Abstract Background Men's experiences of anxiety within the perinatal period can adversely impact themselves, their partner and infant. However, we know little about the prevalence and course of ...men's anxiety across the perinatal period. The current review is one of the first to systematically review the published literature. Methods Five databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane, SCOPUS, and Web of Science) were searched to identify relevant papers published prior to April 2015. The literature search identified articles with data for expectant fathers (prenatal period) and/or fathers of an infant aged between 0 and 1 (postnatal period). The following data were extracted: (a) anxiety disorder prevalence (diagnostic clinical interviews), (b) ‘high’ anxiety symptom prevalence (above thresholds/cut-points on anxiety symptom scales) and (c) mean anxiety levels (anxiety symptom scales). Initially, 537 unique papers were identified. Subsequently, 43 papers met criteria for inclusion in the review. Results Prevalence rates for ‘any’ anxiety disorder (as defined by either diagnostic clinical interviews or above cut-points on symptom scales) ranged between 4.1% and 16.0% during the prenatal period and 2.4–18.0% during the postnatal period. The data reviewed suggest the course of anxiety across the perinatal period is fairly stable with potential decreases postpartum. Limitations Wide variation in study measurement and methodology makes synthesis of individual findings difficult. Anxiety is highly comorbid with depression, and thus measures of mixed anxiety/depression might better capture the overall burden of mental illness. Conclusions Anxiety disorders are common for men during the perinatal period. Both partners should be included in discussions and interventions focused on obstetric care and parent mental health during the perinatal period.
Catalysing the reduction of oxygen in acidic media is a standing challenge. Although activity of platinum, the most active metal, can be substantially improved by alloying, alloy stability remains a ...concern. Here we report that platinum nanoparticles supported on graphite-rich boron carbide show a 50-100% increase in activity in acidic media and improved cycle stability compared to commercial carbon supported platinum nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy and x-ray absorption fine structure analysis confirm similar platinum nanoparticle shapes, sizes, lattice parameters, and cluster packing on both supports, while x-ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopy demonstrate a change in electronic structure. This shows that purely electronic metal-support interactions can significantly improve oxygen reduction activity without inducing shape, alloying or strain effects and without compromising stability. Optimizing the electronic interaction between the catalyst and support is, therefore, a promising approach for advanced electrocatalysts where optimizing the catalytic nanoparticles themselves is constrained by other concerns.
Objectives Although employment is associated with health benefits over unemployment, the psychosocial characteristics of work also influence health. We used longitudinal data to investigate whether ...the benefits of having a job depend on its psychosocial quality (levels of control, demands and complexity, job insecurity, and unfair pay), and whether poor quality jobs are associated with better mental health than unemployment. Method Analysis of seven waves of data from 7,155 respondents of working age (44,019 observations) from a national household panel survey. Longitudinal regression models evaluated the concurrent and prospective association between employment circumstances (unemployment and employment in jobs varying in psychosocial job quality) and mental health, assessed by the MHI-5. Results Overall, unemployed respondents had poorer mental health than those who were employed. However the mental health of those who were unemployed was comparable or superior to those in jobs of the poorest psychosocial quality. This pattern was evident in prospective models: those in the poorest quality jobs showed greater decline in mental health than those who were unemployed (B = 3.03, p<0.05). The health benefits of becoming employed were dependent on the quality of the job. Moving from unemployment into a high quality job led to improved mental health (mean change score of +3.3), however the transition from unemployment to a poor quality job was more detrimental to mental health than remaining unemployed (−5.6 vs −1.0). Conclusions Work of poor psychosocial quality does not bestow the same mental health benefits as employment in jobs with high psychosocial quality.
