We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
To save content items to your account,
please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies.
If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account.
Find out more about saving content to .
To save content items to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org
is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings
on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part
of your Kindle email address below.
Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations.
‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi.
‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is bringing to light the long-neglected area of mental health. Current evidence demonstrates an increase in mental, neurological and substance use conditions globally. Although long-established as a leading cause of disease burden, mental health has been historically grossly underfunded. This analysis seeks to demonstrate the extent to which funding for mental health has been prioritised within the international COVID-19 response.
Methods
The authors analysed the development and humanitarian funding through data provided by the International Aid Transparency Initiative. Project-level COVID-19 data from January 2020 to March 2021 were reviewed for mental health relevance. Relevant projects were then classified into categories based on populations of concern for mental health and the degree of COVID-19 involvement. Financial information was assessed through project transaction data in US Dollars.
Results
Of the 8319 projects provided, 417 were mental health relevant. Mental health-relevant funding accounted for less than 2% of all COVID-19 development and humanitarian funding. Target populations which received the majority of mental health relevant funding were children and humanitarian populations, and 46% of funding went towards activities which combined COVID-19 responses with general humanitarian actions. Over half of mental health relevant funding was received by ten countries, and ten donor organisations provided almost 90% of funding.
Conclusion
This analysis shows that the international donor community is currently falling short in supporting mental health within and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic continues, sustainable country-led awareness, treatment, and prevention for mental, neurological and substance use conditions must be prioritised
Background: In Canada, it’s unknown if the prevalence of stroke survivorship differs in the population with active cancer compared to those without cancer. Methods: We analyzed the 2015-2016 iteration of the Canadian Community Health Survey. The prevalence of stroke survivorship was compared across risk factors using descriptive statistics. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess the association between cancer and prevalence of stroke survivorship. Covariates were assessed for effect modification and confounding using the maximum likelihood estimation method. Results: We analyzed 89,285 subjects. The prevalence of cancer and the prevalence of suffering from the effects of a stroke were 2.09% and 1.56%, respectively. Cancer was significantly associated with an increased prevalence of stroke survivorship with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.56 (95%CI: 1.24 – 1.98) after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, education, household income, dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes. The association was stronger in younger age groups: the youngest age group (18 – 49 years) had the highest OR (6.49, 95%CI:2.01 – 20.94) for suffering from the effects of a stroke in association with the presence of cancer. Conclusions: In Canada, the presence of active cancer increases the odds of suffering from the effects of a stroke, particularly in the youngest age group.
Background: Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is recommended after minor ischemic stroke/ transient ischemic attack (TIA), but Clopidogrel/ Aspirin has never been compared directly to Ticagrelor/ Aspirin. Our objective is to compare these regimens in terms of efficacy and safety. Methods: Medline, Embase, and Cochrane were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that enrolled adults with minor stroke/ TIA and administered antiplatelets within 72 hours. The primary efficacy outcome is recurrent stroke or death at 90 days. We performed a Bayesian-approach NMA. Between group comparisons were presented as odds-ratios (OR) with 95% credible intervals (95%CI). Sucraplots were based on calculated probabilities of rankings for individual outcomes. Results: 9/4014 studies were included: 5 RCTs and 4 subgroup analyses. 22,098 patients were analyzed. At 90 days, both DAPT regimens were superior to Aspirin in the prevention of recurrent stroke/ death. There was no significant difference between Clopidogrel/ ASA compared to Ticagrelor/ ASA (OR 0.90 [95%CI 0.74 – 1.09]), although Clopidogrel/ Aspirin was ranked #1 using Sucraplots. There was no significant difference between the interventions for mortality, bleeding, or adverse events. Conclusions: DAPT was superior to ASA in the prevention of recurrent strokes/ death, but there was no difference between Clopidogrel/ ASA and Ticagrelor/ ASA.
