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Schizotypy refers to schizophrenia-like traits below the clinical threshold in the general population. The pathological development of schizophrenia has been postulated to evolve from the initial coexistence of ‘brain disconnection’ and ‘brain connectivity compensation’ to ‘brain connectivity decompensation’.
Methods
In this study, we examined the brain connectivity changes associated with schizotypy by combining brain white matter structural connectivity, static and dynamic functional connectivity analysis of diffusion tensor imaging data and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data. A total of 87 participants with a high level of schizotypal traits and 122 control participants completed the experiment. Group differences in whole-brain white matter structural connectivity probability, static mean functional connectivity strength, dynamic functional connectivity variability and stability among 264 brain sub-regions of interests were investigated.
Results
We found that individuals with high schizotypy exhibited increased structural connectivity probability within the task control network and within the default mode network; increased variability and decreased stability of functional connectivity within the default mode network and between the auditory network and the subcortical network; and decreased static mean functional connectivity strength mainly associated with the sensorimotor network, the default mode network and the task control network.
Conclusions
These findings highlight the specific changes in brain connectivity associated with schizotypy and indicate that both decompensatory and compensatory changes in structural connectivity within the default mode network and the task control network in the context of whole-brain functional disconnection may be an important neurobiological correlate in individuals with high schizotypy.
Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a risk for stroke. The Canadian Cardiovascular Society advises patients who are CHADS65 positive should be started on oral anticoagulation (OAC). Our local emergency department (ED) review showed that only 16% of CHADS65 positive patients were started on OAC and that 2% of our patients were diagnosed with stroke within 90 days. We implemented a new pathway for initiation of OAC in the ED (the SAFE pathway). Aim Statement: We report the effectiveness and safety of the SAFE pathway for initiation of OAC in patients treated for AF in the ED. Measures & Design: A multidisciplinary group of physicians and pharmacist developed the SAFE pathway for patients who are discharged home from the ED with a diagnosis of AF. Step 1: contraindications to OAC, Step 2: CHADS65 score, Step 3: OAC dosing if indicated. The pathway triggers referral to AF clinic, family physician letter and follow up call from the ED pharmacist. Patients are followed for 90 days by a structured medical record review and a structured telephone interview. We record persistence with OAC, stroke, TIA, systemic arterial embolism and major bleeding (ISTH criteria). Patient outcomes are fed back to the treating ED physician. Evaluation/ Results: The SAFE pathway was introduced in two EDs in June 2018. In total, 177 patients have had the pathway applied. The median age was 70 (interquartile range (IQR) 61-78), 48% male, median CHADS2 score 2 (IQR 0-2). 19/177 patients (11%) had a contraindication to initiating OAC. 122 patients (69%) had no contraindication to OAC and were CHADS65 positive. Of these 122 patients, 109 were given a prescription for OAC (96 the correct dose, 9 too high a dose and 4 too low a dose). 6 patients declined OAC and the physician did not want to start OAC for 7 patients. 73/122 were contacted by phone at 90 days, 15 could not be reached and 34 have not completed 90 days of follow up since their ED visit. Of the 73 who were reached by phone after 90 days, 65 were still taking an anticoagulant. To date, 1 patient who declined OAC (CHADS2 score of 2) had a stroke within 90 days and one patient prescribed OAC had a gastrointestinal bleed. Discussion/Impact: The SAFE pathway appears safe and effective although we continue to evaluate and improve the process.
To assess the impact of a newly developed Central-Line Insertion Site Assessment (CLISA) score on the incidence of local inflammation or infection for CLABSI prevention.
Design:
A pre- and postintervention, quasi-experimental quality improvement study.
Setting and participants:
Adult inpatients with central venous catheters (CVCs) hospitalized in an intensive care unit or oncology ward at a large academic medical center.
Methods:
We evaluated CLISA score impact on insertion site inflammation and infection (CLISA score of 2 or 3) incidence in the baseline period (June 2014–January 2015) and the intervention period (April 2015–October 2017) using interrupted times series and generalized linear mixed-effects multivariable analyses. These were run separately for days-to-line removal from identification of a CLISA score of 2 or 3. CLISA score interrater reliability and photo quiz results were evaluated.