Marine heatwave (MHW) events, characterized by periods of anomalous temperatures, are an increasingly prevalent threat to coastal marine ecosystems. Given the seasonal phenology of MHWs, the full ...extent of their biological consequences may depend on how these thermal stress events align with an organism’s reproductive cycle. In organisms with more complex life cycles (e.g., many marine invertebrate species) the alignment of adult and larval environments may be an important factor determining offspring success, setting the stage for MHW events to influence reproduction and development
in situ
. Here, the influence of MHW-like temperatures on the early development of the California purple sea urchin,
Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
, were explored within the context of paternal thermal history. Based on temperature data collected during MHW events seen in Southern California from 2014–2020, adult urchins were acclimated to either MHW or non-MHW temperatures for 28 days before their sperm was used to produce embryos that were subsequently raised under varying thermal conditions. Once offspring reached an early larval stage, the impact of paternal and offspring environments were assessed on two aspects of offspring performance: larval size and thermal tolerance. Exposure to elevated temperatures during early development resulted in larger, more thermally tolerant larvae, with further influences of paternal identity and thermal history, respectively. The alignment of paternal and offspring exposure to MHW temperatures had additional positive benefits on larval thermal tolerance, but this tolerance significantly decreased when their thermal experience mismatched. As the highest recorded temperatures within past MHW events have occurred during the gametogenesis of many kelp forest benthic marine invertebrate species, such as the purple sea urchin, such parental mediated impacts may represent important drivers of future recruitment and population composition for these species.
Work–family conflict (WFC) occurs when work or family demands are ‘mutually incompatible’, with detrimental effects on mental health. This study contributes to the sparse longitudinal research, ...addressing the following questions: Is WFC a stable or transient feature of family life for mothers and fathers? What happens to mental health if WFC increases, reduces or persists? What work and family characteristics predict WFC transitions and to what extent are they gendered? Secondary analyses of 5 waves of data (child ages 4–5 to 12–13 years) from employed mothers (n = 2693) and fathers (n = 3460) participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were conducted. WFC transitions, across four two-year intervals (Waves 1–2, 2–3, 3–4, and 4–5) were classified as never, conscript, exit or chronic. Significant proportions of parents experienced change in WFC, between 12 and 16% of mothers and fathers for each transition ‘type’. Parents who remained in chronic WFC reported the poorest mental health (adjusted multiple regression analyses), followed by those who conscripted into WFC. When WFC was relieved (exit), both mothers' and fathers' mental health improved significantly. Predictors of conscript and chronic WFC were somewhat distinct for mothers and fathers (adjusted logit regressions). Poor job quality, a skilled occupation and having more children differentiated chronic fathers' from those who exited WFC. For mothers, work factors only (skilled occupation; work hours; job insecurity) predicted chronic WFC. Findings reflect the persistent, gendered nature of work and care shaped by workplaces, but also offer tailored opportunities to redress WFC for mothers and fathers. We contribute novel evidence that mental health is directly influenced by the WFC interface, both positively and negatively, highlighting WFC as a key social determinant of health.
•The work–family interface impacts on the mental health of mothers and fathers.•The onset of work–family conflict precedes poorer mental health for parents.•Reductions in work–family conflict improves parents' mental health.•Mothers and fathers face different risks for onset of work–family conflict.•Opportunities to ‘relieve’ WFC differ for mothers and fathers.
The crucial role of the immune system in the formation and progression of tumors has been widely accepted. On one hand, the surveillance role of the immune system plays an important role in ...endogenous tumor prevention, but on the other hand, in some special circumstances such as in chronic inflammation, the immune system can actually contribute to the formation and progression of tumors. In recent years, there has been an explosion of novel targeted immunotherapies for advanced cancers. In the present manuscript, we explore known and potential various types of cancer prevention strategies and focus on nonvaccine-based cancer preventive strategies targeting the immune system at the early stages of tumorigenesis.
