Heterogeneity in Youth Symptom Trajectories Following Psychiatric Crisis: Predictors and Placement Outcome.

The authors examined heterogeneity in symptom trajectories among youths following psychiatric crises as well as the psychosocial correlates and placement outcomes associated with identified trajectories. Using semiparametric mixture modeling with 156 youths approved for psychiatric hospitalization, the authors identified 5 trajectories based on symptoms over the 16 months following crisis: high improved, high unimproved, borderline improved, borderline unimproved, and subclinical. Membership in unimproved symptom groups was associated with less suicidality, younger age, more youth hopelessness, and more caregiver empowerment. Improved symptom group membership predicted long-term decreases in days in out-of-home placements. More important, and in contrast with general impressions from the existing literature, findings suggest that a substantive proportion of youths with serious emotional disturbance sustain high levels of symptomatology following intensive mental health services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Retrospective mapping of burnt areas in Central Siberia using a modification of the normalised difference water index

The boreal forest contains almost half the total carbon pool of world forest ecosystems, and so has a very significant role in global biogeochemical cycles. The flux of greenhouse gases in and out of these forests is influenced strongly by disturbances such as diseases, logging and predominantly fire. It is important to quantify these disturbances to enable the modelling of major greenhouse gases. However, because of the remoteness and vastness of the boreal forest, little data is available on the type, extent, frequency and severity of these disturbances in Siberia. For burnt areas, two of the more responsive wavelengths are the short wave infra-red (SWIR) and the near infra-red (NIR). These produce a vegetation index, the normalised difference SWIR (NDSWIR) capable of detecting retrospective disturbances. Here we combine the NDSWIR from MODIS imagery acquired in the summer of 2003 with thermal anomaly data from 1992 to 2003 to detect and date areas which burnt at some point between 1992 and 2003. The semi-automated method is called SWIR and Thermal ANomalies for Detecting Disturbances (STANDD) and is complemented by an Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) differencing method using MODIS 2002 and 2003 imagery to ensure reliable detection of area burnt in the year of image acquisition (i.e. 2003). The area of this study covers approximately 3 million km² stretching from Lake Baikal in the south to the Laptev Sea in the north, above the Arctic Circle. Landsat ETM+ images were used to validate the shape and areal extent of the burnt areas resulting in an 81% overall accuracy with a kappa coefficient of agreement of 0.63.     

Human thalamic nucleus mediating taste and multiple other sensations related to ingestive behavior

Until now, taste was the only primary sensory modality for which the human central nervous system pathways were unknown. We report sensations evoked by stimulation at microampere current levels in the region of the human thalamic nucleus (ventralis caudalis parvocellularis internis) corresponding to the monkey taste relay nucleus. Stimulation in this region during awake neurosurgical procedures evoked special visceral/somatic (taste/pungent smell), general visceral (fullness of a hollow viscus), as well as painful and nonpainful general somatic sensations. General somatic or visceral sensation was evoked by stimulation at 80% of sites where special visceral/somatic sensation was evoked. These results suggest that primate taste relay mediates multiple sensations in addition to taste.     

Intestinal metaplasia with adherent Helicobacter pylori: a hybrid epithelium with both gastric and intestinal features

Helicobacter pylori seem to avoid areas of intestinal metaplasia in the gastric mucosa, but attachment of these bacteria to epithelium with the appearance of incomplete intestinal metaplasia has been documented. To characterize the nature of the epithelium to which H pylori was attached, we carried out an immunohistochemical study using monoclonal antibodies against gastric surface mucous cell mucins (M1), blood group-related carbohydrates antigens (Le(a), sialyl Le(a), Le(b), type 1H, and type 2H) and sialyl Tn antigen. The results of this study suggest that these areas of H pylori attachment represent a hybrid epithelium whose cells share characteristics of both gastric surface mucous cells and intestinal metaplastic cells. Whether all areas of incomplete intestinal metaplasia represent an intermediate stage between the normal gastric epithelium and the fully developed complete type of metaplasia remains to be determined.     

