literature review different family relationship patterns and approaches of family therapy are represented regarding encopresis. Meaningful differences for family therapy are represented regarding primary/secondary encopresis, encopresis with/without comorbid psychiatric disorder as well as encopresis with/without dysfunctional family interaction. Distinctions are made between symptom focused, not-symptom focused and combined family therapeutic approaches, which are illustrated with case examples of outpatient and inpatient treatment. Symptom focused family therapy like e.g. externalizing of the soiling is helpful also if no dysfunctional family interaction patterns are present, because all family members can contribute to treatment success according to their own resources.

  7. Family Health History and Diabetes

    MedlinePlus

    ... Risk Test Family Health History Quiz Family Health History Quiz Family health history is an important risk ... Should Ask Your Family About Diabetes & Family Health History Knowing your family health history is important. Here ...

  8. Myth of the Perfect Family

    MedlinePlus

    ... Life Family Life Family Life Medical Home Family Dynamics Media Work & Play Getting Involved in Your Community ... Find a Pediatrician Family Life Medical Home Family Dynamics Adoption & Foster Care Communication & Discipline Types of Families ...

  9. Family Economic Security Policies and Child and Family Health.

    PubMed

    Spencer, Rachael A; Komro, Kelli A

    2017-03-01

    In this review, we examine the effects of family economic security policies (i.e., minimum wage, earned income tax credit, unemployment insurance, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) on child and family health outcomes, summarize policy generosity across states in the USA, and discuss directions and possibilities for future research. This manuscript is an update to a review article that was published in 2014. Millions of Americans are affected by family economic security policies each year, many of whom are the most vulnerable in society. There is increasing evidence that these policies impact health outcomes and behaviors of adults and children. Further, research indicates that, overall, policies which are more restrictive are associated with poorer health behaviors and outcomes; however, the strength of the evidence differs across each of the four policies. There is significant diversity in state-level policies, and it is plausible that these policy variations are contributing to health disparities across and within states. Despite increasing evidence of the relationship between economic policies and health, there continues to be limited attention to this issue. State policy variations offer a valuable opportunity for scientists to conduct natural experiments and contribute to evidence linking social policy effects to family and child well-being. The mounting evidence will help to guide future research and policy making for evolving toward a more nurturing society for family and child health and well-being.

  10. Family Economic Security Policies and Child and Family Health

    PubMed Central

    Spencer, Rachael A.; Komro, Kelli A.

    2017-01-01

    In this review we examine the effects of family economic security policies (i.e., minimum wage, Earned Income Tax Credit, unemployment insurance, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) on child and family health outcomes, summarize policy generosity across states in the U.S., and discuss directions and possibilities for future research. This manuscript is an update to a review article that was published in 2014. Millions of Americans are affected by family economic security policies each year, many of whom are the most vulnerable in society. There is increasing evidence that these policies impact health outcomes and behaviors of adults and children. Further, research indicates that, overall, policies which are more restrictive are associated with poorer health behaviors and outcomes; however, the strength of the evidence differs across each of the four policies. There is significant diversity in state-level policies and it is plausible that these policy variations are contributing to health disparities across and within states. Despite increasing evidence of the relationship between economic policies and health, there continues to be limited attention to this issue. State policy variations offer a valuable opportunity for scientists to conduct natural experiments and contribute to evidence linking social policy effects to family and child wellbeing. The mounting evidence will help to guide future research and policy making for evolving toward a more nurturing society for family and child health and wellbeing. PMID:28176020

  11. Family Needs and Family Quality of Life for Taiwanese Families of Children with Intellectual Disability and Developmental Delay

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chiu, Chun-Yu

    2013-01-01

    This dissertation consists of four related chapters including an introductory overview of all four chapters, a report on family needs, a report on family quality of life, and a summary of implications for the conceptual framework. Chapter 1, the introductory overview, presents background information of Taiwan and describes the family quality of…

  12. Parental employment and work-family stress: Associations with family food environments

    PubMed Central

    Bauer, Katherine W.; Hearst, Mary O.; Escoto, Kamisha; Berge, Jerica M.; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

    2013-01-01

    Parental employment provides many benefits to children's health. However, an increasing number of studies have observed associations between mothers' full-time employment and less healthful family food environments. Few studies have examined other ways in which parental employment may be associated with the family food environment, including the role of fathers' employment and parents' stress balancing work and home obligations. This study utilized data from Project F-EAT, a population-based study of a socio-demographically diverse sample of 3709 parents of adolescents living in a metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States, to examine cross-sectional associations between mothers' and fathers' employment status and parents' work-life stress with multiple aspects of the family food environment. Among parents participating in Project F-EAT, 64% of fathers and 46% of mothers were full-time employed, while 25% of fathers and 37% of mothers were not employed. Results showed that full-time employed mothers reported fewer family meals, less frequent encouragement of their adolescents' healthful eating, lower fruit and vegetable intake, and less time spent on food preparation, compared to part-time and not-employed mothers, after adjusting for socio-demographics. Full-time employed fathers reported significantly fewer hours of food preparation; no other associations were seen between fathers' employment status and characteristics of the family food environment. In contrast, higher work-life stress among both parents was associated with less healthful family food environment characteristics including less frequent family meals and more frequent sugar-sweetened beverage and fast food consumption by parents. Among dual-parent families, taking into account the employment characteristics of the other parent did not substantially alter the relationships between work-life stress and family food environment characteristics. While parental employment is beneficial for many

  13. Parental employment and work-family stress: associations with family food environments.

    PubMed

    Bauer, Katherine W; Hearst, Mary O; Escoto, Kamisha; Berge, Jerica M; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

    2012-08-01

    Parental employment provides many benefits to children's health. However, an increasing number of studies have observed associations between mothers' full-time employment and less healthful family food environments. Few studies have examined other ways in which parental employment may be associated with the family food environment, including the role of fathers' employment and parents' stress balancing work and home obligations. This study utilized data from Project F-EAT, a population-based study of a socio-demographically diverse sample of 3709 parents of adolescents living in a metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States, to examine cross-sectional associations between mothers' and fathers' employment status and parents' work-life stress with multiple aspects of the family food environment. Among parents participating in Project F-EAT, 64% of fathers and 46% of mothers were full-time employed, while 25% of fathers and 37% of mothers were not employed. Results showed that full-time employed mothers reported fewer family meals, less frequent encouragement of their adolescents' healthful eating, lower fruit and vegetable intake, and less time spent on food preparation, compared to part-time and not-employed mothers, after adjusting for socio-demographics. Full-time employed fathers reported significantly fewer hours of food preparation; no other associations were seen between fathers' employment status and characteristics of the family food environment. In contrast, higher work-life stress among both parents was associated with less healthful family food environment characteristics including less frequent family meals and more frequent sugar-sweetened beverage and fast food consumption by parents. Among dual-parent families, taking into account the employment characteristics of the other parent did not substantially alter the relationships between work-life stress and family food environment characteristics. While parental employment is beneficial for many

  14. The Gendered Family Process Model: An Integrative Framework of Gender in the Family.

    PubMed

    Endendijk, Joyce J; Groeneveld, Marleen G; Mesman, Judi

    2018-05-01

    This article reviews and integrates research on gender-related biological, cognitive, and social processes that take place in or between family members, resulting in a newly developed gendered family process (GFP) model. The GFP model serves as a guiding framework for research on gender in the family context, calling for the integration of biological, social, and cognitive factors. Biological factors in the model are prenatal, postnatal, and pubertal androgen levels of children and parents, and genetic effects on parent and child gendered behavior. Social factors are family sex composition (i.e., parent sex, sexual orientation, marriage status, sibling sex composition) and parental gender socialization, such as modeling, gender-differentiated parenting, and gender talk. Cognitive factors are implicit and explicit gender-role cognitions of parents and children. Our review and the GFP model confirm that gender is an important organizer of family processes, but also highlight that much is still unclear about the mechanisms underlying gender-related processes within the family context. Therefore, we stress the need for (1) longitudinal studies that take into account the complex bidirectional relationship between parent and child gendered behavior and cognitions, in which within-family comparisons (comparing behavior of parents toward a boy and a girl in the same family) are made instead of between-family comparisons (comparing parenting between all-boy families and all-girl families, or between mixed-gender families and same-gender families), (2) experimental studies on the influence of testosterone on human gender development, (3) studies examining the interplay between biology with gender socialization and gender-role cognitions in humans.

  15. Patterns of family management of childhood chronic conditions and their relationship to child and family functioning.

    PubMed

    Knafl, Kathleen A; Deatrick, Janet A; Knafl, George J; Gallo, Agatha M; Grey, Margaret; Dixon, Jane

    2013-01-01

    Understanding patterns of family response to childhood chronic conditions provides a more comprehensive understanding of their influence on family and child functioning. In this paper, we report the results of a cluster analysis based on the six scales comprising the Family Management Measure (FaMM) and the resulting typology of family management. The sample of 575 parents (414 families) of children with diverse chronic conditions fell into four patterns of response (Family Focused, Somewhat Family Focused, Somewhat Condition Focused, Condition Focused) that differed in the extent family life was focused on usual family routines or the demands of condition management. Most (57%) families were in either the Family Focused or Somewhat Family Focused pattern. Patterns of family management were related significantly to family and child functioning, with families in the Family Focused and Somewhat Family Focused patterns demonstrating significantly better family and child functioning than families in the other two patterns. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  16. Family Issues

    MedlinePlus

    ... mean that everyone gets along all the time. Conflicts are a part of family life. Many things can lead to conflict, such ... Listening to each other and working to resolve conflicts are important in strengthening the family.

  17. Family Members' Influence on Family Meal Vegetable Choices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wenrich, Tionni R.; Brown, J. Lynne; Miller-Day, Michelle; Kelley, Kevin J.; Lengerich, Eugene J.

    2010-01-01

    Objective: Characterize the process of family vegetable selection (especially cruciferous, deep orange, and dark green leafy vegetables); demonstrate the usefulness of Exchange Theory (how family norms and experiences interact with rewards and costs) for interpreting the data. Design: Eight focus groups, 2 with each segment (men/women vegetable…

  18. A model of adaptation for families of elderly patients with dementia: focusing on family resilience.

    PubMed

    Kim, Geun Myun; Lim, Ji Young; Kim, Eun Joo; Kim, Sang Suk

    2017-07-19

    We constructed a model explaining families' positive adaptation in chronic crisis situations such as the problematic behavior of elderly patients with dementia and attendant caregiving stress, based on the family resilience model. Our aim was to devise an adaptation model for families of elderly patients with dementia. A survey of problematic behavior in elderly patients with dementia, family stress, family resilience, and family adaptation was conducted with 292 consenting individuals. The collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The communication process, family stress, and problematic behavior of elderly patients with dementia had direct and indirect effects on family adaptation, while belief system, organization pattern, and social support had indirect effects. Specifically, family stress and more severe problematic behavior by elderly patients with dementia negatively influenced family adaptation, while greater family resilience improved such adaptation. Interventions aiming to enhance family resilience, based on the results of this study, are required to help families with positive adaptation. Such family programs might involve practical support such as education on the characteristics of elderly persons with dementia and coping methods for their problematic behavior; forming self-help groups for families; revitalizing communication within families; and activating communication channels with experts.

  19. Impact of Family History Assessment on Communication with Family Members and Health Care Providers: A report from the Family Healthware™ Impact Trial (FHITr)

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Catharine; Sen, Ananda; Plegue, Melissa; Ruffin, Mack T.; O'Neill, Suzanne M.; Rubinstein, Wendy S.; Acheson, Louise S.

    2015-01-01

    Objective This study examines the impact of Family Healthware™ on communication behaviors; specifically, communication with family members and health care providers about family health history. Methods A total of 3786 participants were enrolled in the Family Healthware™ Impact Trial (FHITr) in the United States from 2005-7. The trial employed a two-arm cluster-randomized design, with primary care practices serving as the unit of randomization. Using generalized estimating equations (GEE), analyses focused on communication behaviors at 6 month follow-up, adjusting for age, site and practice clustering. Results A significant interaction was observed between study arm and baseline communication status for the family communication outcomes (ps<.01), indicating that intervention had effects of different magnitude between those already communicating at baseline and those who were not. Among participants who were not communicating at baseline, intervention participants had higher odds of communicating with family members about family history risk (OR=1.24, p=0.042) and actively collecting family history information at follow-up (OR=2.67, p=0.026). Family Healthware™ did not have a significant effect on family communication among those already communicating at baseline, or on provider communication, regardless of baseline communication status. Greater communication was observed among those at increased familial risk for a greater number of diseases. Conclusion Family Healthware™ prompted more communication about family history with family members, among those who were not previously communicating. Efforts are needed to identify approaches to encourage greater sharing of family history information, particularly with health care providers. PMID:25901453

  20. Impact of family history assessment on communication with family members and health care providers: A report from the Family Healthware™ Impact Trial (FHITr).

