To evaluate the diagnostic performances of four SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody immunoassays.
Following immunoassays were studied: Abbott's SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay, Diasorin's Liaison SARS-CoV-2 S2/S2 IgG ...assay, Euroimmun's Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG ELISA, and Roche's Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 assay. Specificity was retrospectively evaluated with 38 samples from 2019. Sensitivity samples (n = 147) were taken from SARS-CoV-2 real-time PCR-positive patients who developed COVID-19 symptoms ten days earlier.
Mean specificity was 96.6%. Mean sensitivity was 62.7% from ten days after onset of symptoms, 84.4% from 15 days after onset of symptoms, and 87.5% from 20 days after onset of symptoms.
Specificity was high, while Abbott and Roche were 100% specific. Sensitivity increased over time, with Abbott and Roche having the highest sensitivity at all time points with ≥90% from 20 days after symptoms' onset. These findings may assist in selecting SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody immunoassays for additional diagnostics, epidemiological research, and vaccine development.
Binge eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa (BN) are characterized by recurrent binge eating, episodes of consuming large amounts of food in a discrete period of time associated with a loss of ...control. Implementation intentions are explicit if-then plans that engender goal-directed action, and rely less on cognitive control than standard treatment options. In a sample with BED and BN, we compared two implementation intention conditions to a control condition. In the behavior-focused condition, implementation intentions targeted binge eating behaviors. In the emotion-focused condition, implementation intentions targeted negative affect preceding binge eating. In the control condition, only goal intentions were set. Each condition comprised three sessions. Participants kept food diaries for four weeks. Compared to the control condition both implementation intention conditions showed significant and large reductions of binge eating that persisted for six months. Effects did not differ between the behavior-focused and emotion-focused implementation intention conditions. These results demonstrate that three sessions on implementation intention formation can lead to long-term reductions in binge eating in patients with BED or BN. Learning how to form implementation intentions seems a recommendable addition to the current standard treatment. Future research could investigate the added value of fully personalized implementation intentions.
NL52600.068.15.
•Experimental clinical study of new additional treatment for binge eating in BED or BN.•Three weekly sessions on implementation intentions targeting binge eating.•Results showed large reductions in binge eating that persisted for six months.
Objective
Binge‐eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa (BN) are characterised by binge eating. Changing unwanted behaviour is difficult, as intentions do not automatically lead to action. ...Implementation intentions (IIs) may help bridging the gap between intentions and behaviour. IIs are ‘if‐then’ plans promoting goal attainment. Effects are moderated by degree of plan formation. Using mental imagery (MI) to impress IIs may strengthen plan formation and goal attainment.
Method
In a students' sample with subjective binge eating, we compared IIs without MI, IIs with MI, and a control condition regarding their ability to reduce binge eating. Participants received three II‐sessions and kept food diaries for 4 weeks.
Results
Results showed a significant and medium to large reduction of binge eating in both II‐conditions compared to the control condition, that was sustained for 6 months. No additional effects of MI were found.
Conclusions
Applying IIs results in long‐lasting reductions in subjective binge eating. The absence of additional effects of MI may be due to floor effects. Also, participants in the IIs without MI condition may have applied MI without being instructed to do so. In future research, ideally with a clinical sample, it is recommended to prevent or control for this.
Highlights
Cognitive‐behavioural therapy (CBT) has limited effect on binge eating.
Implementation intentions (IIs) are effective if‐then plans for changing unwanted eating behaviour.
Experiment shows three sessions on IIs result in large and long‐lasting reductions in subjective binge eating.
Binge eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa (BN) are characterized by binge eating. Frequently related to negative affect, binge eating is considered unwanted eating behavior. It is often ...preceded by a shift away from the goal of a healthy eating pattern. Implementation intentions are 'if-then' plans that may prevent such shifts in goals. In a students' sample with subthreshold binge eating, two implementation intention conditions were compared to a control condition in which only goals were formed. In the behavior-focused condition, implementation intentions targeted binge eating; in the emotion-focused condition, implementation intentions targeted negative affect preceding binge eating. All participants received three sessions and kept food diaries for four weeks, followed by a post-test and a one-month, three-months, and six-months follow-up. Compared to the control condition, both implementation intention conditions showed significant and large reductions in binge eating lasting for six months. Effects did not differ between both implementation intention conditions. Three implementation intention sessions reduced subthreshold binge eating. This continued for six months after the final session. Contrary to expectations, behavior-focused and emotion-focused implementation intentions were equally effective, possibly due to other triggers than negative affect. Future research should address their usefulness in BED and BN.
