Aggression Amongst Outpatients With Schizophrenia and Related Psychoses in a Tertiary Mental Health Institution

Aims: Aggression is defined as “any behavior intended to cause physical, emotional, or psychological harm to another.” The aims of the current study were to (i) examine underlying factor structure of the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) and (ii) explore socio-demographic and clinical correlates (symptom severity, substance use and alcohol use) among patients with schizophrenia and related psychoses in a multi-ethnic Asian population.Methods: Data collected from 397 participants who were seeking outpatient treatment for schizophrenia and related psychoses at a tertiary psychiatric hospital were included in the analyses. BPAQ, a 29-item, four-factor instrument that measures physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger and hostility was used to assess aggression. Data on socio-demographic variables, age of onset of illness, drug use, alcohol use and symptom severity were also collected. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to establish the underlying factor structure of the BPAQ. Multiple regression analyses were utilized to examine socio-demographic and clinical correlates of the BPAQ factors.Results: The mean age of the participants was 36.2 years (SD = 10.9, range: 21–65). Factor structure obtained from the CFA indicated that a higher order four-factor solution had an acceptable fit to the observed data (WLSMV χ2 = 1,025.35, df = 320, RMSEA = 0.07, CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.93, SRMR = 0.05). Females had lower physical aggression and hostility scores as compared to males. Those with lower education had higher physical aggression scores as compared to those with higher education. Participants who received a diagnosis after the age of 30 years had higher physical aggression and anger scores as compared to those who received a diagnosis at or before 20 years of age. Symptom severity was positively associated with higher BPAQ scores.Conclusion: The study findings demonstrated high internal consistency and applicable measurement factor structure of BPAQ in this study sample, making it an appropriate questionnaire for assessing aggressive behavior in this population. We also identified socio-demographic and clinical factors that were associated with aggression in patients with schizophrenia and related psychoses.

Cyclosporine A nephropathy, its pathogenesis and management

CsA, obtained from a fungus called Tolypocladium inflatum came into medical use in 1983. Organ transplants have shown great success after the use of Cyclosporine, especially in 3- and 5-year graft survival. However, nephrotoxicity seen in the early and late periods complicates its use. It is very important to distinguish especially early toxicity from rejection attacks; because the treatments of both processes are completely different. While vasocostriction in the renal artery system is prominent in the early period, the underlying factor for late toxicity is the thickening of the arteriolar intima and the consequent decrease in tissue oxygenation. The article discusses the variants of toxicity caused by the use of cyclosporin A. Morphological changes with the use of cyclosporin A are shown in rat models. The results of our own observations on the use of prostaglandin, which demonstrated the effect of vasodilation, are also presented, which can probably be used for further studies in order to reduce the nephrotoxicity of cyclosporin A. In particular, we found that PGE2 significantly reduced vasoconstriction and reduced the toxic effect due to CsA. The limitations was the usage of these agents once, so we couldn’t continue and only gave them intravenously. However, the results obtained were found to be significant.

When Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Predicts Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Poor Sleep—Results from a Larger Cross-Sectional and Quasi-Longitudinal Study

Poor sleep is associated with a higher risk of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) as a proxy of unfavorable emotion regulation. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that past non-suicidal self-injury was associated with current non-suicidal self-injury and with current subjective sleep patterns. To this end, a larger sample of young adults were assessed. A total of 2374 adults (mean age: 27.58 years; 39.6% females) completed a series of self-rating questionnaires covering sociodemographic information, past and current NSSIs, suicide attempts, and current sleep patterns, including experiencing nightmares. Past NSSIs predicted current NSSIs. Current sleep patterns had a modest impact on the association between past and current NSSIs. Compared to male participants, female participants did not report more sleep complaints or more current NSSIs, but more past NSSIs. Past NSSIs predicted the occurrences of nightmares and suicide attempts. The best predictor of current NSSI was the remembered past NSSI, while current poor sleep was only modestly associated with current NSSI. Further indicators of current NSSI and poor sleep were suicide attempts and nightmares within the last six months. Overall, it appears that poor emotion regulation should be considered as underlying factor to trigger and maintain non-suicidal self-injury-related behavior and poor sleep. Further, unlike previous studies, which focused on the possible influence of sleep patterns on NSSIs, the aim of the present study paradigm was to investigate NSSIs on sleep patterns.