Results:
Among 6,957 CVCs assessed 40,846 times, percentage of lines with CLISA score of 2 or 3 in the baseline and intervention periods decreased by 78.2% (from 22.0% to 4.7%), with a significant immediate decrease in the time-series analysis (P < .001). According to the multivariable regression, the intervention was associated with lower percentage of lines with a CLISA score of 2 or 3, after adjusting for age, gender, CVC body location, and hospital unit (odds ratio, 0.15; 95% confidence interval, 0.06–0.34; P < .001). According to the multivariate regression, days to removal of lines with CLISA score of 2 or 3 was 3.19 days faster after the intervention (P < .001). Also, line dwell time decreased 37.1% from a mean of 14 days (standard deviation [SD], 10.6) to 8.8 days (SD, 9.0) (P < .001). Device utilization ratios decreased 9% from 0.64 (SD, 0.08) to 0.58 (SD, 0.06) (P = .039).
Conclusions:
The CLISA score creates a common language for assessing line infection risk and successfully promotes high compliance with best practices in timely line removal.
Anisocotyly, the unequal development of cotyledons post germination, is a unique trait observed only in Old World Gesneriaceae (Lamiales). New World Gesneriaceae have isocotylous seedlings. In both Old and New World Gesneriaceae, cotyledons initially grow equally for a short period just after germination. In the New World species, both cotyledons cease their growth at the same time early on, whereas in Old World species one cotyledon continues to expand to become a macrocotyledon while the other withers away. In this study, cotyledon growth was observed in two European Old World Gesneriaceae: Haberlea rhodopensis and Ramonda myconi. The results were compared with those for the typical anisocotylous species Streptocarpus rexii and the typical isocotylous species Corytoplectus speciosus. We found that the cotyledon growth patterns in Haberlea rhodopensis and Ramonda myconi were intermediate between the typical anisocotylous or isocotylous species. Haberlea rhodopensis and Ramonda myconi showed irregular growth patterns, with some plants being slightly anisocotylous but most being isocotylous. The developmental basis for the residual anisocotyly, the extended basal meristem activity in the macrocotyledon, appeared to be identical in the European species to that in the typical Old World Streptocarpus rexii but weakly expressed, rare and terminated early. In conclusion, European Gesneriaceae retain a reduced anisocotylous growth that may be linked to their early plumule development.
The oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata is an important crop pest in eastern Asia. Nocturnal insects, including nocturnal moths, have phototactic behavior to an artificial light source. Phototactic behavior in insects is species-specific in response to different wavelengths of light sources. Our previous study showed that green (520 nm) light emitting diode (LED) light resulted in a significantly higher phototactic behavior in M. separata moths compared to the other wavelength LED lights. The goal of the present study is to investigate the influence of green light illumination on biological characteristics of different developmental stages in M. separata. Our results revealed that when different developmental stages of M. separata were exposed to the green light illumination in a dark period, several biological characteristics in all developmental stages except for egg stage were positively changed, but those of F1 generation M. separata which are next generation of the adults exposed to the green light did not significantly change compared with the control level. These findings suggest that green light illumination at night (or dark period) has a positive effect on the development and longevity of M. separata.
Salvia daiguii Y.K.Wei & Y.B.Huang, a new species from China, is described. Salvia daiguii belongs to Salvia subg. Glutinaria (Raf.) G.X.Hu, C.L.Xiang & B.T.Drew, sect. Sobiso (Raf.) G.X.Hu, A.Takano & B.T.Drew, and is distinguished from morphologically similar species by differences in its habit, leaves, inflorescences and flowers. It has a narrow distribution in a karst region of Yongding District, Hunan Province, central China. A key to the Chinese species of section Sobiso is also presented.
Copy number variations (CNVs), as an important source of genetic variation, can affect a wide range of phenotypes by diverse mechanisms. The somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) gene plays important roles in cell proliferation and apoptosis. Recently, this gene was mapped to a CNV region, which encompasses quantitative trait loci of cattle economic traits including body weight, marbling score, etc. Therefore, SSTR2 CNV may exhibit phenotypic effects on cattle growth traits. In the current study, distribution of SSTR2 gene CNVs was investigated in six Chinese cattle breeds (XN, QC, NY, JA, LX and PN), and the results showed higher CNV polymorphisms in XN, QC and NY cattle. Next, association analysis between growth traits and SSTR2 CNV was performed for XN, QC and NY cattle. In NY, individuals with fewer copies showed better performance than those with more copies. Further, the effects of SSTR2 CNV on the SSTR2 mRNA level were also investigated, but revealed no significant correlation in either muscle or adipose tissue of adult NY cattle. The results suggested the potential for use of SSTR2 CNV as a marker for the molecular breeding of NY cattle.