    PubMed

    Wang, Catharine; Sen, Ananda; Plegue, Melissa; Ruffin, Mack T; O'Neill, Suzanne M; Rubinstein, Wendy S; Acheson, Louise S

    2015-08-01

    This study examines the impact of Family Healthware™ on communication behaviors; specifically, communication with family members and health care providers about family health history. A total of 3786 participants were enrolled in the Family Healthware™ Impact Trial (FHITr) in the United States from 2005-7. The trial employed a two-arm cluster-randomized design, with primary care practices serving as the unit of randomization. Using generalized estimating equations (GEE), analyses focused on communication behaviors at 6month follow-up, adjusting for age, site and practice clustering. A significant interaction was observed between study arm and baseline communication status for the family communication outcomes (p's<.01), indicating that intervention had effects of different magnitude between those already communicating at baseline and those who were not. Among participants who were not communicating at baseline, intervention participants had higher odds of communicating with family members about family history risk (OR=1.24, p=0.042) and actively collecting family history information at follow-up (OR=2.67, p=0.026). Family Healthware™ did not have a significant effect on family communication among those already communicating at baseline, or on provider communication, regardless of baseline communication status. Greater communication was observed among those at increased familial risk for a greater number of diseases. Family Healthware™ prompted more communication about family history with family members, among those who were not previously communicating. Efforts are needed to identify approaches to encourage greater sharing of family history information, particularly with health care providers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. [Family dynamics and chronic illness: children with diabetes in the context of their families].

    PubMed

    Wirlach-Bartosik, S; Schubert, M T; Freilinger, M; Schober, E

    2005-01-01

    The present study is based on the assumption of an interaction between family functioning and chronic illness. Using a systemic approach, the intra-familial situation of families with a diabetes-affected child is examined. 44 families were evaluated using a family diagnostic instrument ("Familienbögen") and compared with 31 control families with a healthy child. Furthermore, the study looked at the influence of the level of family functioning on glycemic control, as measured by HbA1c values, and vice versa. Families with a child affected by diabetes showed significantly more dysfunctional domains and higher discrepancies of the ratings in the family diagnostic instrument (p < 0.05). Unexpectedly, no significant interaction between family functioning and glycemic control was found. Poor glycemic control therefore did not have any negative effects on the family dynamics, in fact, the opposite was often the case. Also, the relationship between siblings was judged more positively when one of the siblings was chronically ill (p < 0.05). The results show that despite the fact that diabetes in children may lead to an increase in impairment of intra-familial dynamics, it may, at the same time, offer opportunities for an improvement of family relationships. However, if physiological parameters deteriorate in the child (poor glycemic control), family problems seem to become less important. Success in the treatment of diabetes patients should therefore not only be measured by the quality of glycemic control, but also by considering psychological factors and aspects of family dynamics.

  2. Family Planning & Literacy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    International Planned Parenthood Federation, London (England).

    This publication is an International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) annotated bibliography of books and articles concerned with family planning and literacy. The subject is divided into four major listings: (1) Literacy; (2) Education; (3) Literacy and Family Planning; and (4) Functional Literacy/Family Planning Projects and Programs.…

  3. The family empowerment program: an interdisciplinary approach to working with multi-stressed urban families.

    PubMed

    Cleek, Elizabeth N; Wofsy, Matt; Boyd-Franklin, Nancy; Mundy, Brian; Howell Lcsw, Tamika J

    2012-06-01

    The family empowerment program (FEP) is a multi-systemic family therapy program that partners multi-stressed families with an interdisciplinary resource team while remaining attached to a "traditional" mental health clinic. The rationale for this model is that far too often, families presenting at community mental health centers struggle with multiple psychosocial forces, for example problems with housing, domestic violence, child care, entitlements, racism, substance abuse, and foster care, as well as chronic medical and psychiatric illnesses, that exacerbate symptoms and impact traditional service delivery and access to effective treatment. Thus, families often experience fragmented care and are involved with multiple systems with contradictory and competing agendas. As a result, services frequently fail to harness the family's inherent strengths. The FEP partners the family with a unified team that includes representatives from Entitlements Services, Family Support and Parent Advocacy, and Clinical Staff from the agency's Outpatient Mental Health Clinic practicing from a strength-based family therapy perspective. The goal of the FEP is to support the family in achieving their goals. This is accomplished through co-construction of a service plan that addresses the family's needs in an efficient and coherent manner-emphasizing family strengths and competencies and supporting family self-sufficiency. © FPI, Inc.

  4. Changing Family Forms.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seibert, M. Therese; Willetts, Marion C.

    2000-01-01

    Explores the definition of family. Considers three facets of the contemporary family measured by U.S. Census statistics: (1) marriage and divorce trends; (2) declining fertility; and (3) the rise in single-headed families. Addresses the societal changes (economic, cultural, legal, and technological) that have influenced the changes in family…

  5. Caution: Families at Work = Attention: Families au Travail.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Theilheimer, Ish, Ed.; Eisner, Kathy, Ed.

    1996-01-01

    This publication, in English and French, reports on the work-family conflict in Canada, gauges progress over the past decade, and examines how views have changed. The following articles are featured: (1) "Caution: Families at Work" (Ish Theilheimer), an examination of current workplace innovations, viewpoints of employers and employees,…

  6. Economic Disadvantage in Complex Family Systems: Expansion of Family Stress Models

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barnett, Melissa A.

    2008-01-01

    Economic disadvantage is associated with multiple risks to early socioemotional development. This article reviews research regarding family stress frameworks to model the pathways from economic disadvantage to negative child outcomes via family processes. Future research in this area should expand definitions of family and household to incorporate…

  7. Family accommodation in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Relation to symptom dimensions, clinical and family characteristics.

    PubMed

    Albert, Umberto; Bogetto, Filippo; Maina, Giuseppe; Saracco, Paola; Brunatto, Cinthia; Mataix-Cols, David

    2010-09-30

    Family accommodation is the term used to indicate the process whereby family members of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) assist or participate in the patients' rituals. Family accommodation is a relatively under-researched phenomenon in OCD but an important one because it may be predictive of poor treatment outcome. This study systematically examined several socio-demographic and clinical variables that are associated with family accommodation in a well-characterized sample of adult patients and their healthy family members. Experienced clinicians administered the Family Accommodation Scale (FAS) to 141 psychopathology-free family members cohabiting with 97 patients with OCD. The items of the FAS were first subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) and the resulting domains of family accommodation (Participation, Modification, and Distress and Consequences) introduced as dependent variables in a series of multiple regression models assessing the relationship between family accommodation domains and a wide range of clinical variables, including Axis I and II psychopathology and symptom dimensions derived from the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) Symptom Checklist. The results showed that family accommodation was common, with the provision of reassurance, participation in rituals and assisting the patient in avoidance being the most frequent practices (occurring on a daily basis in 47%, 35%, and 43% of family members, respectively). The PCA of the YBOCS Symptom Checklist yielded four symptom dimensions, which were identical to those previously identified in the international literature. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that a higher score on the contamination/washing symptom dimension and a positive family history for an anxiety disorder other than OCD (referring to a family member other than the participant in this study) predicted greater scores on several domains of family accommodation. Our study confirms that family

  8. Modification of family size in families reporting history of haemophilia from Maharashtra, India.

    PubMed

    Potnis-Lele, Mugdha; Kar, Anita

    2003-04-01

    In India, genetic counselling services are largely unavailable. The question of whether awareness of the hereditary nature of the disorder leads to modified family size in affected families remains unanswered. The objective of this study was to determine whether family history of haemophilia resulted in modification of family size in families reporting haemophilia in the State of Maharashtra, India. The study was a retrospective cohort analysis from pedigrees collected from an earlier survey on haemophilia in Maharashtra. Pedigree data were manually defined into families with or without experience of haemophilia. Family size was defined as the number of live births per woman as documented in the pedigree. The data were analysed using Microsoft Excel package (version 2000) and SPSS package (version 10). Family size of obligate carriers who were daughters of patients was significantly less than the family size of obligate carriers who reported haemophilia in a brother or maternal relative (z = 7.14, P < 0.001). As compared with parents from an older generation, a significant reduction in the number of children born to younger families with haemophilia was observed, irrespective of family history of the condition. In families with history of haemophilia, there was no significant reduction in the number of families with more than one affected son in between two generations of parents (chi(2) = 1.43). The results revealed a reduction in size of families with haemophilia over a generation, which possibly reflected the reducing fertility trends observed in the Indian population. Reduction in the number of children born to women with a haemophilic father suggested a comprehension of father to daughter transmission of haemophilia. This was not true when relatives other than the father were affected. The lack of significant reduction in the number of families with history of haemophilia of having more than one affected son may suggest a compensatory response to the high

  9. Family Caregiver Role and Burden Related to Gender and Family Relationships

    PubMed Central

    Friedemann, Marie-Luise; Buckwalter, Kathleen C.

    2015-01-01

    This study described and contrasted family caregivers and explored the effect of gender and family relationship on the caregiver’s role perception, workload, burden, and family help. Home care agencies and community organizations assisted with the recruitment of 533 multicultural, predominantly Latino caregivers who were interviewed at home. The Caregiver Identity Theory guided the study. Survey instruments were standardized tools or were constructed and pretested for this study. Descriptive statistics and t-test analyses assisted in describing the sample and multivariate analyses were used to contrast the caregiver groups. Findings suggested a gendered approach to self-appraisal and coping. Men in this predominantly Latino and Caribbean sample felt less burden and depression than women who believed caregiving is a female duty. Family nurses should pay attention to the most vulnerable groups: older spouses resistant to using family and community resources and hard-working female adult children, and assess each family situation individually. PMID:24777069

  10. Putting Families Into Place: Using Neighborhood-Effects Research and Activity Spaces to Understand Families

    PubMed Central

    Noah, Aggie J.

    2015-01-01

    Neighborhood is an important context in which individuals and families are embedded. Yet family studies researchers have been relatively slow to incorporate spatial approaches into family science. Although limited theoretical and methodological attention has been devoted to families in neighborhood-effects research, family scholars can contribute greatly to theories about neighborhood effects, and neighborhood-effects research can help move the field of family studies forward. This article reviews the theories, applications, and limitations of research on neighborhood effects and discusses how family studies can benefit from incorporating a spatial perspective from neighborhood-effects research. I then present an innovative methodology—referred to as activity spaces—emerging in neighborhood-effects research, and I discuss how this approach can be used to better understand the complexity and heterogeneity of families. Last, I highlight ways to incorporate space into family studies by “putting families into place.” PMID:26681979

  11. FAMILY PYRGOTIDAE.

    PubMed

    Mello, Ramon Luciano; Lamas, Carlos José Einicker

    2016-06-14

    Pyrgotidae is a family of endoparasitics flies of beetles with worldwide distribution. The Neotropical fauna is composed by 59 valid species names disposed in 13 genera. The occurrence of Pyrgota longipes Hendel is the first record of the family in Colombia.

  12. Family caring strategies in neutropenia.

    PubMed

    Eggenberger, Sandra K; Krumwiede, Norma; Meiers, Sonja J; Bliesmer, Mary; Earle, Patricia

    2004-12-01

    Aggressive chemotherapy protocols result in neutropenia in approximately half of all patients receiving chemotherapy. Thus, neutropenia continues to be a significant and potentially life-threatening side effect of treatment, even with use of colony-stimulating factors. Families of patients with neutropenia often provide the primary healing environment because most chemotherapy protocols are managed on an outpatient basis. To learn about the family's experience of managing chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN), a grounded-theory methodology was used to analyze data from seven families. The central theme revealed by these families was "turbulent waiting with intensified connections." This meant that when families had a sense of greater vulnerability in response to the waiting after diagnosis of CIN, they connected intensely with each other and healthcare providers. Families reported that connections with nurses became more significant when neutropenia interrupted chemotherapy. Families also developed family caring strategies to manage this period of waiting for the chemotherapy to resume. These strategies included family inquiry, family vigilance, and family balancing. Nurses need to be aware of approaches to support the family's ability to manage CIN. Interventions and approaches constructed from the perspective of a family-professional partnership will enhance the family cancer experience as well as ongoing family growth and function.

