Background
Little information exists regarding whether psychosocial variables in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) vary by geographic location. Adult attachment is an important psychological concept ...rooted in childhood relationship experience that has not been previously studied in IBS. Catastrophizing and negative pain beliefs have been described in IBS and may be affected by attachment. Aims: In this cross‐cultural study, we determined: (i) whether attachment differs between IBS patients and controls, (ii) whether geographic location has a significant effect on attachment style, catastrophizing and negative pain beliefs, and (iii) how all three variables correlate with IBS symptom severity.
Methods
463 IBS patients, with moderate to severe symptom scores, and 192 healthy controls completed validated questionnaires about attachment, catastrophizing, negative pain beliefs and IBS‐SSS in nine locations, USA (New York, Los Angeles), Mexico, Italy (Rome, Bari), Romania, Iran, India, and China.
Key Results
Attachment anxiety and avoidance scores were significantly higher in IBS patients than in controls (p < 0.001). This was particularly true for the fearful‐avoidant attachment category, especially in China and Romania. Path analysis showed that attachment anxiety and avoidance had indirect effects on IBS‐SSS through catastrophizing (p < 0.0001) and negative pain beliefs (p = 0.005). All three psychosocial measures varied significantly depending on location.
Conclusions & Inferences
In the IBS population studied, attachment style was significantly different in IBS compared to a control population. Geographic differences in attachment, catastrophizing and negative pain beliefs were documented and their correlation with symptom severity and thus, research of psychosocial variables in IBS should take into account the location of the population studied.
This cross‐cultural study compares three psychological factors, attachment, catastrophizing, and negative pain beliefs in IBS patients living in nine geographic sites. Attachment, never studied before in IBS, was significantly different in patients vs controls and all three variables showed significant differences among sites, including their relationships with IBS symptom severity.
Multidrug-resistant bacteria have become a public health problem worldwide, reducing treatment options against several pathogens. If we do not act against this problem, it is estimated that by 2050 ...superbugs will kill more people than the current COVID-19 pandemic. Among solutions to combat antibacterial resistance, there is increasing demand for new antimicrobials. The antibacterial activity of binary combinations containing bioAgNP (biogenically synthesized silver nanoparticles using
), oregano essential oil (OEO), carvacrol (Car), and thymol (Thy) was evaluated: OEO plus bioAgNP, Car plus bioAgNP, Thy plus bioAgNP, and Car plus Thy. This study shows that the mechanism of action of Thy, bioAgNP, and Thy plus bioAgNP involves damaging the membrane and cell wall (surface blebbing and disruption seen with an electron microscope), causing cytoplasmic molecule leakage (ATP, DNA, RNA, and total proteins) and oxidative stress by enhancing intracellular reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation; a similar mechanism happens for OEO and Car, except for oxidative stress. The combination containing bioAgNP and oregano derivatives, especially thymol, shows strategic antibacterial mechanism; thymol disturbs the selective permeability of the cell membrane and consequently facilitates access of the nanoparticles to bacterial cytoplasm. BioAgNP-treated
developed resistance to nanosilver after 12 days of daily exposition. The combination of Thy and bioAgNP prevented the emergence of resistance to both antimicrobials; therefore, mixture of antimicrobials is a strategy to extend their life. For antimicrobials alone, minimal bactericidal concentration ranges were 0.3-2.38 mg/ml (OEO), 0.31-1.22 mg/ml (Car), 0.25-1 mg/ml (Thy), and 15.75-31.5 μg/ml (bioAgNP). The time-kill assays showed that the oregano derivatives acted very fast (at least 10 s), while the bioAgNP took at least 30 min to kill Gram-negative bacteria and 7 h to kill methicillin-resistant
(MRSA). All the combinations resulted in additive antibacterial effect, reducing significantly minimal inhibitory concentration and acting faster than the bioAgNP alone; they also showed no cytotoxicity. This study describes for the first time the effect of Car and Thy combined with bioAgNP (produced with
components) against bacteria for which efficient antimicrobials are urgently needed, such as carbapenem-resistant strains (
,
,
, and
) and MRSA.