Dichanthium annulatum is one of the dominant grasses of India, North Africa, Southeast Asia, China, Australia, Fiji, New Guinea, Cuba, Haiti and Puerto Rico. This drought-tolerant grass is an excellent fodder in mixed pastures. Developing varieties with improved quality and tolerance to various abiotic stresses is hampered due to its apomictic nature. Germplasm collection, characterization, genetic diversity analysis and core subset development followed by selection for desirable traits seems to be the most plausible breeding tool for developing new cultivars. In the present study, 498 genotypes collected from different agro-ecological zones in India were included. Genotypes were characterized for various metric and non-numeric traits; and the nutritional parameters. Agglomerative clustering analysis, using the Euclidean distance method, showed 14 distinct clusters. High variability was recorded for green forage yield, quantitative traits and nutritive quality parameters. A core subset of 50 accessions was identified, which captured most of the morphological and nutritional variability present in the total germplasm. Clustering of genotypes was observed to be related to the climatic conditions of the place of collection. High genetic variability observed for various morphological traits as well as forage yield indicated that these genotypes or subset of genotypes can be evaluated in different abiotic stress conditions such as salt, light and moisture stress for the identification of suitable varieties for the respective areas. Variability was attributed to inter-generic, inter-specific crossing together with the occasional presence of sexual plants in nature.
We present a numerical method for simulating the flow induced by bubbles rising at large Reynolds number. This method is useful to simulate configurations of large dimensions involving a great number of bubbles. The action that each bubble exerts on the liquid is modelled as a volume source of momentum distributed over a few mesh-grid elements. The flow in the vicinity of the bubbles is thus not finely resolved. The bubbles are treated as Lagrangian particles that move under the influence of the hydrodynamic force exerted by the liquid. The determination of this force on a given bubble requires knowledge of the liquid flow that is undisturbed by this bubble. A model is developed to accurately estimate this disturbance for large-Reynolds-number objects and get rid of any spurious self-induced effect. Thanks to that, a homogeneous swarm of rising bubbles is simulated. Comparisons with experiments show a good agreement with the flow scales larger than the bubbles, which turn out to be controlled by the interactions between bubble wakes and rather independent of unresolved smaller scales. This method can be used to study the coupling between bubble-induced agitation and large-scale motions, such as those produced in industrial bubble columns.
To investigate the relative contributions of cerebral cortex and basal ganglia to movement stopping, we tested the optimum combination Stop Signal Reaction Time (ocSSRT) and median visual reaction time (RT) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) and compared values with data from healthy controls.
Methods:
Thirty-five PD patients, 22 AD patients, and 29 healthy controls were recruited to this study. RT and ocSSRT were measured using a hand-held battery-operated electronic box through a stop signal paradigm.
Result:
The mean ocSSRT was found to be 309 ms, 368 ms, and 265 ms in AD, PD, and healthy controls, respectively, and significantly prolonged in PD compared to healthy controls (p = 0.001). The ocSSRT but not RT could separate AD from PD patients (p = 0.022).
Conclusion:
Our data suggest that subcortical networks encompassing dopaminergic pathways in the basal ganglia play a more important role than cortical networks in movement-stopping. Combining ocSSRT with other putative indices or biomarkers of AD (and other dementias) could increase the accuracy of early diagnosis.
We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a Prescribing Observatory for Mental Health audit to assess the quality of requests from intellectual disability services to primary care for repeat prescriptions of antipsychotic medication.
Results
Forty-six National Health Service Trusts submitted treatment data on 977 adults with intellectual disability, receiving antipsychotic medication for more than a year, for whom prescribing responsibility had been transferred to primary care. Therapeutic effects had been monitored in the past 6 months in 80% of cases with a documented communication indicating which service was responsible for this and 72% of those with no such communication. The respective proportions were 69% and 42% for side-effect monitoring, and 79% and 30% for considering reducing/stopping antipsychotic medication.
Clinical implications
Where continuing antipsychotic medication is prescribed in primary care for people with intellectual disability, lack of guidance from secondary care regarding responsibilities for monitoring its effectiveness may be associated with inadequate review.
Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) refractory to conventional therapy can lead to marked disability and represents a therapeutic challenge.
Objective:
To report five cases of treatment-refractory disabling CIDP treated with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT).
Methods:
This was a retrospective cohort study from a tertiary care referral center for both neuromuscular disease and AHSCT. Patients with CIDP treated with AHSCT between 2008 and 2020 were included. All patients had major persistent and disabling neuropathic deficits despite combinations of intensive immunosuppressive therapy. The primary outcome measures were: Medical Research Council sum score, Overall Neuropathy Limitations Scale and requirement for ongoing CIDP immunotherapy after transplantation. We also analyzed safety outcomes by documenting all severe AHSCT-related complications.