  13. Autosomal-dominant familial angiolipomatosis.

    PubMed

    Garib, George; Siegal, Gene P; Andea, Aleodor A

    2015-01-01

    Angiolipomas are among the most common benign soft-tissue tumors and usually present as solitary nodules; however, angiolipomas also may present as multiple subcutaneous nodules, typically on the arms and trunk of young men. Although multiple angiolipomas most often occur sporadically, a family history can be identified in a minority of cases. Familial angiolipomatosis is a rare condition with an autosomal-recessive transmission pattern that is characterized by multiple subcutaneous tumors and a family history of similar lesions, which are not associated with malignant neoplasms. We report a case of familial angiolipomatosis with an unusual autosomal-dominant transmission pattern. Our patient presented with multiple angiolipomas that were highly suggestive of familial angiolipomatosis transmitted in an autosomal-dominant fashion, as he had several family members with a history of similar fatty tumors. Autosomal-dominant familial angiolipomatosis may be misdiagnosed as neurofibromatosis type I. Therefore, in cases of multiple subcutaneous tumors and a family history of similar lesions, histologic examination is important to establish the correct diagnosis.

  14. The "Incestuous Family" Revisited: A Critical Analysis of Family Therapy Myths.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    James, Kerrie; MacKinnon, Laurie

    1990-01-01

    Critiques family therapy literature concerning incest. Identifies pervasive myths claiming that (1) fathers and mothers are pathologically disturbed or inadequate; (2) incest is caused by separation and loss; (3) family isolation or a rigid external boundary explains incest; and (4) incest serves a function in maintaining family organization.…

  15. Where Do We Start? Using Family Navigation to Help Underserved Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blenner, Stephanie; Fernández, Ivys; Giron, Adriana; Grossman, Xena; Augustyn, Marilyn

    2014-01-01

    The period of time after a child is identified with a developmental or mental health condition can be highly challenging. This is particularly true for diverse, underserved families who may face competing concerns related to poverty, culture, language, immigration, and family issues. Likewise, clinicians working with underserved families may…

  16. Spousal Support and Work--Family Balance in Launching a Family Business

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gudmunson, Clinton G.; Danes, Sharon M.; Werbel, James D.; Loy, Johnben Teik-Cheok

    2009-01-01

    This study examines whether emotional spousal support contributes to business owners' perceived work-family balance while launching a family business. Hobfoll's Conservation of Resources theory of stress is applied to 109 family business owners and their spouses. Results from structural equation models support several hypotheses. First, reports of…

  17. Family Matters: An Investigation of Family Coursework in School Counseling Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Joe, J. Richelle; Harris, Pamela N.

    2016-01-01

    School counselors are expected to form collaborative relationships with the families of students. Yet, school counselors have limited knowledge about families to form these partnerships, as a descriptive content analysis of the family coursework requirements in CACREP-accredited school counseling programs in the southern region revealed that most…

  18. Family Policy: Government and Families in Fourteen Countries.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kamerman, Sheila B., Ed.; Kahn, Alfred J., Ed.

    This collection of articles by scholars and policy makers from 14 countries presents multidisciplinary perspectives on the formation of national policy on families. Central topics common to many of the articles include: (1) the differences between policies aimed at affecting the family and policies which have other aims but which do influence the…

  19. White House Conference on Families: Work and Families.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    J.C. Penney Co., Inc., New York, NY.

    This report on the White House Conference on Families (WHCF) was prepared by the J.C. Penney Company for corporate leaders. Background information on the WHCF, issues related to families and work, a depiction of the changing work force, and policy recommendations are included in the report. Recommendations focus on flextime, flexible leave…

  20. Positive parenting, family cohesion, and child social competence among immigrant Latino families.

    PubMed

    Leidy, Melinda S; Guerra, Nancy G; Toro, Rosa I

    2010-06-01

    The relation between positive parenting, family cohesion, and child social competence was examined among Latino families (predominantly from Mexico) who were recent immigrants to the United States. A mixed method study was conducted, including both pre- and post-test self-reported surveys (9-month interval) and qualitative data from focus groups. A total of 282 parents and 282 children (ages 9-12) participated in the survey study. Results at post-test follow-up indicated that family cohesion predicted improvements in child social problem-solving skills and social self-efficacy, and positive parenting predicted improvements in child social self-efficacy. A total of 12 mothers participated in the focus group study that was designed to explore barriers to positive parenting and family cohesion in this population. Results from focus groups revealed four major themes impacting parenting and family cohesion: (a) acculturation differences between parents and children and the resulting power imbalance; (b) difficulty getting involved in their child's education; (c) loss of extended family; and (d) discrimination against immigrants and legal status. The implications for family support programs for immigrant Latino families and their children are discussed. (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

  1. Delimiting family in syntheses of research on childhood chronic conditions and family life.

    PubMed

    Knafl, Kathleen; Leeman, Jennifer; Havill, Nancy; Crandell, Jamie; Sandelowski, Margarete

    2015-03-01

    Synthesis of family research presents unique challenges to investigators who must delimit what will be included as a family study in the proposed review. In this paper, the authors discuss the conceptual and pragmatic challenges of conducting systematic reviews of the literature on the intersection between family life and childhood chronic conditions. A proposed framework for delimiting the family domain of interest is presented. The framework addresses both topical salience and level of relevance and provides direction to future researchers, with the goal of supporting the overall quality of family research synthesis efforts. For users of synthesis studies, knowledge of how investigators conceptualize the boundaries of family research is important contextual information for understanding the limits and applicability of the results. © 2014 Family Process Institute.

  2. Put the Family Back in Family Health History: A Multiple-Informant Approach.

    PubMed

    Lin, Jielu; Marcum, Christopher S; Myers, Melanie F; Koehly, Laura M

    2017-05-01

    An accurate family health history is essential for individual risk assessment. This study uses a multiple-informant approach to examine whether family members have consistent perceptions of shared familial risk for four common chronic conditions (heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension) and whether accounting for inconsistency in family health history reports leads to more accurate risk assessment. In 2012-2013, individual and family health histories were collected from 127 adult informants of 45 families in the Greater Cincinnati Area. Pedigrees were linked within each family to assess inter-informant (in)consistency regarding common biological family member's health history. An adjusted risk assessment based on pooled pedigrees of multiple informants was evaluated to determine whether it could more accurately identify individuals affected by common chronic conditions, using self-reported disease diagnoses as a validation criterion. Analysis was completed in 2015-2016. Inter-informant consistency in family health history reports was 54% for heart disease, 61% for Type 2 diabetes, 43% for high cholesterol, and 41% for hypertension. Compared with the unadjusted risk assessment, the adjusted risk assessment correctly identified an additional 7%-13% of the individuals who had been diagnosed, with a ≤2% increase in cases that were predicted to be at risk but had not been diagnosed. Considerable inconsistency exists in individual knowledge of their family health history. Accounting for such inconsistency can, nevertheless, lead to a more accurate genetic risk assessment tool. A multiple-informant approach is potentially powerful when coupled with technology to support clinical decisions. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  3. Family Life.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naturescope, 1986

    1986-01-01

    Focuses on various aspects of mammal family life ranging from ways different species are born to how different mammals are raised. Learning activities include making butter from cream, creating birth announcements for mammals, and playing a password game on family life. (ML)

  4. Patterns of Family Management of Childhood Chronic Conditions and Their Relationship to Child and Family Functioning

    PubMed Central

    Knafl, Kathleen A.; Deatrick, Janet A.; Knafl, George J.; Gallo, Agatha M.; Grey, Margaret; Dixon, Jane

    2015-01-01

    Understanding patterns of family response to childhood chronic conditions based on a configuration of multiple variables or qualitative themes provides a comprehensive understanding of health-related challenges and their influence on family and child functioning. In this paper, we used the six scales comprising the Family Management Measure (FaMM) in a cluster analysis to describe a typology of family management and data from other measures of child and family functioning to validate and explain those clusters. The sample of 575 parents from 414 families of children who had diverse chronic conditions endorsed four patterns of response (Family Focused, Somewhat Family Focused, Somewhat Condition Focused, Condition Focused). We also considered the extent to which couples had shared or discrepant views of family management. Most (57%) families were in either the Family Focused or Somewhat Family Focused pattern. Single mothers were significantly less likely to be in the two patterns reflecting greater ease in family management and significantly more likely to be in the two patterns reflecting more difficulty. Patterns of family management were related significantly to family and child functioning, with families in the Family Focused and Somewhat Family Focused patterns demonstrating significantly better family and child functioning than families in the other two patterns. PMID:23602651

  5. Family process correlates of firearm ownership and firearm storage among families with young children.

    PubMed

    Martin-Storey, Alexa; Prickett, Kate C; Crosnoe, Robert

    2015-01-01

    To understand how family relations and dynamics were associated with firearm ownership among US families with 4-year-olds and with firearm storage among those families with firearms, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics of families and states. With representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (n = 8,100), logistic regression models employed a set of family process variables (e.g., parenting practices, parental stress, maternal depression, and safety behaviors) as (1) predictors of firearm ownership among all families and, (2) as predictors of safe firearm storage among firearm owning families. An estimated 22 % of families with pre-kindergarten age children reported having firearms in their households. Among firearm owning families, 69 % of families kept firearms in a locked cabinet. Comparing families who did and did not report owning firearms, those who did were more likely to report spanking their children. Firearm owning parents who reported higher levels of parenting stress and lower likelihood that their child always wore a helmet when bicycling were also more likely to report unsafe firearm storage practices. Family processes differentiated both firearm owners from non-firearm owners and firearms owners who locked up their firearms from firearm owners who did not. These findings suggest that firearm ownership and firearm safety behaviors likely arise from a more general family context related to child health and safety.

  6. The family health, functioning, social support and child maltreatment risk of families expecting a baby.

    PubMed

    Lepistö, Sari; Ellonen, Noora; Helminen, Mika; Paavilainen, Eija

    2017-08-01

    To describe the family health, functioning, social support and child maltreatment risk and associations between them in families expecting a baby. Finland was one of the first countries in banning corporal punishment against children over 30 years ago. Despite of this, studies have shown that parents physically abuse their children. In addition, professionals struggle in intervention of this phenomenon. Abusive parents should be recognised and helped before actual violent behaviour. A follow-up case-control study, with a supportive intervention in the case group (families with a heightened risk) in maternity and child welfare clinics. The baseline results of families are described here. Child maltreatment risk in families expecting a baby was measured by Child Abuse Potential Inventory. The health and functioning was measured by Family Health, Functioning and Social Support Scale. Data included 380 families. A total of 78 families had increased risk for child maltreatment. Heightened risk was associated with partners' age, mothers' education, partners' father's mental health problems, mothers' worry about partners' drinking and mothers' difficulties in talking about the family's problems. Risk was associated with family functioning and health. Families with risk received a less support from maternity clinics. Families with child maltreatment risk and related factors were found. This knowledge can be applied for supporting families both during pregnancy and after the baby is born. Professionals working with families in maternity clinics need tools to recognise families with risk and aid a discussion with them about the family life situation. The Child Abuse Potential, as a part of evaluating the family life situation, seems to prove a useful tool in identifying families at risk. The results offer a valid and useful tool for recognising families with risk and provide knowledge about high-risk family situations. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. The impact of war on Puerto Rican families: challenges and strengthened family relationships.

    PubMed

    Magaly Freytes, I; Hannold, Elizabeth M; Resende, Rosana; Wing, Kristen; Uphold, Constance R

    2013-08-01

    We describe the impact of war on Puerto Rican Veterans and family members. We used qualitative research methods to collect and analyze data. We interviewed 8 Veterans and 8 family members. We used the constant comparison method to review data to identify prominent themes. Two categories emerged: (1) Challenges associated with post-deployment family reintegration, and (2) A positive aftermath of war on the family. Overall, findings indicate that OEF/OIF Veterans and family members were not prepared for the changes they encounter post-deployment. Despite these challenges, some Veterans and family members strengthened their relationships and renewed their appreciation for one another.

  8. Si dios quiere: Hispanic families' experiences of caring for a seriously mentally ill family member.

    PubMed

    Guarnaccia, P J; Parra, P; Deschamps, A; Milstein, G; Argiles, N

    1992-06-01

    Among Hispanics, the family is viewed as the primary care giver for seriously mentally ill family members. This paper reports on a study of minority families' conceptions of serious mental illness, of their interaction with mental health resources, and on the burdens experienced by families in caring for a seriously mentally ill family member. The focus of this paper is on Hispanic families in New Jersey, with some comparative data from other ethnic group families. Families' conceptions of serious mental illness are explored and analyzed to demonstrate the importance of concepts of nervios and fallo mental in shaping families' responses to their ill family member. Social support systems for families are also explored with particular attention to the role of religious institutions and religious healing as a major source of solace.