Background
Patient reported outcome (PRO) is an important healthcare concept that describes patient's participation in their care by self‐evaluation, usually in the form of questionnaires. This ...report describes an unique computerized technique, electronic PRO (ePRO), for following the progress of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Methods
Patients first completed a series of questionnaires, including questions about their illness history, symptom severity, and, in this application, psychological and relationship issues. The symptom severity and psychological questionnaires were then completed at intervals by the patients on their own computers. The ePRO was constructed to allow scores to be automatically summed and placed on a time‐line graph for review at the time of the next office visit.
Key Results
Of the 32 patients who completed the initial set of questionnaires, 20 maintained participation in the program for a 6‐month period. Of those 20 patients, median number of submissions was 7.0; median interval between questionnaire submissions was 3.0 weeks, whereas median interval between office visits was 5.9 weeks. On average, questionnaire completion took less than 5 min and was positively experienced by the patients.
Conclusions & Inferences
The ePRO program proved to be technically feasible, clinically useful, and positively experienced by the patients. It provides a focus on a collaborative conversation between physician and patient. It has significant potential as a technique for evaluating outcome in response to various therapies.
This article describes a new method for tracking the clinical course of patients with IBS. A computerized program allows patients to complete questionnaires on their computers, with automatic scoring of questionnaires and placement of results on time‐line graphs. The graphs are then available for review by patient and physician in the office.
We describe a brain-computer interface (BCI) system, which uses a set of adaptive linear preprocessing and classification algorithms for single-trial detection of error related negativity (ERN). We ...use the detected ERN as an estimate of a subject's perceived error during an alternative forced choice visual discrimination task. The detected ERN is used to correct subject errors. Our initial results show average improvement in subject performance of 21% when errors are automatically corrected via the BCI. We are currently investigating the generalization of the overall approach to other tasks and stimulus paradigms.
This study estimated biomass and carbon from components, future carbon values and to obtain economic productive value of carbon fixation of a Seasonal Semideciduous Forest. Biomass and carbon were ...estimated using adjusted equations and selected using regression statistics. The prognosis of the diametric distribution was performed using the movement ratio method. In the economic evaluation, it was estimated productive value of the stand, referring to the current and future carbon fixation capacity. The coefficients of determination (adjusted R²) of the equations ranged from 0.11 to 0.90 and the standard error of the estimate (Syx) ranged from 41.53% to 141.89% for the biomass of the components, and from 0.03 to 0.87 for adjusted R² and from 46.20% to 143.64% for the error, for stored carbon in the components. The total biomass of the tree component estimated was 56.25 t ha-1 and 25.88 t ha-1 of total carbon. Using the future distributions by the method of the ratio of movements, total stored carbon (aerial + roots) estimated was 14.44 t. ha-1 over the 20-year period. The productive value for the fragment reached R$ 299.95 per ha. year-1.
Recipes for the linear analysis of EEG Parra, Lucas C.; Spence, Clay D.; Gerson, Adam D. ...
NeuroImage (Orlando, Fla.),
11/2005, Letnik:
28, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
In this paper, we describe a simple set of “recipes” for the analysis of high spatial density EEG. We focus on a linear integration of multiple channels for extracting individual components without ...making any spatial or anatomical modeling assumptions, instead requiring particular statistical properties such as maximum difference, maximum power, or statistical independence. We demonstrate how corresponding algorithms, for example, linear discriminant analysis, principal component analysis and independent component analysis, can be used to remove eye-motion artifacts, extract strong evoked responses, and decompose temporally overlapping components. The general approach is shown to be consistent with the underlying physics of EEG, which specifies a linear mixing model of the underlying neural and non-neural current sources.
Variations in healthcare provision around the world may impact how patients with functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGIDs) are investigated, diagnosed, and treated. However, these differences have ...not been reviewed.
The Multinational Working Team of the Rome Foundation, established to make recommendations on the conduct of multinational, cross-cultural research in FGIDs, identified seven key issues that are analyzed herein: (i) coverage afforded by different healthcare systems/providers; (ii) level of the healthcare system where patients with FGIDs are treated; (iii) extent/types of diagnostic procedures typically undertaken to diagnose FGIDs; (iv) physicians' familiarity with and implementation of the Rome diagnostic criteria in clinical practice; (v) range of medications approved for FGIDs and approval process for new agents; (vi) costs involved in treating FGIDs; and (vii) prevalence and role of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) for FGIDs. Because it was not feasible to survey all countries around the world, we compared a selected number of countries based on their geographical and ethno-cultural diversity. Thus, we included Italy and South Korea as representative of nations with broad-based coverage of healthcare in the population and India and Mexico as newly industrialized countries where there may be limited provision of healthcare for substantial segments of the population. In light of the paucity of formal publications on these issues, we included additional sources from the medical literature as well as perspectives provided by local experts and the media. Finally, we provide future directions on healthcare issues that should be taken into account and implemented when conducting cross-cultural and multinational research in FGIDs.