Recently it was shown that circulating Ly6C(+) monocytes traffic from tissue to the draining lymph nodes (LNs) with minimal alteration in their overall phenotype. Furthermore, in the steady state, ...Ly6C(+) monocytes are as abundant as classical dendritic cells (DCs) within the draining LNs, and even more abundant during inflammation. However, little is known about the functional roles of constitutively trafficking Ly6C(+) monocytes. In this study we investigated whether Ly6C(+) monocytes can efferocytose (acquire dying cells) and cross-present cell-associated antigen, a functional property particularly attributed to Batf3(+) DCs. We demonstrated that Ly6C(+) monocytes intrinsically efferocytose and cross-present cell-associated antigen to CD8(+) T cells. In addition, efferocytosis was enhanced upon direct activation of the Ly6C(+) monocytes through its corresponding TLRs, TLR4 and TLR7. However, only ligation of TLR7, and not TLR4, enhanced cross-presentation by Ly6C(+) monocytes. Overall, this study outlines two functional roles, among others, that Ly6C(+) monocytes have during an adaptive immune response.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies, with virtually all patients eventually succumbing to their disease. Mutations in p53 have been documented in >50% of pancreatic cancers. ...Owing to the high incidence of p53 mutations in PanIN 3 lesions and pancreatic tumors, we interrogated the comparative ability of adult pancreatic acinar and ductal cells to respond to oncogenic Kras and mutant Tp53(R172H) using Hnf1b:CreER(T2) and Mist1:CreER(T2) mice. These studies involved co-activation of a membrane-tethered GFP lineage label, allowing for direct visualization and isolation of cells undergoing Kras and mutant p53 activation. Kras activation in Mist1(+) adult acinar cells resulted in brisk PanIN formation, whereas no evidence of pancreatic neoplasia was observed for up to 6 months following Kras activation in Hnf1beta(+) adult ductal cells. In contrast to the lack of response to oncogenic Kras alone, simultaneous activation of Kras and mutant p53 in adult ductal epithelium generated invasive PDAC in 75% of mice as early as 2.5 months after tamoxifen administration. These data demonstrate that pancreatic ductal cells, whereas exhibiting relative resistance to oncogenic Kras alone, can serve as an effective cell of origin for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in the setting of gain-of-function mutations in p53.
Lower-density Electroencephalography (EEG) recordings (from 1 to approximately 32 electrodes) are widely-used in research and clinical practice and enable scalable brain function measurement across a ...variety of settings and populations. Though a number of automated pipelines have recently been proposed to standardize and optimize EEG pre-processing for high-density systems with state-of-the-art methods, few solutions have emerged that are compatible with lower-density systems. However, lower-density data often include long recording times and/or large sample sizes that would benefit from similar standardization and automation with contemporary methods. To address this need, we propose the HAPPE In Low Electrode Electroencephalography (HAPPILEE) pipeline as a standardized, automated pipeline optimized for EEG recordings with lower density channel layouts of any size. HAPPILEE processes task-free (e.g., resting-state) and task-related EEG (including event-related potential data by interfacing with the HAPPE+ER pipeline), from raw files through a series of processing steps including filtering, line noise reduction, bad channel detection, artifact correction from continuous data, segmentation, and bad segment rejection that have all been optimized for lower density data. HAPPILEE also includes post-processing reports of data and pipeline quality metrics to facilitate the evaluation and reporting of data quality and processing-related changes to the data in a standardized manner. Here the HAPPILEE steps and their optimization with both recorded and simulated EEG data are described. HAPPILEE's performance is then compared relative to other artifact correction and rejection strategies. The HAPPILEE pipeline is freely available as part of HAPPE 2.0 software under the terms of the GNU General Public License at: https://github.com/PINE-Lab/HAPPE.
We present a method for parametric modelling of the physical components of the Galaxy's magnetized interstellar medium, simulating the observables and mapping out the likelihood space using a Markov ...Chain Monte Carlo analysis. We then demonstrate it using total and polarized synchrotron emission data as well as rotation measures of extragalactic sources. With these three data sets, we define and study three components of the magnetic field: the large-scale coherent field, the small-scale isotropic random field and the ordered field. In this first paper, we use only data along the Galactic plane and test a simple two-dimensional (2D) logarithmic spiral model for the magnetic field that includes a compression and a shearing of the random component giving rise to an ordered component. We demonstrate with simulations that the method can indeed constrain multiple parameters yielding measures of, for example, the ratios of the magnetic field components. Though subject to uncertainties in thermal and cosmic ray electron densities and depending on our particular model parametrization, our preliminary analysis shows that the coherent component is a small fraction of the total magnetic field and an ordered component comparable in strength to the isotropic random component is required to explain the polarization fraction of synchrotron emission. We outline further work to extend this type of analysis to study the magnetic spiral arm structure, the details of the turbulence as well as the 3D structure of the magnetic field.