  9. Family Literacy Packs: Preservice Teachers' Experiences with Family-School Connections

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, D. Reece

    2017-01-01

    Programs that promote family literacy, as defined by Hannon (2003), are "programs to teach literacy that acknowledge and make use of learners' family relationships and engagement in family literacy practices." Why are such programs important for young learners? According to Livingston and Wirt (2003), children who have homes with books,…

  10. Constructing the "Ideal" Family for Family-Centred Practice: Challenges for Delivery

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dodd, Jenny; Saggers, Sherry; Wildy, Helen

    2009-01-01

    Family-centred practice positions families as the key decision-makers, central to and experts in the wants and needs of their child. This paper discusses how families interviewed for a Western Australian study describe their relationships with a range of allied health professionals in the paediatric disability sector. The allied health…

  11. Race/Ethnicity and Family Contact: Toward a Behavioral Measure of Familialism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Comeau, Joseph A.

    2012-01-01

    Research from several disciplines has found that Latinos in the United States tend to score higher than other groups on measures of familialism. While most studies of Latino familialism use attitudinal measures rather than behavioral ones, I argue that examining behavioral measures of familialism can offer additional insights. This article…

  12. Educational Strategies for Teaching Basic Family Dynamics to Non-Family Therapists.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Merkel, William T.; Rudisill, John R.

    1985-01-01

    Presents six-part methodology for teaching basic concepts of family systems to non-family therapists and describes application of methodology to teach primary care physicians. Explains use of simulated encounters in which a physically symptomatic adolescent is interviewed alone, then with his mother, then with his whole family. (Author/NRB)

  13. Benefits of family reunions: social support in secondary greylag goose families.

    PubMed

    Scheiber, Isabella B R; Kotrschal, Kurt; Weiss, Brigitte M

    2009-01-01

    Social interactions are among the most potent stressors. However, social allies may diminish stress, increase success in agonistic encounters and ease access to resources. We studied the role of social support as a major mechanism for individual stress management in families of free-ranging greylag geese (Anser anser). Greylag geese are long-term monogamous, live in a female-bonded social system, and fledged offspring stay with their parents until the next breeding season ('primary families'). Should parents then fail to fledge young, subadults might rejoin them in summer after molt is completed ('secondary families'). We have previously shown that primary greylag goose families reap benefits from active social support in agonistic encounters, and also excrete lower levels of immuno-reactive corticosterone metabolites (CORT, 'passive social support'). Here we investigated how far active and passive social support continues in secondary goose families. Although we found that active support in agonistic encounters was almost absent in secondary families, subadult male geese won an increased number of agonistic encounters due to the mere presence of their secondary family. Particularly adult and subadult females benefited from passive social support through decreased CORT, whereas males did not. Decrease in the hormonal stress response during challenging situations, induced by social allies, may help the females' long-term energy management, thereby improving the odds for successful future reproduction. We discuss whether joining a secondary family may be an alternative tactic for young geese towards optimizing their start into a complex social life.

  14. The Changing Family Structure.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bernard van Leer Foundation Newsletter, 1993

    1993-01-01

    This newsletter issue contains feature articles and short reports on how and why family structures are undergoing substantial change in many parts of the world. These articles include: (1) "The Changing Family Structure," a review of how families are changing and why; (2) "Peru: Families in the Andes"; (3) "Thailand:…

  15. Assessing family resources: validation of the Swedish version of the Family Hardiness Index.

    PubMed

    Persson, Carina; Benzein, Eva; Årestedt, Kristofer

    2016-12-01

    All families face normative transitions. Some are perceived as stressful and calls for family resources to maintain or restore family well-being. In times of illness, families also need to develop strengths and capabilities to enhance family well-being. The way these are developed is related to family hardiness. Family hardiness is thus seen as a family resource, and the Family Hardiness Index (FHI) was developed to measure family stress resistance and adaptation resources. The index was not available in Swedish and no extensive international psychometric evaluation was found. Therefore, the aim was to translate and validate the Swedish version of the FHI. The study was approved by a Regional Ethical Review Board. Data from 174 Swedish participants, family members to persons with cognitive dysfunctions (n = 95) and nursing students (n = 79) were included. Family members were enrolled in outpatient clinics in primary care and rehabilitation, and nursing students at a nursing school. Psychometric properties were evaluated through calculations of missing data, distributions of item and scale scores, item correlations, Cronbach's alpha, confirmatory factor analyses and correlations with theoretically related constructs. Sample scores had acceptable data quality, internal consistency for the FHI total scale was satisfactory (α = 0.86), and construct validity was supported. Our findings cast some doubt on the intended interpretation since confirmatory factor analyses showed that a modified four-subscale version, excluding one subscale, showed best fit. The Control subscale lacked important psychometric properties in terms of homogeneity, internal consistency and construct validity. The sample size was probably sufficiently large for the factor analyses, but the subgroup analyses should be treated with caution. The conclusion is that the Swedish version of the FHI is a promising scale for assessing family hardiness, but more solid evidence for the factor structure in

  16. Familial occurrence of cervical artery dissection--coincidence or sign of familial predisposition?

    PubMed

    Grond-Ginsbach, Caspar; de Freitas, Gabriel R; Campos, Cynthia R; Thie, Andreas; Caso, Valeria; Machetanz, Jochen; Kloss, Manja

    2012-01-01

    BACKGROUNDAND PURPOSE: The etiology of spontaneous cervical artery dissection (CeAD) is poorly understood in most patients. Mild cervical trauma preceding the dissection event is a common finding, but many CeAD occur spontaneously. It is likely that genetic factors may increase the risk for CeAD. However, familial cases are excedingly rare. Familial clustering of CeAD may be accidental or associated with genetic or environmental risk factors shared between affected relatives. In this explorative study, we aim to show that specific risk factors for familial CeAD exist. Age of onset, sex, affected artery and number of recurrent CeAD were documented for familial patients and compared with published findings from patients with sporadic CeAD. Concordance of age, sex and dissected artery within the families was analyzed by correlation analysis and by analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis testing. The study sample consisted of 9 new patients with a family history of CeAD enrolled in the Neurology Department of the University of Heidelberg or referred to Heidelberg from other centers. The study sample also included published findings from another 23 patients, in total 32 patients. The mean age of the patients with familial CeAD at their first dissections was 38.4 ± 13.3 years. Twenty (62.5%) patients were female and 12 patients (37.5%) suffered multiple dissections. Four patients (12.5%) presented with recurrent dissections after >1 year. Patients with a familial history of CeAD were younger (p = 0.023) and presented more often with multiple dissections (p = 0.024) and recurrent dissections (p = 0.018). Age at the first event (correlation analysis p = 0.026; analysis of variance p = 0.029) and site of the dissection (correlation analysis p = 0.032; Kruskal-Wallis test p = 0.018) differed between the families, and there was no concordance of gender of affected family members (correlation analysis p = 0.500; Kruskal-Wallis test p = 0.211). The high prevalence of multiple

  17. Paternal and maternal influences on family functioning among Hong Kong Chinese families.

    PubMed

    Shek, D T

    2001-03-01

    The linkages between dyadic relationships in the family and family functioning were examined in 378 Chinese families on two occasions. The following dyadic relationships were investigated: (a) parent-child relationship qualities reported by adolescent children (questionnaire and interview measures of parenting style, parent-adolescent conflict, parent-adolescent communication, and parent-adolescent relationship) and by their parents (questionnaire measures of parent-child relationship quality and demand); and (b) marital quality reported by the parents via questionnaire measures. Results showed that parents' and children's views of family functioning were longitudinally related to dyadic relationships in the family. Relative to mother-adolescent relationship and mothers' report of marital quality, father-adolescent relationship and fathers' report of marital quality were generally found to have a stronger association with perception of family functioning and its change over time.

  18. Dimensions of Family Functioning: Perspectives of Low-Income African American Single Parent Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mccreary, Linda L.; Dancy, Barbara L.

    2004-01-01

    Family functioning is influenced by socio-economic status, culture, family structure, and developmental stage, and is assessed primarily using instruments developed for middle-income European American two-parent families. These instruments may not validly assess low-income African American single-parent families. This qualitative study was…

  19. Internal family systems therapy for children in family therapy.

    PubMed

    Wark, L; Thomas, M; Peterson, S

    2001-04-01

    This article presents a developmentally supported implementation of Internal Family Systems Therapy for school-age children and their families. Relevant developmental characteristics of children are described. Suggestions for working with parents, child-oriented interventions, and a case example are presented.

  20. Surgeon-family perioperative communication: surgeons' self-reported approaches to the "surgeon-family relationship".

    PubMed

    Jordan, Aubrey L; Rojnica, Marko; Siegler, Mark; Angelos, Peter; Langerman, Alexander

    2014-11-01

    Family members are important in the perioperative care of surgical patients. During the perioperative period, communication about the patient occurs between surgeons and family members. To date, however, surgeon-family perioperative communication remains unexplored in the literature. Surgeons were recruited from the surgical faculty of an academic hospital to participate in an interview regarding their approach to speaking with family members during and immediately after an operative procedure. An iterative process of transcription and theme development among 3 researchers was used to compile a well-defined set of qualitative themes. Thirteen surgeons were interviewed and described what informs their communication, how they practice surgeon-family perioperative communication, and how the skills integral to perioperative communication are taught. Surgeons saw perioperative communication with family members as having a special role of providing support and anxiety alleviation that is distinct from the role of communication during clinic or postoperative visits. Wide variability exists in how interviewed surgeons practice perioperative communication, including who communicates with the family, and the frequency and content of the communication. Surgeons universally reported that residents' instruction in perioperative communication with families was lacking. Surgeons recognize perioperative communication with family members to be a part of their role and responsibility to the patient. However, during the perioperative period, they also acknowledge an independent responsibility to alleviate family members' anxieties. This independent responsibility supports the existence of a distinct "surgeon-family relationship." Copyright © 2014 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Stressors and Enhancers in the Marital/Family Life of Family Professionals and Their Spouses.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duncan, Stephen F.; Goddard, H. Wallace

    1993-01-01

    Assessed how work as family professional is uniquely enhancing and stressful and whether enhancers and stressors are correlated with marital and family quality. Findings from 59 family professionals and their spouses strengthen idea that there are marital and family life enhancers and stressors uniquely associated with work as family professional.…

  2. Increasing family members' appreciation of family caregiving stress.

    PubMed

    Gopalan, Neena; Brannon, Laura A

    2006-03-01

    Participants read a message discussing the duties of a typical family caregiver (for example, a woman taking care of her elderly mother) and the associated psychological, physical, social, and financial stresses. The message was accompanied by an appeal that was either a control or was altruistic (other-oriented: focusing on the mother/caregiver's well-being) or egoistic (self-oriented: focusing on the child of the caregiver's needs and feelings). Participants who received an altruistic appeal were more appreciative of caregiving stresses than were those given an egoistic or a control appeal. Increasing family members' awareness of the stress involved in family caregiving is a first step in encouraging them to personally intervene on behalf of the caregiver.

  3. Reinventing Family Therapy: Teaching Family Intervention as a New Treatment Modality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Josephson, Allan M.

    2008-01-01

    Objective: This article discusses the pedagogy of teaching family therapy in the new millennium. It draws on the strengths of "family systems therapy" but goes beyond it--suggesting a new paradigm, new terminology, and a new teaching perspective. It discusses the historical background of family therapy training, a scientific foundation for what…

  4. "Media Time = Family Time": Positive Media Use in Families with Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coyne, Sarah M.; Padilla-Walker, Laura M.; Fraser, Ashley M.; Fellows, Kaylene; Day, Randal D.