Laser-based compact MeV X-ray sources are useful for a variety of applications such as radiography and active interrogation of nuclear materials. MeV X rays are typically generated by impinging the intense laser onto ~mm-thick high-Z foil. Here, we have characterized such a MeV X-ray source from 120 TW (80 J, 650 fs) laser interaction with a 1 mm-thick tantalum foil. Our measurements show X-ray temperature of 2.5 MeV, flux of 3 × 1012 photons/sr/shot, beam divergence of ~0.1 sr, conversion efficiency of ~1%, that is, ~1 J of MeV X rays out of 80 J incident laser, and source size of 80 m. Our measurement also shows that MeV X-ray yield and temperature is largely insensitive to nanosecond laser contrasts up to 10−5. Also, preliminary measurements of similar MeV X-ray source using a double-foil scheme, where the laser-driven hot electrons from a thin foil undergoing relativistic transparency impinging onto a second high-Z converter foil separated by 50–400 m, show MeV X-ray yield more than an order of magnitude lower compared with the single-foil results.
A substantial proportion of persons with mental disorders seek treatment from complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) professionals. However, data on how CAM contacts vary across countries, mental disorders and their severity, and health care settings is largely lacking. The aim was therefore to investigate the prevalence of contacts with CAM providers in a large cross-national sample of persons with 12-month mental disorders.
Methods.
In the World Mental Health Surveys, the Composite International Diagnostic Interview was administered to determine the presence of past 12 month mental disorders in 138 801 participants aged 18–100 derived from representative general population samples. Participants were recruited between 2001 and 2012. Rates of self-reported CAM contacts for each of the 28 surveys across 25 countries and 12 mental disorder groups were calculated for all persons with past 12-month mental disorders. Mental disorders were grouped into mood disorders, anxiety disorders or behavioural disorders, and further divided by severity levels. Satisfaction with conventional care was also compared with CAM contact satisfaction.
Results.
An estimated 3.6% (standard error 0.2%) of persons with a past 12-month mental disorder reported a CAM contact, which was two times higher in high-income countries (4.6%; standard error 0.3%) than in low- and middle-income countries (2.3%; standard error 0.2%). CAM contacts were largely comparable for different disorder types, but particularly high in persons receiving conventional care (8.6–17.8%). CAM contacts increased with increasing mental disorder severity. Among persons receiving specialist mental health care, CAM contacts were reported by 14.0% for severe mood disorders, 16.2% for severe anxiety disorders and 22.5% for severe behavioural disorders. Satisfaction with care was comparable with respect to CAM contacts (78.3%) and conventional care (75.6%) in persons that received both.
Conclusions.
CAM contacts are common in persons with severe mental disorders, in high-income countries, and in persons receiving conventional care. Our findings support the notion of CAM as largely complementary but are in contrast to suggestions that this concerns person with only mild, transient complaints. There was no indication that persons were less satisfied by CAM visits than by receiving conventional care. We encourage health care professionals in conventional settings to openly discuss the care patients are receiving, whether conventional or not, and their reasons for doing so.
Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of the population regarding severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in endemic areas of Lu'an in China were assessed before and after an intervention programme. The pre-intervention phase was conducted using a sample of 425 participants from the 12 selected villages with the highest rates of endemic SFTS infection. A predesigned interview questionnaire was used to assess KAP. Subsequently, an intervention programme was designed and applied in the selected villages. KAP was re-assessed for each population in the selected villages using the same interview questionnaire. Following 2 months of the programme, 339 participants had completed the re-assessed survey. The impact of the intervention programme was evaluated using suitable statistical methods. A significant increase in the KAP and total KAP scores was noted following the intervention programme, whereas the proportion of correct knowledge, the positive attitudes and the effective practices toward SFTS of respondents increased significantly. The intervention programme was effective in improving KAP level of SFTS in populations that were resident in endemic areas.
TAOS II is a next-generation occultation survey with the goal of measuring the size distribution of the small end of the Kuiper Belt (objects with diameters 0.5–30 km). Such objects have magnitudes r > 30, and are thus undetectable by direct imaging. The project will operate three telescopes at San Pedro Mártir Observatory in Baja California, México. Each telescope will be equipped with a custom-built camera comprised of a focal-plane array of CMOS imagers. The cameras will be capable of reading out image data from 10,000 stars at a cadence of 20 Hz. The telescopes will monitor the same set of stars simultaneously to search for coincident occultation detections, thus minimising the false-positive rate. This talk described the project, and reported on the progress of the development of the survey infrastructure.
