Activity

  • Lamont Hunt posted an update 2 weeks ago

    Increasingly, it has been recognized that analysis at the symptom, rather than diagnostic, level will drive progress in the field of immunopsychiatry. Network analysis offers a useful tool in this pursuit with the ability to identify associations between immune markers and individual symptoms, independent of all other variables modeled. However, investigation into how methodological decisions (i.e., including vs. excluding participants with C-reactive protein (CRP) >10 mg/L, regularized vs. nonregularized networks) influence results is necessary to establish best practices for the use of network analysis in immunopsychiatry. In a sample of 3,464 adult participants from the 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey dataset, this study found consistent support for associations between CRP and fatigue and changes in appetite and some support for additional CRP-criterion associations. SEL120 CDK inhibitor Methodologically, results consistently demonstrated that including individuals with CRP >10 mg/L and estimating nonregularized networks provided better estimates of these associations. Thus, we recommend considering the use of nonregularized networks in immunopsychiatry and inclusion of cases with CRP values >10 mg/L when testing the association between CRP and depression criteria, unless contraindicated by the research question being tested. Additionally, results most consistently suggest that CRP is uniquely related to fatigue and changes in appetite, supporting their inclusion in an immunometabolic phenotype of depression. Finally, these associations suggest that fatigue and changes in appetite might be particularly receptive to anti-inflammatory treatments. However, future research with more nuanced measures is necessary to parse out whether appetite increases or decreases drive this association. Further, longitudinal research is an important next step to test how these relationships manifest over time.Objective This study evaluated whether the satisfaction of patients attending a physiotherapy-led postarthroplasty review out-patient clinic was non-inferior to that of patients attending traditional surgeon clinics. Methods Using a modified nine-item Visit-Specific Satisfaction Instrument (VSQ-9), 50 patients attending the physiotherapy clinic and 50 patients attending surgeon clinics were surveyed. Sample means (±s.d.) were calculated for each domain of the VSQ-9. Non-inferiority testing was performed using 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the adjusted mean difference to examine whether normalised patient satisfaction scores in the physiotherapy group were no worse than those in the surgeon group. Results Both groups were satisfied (overall domain; 100% of both groups rated good-excellent). Based on mean item score, there was strong evidence that the satisfaction of the physiotherapy group was non-inferior to that of the surgeon group (adjusted mean difference (physiotherapy – surgeon) in mean score 5.1 (9tisfied than those seen by surgeons in traditional clinics. The findings support those reported in the Canadian study. This is an important step in the development and acceptance of these substitution model of care innovations locally. What are the implications for practitioners? The results of this study will provide an important addition to the evidence of the clinical efficacy of this model of care that of consumer acceptance. This will assist with planning, expansion and rollout of similar initiatives in Australia.In the era of antiretroviral treatment, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) is common in HIV-positive (HIV+) patients, with an incidence of 30-50%. The relationship between education level and HAND has been evaluated in some studies, however, the results were inconsistent. The aim of this meta-analysis was to provide compelling evidence on the association between education level and the risk of HAND. Reports were searched for in the databases of Medline, Embase and PsyclNFO. Studies evaluating the relationship between education level and HAND in adult HIV+ patients were included. The pooled odds ratio/risk ratio was analysed by using the random-effects model. Two subgroup analyses were performed according to the adjustment of educational level in the neurocognitive impairment assessment and the income level. In total, 18 studies were included. Six studies and 12 studies reported education level as the continuous variable and categorical variable, respectively. The methods used for the assessment of neurocognitive impairment in included studies were neuropsychological battery tests (n = 10), HIV Dementia Scale (n = 1), the International HIV Dementia Scale (n = 6) and the Chinese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (n = 1). The result showed that the risk of HAND in HIV+ patients who have lower education attainment was significantly higher than that in HIV+ patients who have higher education attainment. In conclusion, this meta-analysis demonstrated that HIV+ patients who have low education attainment carry higher risk of developing HAND compared with HIV+ patients who have high education attainment. This study highlighted the importance of early neurological screening for HIV+ patients who have low education level.Difficult infants are commonly considered at risk for maladaptive developmental cascades, but evidence is mixed, prompting efforts to elucidate moderators of effects of difficulty. We examined features of parents’ representations of their infants – adaptive (appropriate mind-mindedness, MM) and dysfunctional (low reflective functioning, RF, hostile attributions) – as potential moderators. In Family Study (N = 102), we tested parents’ appropriate MM comments to their infants as moderating a path from infants’ observed difficulty (negative affect, unresponsiveness) to parents’ observed power assertion at ages 2-4.5 to children’s observed and parent-rated (dis)regard for conduct rules at age 5.5. In father-child relationships, MM moderated that path for fathers with low MM, the infants’ increasing difficulty was associated with fathers’ greater power assertion, which in turn was associated with children’s more disregard for rules. The path was absent for fathers with average or high MM. In Children and Parents Study (N = 200), dysfunctional representations (low RF, hostile attributions) moderated the link between child objective difficulty, observed as anger in laboratory episodes, and difficulty as described by the parent. Reports of mothers with highly dysfunctional representations were unrelated to children’s observed anger. link2 Reports of mothers with average or low dysfunctional representations aligned with laboratory observations.