    2014-01-01

    Media use in families has generally been examined from a narrow viewpoint, focusing on monitoring or co-viewing. The current research provides an expanded view of positive media use in families with adolescents by examining associations between diverse positive media use and family and adolescents outcomes. In addition, we used qualitative methods…

  5. Intellectual disability in children and teenagers: Influence on family and family health. Systematic review.

    PubMed

    Lima-Rodríguez, Joaquín Salvador; Baena-Ariza, María Teresa; Domínguez-Sánchez, Isabel; Lima-Serrano, Marta

    To examine the influence of a child or adolescent with intellectual disabilities on the family unit. A systematic review of the literature, following the recommendations of the PRISMA statement, was carried out on the PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Psicodoc databases. Original articles were found, published in the last 5 years, in Spanish, English, Portuguese, Italian or French, with summary and full text and satisfactory or good methodological quality. Two independent researchers agreed on their decisions. In general, care is provided in the family, mothers assume the greater responsibility, and their wellbeing is lower than that of fathers. Having the support of the husband improves their quality of life. The fraternal subsystem can be affected, with regard to the warmth and the status/power of the relationship, and behavioural problems. Family health may be affected in all its dimensions: family functioning and atmosphere due to increased demands and changes in the organisation and distribution of roles; family resilience and family coping, due to rising costs and dwindling resources; family integrity could be strengthened by strengthened family ties. Quality of family life is enhanced by emotional support. These families may need individualised attention due to the increased demand for care, diminishing resources or other family health problems. Nurses using a family-centred care approach can identify these families and help them to normalise their situation by promoting their family health and the well-being of its members. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  6. Families Experiencing Housing Instability: The Effects of Housing Programs on Family Routines and Rituals

    PubMed Central

    Mayberry, Lindsay S.; Shinn, Marybeth; Benton, Jessica Gibbons; Wise, Jasmine

    2013-01-01

    Maintenance of family processes can protect parents, children, and families from the detrimental effects of extreme stressors, such as homelessness. When families cannot maintain routines and rituals, the stressors of poverty and homelessness can be compounded for both caregivers and children. However, characteristics of living situations common among families experiencing homelessness present barriers to the maintenance of family routines and rituals. We analyzed 80 in-depth interviews with parents who were experiencing or had recently experienced an instance of homelessness. We compared their assessments of challenges to family schedules, routines, and rituals across various living situations, including shelter, transitional housing programs, doubled up (i.e. living temporarily with family/friend), and independent housing. Rules common across shelters and transitional housing programs impeded family processes, and parents felt surveilled and threatened with child protective service involvement in these settings. In doubled up living situations, parents reported adapting their routines to those of the household and having parenting interrupted by opinions of friends and family members. Families used several strategies to maintain family rituals and routines in these living situations and ensure consistency and stability for their children during an otherwise unstable time. PMID:24826832

  7. Examining inter-family differences in intra-family (parent-adolescent) dynamics using grid-sequence analysis.

    PubMed

    Brinberg, Miriam; Fosco, Gregory M; Ram, Nilam

    2017-12-01

    Family systems theorists have forwarded a set of theoretical principles meant to guide family scientists and practitioners in their conceptualization of patterns of family interaction-intra-family dynamics-that, over time, give rise to family and individual dysfunction and/or adaptation. In this article, we present an analytic approach that merges state space grid methods adapted from the dynamic systems literature with sequence analysis methods adapted from molecular biology into a "grid-sequence" method for studying inter-family differences in intra-family dynamics. Using dyadic data from 86 parent-adolescent dyads who provided up to 21 daily reports about connectedness, we illustrate how grid-sequence analysis can be used to identify a typology of intrafamily dynamics and to inform theory about how specific types of intrafamily dynamics contribute to adolescent behavior problems and family members' mental health. Methodologically, grid-sequence analysis extends the toolbox of techniques for analysis of family experience sampling and daily diary data. Substantively, we identify patterns of family level microdynamics that may serve as new markers of risk/protective factors and potential points for intervention in families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  8. Families experiencing housing instability: the effects of housing programs on family routines and rituals.

    PubMed

    Mayberry, Lindsay Satterwhite; Shinn, Marybeth; Benton, Jessica Gibbons; Wise, Jasmine

    2014-01-01

    Maintenance of family processes can protect parents, children, and families from the detrimental effects of extreme stressors, such as homelessness. When families cannot maintain routines and rituals, the stressors of poverty and homelessness can be compounded for both caregivers and children. However, characteristics of living situations common among families experiencing homelessness present barriers to the maintenance of family routines and rituals. We analyzed 80 in-depth interviews with parents who were experiencing or had recently experienced an instance of homelessness. We compared their assessments of challenges to family schedules, routines, and rituals across various living situations, including shelter, transitional housing programs, doubled-up (i.e., living temporarily with family or friends), and independent housing. Rules common across shelters and transitional housing programs impeded family processes, and parents felt surveilled and threatened with child protective service involvement in these settings. In doubled-up living situations, parents reported adapting their routines to those of the household and having parenting interrupted by opinions of friends and family members. Families used several strategies to maintain family routines and rituals in these living situations and ensure consistency and stability for their children during an otherwise unstable time. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  9. My family made me do it: the influence of family therapists' families of origin on their occupational choice.

    PubMed

    Goldklank, S

    1986-06-01

    This study is an empirical test and exploration of the folklore about family life correlates of family therapists' occupational choice. The folklore is translated into systems concepts, including role complementarity and the mutually determining effect of process and roles. Fifty-nine family therapists, 49 siblings of the therapists, and 51 undifferentiated, non-helping professionals were compared on FACES (29), The Complementary Role Questionnaire, and on demographic data. Inconsistencies in the results led to a critique of the clinical faithfulness of current systems measures. Family therapists did not differ on FACES, but did differ in aspects of roles from their siblings and from the control professionals.

  10. A family nursing educational intervention supports nurses and families in an adult intensive care unit.

    PubMed

    Eggenberger, Sandra K; Sanders, Marita

    2016-11-01

    The family experience of critical illness is filled with distress that may have a lasting impact on family coping and family health. A nurse can become a source of comfort that helps the family endure. Yet, nurses often report a lack of confidence in communicating with families and families report troubling relationships with nurses. In spite of strong evidence supporting nursing practice focused on the family, family nursing interventions often not implemented in the critical care setting. This pilot study examined the influence of an educational intervention on nurses' attitudes towards and confidence in providing family care, as well as families' perceptions of support from nurses in an adult critical care setting. An academic-clinical practice partnership used digital storytelling as an educational strategy. A Knowledge to Action Process Framework guided this study. Results of pre-intervention data collection from families and nurses were used to inform the educational intervention. A convenience sample of family members completed the Iceland Family Perceived Support Questionnaire (ICE-FPSQ) to measure perception of support provided by nurses. Video, voice, and narrative stories of nurses describing their experiences caring for family members during a critical illness and family members' experiences with a critically ill family member also guided education plans. When comparing the pre and post results of the Family Nurse Practice Scale (FNPS), nurses reported increased confidence, knowledge, and skill following the educational intervention. Qualitative data from nurses reported satisfaction with the educational intervention. Findings suggest that engaging nurses in educational opportunities focused on families while using storytelling methods encourages empathic understandings. Academic-clinician teams that drive directions show promise in supporting families and nurses in critical care settings. Plans are moving forward to use this study design and methods in

  11. Global Family Concerns and the Role of Family Life Education: An Ecosystemic Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Darling, Carol A.; Turkki, Kaija

    2009-01-01

    We surveyed colleagues from 4 international professional organizations involved with families in order to examine global family concerns and the role of family life education from an ecosystemic perspective. Our sample represented 6 continents and 50 countries. Survey results indicated that family education and related coursework were available in…

  12. Families of Children with and without Special Needs: A Comparison of Family Processes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clawson, Mellisa A.; Bigsby, Kathleen

    The Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986 increased the numbers of families eligible for special needs assistance, yet information concerning these families is minimal. This study explored the needs of families of preschool children with disabilities by comparing their family processes, parenting style, and children's social and…

  13. Family factors in end-of-life decision-making: family conflict and proxy relationship.

    PubMed

    Parks, Susan Mockus; Winter, Laraine; Santana, Abbie J; Parker, Barbara; Diamond, James J; Rose, Molly; Myers, Ronald E

    2011-02-01

    Few studies have examined proxy decision-making regarding end-of-life treatment decisions. Proxy accuracy is defined as whether proxy treatment choices are consistent with the expressed wishes of their index elder. The purpose of this study was to examine proxy accuracy in relation to two family factors that may influence proxy accuracy: perceived family conflict and type of elder-proxy relationship. Telephone interviews with 202 community-dwelling elders and their proxy decision makers were conducted including the Life-Support Preferences Questionnaire (LSPQ), and a measure of family conflict, and sociodemographic characteristics, including type of relationship. Elder-proxy accuracy was associated with the type of elder-proxy relationship. Adult children demonstrated the lowest elder-proxy accuracy and spousal proxies the highest elder-proxy accuracy. Elder-proxy accuracy was associated with family conflict. Proxies reporting higher family conflict had lower elder-proxy accuracy. No interaction between family conflict and relationship type was revealed. Spousal proxies were more accurate in their substituted judgment than adult children, and proxies who perceive higher degree of family conflict tended to be less accurate than those with lower family conflict. Health care providers should be aware of these family factors when discussing advance care planning.

  14. Multiple Family Group Counseling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sauber, S. Richard

    1971-01-01

    This article describes the innovative, short term approach of multiple family group counseling in which the counseling applies the principles and dynamics found in family and group counseling to the treatment of the student and his family. Several family units met together to discuss the problems that adversely affect the adolescent and result in…

  15. Resiliency in African-American Families. Resiliency in Families Series, Volume 3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCubbin, Hamilton I., Ed.; Thompson, Elizabeth A., Ed.; Thompson, Anne I., Ed.; Futrell, Jo A., Ed.

    This book addresses issues facing racial and ethnic minority families. These chapters grew out of a conference at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, that focused on the strengths and resources of minority families. They represent an effort to share knowledge that can be used for the design of ethnically and culturally sensitive family services.…

  16. Family Environments of Childhood Sexual Abuse Victims: Dimensions of Family Functioning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ray, Kelle Chandler; And Others

    This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that families of victims of child sexual abuse would evidence the cohesion versus conflict factor on the Family Environment Scale (FES), but would also display a second expressiveness versus control factor that would not be found in nonvictim families. Female college students (N=92) who had been…

  17. Combined Edition of Family Planning Library Manual and Family Planning Classification.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Planned Parenthood--World Population, New York, NY. Katherine Dexter McCormick Library.

    This edition combines two previous publications of the Katharine Dexter McCormick Library into one volume: the Family Planning Library Manual, a guide for starting a family planning and population library or information center, and the Family Planning Classification, a coding system for organizing book and non-book materials so that they can be…

  18. An Evaluation of Family-Centered Rounds in the PICU: Room for Improvement Suggested by Families and Providers.

    PubMed

    Levin, Amanda B; Fisher, Kiondra R; Cato, Krista D; Zurca, Adrian D; October, Tessie W

    2015-11-01

    To identify areas for improvement in family-centered rounds from both the family and provider perspectives. Prospective, cross-sectional mixed-methods study, including an objective measure (direct observation of family-centered rounds) and subjective measures (surveys of English-speaking families and providers) of family-centered rounds. PICU in a single, tertiary children's hospital. Families of children admitted to the PICU, physicians, and nurses. None. Two hundred thirty-two family-centered round encounters were observed over a 10-week period. Family-centered round encounters averaged 10.5 minutes per child. Multivariable regression analysis revealed that family presence was independently associated with length of family-centered rounds (p < 0.002) despite family talk time accounting for an average of 25 seconds (4%) of the encounter. Non-English-speaking families were less likely to attend family-centered rounds compared with English-speaking families even when physically present at the patient's bedside (p < 0.001). Most commonly families and providers agreed that family-centered rounds keep the family informed and reported positive statements about family presence on family-centered rounds; however, PICU fellows did not agree that families provided pertinent information and nurses reported that family presence limited patient discussions. The primary advice families offered providers to improve family-centered rounds was to be more considerate and courteous, including accommodating family schedules, minimizing distractions, and limiting computer viewing. Family presence increased the length of family-centered rounds despite a small percentage of time spoken by families, suggesting longer rounds are due to changes in provider behavior when families are present. Also, non-English-speaking families may need more support to be able to attend and benefit from family-centered rounds. Lastly, in an era of full family-centered rounds acceptance, families and most

  19. Extended family medicine training

    PubMed Central

    Slade, Steve; Ross, Shelley; Lawrence, Kathrine; Archibald, Douglas; Mackay, Maria Palacios; Oandasan, Ivy F.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Objective To examine trends in family medicine training at a time when substantial pedagogic change is under way, focusing on factors that relate to extended family medicine training. Design Aggregate-level secondary data analysis based on the Canadian Post-MD Education Registry. Setting Canada. Participants All Canadian citizens and permanent residents who were registered in postgraduate family medicine training programs within Canadian faculties of medicine from 1995 to 2013. Main outcome measures Number and proportion of family medicine residents exiting 2-year and extended (third-year and above) family medicine training programs, as well as the types and numbers of extended training programs offered in 2015. Results The proportion of family medicine trainees pursuing extended training almost doubled during the study period, going from 10.9% in 1995 to 21.1% in 2013. Men and Canadian medical graduates were more likely to take extended family medicine training. Among the 5 most recent family medicine exit cohorts (from 2009 to 2013), 25.9% of men completed extended training programs compared with 18.3% of women, and 23.1% of Canadian medical graduates completed extended training compared with 13.6% of international medical graduates. Family medicine programs vary substantially with respect to the proportion of their trainees who undertake extended training, ranging from a low of 12.3% to a high of 35.1% among trainees exiting from 2011 to 2013. Conclusion New initiatives, such as the Triple C Competency-based Curriculum, CanMEDS–Family Medicine, and Certificates of Added Competence, have emerged as part of family medicine education and credentialing. In acknowledgment of the potential effect of these initiatives, it is important that future research examine how pedagogic change and, in particular, extended training shapes the care family physicians offer their patients. As part of that research it will be important to measure the breadth and uptake of

  20. Family Structure and Eating Disorders: The Family Environment Scale and Bulimic-Like Symptoms.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bailey, Carol A.