Results:
Five patients with refractory CIDP underwent AHSCT. Three were classified as manifesting a typical syndrome, two were classified as the multifocal Lewis Sumner variant. The mean age at time of CIDP diagnosis was 33.4 years (range 24–46 years), with a median delay of 46 months (range 21–135 months) between diagnosis and AHSCT. The median follow-up period was 41 months. All five patients were able to wean off CIDP-related immunotherapy. Marked improvements in Medical Research Council scale and overall Neuropathy Limitations Scale were noted in 4/5 patients. One patient with longstanding neurogenic atrophy showed no improvement in disability scales. There were no treatment-related deaths or critical illnesses.
Conclusions:
AHSCT can achieve marked sustained clinical improvement of refractory CIDP and may allow for weaning off long-term complex immunotherapies.
The first demonstration of laser action in ruby was made in 1960 by T. H. Maiman of Hughes Research Laboratories, USA. Many laboratories worldwide began the search for lasers using different materials, operating at different wavelengths. In the UK, academia, industry and the central laboratories took up the challenge from the earliest days to develop these systems for a broad range of applications. This historical review looks at the contribution the UK has made to the advancement of the technology, the development of systems and components and their exploitation over the last 60 years.
We summarize some of the past year's most important findings within climate change-related research. New research has improved our understanding of Earth's sensitivity to carbon dioxide, finds that permafrost thaw could release more carbon emissions than expected and that the uptake of carbon in tropical ecosystems is weakening. Adverse impacts on human society include increasing water shortages and impacts on mental health. Options for solutions emerge from rethinking economic models, rights-based litigation, strengthened governance systems and a new social contract. The disruption caused by COVID-19 could be seized as an opportunity for positive change, directing economic stimulus towards sustainable investments.
Technical summary
A synthesis is made of ten fields within climate science where there have been significant advances since mid-2019, through an expert elicitation process with broad disciplinary scope. Findings include: (1) a better understanding of equilibrium climate sensitivity; (2) abrupt thaw as an accelerator of carbon release from permafrost; (3) changes to global and regional land carbon sinks; (4) impacts of climate change on water crises, including equity perspectives; (5) adverse effects on mental health from climate change; (6) immediate effects on climate of the COVID-19 pandemic and requirements for recovery packages to deliver on the Paris Agreement; (7) suggested long-term changes to governance and a social contract to address climate change, learning from the current pandemic, (8) updated positive cost–benefit ratio and new perspectives on the potential for green growth in the short- and long-term perspective; (9) urban electrification as a strategy to move towards low-carbon energy systems and (10) rights-based litigation as an increasingly important method to address climate change, with recent clarifications on the legal standing and representation of future generations.
Social media summary
Stronger permafrost thaw, COVID-19 effects and growing mental health impacts among highlights of latest climate science.
Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus Jacq.) is an important forage species in vast rangelands/grasslands of India and several tropical countries owing to its high biomass yield, good nutritional quality and wide adaptation. Evaluation of the existing natural variation and selection of desirable genotypes is the most plausible breeding method for this apomictic and polyploid grass. Developing a core sub-set to narrow down the number of germplasm required for future genetic studies is also pertinent. The present study involved characterization of 152 diverse M. maximus germplasm representing collections from different agro-ecological zones of India as well as those procured from Africa and Brazil; and development of a core sub-set. Nineteen metric, seven non-metric and nine nutritive traits together established the presence of wide variability among the genotypes. Clustering of the genotypes resulted in eight distinct clusters. The largest cluster included genotypes from Ethiopia, north India, north-western India, south India and north-eastern hill region, thus represented the highest diversity. Eleven of the total 26 Ethiopian genotypes clustered together. Non-metric morphological traits effectively differentiated the genotypes, and were associated with nutritional quality also. Genotypes which flowered once in a year showed slightly better crude protein and digestibility. The clusters were further sub-clustered and representatives were selected to develop the core sub-set of 23 genotypes comprising 20 indigenous and three exotic accessions. Comparison of the range of diversity and mean value for traits as obtained in the core sub-set and that in the total germplasm indicated successful capturing of maximum diversity in the core sub-set.
Ductal stents, right ventricular outflow tract stents, and aortopulmonary shunts are used to palliate newborns and infants with reduced pulmonary blood flow. Current long-term outcomes of these palliations from resource-restricted countries are unknown.
Methods:
This single-centre, retrospective, observational study analysed the technical success, immediate and late mortality, re-interventions, and length of palliation in infants ≤5 kg who underwent aortopulmonary shunts, ductal, and pulmonary outflow stents. Patients were grouped by their anatomy.
