Creating continuity out of the disruption of a diagnosis of HIV during pregnancy

AIM: To understand the uniqueness of the experience of testing HIV positive from the perspective of pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: As more people learn of their HIV diagnosis through routine screening processes, it is timely to reflect on the impact of receiving an unexpected positive result.

DESIGN: A prospective qualitative study.

METHODS: This paper draws on the case studies of four women who were participating in a larger prospective qualitative study of reproductive decision-making, pregnancy and childbirth following HIV diagnosis. Multiple interviews were conducted following diagnosis during pregnancy, and, after the birth of their babies. Thematic data analysis was undertaken.

RESULTS: Drawing on Becker's theory of disruption, we document the 'sudden disjuncture' of their antenatal diagnosis and the embodied emotional struggle the women engaged in to create continuity in their lives. A diagnosis of HIV disrupted the women's biographies in terms of their health, relationships and social identity. As pregnant women, the threat of HIV was experienced most significantly in relation to their unborn child. However, their narratives also revealed how a diagnosis of HIV in the context of pregnancy, whilst traumatic, provided a focus for regaining continuity in their lives, as the baby became a metaphor for hope and orientation toward the future.

CONCLUSIONS: As HIV testing becomes more 'routine', the findings of this study serve to remind health professionals that a positive diagnosis continues to constitute a major trauma to individuals and families.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: We propose that appropriately educated nursing and midwifery staff could facilitate the 'meaning making' process that is required for newly diagnosed HIV positive persons to find a subjective sense of well-being in their lives.

Ruling out a massive asymptotic giant-branch star as the progenitor of supernova 2005cs

We calculate the predicted UBVRIJHK absolute magnitudes for models of supernova progenitors and apply the result to the case of supernova 2005cs. We agree with previous results that the initial mass of the star was low, around 6 to 8 M-circle dot. However, such stars are thought to go through a second dredge-up to become asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. We show that had this occurred to the progenitor of 2005cs it would have been observed in JHK pre-explosion images. The progenitor was not detected in these bands and therefore we conclude that it was not an AGB star. Furthermore, if some AGB stars do produce supernovae they will have a clear signature in pre-explosion near-infrared images. Electron-capture supernovae are thought to occur in AGB stars, hence the implication is that 2005cs was not an electron-capture supernova but was the collapse of an iron core.

NE-LIKE GE SLAB TARGET STUDIES CARRIED OUT AT RAL

The effect of non-uniform target illumination on the soft X-ray lasing output intensity of the J=2-1 Ne-like Ge transitions as a function of length was investigated. As the degree of nonunifonnity increased with length the Ne-like Ge 23.2 and 23.6 nm J=2-1 transitions did not show exponentiation of output intensity. Using an experimentally measured gain-intensity scaling relationship these results were modelled and good qualitative agreement obtained. The model indicates that for Ge targets which are non-uniformly illuminated, even with peak to valley ratios of up to 3 efficient operation can be achieved at between 2-3x threshold intensity. Further studies of the effect of increasing the separation between the two targets of a double target geometry are also presented.

Structure-activity relationships of FMRFamide-related peptides contracting Schistosoma mansoni muscle

This study reports the potent myoactivity of flatworm FMRFamide-related peptides (FaRPs) on isolated muscle fibers of the human blood fluke, Schistosoma mansoni. The turbellarian peptides YIRFamide (EC50 4 eta M), GYIRFamide (EC50 1 eta M). and RYIRFamide (EC50 7 eta M), all induced muscle contraction more potently than the cestode FaRP GNFFRFamide (EC50 500 eta M). Using a series of synthetic analogs of the flatworm peptides YIRFamide, GYIRFamide and RYIRFamide, the structure-activity relationships of the muscle FaRP receptor were examined. With a few exceptions, each residue in YIRFamide is important in the maintenance of its myoactivity. Alanine scans resulted in peptides that were inactive (Ala(1), Ala(2), Ala(3) and Ala(4) YIRFamide; Ala(4) and Ala(5) RYIRFamide) or had much reduced potencies (Ala(1), Ala(2) and Ala(3) RYIRFamide). Substitution of the N-terminal (Tyr(1)) residue of YIRFamide with the non-aromatic residues Thr or Arg produced analogs with greatly reduced potency. Replacement of the N-terminal Tyr with aromatic amino acids resulted in myoactive peptides (FIRFamide, EC50 100 eta M; WIRFamide, EC50 0.5 eta M). The activity of YIRFamide analogs which possessed a Leu(2), Phe(2) or Met(2) residue (EC50's 10, 1 and 3 eta M, respectively) instead of Ile(2) was not significantly altered, whereas, YVRFamide had a greatly reduced (EC50 200 eta M) activity. Replacement of the Phe(4) with a Tyr(4) (YIRYamide) also greatly lowered potency. Truncated analogs were either inactive (FRFamide, YRFamide, HRFamide, RFamide, Famide) or had very low potency (IRFamide and MRFamide), with the exception of nLRFamide (EC50 20 eta M). YIRF free acid was inactive. In summary, these data show the general structural requirements of this schistosome muscle FaRP receptor to be similar, but not identical, to those of previously characterized molluscan FaRP receptors. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.