Vascular, cardiac, and renal lesions attributed to primary systemic hypertension in western pygmy marmosets (Cebuella pygmaea)

In a retrospective study of a western pygmy marmoset ( Cebuella pygmaea) colony, postmortem examination of 1/8 juvenile and 29/47 adult animals identified vascular, cardiac, and renal lesions consistent with systemic hypertension. This included frequent renal arteriolar hypertrophy, hyaline and proliferative arteriolosclerosis, fibrinoid necrosis of arterioles, glomerulosclerosis, and nephrosclerosis. Affected animals ranged from 0.6 to 12 years of age (mean 6 years) and had an observed male predominance. Genealogical relatedness was evident in several breeding pairs and spanned multiple generations. Concurrent cardiac and renal disease was commonly identified, although frequently subclinical, and both were important causes of morbidity and mortality in affected animals. Cardiomegaly and hypertrophy were typical features and were accompanied by left atrial thrombosis in 10 animals. Signs of heart failure included chronic pulmonary edema in 20 cases and body cavity effusions in 17. In the kidneys, 19 cases had glomerular disease and hypertensive vasculopathy, and 26 cases had nephrosclerosis or glomerulosclerosis. Common extrarenal secondary causes of hypertension were excluded by necropsy examination. The pathogenesis is suggested to involve primary hypertension leading to renal and cardiac disease. Elevated sympathetic activity might be an underlying factor in the frequent development of primary systemic hypertension in the pygmy marmoset, as for the owl monkey.

Patulin-producing mold, toxicological, biosynthesis, and molecular detection of patulin

Mycotoxin is one of the food safety problems that raise concern because of its negative health impact and significant economic losses. Patulin is the most common mycotoxin found in fruits and its products like apple, orange, grape, pear, etc. There are 167 species reported to produce patulin; Penicillium expansum is the major patulin producer among those fungi species. Patulin is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans, but some studies showed the toxicities of patulin. Patulin has a broad spectrum of toxicity such as acute toxicity, sub-acute toxicity, genotoxicity, embryotoxicity and teratogenicity, carcinogenicity, and immunotoxicity. There are several ways to detect mycotoxins, such as HPLC, TLC, ELISA, and PCR. The popular way to detect mycotoxin molecularly is PCR because of its sensitivity and specificity. To detect patulin molecularly require proper selection of target gene. Therefore, the biosynthesis of patulin, its influencing gene, and its underlying factor needs to be understood.

An empirical study of professional translators’ attitudes, use and awareness of Web 2.0 technologies, and implications for the adoption of emerging technologies and trends

This questionnaire-based study was conducted as a part of an MA Dissertation in the summer of 2010 (Gough, 2010a). It examines the trends within the translation industry which have developed in response to the evolution of the Web from Web 1.0 (the information web) to Web 2.0 (the social web) and places professional translators against the backdrop of these trends. The developments based on the principles of sharing, openness and collaboration associated with Web 2.0 can be seen as affecting the tools used by translators and the processes in which they engage. This study examines professional translators’ awareness and perception of the new open, collaborative tools and processes and the degree of tools usage and process participation. The key findings of this study highlight translators’ vague awareness and insufficient understanding of these trends, marginal use of the open tools and little engagement in the collaborative processes. The underlying factor determining translators’ awareness, perception and the use of these tools and processes is their attitude towards adopting new technologies, with an indication that professionals with innovative attitudes are more inclined to embrace the new trends and developments.