Results:
There were 69 infants who underwent one of the palliations. Technical success was 90% for aortopulmonary shunts (n = 10), 91% for pulmonary outflow stents (n = 11) and 100% for ductal stents (n = 48). Early mortality within 30 days in 12/69 patients was observed in 20% after shunts, 9% after pulmonary outflow stents, and 19% after ductal stents. Late mortality in 11 patients was seen in 20% after shunts, 18% after outflow stents, and 15% after ductal stents. Seven patients needed re-interventions; two following shunts, one following outflow stent, and four following ductal stents for hypoxia. Among the anatomical groups, 10/12 patients with pulmonary atresia, intact ventricular septum survived after valvotomy and ductal stenting. Survival to Glenn shunt after ductal stent for pulmonary atresia, intact ventricular septum and diminutive right ventricle was very low in two out of eight patients, but very good (100%) for other univentricular hearts. Among 35 patients with biventricular lesions, 22 survived to the next stage.
Conclusions:
Cyanotic infants, despite undergoing technically successful palliation had a high inter-stage mortality irrespective of the type of palliation. Duct stenting in univentricular hearts and in pulmonary atresia with an intact ventricular septum and adequate sized right ventricle tended to have low mortality and better long-term outcome. Completion of biventricular repair after palliation was achieved only in 63% of patients, reflecting unique challenges in developing countries despite advances in intensive care and interventions.
Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) is an umbrella term for all drug and nondrug addictive behaviors, due to a dopamine deficiency, “hypodopaminergia.” There is an opioid-overdose epidemic in the USA, which may result in or worsen RDS. A paradigm shift is needed to combat a system that is not working. This shift involves the recognition of dopamine homeostasis as the ultimate treatment of RDS via precision, genetically guided KB220 variants, called Precision Behavioral Management (PBM). Recognition of RDS as an endophenotype and an umbrella term in the future DSM 6, following the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), would assist in shifting this paradigm.
Prolonged survival of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on environmental surfaces and personal protective equipment may lead to these surfaces transmitting this pathogen to others. We sought to determine the effectiveness of a pulsed-xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) disinfection system in reducing the load of SARS-CoV-2 on hard surfaces and N95 respirators.
Methods:
Chamber slides and N95 respirator material were directly inoculated with SARS-CoV-2 and were exposed to different durations of PX-UV.
Results:
For hard surfaces, disinfection for 1, 2, and 5 minutes resulted in 3.53 log10, >4.54 log10, and >4.12 log10 reductions in viral load, respectively. For N95 respirators, disinfection for 5 minutes resulted in >4.79 log10 reduction in viral load. PX-UV significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2 on hard surfaces and N95 respirators.
Conclusion:
With the potential to rapidly disinfectant environmental surfaces and N95 respirators, PX-UV devices are a promising technology to reduce environmental and personal protective equipment bioburden and to enhance both healthcare worker and patient safety by reducing the risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
Diet has a major influence on the composition and metabolic output of the gut microbiome. Higher-protein diets are often recommended for older consumers; however, the effect of high-protein diets on the gut microbiota and faecal volatile organic compounds (VOC) of elderly participants is unknown. The purpose of the study was to establish if the faecal microbiota composition and VOC in older men are different after a diet containing the recommended dietary intake (RDA) of protein compared with a diet containing twice the RDA (2RDA). Healthy males (74⋅2 (sd 3⋅6) years; n 28) were randomised to consume the RDA of protein (0⋅8 g protein/kg body weight per d) or 2RDA, for 10 weeks. Dietary protein was provided via whole foods rather than supplementation or fortification. The diets were matched for dietary fibre from fruit and vegetables. Faecal samples were collected pre- and post-intervention for microbiota profiling by 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon sequencing and VOC analysis by head space/solid-phase microextraction/GC-MS. After correcting for multiple comparisons, no significant differences in the abundance of faecal microbiota or VOC associated with protein fermentation were evident between the RDA and 2RDA diets. Therefore, in the present study, a twofold difference in dietary protein intake did not alter gut microbiota or VOC indicative of altered protein fermentation.