Most topology optimization methods seek optimal topologies that satisfy a minimum compliance with a pre-specified volume constraint in the design domain. However, practical designs often include various functional constraints and the optimal solid volume ratios are unknown a priori, which implies a gap between topology optimization methods and practical designs in industries. This paper studies the performance-based topology optimization (PTO) problem that searches for the optimal topology with minimum compliance to satisfy the pre-specified functional constraints without a pre-specified volume constraint. A novel element-based evolutionary switching method (ESM), which can automatically adjust solid volume ratio and material distribution, is developed and implemented using the commercial finite element software ABAQUS. The effects of displacement constraints on the optimal topologies are investigated, and the differences between PTO problems and the topology optimization problem which has a volume constraint are discussed. Numerical examples demonstrate that the optimal topologies are mainly determined by the load pattern and locally changed with respect to the location of the active displacement constraints. In addition, the displacement constraints to a large extent control the solid volume ratio of optimal topologies according to the allowable displacements in PTO problems. Finally, the proposed ESM could provide conservative solutions to the topology optimization with multiple displacement constraints problems.
Research has long noted higher prevalence rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among individuals with psychotic symptoms. Major theories have proposed several explanations to account for this association. Given the differences in the literature regarding the operationalization of psychosis and sample characteristics, a quantitative review is needed to determine to what extent and how psychosis confers risk for suicidality.
Methods
We searched PsycInfo, PubMed, and GoogleScholar for studies published before 1 January 2016. To be included in the analysis, studies must have used at least one psychosis-related factor to longitudinally predict suicide ideation, attempt, or death. The initial search yielded 2541 studies. Fifty studies were retained for analysis, yielding 128 statistical tests.
Results
Suicide death was the most commonly studied outcome (43.0%), followed by attempt (39.1%) and ideation (18.0%). The median follow-up length was 7.5 years. Overall, psychosis significantly conferred risk across three outcomes, with weighted mean ORs of 1.70 (1.39–2.08) for ideation, 1.36 (1.25–1.48) for attempt, and 1.40 (1.14–1.72) for death. Detailed analyses indicated that positive symptoms consistently conferred risk across outcomes; negative symptoms were not significantly associated with ideation, and were protective against death. Some small moderator effects were detected for sample characteristics.
Conclusions
Psychosis is a significant risk factor for suicide ideation, attempt, and death. The finding that positive symptoms increased suicide risk and negative symptoms seemed to decrease risk sheds light on the potential mechanisms for the association between psychosis and suicidality. We note several limitations of the literature and offer suggestions for future directions.
Introduction: The CJEM Social Media Team was created in 2014 to assist the journal with the dissemination of its research online. It consists of two Social Media Editors (Junior and Senior) and a team of volunteer medical students and residents to assist their work. Collaborative promotional agreements were developed to promote CJEM articles on the Skeptics’ Guide to Emergency Medicine (SGEM) podcast through the ‘Hot off the Press’ (HOP) series and the CanadiEM blog through an infographic series. Methods:CJEM papers were selected for promotion by the Team based on their perceived interest to the online community of emergency physicians. Altmetric scores, which are a measure of online dissemination derived from a weighted algorithm of social media metrics, were collated for articles promoted using the SGEM HOP or CanadiEM blogs. A control group was created using the articles with the top two Altmetric scores in each CJEM issue in 2015 and 2016. Erratum, Letters, and articles written by the social media editors were excluded from the control groups. The success of the social media promotion was quantified through the measurement of Altmetric scores as of January 1, 2017. Unpaired two-tailed t-tests with unequal variance were used to test for significant differences. Results: 106 and 82 eligible articles were published in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Four articles in 2015 and two articles in 2016 were excluded from the control groups because they were written by the social media editors. SGEM HOP podcasts promoted one article in 2015 and five articles in 2016. CanadiEM infographics promoted three articles in 2015 and eight articles in 2016. No articles were promoted in both series. The average Altmetric score was higher for SGEM HOP (61.0) than CanadiEM Infographics (31.5, p<0.04), 2015 controls (15.8, p<0.01), and 2016 controls (13.6, p<0.01). The average Altmetric score for CanadiEM Infographics was higher than 2015 controls (p<0.04) and 2016 controls (p<0.02). There was no significant difference between the control groups. Conclusion: The results suggest that collaborating with established social media websites to promote CJEM articles using podcasts and infographics increases their social media dissemination. Given the nonrandomized design of these results, causative conclusions cannot be drawn. A randomized study of the impact of social media promotion on readership is underway.