    Older adults exhibit heightened vulnerability for alcohol-related health impairments. Increases in the proportion of older adults within the European Union’s total population and prevalence rates of alcohol use disorders in this age group are being observed. This large scale international study was conducted to identify those older adults with an increased risk to engage in hazardous drinking behaviour.

    Socio-demographic, socio-economic, personality characteristics (Big Five Inventory, BFI-10), and alcohol consumption patterns of 13,351 individuals from 12 different European countries, collected by the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe, were analyzed using regression models.

    Age, nationality, years of education, as well as personality traits, were significantly associated with alcohol intake. For males, extraversion predicted increased alcohol intake (RR=1.11, CI=1.07-1.16), whereas conscientiousness (RR=0.93, CI=0.89-0.97), and agreeableness (RR=0.94, CI=0.90-0.99), were associated withd alcohol consumption into improved prevention and treatment.

    Responses to anticipateddiscrimination are common among mental health service users and can have adetrimental impact on their recovery. Since 2009, the Time to Change (TTC)anti-stigma program in England has aimed to improve service users’ empowerment,reducing public stigma and discrimination. link3 In this paper, we aim to evaluatewhether service users’ awareness of TTC is associated with fewer responses toanticipated discrimination.

    We used data collected for the evaluation of TTC from samples of mental health service users interviewed by telephone in annual surveys 2009-2014.

    Five thousand and nine hundredand twenty-three participants completed the survey, mainly suffering from mooddisorders (depression, 28.4%, n=1,681) and schizophrenia related disorders(15.4%, n=915).In 23.2% of cases,participants were aware of any aspects of the TTC program, while participationin TTC was reported by 2.6%. Being aware of the TTC program was notsignificantly associated with responses to anticipated discrimination, exceptfor those participating in the TTC campaign in 2013. Stopping oneself fromapplying for work was significantly associated with experienced discriminationin both finding (p<0.001) and keeping (p<0.001) a job.Concealing mental health problems was associated with a general experience ofbeing shunned (p<0.001).

    Awareness of a nationalanti-stigma program may not be sufficient to encourage people to seek work/educationor to be open about their illness in situations in which they currentlyanticipate discrimination. There is the need to identify new multi-levelstrategies for challenging anticipated discrimination, even focusing ondifferent target groups.

    Awareness of a nationalanti-stigma program may not be sufficient to encourage people to seek work/educationor to be open about their illness in situations in which they currentlyanticipate discrimination. There is the need to identify new multi-levelstrategies for challenging anticipated discrimination, even focusing ondifferent target groups.Individual differences in two inhibitory temperament systems have been implicated as key in the development of early disruptive behaviors. The reactive inhibition system, behavioral inhibition (BI) entails fearfulness, shyness, timidity, and caution. The active inhibition system, or effortful control (EC) entails a capacity to deliberately suppress, modify, or regulate a predominant behavior. Lower scores in each system have been associated with more disruptive behaviors. We examined how the two systems interact, and whether one can alleviate or exacerbate risks due to the other. In two community samples (Study 1, N = 112, ages 2.5 to 4, and Study 2, N = 102, ages 2 to 6.5), we assessed early BI and EC, and future disruptive behaviors (observed disregard for rules in Study 1 and parent-rated externalizing problems in Study 2). Robustly replicated interactions revealed that for children with low BI (relatively fearless), better EC was associated with less disruptive behavior; for children with low EC, more BI was associated with less disruptive behavior. This research extends the investigation of Temperament × Temperament interactions in developmental psychology and psychopathology, and it suggests that reactive and active inhibition systems may play mutually compensatory roles. Those effects emerged after age 2.

    To identify factors that increase the microbial load in the operating room (OR) and recommend solutions to minimize the effect of these factors.

    Observation and sampling study.

    Academic health center, public hospitals.

    We analyzed 4 videotaped orthopedic surgeries (15 hours in total) for door openings and staff movement. The data were translated into a script denoting a representative frequency and location of movements for each OR team member. These activities were then simulated for 30 minutes per trial in a functional operating room by the researchers re-enacting OR staff-member roles, while collecting bacteria and fungi using settle plates. To test the hypotheses on the influence of activity on microbial load, an experimental design was created in which each factor was tested at higher (and lower) than normal activity settings for a 30-minute period. These trials were conducted in 2 phases.

    The frequency of door opening did not independently affect the microbial load in the OR. However, a longer duration and greater width of door opening led to increased microbial load in the OR.