    1991-01-01

    Family variables derived from the Family Environment Scale are examined using data from 174 college women at a Pacific Northwest university and 2 universities in Houston (Texas) with varying degrees of bulimia. Subjects' self-reports indicate family dysfunctions, but the study illustrates the complexity of the family's role in bulimia. (SLD)

  1. The Family in America: An Encyclopedia. The American Family. Volumes One and Two.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hawes, Joseph M., Ed.

    As the United States changes as a nation, so too, does the family. This two-volume encyclopedia takes an incisive, multidisciplinary look at the American family over the past 200 years, examining public policies, organizations and programs, health and social issues, the family constellation, researchers and theorists, and family customs and…

  2. Family Work and Relationships: Lessons from Families of Men Whose Jobs Require Travel

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zvonkovic, Anisa M.; Solomon, Catherine Richards; Humble, Aine M.; Manoogian, Margaret

    2005-01-01

    This study explores how family members experience their lives when family breadwinners must be absent from home because of their jobs. Informed by general systems theory and contextual perspectives, we described wives' family work that supports the breadwinner role and maintains the emotional connections among family members. From our findings…

  3. Positive Youth Development within a Family Leisure Context: Youth Perspectives of Family Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ward, Peter J.; Zabriskie, Ramon B.

    2011-01-01

    Family leisure involvement may provide the first and most essential context for positive youth development in today's society. Similar to the broader ecological perspective used in the youth development literature, family systems theory suggests that each individual in the family influences the whole, while the whole family also influences each…

  4. Promoting Family Literacy through the Five Pillars of Family and Community Engagement (FACE)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuo, Nai-Cheng

    2016-01-01

    Family literacy involves factors beyond what is done at home between parents and children. To help preservice teachers develop their understanding of the multiple dimensions of family literacy, this study uses the five pillars of family and community engagement (FACE)--early literacy, family involvement, access to books, expanded learning, and…

  5. FAMILY EMPIDIDAE.

    PubMed

    Rafael, José Albertino; Câmara, Josenir Teixeira

    2016-06-14

    Empididae is one of the biggest families of Diptera with around 3,000 known species. The family is poorly known in Colombia, with only six species reported and this work provides information on their distribution. No endemic genera or species have been recorded to date from Colombia.

  6. Family Potyviridae

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses potyvirus study group has revised the description of the family Potyviridae for inclusion in the ICTV 9th report. Characteristic features of each genus within the family is presented. Revised criteria for demarcation and nomenclature of viral sp...

  7. [Linkage analysis of a family with familial hypertriglyceridemia].

    PubMed

    Tang, Xin; Lin, Ying; Liu, Bing; Ma, Shi; Yang, Yang; Yang, Zheng-lin

    2009-10-01

    To perform linkage analysis and mutation screening in a Chinese family with familial hpertriglyceridemia (FHTG). Thirty-two family members including 12 hypertriglyceridemia patients participated in the study. Genotyping and haplotype analysis for 22 subjects were performed using short tandem repeat (STR) microsatellite polymorphism markers on 16 candidate genes and/or loci related to lipid metabolism. Two of the sixteen known candidate genes, APOA2 and USF1 were screened for mutation by direct DNA sequencing. No linkage was found between the candidate genes/loci of APOA5, LIPI, RP1, APOC2, ABC1, LMF1, APOA1-APOC3-APOA4, LPL, APOB, CETP, LCAT, LDLR, APOE and the phenotype in this family. The two-point Lod scores (theta =0) were all less than-1.0 for all the markers tested. Linkage analysis suggested linkage to chromosome 1q23.3-24.2 between the disease phenotype and STR marker D1S194 with a two-point maximum Lod score of 2.44 at theta =0. Fine mapping indicated that the disease gene was localized to a 5.87 cM interval between D1S104 and D1S196. No disease-causing mutation was detected in the APOA2 and USF1 genes. The above mentioned candidate genes were excluded as the disease causing genes for this family. The results implied that there might be a novel gene/locus for FHTG on chromosome 1q23.3-1q24.2.

  8. Family welfare.

    PubMed

    Sinha, N K

    1992-01-01

    Between 1901-1921, India gained 12.9 million people because mortality remained high. The death rate fell between 1921-1951, but birth rates remained the same. Therefore 110 million people were added--2 times the population increase between 1891-1921. Between 1951-1981, the population increased to 324 million. Socioeconomic development was responsible for most of the downward trend in the birth rate during the 20th century. Even though large families were the norm in early India, religious leaders encouraged small family size. The 1st government family planning clinics in the world opened in Mysore and Bangalore in 1930. Right before Independence, the Bhore Committee made recommendations to reduce population growth such as increasing the age of marriage for girls. Since 1951 there has been a change in measures and policies geared towards population growth with each of the 7 5-Year Plans because policy makers applied what they learned from each previous plan. The 1st 5-Year Plan emphasized the need to understand what factors contribute to population growth. It also integrated family planning services into health services of hospitals and health centers. The government was over zealous in its implementation of the sterilization program (2nd 5-Year Plan, 1956-1961), however, which hurt family planning programs for many years. As of early 1992, sterilization, especially tubectomy, remained the most popular family planning method, however. The 7th 5-Year Plan changed its target of reaching a Net Reproductive Rate of 1 by 2001 to 2006-2011. It set a goal of 100% immunization coverage by 1990 but it did not occur. In 1986, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare planned to make free contraceptives available in urban and rural areas and to involve voluntary organizations. The government needs to instill measures to increase women's status, women's literacy, and age of marriage as well as to eliminate poverty, ensure old age security, and ensure child survival and

  9. Supporting Family Engagement in Home Visiting with the Family Map Inventories

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kyzer, Angela; Whiteside-Mansell, Leanne; McKelvey, Lorraine; Swindle, Taren

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and usefulness of a universal screening tool, the Family Map Inventory (FMI), to assess family strengths and needs in a home visiting program. The FMI has been used successfully by center-based early childcare programs to tailor services to family needs and build on existing strengths. Home…

  10. Family practice in Turkey.

    PubMed

    Ozsahin, Akatli Kursad

    2014-03-01

    The national project 'Transformation in Health' was started in 2005 to provide expert primary care by family physicians, and decrease expenses in Turkey. The number of family physicians was far below the need, so public physicians were promoted to family physician status after a 10-day intensive course. The government declared some satisfactory results, but privately paid family physicians were not accepted into the system. Furthermore, the government stopped paying for their services from private settings. Some family physicians became unemployed as the major payer for all forms of medical care in Turkey denied their services. The process showed it's value in time. Nevertheless, family physicians should be the core of this transformation as family medicine is an academic and a scientific discipline and a primary care-oriented specialty with its own specific educational content, research and base of evidence, which cannot be achieved through standard medical education.

  11. Reliability of the Colorado Family Support Assessment: A Self-Sufficiency Matrix for Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richmond, Melissa K.; Pampel, Fred C.; Zarcula, Flavia; Howey, Virginia; McChesney, Brenda

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: Family support programs commonly use self-sufficiency matrices (SSMs) to measure family outcomes, however, validation research on SSMs is sparse. This study examined the reliability of the Colorado Family Support Assessment 2.0 (CFSA 2.0) to measure family self-reliance across 14 domains (e.g., employment). Methods: Ten written case…

  12. [Family-based drug use prevention: the "Familias que Funcionan" ["Families that Work"] program].

    PubMed

    Errasti Pérez, José M; Al-Halabí Díaz, Susana; Secades Villa, Roberto; Fernández-Hermida, José R; Carballo, José L; García-Rodríguez, Olaya

    2009-02-01

    Family-based drug use prevention: The Families that work]> program.. [Families that work] is a family-based drug-use prevention program resulting from the adaptation to the Spanish context of the prestigious North-American Families Program 10-14>. The program was applied at four secondary schools (N = 380 pupils) in Asturias (northern Spain). This article presents the results of the assessment of this application after a two-year follow-up, regarding its effectiveness in the reduction of drug use among adolescents and its effects on certain family risk factors. Consistent attendance in the program proved effective for reducing both rates (t= -2.73, p<.05 and t= -4.58, p<.005, for the 1- and 2-year follow-ups, respectively) of increase in adolescent drug use and some family risk factors.

  13. Talking (or not) about family health history in families of Latino young adults.

    PubMed

    Corona, Rosalie; Rodríguez, Vivian; Quillin, John; Gyure, Maria; Bodurtha, Joann

    2013-10-01

    Although individuals recognize the importance of knowing their family's health history for their own health, relatively few people (e.g., less than a third in one national survey) collect this type of information. This study examines the rates of family communication about family health history of cancer, and predictors of communication in a sample of English-speaking Latino young adults. A total of 224 Latino young adults completed a survey that included measures on family communication, cultural factors, religious commitment, and cancer worry. We found that few Latino young adults reported collecting information from their families for the purposes of creating a family health history (18%) or sharing information about hereditary cancer risk with family members (16%). In contrast, slightly more than half of the participants reported generally "talking with their mothers about their family's health history of cancer." Logistic regression results indicated that cancer worry (odds ratio [OR] = 2.31; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.08-4.93), being female (OR = 3.12; 95% CI = 1.02-8.08), and being older (OR = 1.33; 95% CI = 1.01-1.76) were associated with increased rates of collecting information from family members. In contrast, orientation to the Latino culture (OR = 2.81; 95% CI = 1.33-5.94) and religious commitment (OR = 1.54; 95% CI = 1.02-2.32) were associated with increased rates of giving cancer information. Results highlight the need for prevention programs to help further general discussions about a family's history of cancer to more specific information related to family health history.

  14. Family history and risk of breast cancer: an analysis accounting for family structure.

    PubMed

    Brewer, Hannah R; Jones, Michael E; Schoemaker, Minouk J; Ashworth, Alan; Swerdlow, Anthony J

    2017-08-01

    Family history is an important risk factor for breast cancer incidence, but the parameters conventionally used to categorize it are based solely on numbers and/or ages of breast cancer cases in the family and take no account of the size and age-structure of the woman's family. Using data from the Generations Study, a cohort of over 113,000 women from the general UK population, we analyzed breast cancer risk in relation to first-degree family history using a family history score (FHS) that takes account of the expected number of family cases based on the family's age-structure and national cancer incidence rates. Breast cancer risk increased significantly (P trend  < 0.0001) with greater FHS. There was a 3.5-fold (95% CI 2.56-4.79) range of risk between the lowest and highest FHS groups, whereas women who had two or more relatives with breast cancer, the strongest conventional familial risk factor, had a 2.5-fold (95% CI 1.83-3.47) increase in risk. Using likelihood ratio tests, the best model for determining breast cancer risk due to family history was that combining FHS and age of relative at diagnosis. A family history score based on expected as well as observed breast cancers in a family can give greater risk discrimination on breast cancer incidence than conventional parameters based solely on cases in affected relatives. Our modeling suggests that a yet stronger predictor of risk might be a combination of this score and age at diagnosis in relatives.

  15. Work-supportive family, family-supportive supervision, use of organizational benefits, and problem-focused coping: implications for work-family conflict and employee well-being.

    PubMed

    Lapierre, Laurent M; Allen, Tammy D

    2006-04-01

    Employees (n = 230) from multiple organizations and industries were involved in a study assessing how work-family conflict avoidance methods stemming from the family domain (emotional sustenance and instrumental assistance from the family), the work domain (family-supportive supervision, use of telework and flextime), and the individual (use of problem-focused coping) independently relate to different dimensions of work-family conflict and to employees' affective and physical well-being. Results suggest that support from one's family and one's supervisor and the use of problem-focused coping seem most promising in terms of avoiding work-family conflict and/or decreased well-being. Benefits associated with the use of flextime, however, are relatively less evident, and using telework may potentially increase the extent to which family time demands interfere with work responsibilities. (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

  16. Family Therapy with Reconstituted Families: A Crisis-Induction Approach.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baptiste, David A.