The geo-environmental zoning represents an important strategy in the territorial management. However, it requires a logical and structured procedure. Therefore, an approach using physiographic ...compartmentalization is proposed and applied as case study in a region covered by the topographic maps of São José dos Campos and Jacareí, Brazil. This region has great geological and geomorphological peculiarities, beyond being a place with large human interventions because of its quickly economic growth. The methodology is based on photointerpretation techniques and remote sensing in GIS environment. As a result, seven geo-environmental zones were obtained from a weighted integration by multicriteria analysis of physiographic units with land-use classes. In conclusion, taking into account potentialities and limitations, the proposed approach can be considered able to support sustainable decision-making, being applicable in other regions.
•This study included a nationwide sample of Brazilian young adults of both sexes with a diversity of social classes and skin colors.•HPV (overall and high-risk) affects individuals of all ...socioeconomic classes in Brazil.•The results highlight the importance of public health actions related to HPV reaching all socioeconomic classes.
The aim of this study is to evaluate genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection according to socioeconomic categories in Brazil. This cross-sectional, nationwide study included 7,694 sexually active women and men aged 16–25 years. Individuals of all socioeconomic groups in all 26 Brazilian capitals and the Federal District were enrolled through public primary care units between September 2016 and November 2017. All participants answered a standardized interview administered by trained primary care health professionals. Socioeconomic class was analyzed using a pricing classification system for the Brazilian public that divides the market exclusively in terms of economic class based on the ownership of assets and the education level. Cervical samples were obtained using a Digene® HC2 DNA Collection, and penile/scrotum samples were obtained using a wet Dacron swab. HPV typing (overall and high-risk) was performed in a central lab. Of the 7,694 participants (47.85% women), 17.92% belonged to class A-B, 56.08% to class C, and 26.00% to class D-E. The prevalence of overall HPV was similar among the social classes: 51.16% for classes A-B, 53.39% for class C, and 55.47% for classes D-E (P = 0.479). Similar results were found for high-risk HPV. After adjustments, the presence of HPV in individuals with a brown skin color belonging to classes A-B was 57.00% higher prevalence ratio 1.57 (95%: 1.23, 2.01) than that in whites and had no impact on the other social classes. In conclusion, HPV infection affects all socioeconomic classes in Brazil, evidencing the importance of offering the HPV vaccine to the entire population.
Background. Diarrhea affects 40%–60% of travelers from industrialized nations who visit developing countries and is due to bacterial, viral, and parasitic agents. Lactoferrin is bactericidal to ...enteric pathogens, modulates the intestinal immune response, and is excreted in stool in response to infection with intestinal organisms. We investigated the impact that selected single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human lactoferrin gene have on susceptibility to traveler's diarrhea. Methods. Adults who had recently arrived in Mexico were studied prospectively for the occurrence and causal agent(s) of traveler's diarrhea, and genotyping was performed for 9 distinct lactoferrin SNPs. Results. Of the 9 SNPs studied, only 1 SNP (located in exon 15) was associated with traveler's diarrhea (P = .004). When compared with healthy travelers, and after adjustment for known risk factors for traveler's diarrhea (such as age and duration and season of travel), subjects with the T/T genotype in amino acid position 632 were more likely to develop traveler's diarrhea (67% vs. 33%; relative risk RR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.2–1.7; P < .001), to have diarrhea with a pathogen identified (RR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1–1.6; P = .03), and to have a marker of intestinal inflammation in stool specimens (blood, mucus, or white blood cells; 52% vs. 38%; P = .036). The association was also significant when norovirus was not identified in stool samples (RR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.06–1.34; P = .01). Conclusions. The T/T genotype in position codon 632 of the lactoferrin gene is associated with susceptibility to diarrhea in North Americans traveling to Mexico.
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