Introduction: Concern for occult serious conditions leads to variations in ED syncope management [hospitalization, duration of ED/inpatient monitoring including Syncope Observation Units (SOU) for prolonged monitoring]. We sought to develop evidence-based recommendations for duration of ED/post-ED ECG monitoring using the Canadian Syncope Risk Score (CSRS) by assessing the time to serious adverse event (SAE) occurrence. Methods: We enrolled adults with syncope at 6 EDs and collected demographics, time of syncope and ED arrival, CSRS predictors and time of SAE. We stratified patients as per the CSRS (low, medium and high risk as ≤0, 1-3 and ≥4 respectively). 30-day adjudicated SAEs included death, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, structural heart disease, pulmonary embolism or serious hemorrhage. We categorized arrhythmias, interventions for arrhythmias and death from unknown cause as arrhythmic SAE and the rest as non-arrhythmic SAE. We performed Kaplan-Meier analysis using time of ED registration for primary and time of syncope for secondary analyses. Results: 5,372 patients (mean age 54.3 years, 54% females, and 13.7% hospitalized) were enrolled with 538 (10%) patients suffering SAE (0.3% died due to an unknown cause and 0.5% suffered ventricular arrhythmia). 64.8% of SAEs occurred within 6 hours of ED arrival. The probability for any SAE or arrhythmia was highest within 2-hours of ED arrival for low-risk patients (0.65% and 0.31%; dropped to 0.54% and 0.06% after 2-hours) and within 6-hours for the medium and high-risk patients (any SAE 6.9% and 17.4%; arrhythmia 6.5% and 18.9% respectively) which also dropped after 6-hours (any SAE 0.99% and 2.92%; arrhythmia 0.78% and 3.07% respectively). For any CSRS threshold, the risk of arrhythmia was highest within the first 15-days (for CSRS ≥2 patients 15.6% vs. 0.006%). ED monitoring for 2-hours (low-risk) and 6-hours (medium and high-risk) and using a CSRS ≥2 cut-off for outpatient 15-day ECG monitoring will lead to 52% increase in arrhythmia detection. The majority (82.2%) arrived to the ED within 2-hours (median time 1.1 hours) and secondary analysis yielded similar results. Conclusion: Our study found 2 and 6 hours of ED monitoring for low-risk and medium/high-risk CSRS patients respectively, with 15-day outpatient ECG monitoring for CSRS ≥2 patients will improve arrhythmia detection without the need for hospitalization or observation units.
Traumatic events are common globally; however, comprehensive population-based cross-national data on the epidemiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the paradigmatic trauma-related mental disorder, are lacking.
Methods
Data were analyzed from 26 population surveys in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys. A total of 71 083 respondents ages 18+ participated. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview assessed exposure to traumatic events as well as 30-day, 12-month, and lifetime PTSD. Respondents were also assessed for treatment in the 12 months preceding the survey. Age of onset distributions were examined by country income level. Associations of PTSD were examined with country income, world region, and respondent demographics.
Results
The cross-national lifetime prevalence of PTSD was 3.9% in the total sample and 5.6% among the trauma exposed. Half of respondents with PTSD reported persistent symptoms. Treatment seeking in high-income countries (53.5%) was roughly double that in low-lower middle income (22.8%) and upper-middle income (28.7%) countries. Social disadvantage, including younger age, female sex, being unmarried, being less educated, having lower household income, and being unemployed, was associated with increased risk of lifetime PTSD among the trauma exposed.
Conclusions
PTSD is prevalent cross-nationally, with half of all global cases being persistent. Only half of those with severe PTSD report receiving any treatment and only a minority receive specialty mental health care. Striking disparities in PTSD treatment exist by country income level. Increasing access to effective treatment, especially in low- and middle-income countries, remains critical for reducing the population burden of PTSD.
Plant defence systems can be induced by biotic and abiotic stress. Experiments were undertaken to explore the feasibility of different fungal proteins for the reduction of vegetable diseases. Total proteins purified from three soil-borne and five foliar fungal pathogens had no fungistatic effects nor did they trigger hypersensitive reactions on test plants. The abilities to promote plant growth and to reduce disease severity varied among test proteins and plants. Depending on test proteins, experiments have demonstrated that exogenous application of fungal proteins could reduce Alternaria brassicicola-induced black spot severity on cabbage, Colletotrichum spp.-induced anthracnose on Chinese cabbage and cucumber, Rhizoctonia solani-induced damping-off on sweet pepper and Chinese cabbage, and powdery mildew on cucumber seedlings. An Alternariaprotein effector 1 (Ape1)-coding gene was cloned from two Alternaria spp. and expressed in Escherichia coli. The expressed Ape1 reduced anthracnose incidence on cucumber leaves, indicating that Ape1 was the primary activator in the crude protein extracts responsible for disease reduction. Application of Alternaria proteins onto Chinese cabbage seedlings caused an increase of phenylalanine ammonia lyase and peroxidase activities in treated seedlings, which may have played a role in host defence.