Induction of hyperhydration in rats by IP loading with graded concentrations of NaCl solution

In April 1991, 91 hospitalized patients in Cairo were reported to the Egyptian Ministry of Health with botulism intoxication. To define the spectrum of illness and identify a food vehicle, 45 patients were interviewed and a case-control investigation was conducted among families of 5 hospitalized patients. Clinical specimens and specimens of implicated food were tested for toxin and cultured for Clostridium botulinum. Hospitalized patients had symptoms consistent with botulism; 18 (20%) of 91 reported patients died. Illness was associated with eating faseikh (uneviscerated, salted mullet fish; lower 95% confidence limit of odds ratio = 6.6, P < .001). All 5 case-families purchased faseikh from one shop. Very high levels of type E botulinal toxin were detected in faseikh reported to be purchased from the implicated shop; C. botulinum type E was isolated from cultures of clinical specimens and from the faseikh. This is the first documented outbreak of botulism in Egypt and the largest type E outbreak ever reported.     

Physiologic correlates to running performance in pre-pubertal distance runners

In adults, four major variables have been shown to be associated with success in distance running performance: submaximal oxygen consumption (running economy), peak oxygen consumption (Peak VO2), ventilatory threshold (VT) and fractional utilisation (FU). The primary aim of this study was to describe the relationship between the 3000 m race times of run-trained prepubertal boys to these four variables. Thirteen male run-trained pre-pubertal boys (age 11.7 +/- 1.1 yrs, mean +/- SD), volunteered to take part in a 3000 m time trial and laboratory assessment, consisting of treadmill running at four submaximal speeds (8, 9.6, 11.2 and 12.8 km.h-1) as well as a peak VO2 test. The group demonstrated a heterogeneous array of peak VO2 data. A high level of association (p < 0.05) was found between mass-relative peak VO2 and 3000 m time trial results (r = -0.83). In addition ventilatory threshold expressed as %peak VO2, VO2 at VT and estimated velocity at VT was also highly related to 3000 m time trial (r = -0.78, -0.77 and -0.77) respectively. Fractional utilisation (%peak VO2) was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with race time at the final two submaximal running speeds only (11.2 and 12.8 km.h-1) (r = 0.61 and 0.67, respectively). Respiratory Exchange Ratio (RER) was also found to be significantly (p < 0.05) associated with 3000 m race time at 11.2 and 12.8 km.h-1. Overall peak VO2 appeared to be the single most important factor associated with success at 3000 m.     

Professionally-led support groups for cancer patients: an intervention in search of a model

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review was to evaluate the clinical and research literature on professionally-led support groups for cancer patients and to propose an approach that would address patients' needs from diagnosis through survivorship. METHOD: Computerized and manual searches, including Medline and Psychlit searches, were completed for reviews of the literature. Twelve research studies were identified that met our criteria for in-depth review. A clinical model emerged from discussions of an oncology study group based on theoretical formulations and clinical experience with oncology patients. RESULTS: We found that recent research suggests that professionally-led support groups are increasing in number and that participation in such groups seems to enhance patients' quality, and possibly even quantity, of survival. Despite this, little effort has been made to determine what type of group may be appropriate for which patients and when in their course of care. CONCLUSIONS: If psychosocial intervention, in the form of professionally-led support groups for cancer patients, is to be more effective, it should be guided by a model which takes into consideration the changing needs and concerns of patients over the course of illness and, in many cases, recovery. The authors present an outline delineating what such a model might entail.     

Superior vena cava syndrome after heart transplantation: percutaneous treatment of a complication of bicaval anastomoses

The aims of this study were to establish a working rabbit heart model of regional myocardial ischaemia in which electrophysiologic parameters and arrhythmogenesis could be correlated and to explore the mechanisms underlying the antiarrhythmic activity of lignocaine. Monophasic action-potential duration (MAPD90), effective refractory period (ERP), and conduction delay were measured at three ventricular sites in isolated hearts paced at 3.3 Hz. The hearts were treated before and throughout 30 min of ischaemia and 15 min of reperfusion with a vehicle or 20 microM lignocaine. In both groups, ischaemia produced a similar shortening in MAPD90. Lignocaine decreased ERP shortening during ischaemia from -56+/-4 to -32+/-6 ms. An ischaemia-induced increase in conduction delay was greater in the lignocaine than the control group (49+/-7 vs. 11+/-2 ms). Ischaemia-induced dispersion of repolarisation was reduced by lignocaine from 66+/-4 to 32+/-7 ms, and dispersion of refractoriness was decreased from 57+/-6 to 16+/-3 ms. Lignocaine decreased inducibility of ventricular fibrillation (VF) during ischaemia from 86 to 25%. We conclude that, in this model, the antiarrhythmic activity of lignocaine during regional ischaemia is associated with an increase in ischaemia-induced conduction delay and reduced dispersion of repolarisation and refractoriness.