    1983-01-01

    Describes a crisis-based therapeutic approach for overcoming resistance in reconstituted families. Presents therapeutically induced crisis as a means through which therapists might purposefully disequilibrate families in which resistance is high and subsequently redirect them to meaningful change. Reviews implications and contraindications for the…

  17. The Rafita asteroid family

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aljbaae, S.; Carruba, V.; Masiero, J. R.; Domingos, R. C.; Huaman, M.

    2017-05-01

    The Rafita asteroid family is an S-type group located in the middle main belt, on the right-hand side of the 3J:-1A mean-motion resonance. The proximity of this resonance to the family left-hand side in the semimajor axis caused many former family members to be lost. As a consequence, the family shape in the (a, 1/D) domain is quite asymmetrical, with a preponderance of objects on the right-hand side of the distribution. The Rafita family is also characterized by a leptokurtic distribution in inclination, which allows the use of methods of family age estimation recently introduced for other leptokurtic families such as Astrid, Hansa, Gallia and Barcelona. In this work, we propose a new method based on the behaviour of an asymmetry coefficient function of the distribution in the (a, 1/D) plane to date incomplete asteroid families such as Rafita. By monitoring the time behaviour of this coefficient for asteroids simulating the initial conditions at the time of the family formation, we were able to estimate that the Rafita family should have an age of 490 ± 200 Myr, in good agreement with results from independent methods such as Monte Carlo simulations of Yarkovsky and YORP dynamical induced evolution and the time behaviour of the kurtosis of the sin (I) distribution. Asteroids from the Rafita family can reach orbits similar to 8 per cent of the currently known near-Earth objects. During the final 10 Myr of the simulation, ≃1 per cent of the simulated objects are present in NEO space, and thus would be comparable to objects in the present-day NEO population.

  18. Family members' unique perspectives of the family: examining their scope, size, and relations to individual adjustment.

    PubMed

    Jager, Justin; Bornstein, Marc H; Putnick, Diane L; Hendricks, Charlene

    2012-06-01

    Using the McMaster Family Assessment Device (Epstein, Baldwin, & Bishop, 1983) and incorporating the perspectives of adolescent, mother, and father, this study examined each family member's "unique perspective" or nonshared, idiosyncratic view of the family. We used a modified multitrait-multimethod confirmatory factor analysis that (a) isolated for each family member's 6 reports of family dysfunction the nonshared variance (a combination of variance idiosyncratic to the individual and measurement error) from variance shared by 1 or more family members and (b) extracted common variance across each family member's set of nonshared variances. The sample included 128 families from a U.S. East Coast metropolitan area. Each family member's unique perspective generalized across his or her different reports of family dysfunction and accounted for a sizable proportion of his or her own variance in reports of family dysfunction. In addition, after holding level of dysfunction constant across families and controlling for a family's shared variance (agreement regarding family dysfunction), each family member's unique perspective was associated with his or her own adjustment. Future applications and competing alternatives for what these "unique perspectives" reflect about the family are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

  19. Family Members' Unique Perspectives of the Family: Examining their Scope, Size, and Relations to Individual Adjustment

    PubMed Central

    Jager, Justin; Bornstein, Marc H.; Diane, L. Putnick; Hendricks, Charlene

    2012-01-01

    Using the Family Assessment Device (FAD; Epstein, Baldwin, & Bishop, 1983) and incorporating the perspectives of adolescent, mother, and father, this study examined each family member's “unique perspective” or non-shared, idiosyncratic view of the family. To do so we used a modified multitrait-multimethod confirmatory factor analysis that (1) isolated for each family member's six reports of family dysfunction the non-shared variance (a combination of variance idiosyncratic to the individual and measurement error) from variance shared by one or more family members and (2) extracted common variance across each family member's set of non-shared variances. The sample included 128 families from a U.S. East Coast metropolitan area. Each family member's unique perspective generalized across his or her different reports of family dysfunction and accounted for a sizable proportion of his or her own variance in reports of family dysfunction. Additionally, after holding level of dysfunction constant across families and controlling for a family's shared variance (agreement regarding family dysfunction), each family member's unique perspective was associated with his or her own adjustment. Future applications and competing alternatives for what these “unique perspectives” reflect about the family are discussed. PMID:22545933

  20. Family Resilience in the Military

    PubMed Central

    Meadows, Sarah O.; Beckett, Megan K.; Bowling, Kirby; Golinelli, Daniela; Fisher, Michael P.; Martin, Laurie T.; Meredith, Lisa S.; Osilla, Karen Chan

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Military life presents a variety of challenges to military families, including frequent separations and relocations as well as the risks that service members face during deployment; however, many families successfully navigate these challenges. Despite a recent emphasis on family resilience, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) does not have a standard and universally accepted definition of family resilience. A standard definition is a necessary for DoD to more effectively assess its efforts to sustain and improve family resilience. RAND authors reviewed the literature on family resilience and, in this study, recommend a definition that could be used DoD-wide. The authors also reviewed DoD policies related to family resilience, reviewed models that describe family resilience and identified key family resilience factors, and developed several recommendations for how family-resilience programs and policies could be managed across DoD. PMID:28083409

  1. The Role of Stress Exposure and Family Functioning in Internalizing Outcomes of Urban Families

    PubMed Central

    Henry, David B.; Tolan, Patrick H.; Strachan, Martha K.

    2013-01-01

    Although research suggests that stress exposure and family functioning are associated with internalizing problems in adolescents and caregivers, surprisingly few studies have investigated the mechanisms that underlie this association. To determine whether family functioning buffers the development of internalizing problems in stress-exposed families, we assessed the relation between stress exposure, family functioning, and internalizing symptoms among a large sample of inner-city male youth and their caregivers living in poverty across five waves of data collection. We hypothesized that stress exposure and family functioning would predict development of subsequent youth and caregiver internalizing problems and that family functioning would moderate this relation, with higher functioning families demonstrating greater resiliency to stress exposure. We used a longitudinal, prospective design to evaluate whether family functioning (assessed at waves one through four) activated or buffered the effects of stress exposure (assessed at wave one) on subsequent internalizing symptoms (assessed at waves four and five). Stress from Developmental Transitions and family functioning were significant predictors of depressive symptoms and anxiety in youth; however, family functioning did not moderate the relation. Family functioning mediated the relation between stress from Daily Hassles and internalizing outcomes suggesting that poor parenting practices, low structure, and low emotional cohesion activate depression and anxiety in youth exposed to chronic and frequent everyday stressors. Surprisingly, only family functioning predicted depressive symptoms in caregivers. Results validate the use of a comprehensive, multi-informant assessment of stress when investigating internalizing outcomes in youth and support using family-based interventions in the treatment and prevention of internalizing. PMID:25601821

  2. The Role of Stress Exposure and Family Functioning in Internalizing Outcomes of Urban Families.

    PubMed

    Sheidow, Ashli J; Henry, David B; Tolan, Patrick H; Strachan, Martha K

    2014-11-01

    Although research suggests that stress exposure and family functioning are associated with internalizing problems in adolescents and caregivers, surprisingly few studies have investigated the mechanisms that underlie this association. To determine whether family functioning buffers the development of internalizing problems in stress-exposed families, we assessed the relation between stress exposure, family functioning, and internalizing symptoms among a large sample of inner-city male youth and their caregivers living in poverty across five waves of data collection. We hypothesized that stress exposure and family functioning would predict development of subsequent youth and caregiver internalizing problems and that family functioning would moderate this relation, with higher functioning families demonstrating greater resiliency to stress exposure. We used a longitudinal, prospective design to evaluate whether family functioning (assessed at waves one through four) activated or buffered the effects of stress exposure (assessed at wave one) on subsequent internalizing symptoms (assessed at waves four and five). Stress from Developmental Transitions and family functioning were significant predictors of depressive symptoms and anxiety in youth; however, family functioning did not moderate the relation. Family functioning mediated the relation between stress from Daily Hassles and internalizing outcomes suggesting that poor parenting practices, low structure, and low emotional cohesion activate depression and anxiety in youth exposed to chronic and frequent everyday stressors. Surprisingly, only family functioning predicted depressive symptoms in caregivers. Results validate the use of a comprehensive, multi-informant assessment of stress when investigating internalizing outcomes in youth and support using family-based interventions in the treatment and prevention of internalizing.

  3. Volunteerism Among Military Families

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1998-07-01

    Project on Volunteerism Among Military Families . Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Nonprofit Management Concentration in the Department of...Marywood UNIVERSITY MF| Research Report 98-1 Volunteerism Among Military Families Sherry J. Fontaine Mark A. Brennan C. Estelle Campenni...Kipling C. Lavo July 1998 MILITARY FAMILY INSTITUTE MARYWOOD UNIVERSITY, SCRANTON, PA Itfi r>o Military Family Institute MARYWOOD UNIVERSITY a

  4. Emerging adults' lived experience of formative family stress: the family's lasting influence.

    PubMed

    Valdez, Carmen R; Chavez, Tom; Woulfe, Julie

    2013-08-01

    In this article, we use a phenomenology framework to explore emerging adults' formative experiences of family stress. Fourteen college students participated in a qualitative interview about their experience of family stress. We analyzed the interviews using the empirical phenomenological psychology method. Participants described a variety of family stressors, including parental conflict and divorce, physical or mental illness, and emotional or sexual abuse by a family member. Two general types of parallel processes were essential to the experience of family stress for participants. First, the family stressor was experienced in shifts and progressions reflecting the young person's attempts to manage the stressor, and second, these shifts and progressions were interdependent with deeply personal psychological meanings of self, sociality, physical and emotional expression, agency, place, space, project, and discourse. We describe each of these parallel processes and their subprocesses, and conclude with implications for mental health practice and research.

  5. Concept analysis of family homeostasis.

    PubMed

    Kim, Heejung; Rose, Karen M

    2014-11-01

    To report a concept analysis of family homeostasis. As family members are a majority of informal caregivers, negative consequences from caregiving duty create a vicious cycle in the family unit resulting in ongoing health crises and care challenges. Concept analysis. Forty empirical studies published from 1956-2012 were selected by searching five electronic bibliographical databases and by a manual search conducted from 2012-2013. Search terms included 'family homeostasis', 'homeostasis in family', 'homeostatic care' and 'family equilibrium'. Clinical experiences in nursing practice were used for constructing cases and clinical implications. Walker and Avant's method guided this analysis. Family homeostasis is defined as the capacity and mechanisms by which equilibrium is re-established in the family after a change occurs. Five critical attributes are identified: (1) predetermined setpoint; (2) self-appraised antecedents; (3) interdependence; (4) tendency to stability; and (5) feedback mechanisms. Antecedents include any type of causative change beyond the tolerable limit, while consequences encompass intermediate and long-term outcomes as well as equilibrium itself. Family homeostasis provides a conceptual rationale of family caregiving. While care recipients remain the primary beneficiaries of healthcare provision, homeostatic mechanisms are required to support the family caregiver's valuable contribution in the caring process to enhance family well-being. Further study should expand the definition and settings of family to reflect healthcare needs of diverse types of families and from the perspectives of different healthcare providers. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. FAMILY READINESS

    Science.gov Websites

    RESPONSIBILITY CENTCOM COALITION MEDIA SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS ARTICLES PRESS RELEASES IMAGERY VIDEOS TRANSCRIPTS VISITORS AND PERSONNEL FAMILY CENTER FAMILY READINESS CENTCOM WEBMAIL SOCIAL MEDIA SECURITY ACCOUNTABILITY Social Media Follow MacDill AFB on social media to get updates about traffic, gate closures, construction

  7. A Family-Based Diabetes Intervention for Hispanic Adults and Their Family Members

    PubMed Central

    Wallace, Debra; McCoy, Thomas; Amirehsani, Karen

    2014-01-01

    Aims The purpose of this quasi-experimental one group longitudinal study is to examine the effects of a family-based intervention program on diabetes self-management behaviors, HbA1c, other biomarkers, psychosocial factors and health-related quality of life in Hispanics with diabetes. Methods Adult patients with diabetes (n = 36) and family members (n = 37) were recruited from a community clinic in rural central North Carolina. Patients and family members attended an 8-week culturally tailored diabetes educational program taught in Spanish. Data was collected pre and post intervention for both patients and family members, with an additional data collection for patients 1 month post intervention. Results Most patients and family members were female and almost all were immigrants. HbA1c dropped by 0.41% on average among patients from pre-intervention to 1 month post intervention. Patients showed significant improvements in systolic blood pressure, diabetes self-efficacy diabetes knowledge, and physical and mental components of health-related quality of life. Higher levels of intake of healthy foods and performance of blood sugar tests and foot inspections were reported. Family members significantly lowered BMI and improved diabetes knowledge from pre- to immediate post-intervention. No significant changes in levels of physical activity were found among patients with diabetes or family members. Conclusions Findings suggest that including family members in educational interventions may provide emotional and psychological support to patients with diabetes, help to develop healthy family behaviors, and promote diabetes self-management. PMID:24248832

  8. Family Self-tailoring: Applying a Systems Approach to Improving Family Healthy Living Behaviors

    PubMed Central

    Moore, Shirley M.; Jones, Lenette; Alemi, Farrokh

    2016-01-01

    The adoption and maintenance of healthy living behaviors by individuals and families is a major challenge. We describe a new model of health behavior change, SystemCHANGE™ (SC), which focuses on the redesign of family daily routines using system improvement methods. In the SC intervention families are taught a set of skills to engage in a series of small, family self-designed experiments to test ideas to change their daily routines. The family system-oriented changes brought about by these experiments build healthy living behaviors into family daily routines so that these new behaviors happen as a matter of course, despite wavering motivation, willpower or personal effort on the part of individuals. Case stories of the use of SC to improve family healthy living behaviors are provided. Results of several pilot tests of SC indicate its potential effectiveness to change health living behaviors across numerous populations. PMID:27301950

  9. How family influences practice of obstetrics. Do married women family physicians make different choices?

    PubMed

    Brown, J B; Carroll, J; Reid, A

    1996-07-01

    To examine the influence of family, past and current, on married women family physicians' and to understand why and how some women continue to practise obstetrics. Purposive sample of nine married women family physicians who currently practise obstetrics. Qualitative in-depth interviews. Analysis identified four main influences of family on participants' practice of obstetrics: family of origin, transitions in the life cycle, children, and the marital relationship. These women described how they combined the roles of wife, mother, daughter, sister, and doctor. Family was a powerful influence throughout their practice lives. Finding a balance between the demands of practice, particularly obstetrics, and family relationships was an ongoing process. The process was also influenced by transitions in the life cycle.