The impact of food addiction behaviours on the treatment of overweight students

The present study evaluated the association of food addiction (FA), the change of the BMI/AgeZ-score, and the consumption of ultra-processed foods in overweight students undergoing a 16-month, multicomponent intervention in the school environment. FA was investigated using the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children and the dietary assessment was estimated using the Semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire in overweight 9- to 11-year-old students (BMI/ageZscore≥1) of both sexes at their baseline and after the intervention (n=120). Among the schoolchildren, 33.4% had FA in at least one of the two assessments. The analysis of mixed-effects models to assess the effect of the intervention and the change of the BMI/AgeZ-score between evaluations showed that the occurrence of FA influenced the maintenance of weight (time#FA, β=0.30, 95%CI=0.05 to 0.54), p=0.016. Weight loss was observed only in individuals who did not present FA (BMI/Age Z-score= −0.3). When evaluating the effect of the intervention and the dietary variables, we verified a reduction in the consumption of sugary milk-based drinks (−17 kcal, p=0.04) only in non-FA students at the end of the study. FA has been identified as an underlying factor with therapeutic relevance, and an enhanced understanding of FA can open new paths for the prevention and management of obesity.

The oldest occurrence of brachylophosaurin hadrosaurids in Canada

Hadrosaurids are a diverse and widely distributed group of ornithischian dinosaurs that are particularly well represented in the upper Campanian Dinosaur Park Formation of the Belly River Group of Alberta. However, the origin of this hadrosaurid diversity in Alberta is poorly understood, as the lower Campanian terrestrial deposits of the underlying Oldman and Foremost formations of the group have produced comparatively few body fossils. Here we provide the first description of a partially articulated hadrosaurid and hadrosaurid material from a bonebed from the Foremost Formation and refer it to the brachylophosaurin Probrachylophosaurus sp. indet. The material represents the oldest occurrence of Brachylophosaurini in Alberta and the oldest known hadrosaurid diagnostic to the genus level from Canada. In Alberta, Hadrosaurinae display a distinct pattern of replacement with the tribes Brachylophosaurini and Kritosaurini being confined to the lower to middle Campanian strata (below the marine Bearpaw Formation) and replaced above the Bearpaw Formation by members of Saurolophini (Prosaurolophus, Saurolophus) and Edmontosaurini (Edmontosaurus), with the latter clade persisting to the end of the Maastrichtian. Although the worldwide stratigraphic distribution of the Hadrosaurinae is complex, this pattern generally holds true for northern Laramidian hadrosaurine tribes, suggesting that their pattern of evolution and replacement may be driven by some common underlying factor such as an environmental response to fluctuations in the margins of the Western Interior Seaway due to sea level change.

Conspiracy Beliefs and Distrust of Science Predicts Reluctance of Vaccine Uptake of Politically Right-Wing Citizens

Conspiracy theories quickly flourished as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged and this may have been an underlying factor for some individuals in their reluctance to adhere to lockdown policies. In the present study, we surveyed a community sample of 1358 adults just prior to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our results supported that right-wing individuals tended to have higher hesitancy associated with taking the COVID-19 vaccine. However, we demonstrated that this association, in part, can be explained by a corresponding belief in COVID-19 related conspiracies. Further, this association only emerged when associated with a general distrust in science. Our findings indicated that public interventions seeking to increase trust in science may mitigate right-wing endorsement of conspiracy theories and thus lead to a more unified and positive response to public health behaviours such as vaccination.

Does the Temperature of the prise de mousse Affect the Effervescence and the Foam of Sparkling Wines?

The persistence of effervescence and foam collar during a Champagne or sparkling wine tasting constitute one, among others, specific consumer preference for these products. Many different factors related to the product or to the tasting conditions might influence their behavior in the glass. However, the underlying factor behind the fizziness of these wines involves a second in-bottle alcoholic fermentation, also well known as the prise de mousse. The aim of this study was to assess whether a low temperature (13 °C) or a high temperature (20 °C) during the in-bottle fermentation might have an impact on the effervescence and the foaming properties (i.e., collar height and bubble size) of three French sparkling wines (a Crémant de Loire and two Champagne wines), under standard tasting conditions. Our results showed that sparkling wines elaborated at 13 °C and served in standard tasting conditions (i.e., 100 mL, 18 °C) had better ability to keep the dissolved CO2 (between 0.09 and 0.30 g/L) in the liquid phase than those elaborated at 20 °C (with P < 0.05). Most interestingly, we also observed, for the Crémant de Loire and for one Champagne wine, that the lower the temperature of the prise de mousse, the smaller (with P < 0.05) the bubbles in the foam collar throughout the wine tasting.