The Hawkesbury Sandstone (Hawkesbury Series, Sydney Basin) on the southeastern coast of New South Wales, Australia, preserves a depauperate but important vertebrate tetrapod body-fossil record from the Early and Middle Triassic. As with many fossil sites around the world, the ichnological record has helped to shed light on the paleoecology of this interval. Herein, we investigate historical reports of a trackway pertaining to a putative short-tailed reptile found at Berowra Creek in the 1940s. Reinvestigation of the surviving track-bearing slabs augmented by archival photographs of the complete trackway, suggests that these impressions, which consist primarily of didactyl tracks (plus less common monodactyl and tridactyl traces), represent the earliest example of a swimming tetrapod found in Australia. Another isolated specimen (possibly from a nearby locality at Annangrove) appears to represent similar didactyl swim traces of a second, larger individual. Although the identities of the trackmakers are unknown, the Berowra Creek individual had an estimated body length of between ~80 cm (short-coupled) and 1.35 m (long-coupled), and produced the subaqueous trackway while travelling upslope (against the current) on a sandbar within a braided river system of the Hawkesbury Sandstone. These trackways partially resemble amphibian swim traces in the so-called Batrachichnus C Lunichnium continuum, but appear to represent a unique locomotion trace. This reanalysis of the Berowra Creek trackway provides insight into the locomotion of tetrapods of the Triassic Hawkesbury Series, which remains a poorly understood aspect of their life history.
Background: Telemedicine has been defined as the use of technology to provide healthcare when the provider and patient are geographically separated. Use of telemedicine to meet the needs of specific populations has become increasingly common across Canada. The current study employs the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) to connect the emergency departments of a community hospital system and a pediatric tertiary care hospital. OTN functions through a two-way video conferencing system, allowing physicians at the tertiary site to see and hear the patient being treated in the community hospitals. Aim Statement: The aim of this project is to ensure essential care is provided to CTAS 1 and 2 pediatric patients who present to Niagara Health emergency departments, to increase the number of appropriate patient transfers. Measures & Design: Data for this project include a) description of common diagnoses, b) time of call, c) occurrence of transfers, and d) professional perceptions of the technology. A descriptive design was used together with the implementation of quality improvement cycles as the intervention occurred. Quality improvement methodologies including plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles ensured continuous improvement to the process of OTN use and therefore patient safety throughout the study. Evaluation/Results: Since the intervention was employed on December 17, 2018 there have been a total of 19 cases for which 4 transfers were requested. Changes to the process were made including the addition of weekly technology tests and feedback to health professionals involved to garner further support for the use. Results have indicated that seizure was the most common diagnosis, accounting for 37% of cases. The majority of calls were placed after 19:00 hours with no calls being placed between 24:00 and 10:00. Discussion/Impact: Healthcare providers had positive perceptions of the technology agreeing that decision making between on-site and remote teams was timely and collaborative, as well as that patient care and outcomes were improved with its use. The results of this study will be used to determine the benefits of employing telemedicine in the emergency departments of other hospital systems.
The combination of clozapine and other potentially leukopenic drugs may pose a greater risk for neutropenia. However, neutropenia may not always be due to clozapine. When adding potentially leukopenic drugs, clinicians should look for possible alternatives especially as clozapine is often a drug used as the last resort in treatment refractory schizophrenia.
Topiramate is an antiepileptic agent, which is being investigated as a mood-stabilizer. Three obese individuals with DSM-IV bipolar I disorder and type II diabetes mellitus received topiramate treatment in combination with antipsychotics and valproate or carbamazepine. In addition to improved mood stability, these individuals lost between 16 to 20.5% of their pre-topiramate body weight and also achieved significant glycemic control.
“Folie à deux” is also known in the ICD-10 as Induced Delusional Disorder. A subtype is “folie imposee” where the primary individual holds delusional beliefs shared by a secondary individual. When the delusional beliefs of the primary individual cease it is observed that the beliefs of the secondary individual also disappear. Mr A was a 36 year old Caucasian male presenting with an array of psychotic symptoms centred on a task which involved finding an energy source at the centre of the earth. Mrs A was highly resistant to his treatment and further investigation revealed a case of folie à deux.
Objectives:
To demonstrate the phenomenon of folie à deux.
Methods:
Individual and combined interviews were held with Mr and Mrs A where the psychotic symptoms were discussed. A comprehensive study of Mr A's past and current psychopathology was also undertaken.
Results:
Mrs A shared the delusions of her partner and was strongly against treatment as it would nullify his delusions rendering him incapable of completing his task. Once treatment was facilitated, Mr A experienced a drop from his unusually high levels of energy which reflected an equal and immediate drop in energy levels of his partner which led her to further discourage him from medication. When Mr A's delusional beliefs lifted, it was apparent that his partner no longer held the same delusional beliefs.
Conclusions:
We concluded this case fulfilled ICD-10 and DSM IV criteria for a shared delusional disorder (folie à deux) with specific sub-type “folie imposee”.