  10. The Hoffmeister asteroid family

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carruba, V.; Novaković, B.; Aljbaae, S.

    2017-03-01

    The Hoffmeister family is a C-type group located in the central main belt. Dynamically, it is important because of its interaction with the ν1C nodal secular resonance with Ceres, which significantly increases the dispersion in inclination of family members at a lower semimajor axis. As an effect, the distribution of inclination values of the Hoffmeister family at a semimajor axis lower than its centre is significantly leptokurtic, and this can be used to set constraints on the terminal ejection velocity field of the family at the time it was produced. By performing an analysis of the time behaviour of the kurtosis of the vW component of the ejection velocity field [γ2(vW)], as obtained from Gauss' equations, for different fictitious Hoffmeister families with different values of the ejection velocity field, we were able to exclude that the Hoffmeister family should be older than 335 Myr. Constraints from the currently observed inclination distribution of the Hoffmeister family suggest that its terminal ejection velocity parameter VEJ should be lower than 25 m s-1. Results of a Yarko-YORP Monte Carlo method to family dating, combined with other constraints from inclinations and γ2(vW), indicate that the Hoffmeister family should be 220^{+60}_{-40} Myr old, with an ejection parameter VEJ = 20 ± 5 m s-1.

  11. Clarifying Work-Family Intervention Processes: The Roles of Work-Family Conflict and Family-Supportive Supervisor Behaviors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hammer, Leslie B.; Kossek, Ellen Ernst; Anger, W. Kent; Bodner, Todd; Zimmerman, Kristi L.

    2011-01-01

    Drawing on a conceptual model integrating research on training, work-family interventions, and social support, we conducted a quasi-experimental field study to assess the impact of a supervisor training and self-monitoring intervention designed to increase supervisors' use of family-supportive supervisor behaviors. Pre- and postintervention…

  12. Working with Chronically Dysfunctional Families.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Younger, Robert; And Others

    This paper reviews family therapy with chronically dysfunctional families including the development of family therapy and current trends which appear to give little guidance toward working with severely dysfunctional families. A theoretical stance based upon the systems approach to family functioning and pathology is presented which suggests: (1)…

  13. A family beliefs framework for socially and culturally specific preventive interventions with refugee youths and families.

    PubMed

    Weine, Stevan; Feetham, Suzanne; Kulauzovic, Yasmina; Knafl, Kathleen; Besic, Sanela; Klebic, Alma; Mujagic, Aida; Muzurovic, Jasmina; Spahovic, Dzemila; Pavkovic, Ivan

    2006-01-01

    To assist in designing socially and culturally specific preventive interventions for refugee youths and families, this study identified the processes by which refugee families adapt and apply family beliefs concerning youths. A grounded-theory model constructed with ATLAS/ti for Windows and named the family beliefs framework describes (a) family beliefs concerning refugee youths, (b) contextual factors interacting with these family beliefs, (c) adaptation of family beliefs concerning refugee youths, and (d) the interplay of adapting family beliefs and behaviors concerning refugee youths. Preventive interventions for refugee youths and families would be more socially and culturally specific if they addressed the specific processes of adapting family beliefs experienced by refugee youths and their families amid transitions and traumas. 2006 APA, all rights reserved

  14. The profile and familiality of personality traits in mood disorder families.

    PubMed

    Wu, Pei-Jung; Chang, Sheng-Mao; Lu, Ming-Kun; Chen, Wei J; Yang, Yen-Kuang; Yeh, Tzung-Lieh; Liao, Shin-Cheng; Lu, Ru-Band; Kuo, Po-Hsiu

    2012-05-01

    Personality traits have impacts on individuals' response to stress and mood expression. The current study aimed to investigate the profile of personality traits in patients with bipolar disorders and major depressive disorder (MDD). Familial aggregation of personality traits in mood disorder families was also evaluated. We recruited 260 clinical patients of MDD (92), bipolar disorder-I and II (BP-I=111, BP-II=57), 190 first-degree relatives, and 180 controls. Four personality traits were assessed using the Eysenck and Tridimensional Personality Questionnaires, including Extraversion (E), Neuroticism (N), Harm Avoidance (HA), and Novelty Seeking (NS). The magnitude of familiality of personality traits in mood disorder families was evaluated by mixed models and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC). Patients with mood disorders had lower E, and higher N, HA and NS than controls. Unaffected relatives were not differed from controls in the four personality traits. BP-I had higher E, NS and lower N, HA than MDD patients (p<0.01). The scale N further distinguished BP-I from BP-II (p=0.02) with lower N among BP-I patients. There exhibited moderate familiality in E (ICC=0.184-0.239) and HA (ICC=0.355) in bipolar disorder families. Personality traits were accessed cross-sectionally without quantitatively controlled severity of mood symptoms. Different patterns of personality traits distinguish patients from unaffected individuals as well as separate diagnoses of mood disorders, indicating the usage of more comprehensive evaluation of personality traits in clinical settings. Familiality of extraversion and harm avoidance in bipolar disorder families provides insights for further investigating correlates of comorbid behavioral problems in bipolar disorders. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Family Workshops

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bennett, Dave; Rees-Jones, Tanny

    1978-01-01

    A Family Workshop is an informal, multidisciplined educational program for adults and children, organized by a team of teachers. This article discusses the Lavender Hill Family Workshop, one of many, which attempts to provide education in various subject areas for adults and for children while also integrating both objectives in order to educate…

  16. Family functioning in families with a child with Down syndrome: a mixed methods approach.

    PubMed

    Povee, K; Roberts, L; Bourke, J; Leonard, H

    2012-10-01

    This study aimed to explore the factors that predict functioning in families with a child with Down syndrome using a mixed methods design. The quantitative component examined the effect of maladaptive and autism-spectrum behaviours on the functioning of the family while the qualitative component explored the impact of having a child with Down syndrome on family holidays, family activities and general family functioning. Participants in this study were 224 primary caregivers of children with Down syndrome aged 4-25 years (57.1% male; 42.9% female) currently residing in Western Australia (74.0% in metropolitan Perth and 26.0% in rural Western Australia). Maladaptive and autism-spectrum behaviour were associated with poorer family functioning. Mean total scores on the measures of family functioning and marital adjustment were comparable to that of families of typically developing children. Consistent with the quantitative findings, normality was the most common theme to emerge in the qualitative data. Child problem behaviours were also identified by parents/carers as having a negative impact on the family. This study has implications for the development of programs to support families with a child with Down syndrome and may dispel some of the myths surrounding the impact of intellectual disability on the family. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  17. [Family characteristics of stuttering children].

    PubMed

    Simić-Ruzić, Budimirka; Jovanović, Aleksandar A

    2008-01-01

    Stuttering is a functional impairment of speech, which is manifested by conscious, but nonintentionally interrupted, disharmonic and disrhythmic fluctuation of sound varying in frequency and intensity. Aetiology of this disorder has been conceived within the frame of theoretical models, which tend to connect genetic and epigenetic factors. The goal of the paper was to study the characteristics of the family functioning of stuttering children in comparison to the family functioning of children without speech disorder, which confirmed the justification of the introduction of family orientated therapeutic interventions into the therapy spectrum of child stuttering. Seventy-nine nucleus families of 3 to 6-year-old children were examined; of these, 39 families had stuttering children and 40 had children without speech disorder. The assessment of family characteristics was made using the Family Health Scale, an observer-rating scale which according to semistructured interview and operational criteria, measures 6 basic dimensions of family functioning: Emotional State, Communication, Borders, Alliances, Adaptability & Stability, Family Skills. A total score calculated from the basic dimensions, is considered as a global index of family health. Families with stuttering children compared to families with children without speech disorder showed significantly lower scores in all the basic dimension of family functioning, as well as in the total score on the Family Health Scale. Our research results have shown that stuttering children in comparison with children without speech disorder live in families with unfavourable emotional atmosphere, impaired communication and worse control over situational and developmental difficulties, which affect children's development and well-being. In the light of previous research, the application of family therapy modified according to the child's needs is now considered indispensable in the therapeutic approach to stuttering children. The

  18. Grandparent-grandchild relationships: from families in contexts to families as contexts.

    PubMed

    Davey, Adam; Savla, Jyoti; Janke, Megan; Anderson, Shayne

    2009-01-01

    Relationships between grandparents and grandchildren provide an excellent framework for integrating family theory and family methodology. Systematic differences as a function of age, gender, life expectancy, and health as played out through generations suggest some topics are best studied by disentangling variability between and within families. Using data from 1,345 grandchildren (52% girls, mean age 13.69 years, range 9 to 20) reporting on 3,664 grandparents, we compare results obtained from studying grandparent-grandchild relationships individually and at the family level. Results suggest important predictors of relationship quality at the within-subject and between-subject levels. Future research should more carefully integrate each level into theory and design.

  19. Socioeconomic status and parenting in ethnic minority families: testing a minority family stress model.

    PubMed

    Emmen, Rosanneke A G; Malda, Maike; Mesman, Judi; van Ijzendoorn, Marinus H; Prevoo, Mariëlle J L; Yeniad, Nihal

    2013-12-01

    According to the family stress model (Conger & Donnellan, 2007), low socioeconomic status (SES) predicts less-than-optimal parenting through family stress. Minority families generally come from lower SES backgrounds than majority families, and may experience additional stressors associated with their minority status, such as acculturation stress. The primary goal of this study was to test a minority family stress model with a general family stress pathway, as well as a pathway specific to ethnic minority families. The sample consisted of 107 Turkish-Dutch mothers and their 5- to 6-year-old children, and positive parenting was observed during a 7-min problem-solving task. In addition, mothers reported their daily hassles, psychological distress, and acculturation stress. The relation between SES and positive parenting was partially mediated by both general maternal psychological stress and maternal acculturation stress. Our study contributes to the argument that stressors specific to minority status should be considered in addition to more general demographic and family stressors in understanding parenting behavior in ethnic minority families.

  20. Residential Instability, Family Support, and Parent-Child Relationships Among Ethnically Diverse Urban Families.

    PubMed

    Riina, Elizabeth M; Lippert, Adam; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne

    2016-08-01

    From a social disorganization standpoint, neighborhood residential instability potentially brings negative consequences to parent-child relationship qualities, but family social support and racial/ethnic identity may modify this association. Using data (n = 3,116) from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, this study examines associations between neighborhood residential instability and parent-child warmth and conflict, whether family social support moderates associations between residential instability and parent-child relationships, and variation by race/ethnicity. Multilevel models reveal that residential instability undermines parent-child relationship qualities, particularly for non-White individuals. Family support is a protective factor for families in less stable neighborhoods, and specifically buffers the association between neighborhood residential instability and reduced parent-child warmth. Among Hispanics, family support mitigates the association between residential instability and heightened parent-child conflict. Findings highlight residential instability as a detriment to parent-child relationships; families in unstable neighborhoods may benefit from family social support.