This study investigated implicit self-control dispositions—implicit approach tendencies towards low-caloric food rather than towards high-caloric food—in dieters. Action tendencies were assessed and ...trained using the Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT). Additionally, positive/negative affective associations Brief Implicit Association Test (BIAT), approach/avoidance associations (BIAT), and attentional biases Dot Probe Task (DPT) were assessed before and after training. Before training, dieters showed a more negative affective association with high-caloric food than non-dieters (positive/negative BIAT), consistent with the presence of self-control dispositions. On the AAT, all participants, not just dieters, showed more approach of low-caloric food than of high-caloric food. Results of neither the approach/avoidance BIAT nor the DPT showed any indication of implicit self-control dispositions. This study also investigated whether implicit self-control dispositions interfered with AAT training effects. This did not seem to be the case, as action tendencies could be strengthened even further. Moreover, training effects generalized to the DPT.
The Self-Control Cognition Questionnaire Maas, Joyce; Keijsers, Ger P. J.; Cangliosi, Claudia M. ...
European journal of psychological assessment : official organ of the European Association of Psychological Assessment,
09/2017, Letnik:
33, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Self-control cognitions arise right before or after
someone gives in to an unwanted habit. This paper reports on the development of
the 11-item Self-Control Cognition Questionnaire (SCCQ) in a series ...of three
studies. In the first study (N = 308), we found that the SCCQ
has a two-factor structure and is reliable. The factors were named
"Giving way is rewarding" and "Resistance is
impossible." The construct validity of the SCCQ was assessed in the
second study (N = 138). As expected, the SCCQ
correlated positively and strongly with the preoccupation with unwanted habits
and with the experience of craving, and correlations with one's tendency
to consider the long-term consequences of actions were small. The third study
demonstrated that the SCCQ discriminates between patients with habit disorders
(N = 63) and controls with non-pathological unwanted habits
(N = 106). The SCCQ was sensitive to therapeutic change in
two patient samples, one suffering from hair pulling disorder and the other from
pathological skin picking. The SCCQ is applicable to unwanted habits in general,
both pathological and non-pathological. It is proven to have sound psychometric
properties and is suitable for use in practice.
Post-treatment evaluation studies of behaviour therapy (BT) for trichotillomania (TTM) have shown that BT is successful in reducing symptoms in this impulse-control disorder. The present study was ...aimed at investigating gain maintenance at long-term follow-up. TTM-related symptoms and other symptom characteristics were evaluated in 28 patients suffering from TTM before and after brief BT and at a 3-month and 2-year follow-up. The manual-based BT consisted of self-control procedures offered in six sessions. Pre-post effect sizes for TTM symptoms at post-treatment evaluation and at the two follow-ups were 2.91, 1.47, and .87. Compared to the post-treatment effects, the 3-month and 2-year follow-up effect sizes had decreased by 49% and 70%, respectively. Better 2-year follow-up results were associated with lower pre-treatment levels of depressive symptoms and with complete abstinence from hairpulling immediately after treatment.
OBJECTIVE:This study aims to report short-term clinical and oncological outcomes from the international transanal Total Mesorectal Excision (taTME) registry for benign and malignant rectal pathology.
...BACKGROUND:TaTME is the latest minimally invasive transanal technique pioneered to facilitate difficult pelvic dissections. Outcomes have been published from small cohorts, but larger series can further assess the safety and efficacy of taTME in the wider surgical population.
METHODS:Data were analyzed from 66 registered units in 23 countries. The primary endpoint was “good-quality TME surgery.” Secondary endpoints were short-term adverse events. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors of poor specimen outcome.
RESULTS:A total of 720 consecutively registered cases were analyzed comprising 634 patients with rectal cancer and 86 with benign pathology. Approximately, 67% were males with mean BMI 26.5 kg/m. Abdominal or perineal conversion was 6.3% and 2.8%, respectively. Intact TME specimens were achieved in 85%, with minor defects in 11% and major defects in 4%. R1 resection rate was 2.7%. Postoperative mortality and morbidity were 0.5% and 32.6% respectively. Risk factors for poor specimen outcome (suboptimal TME specimen, perforation, and/or R1 resection) on multivariate analysis were positive CRM on staging MRI, low rectal tumor <2 cm from anorectal junction, and laparoscopic transabdominal posterior dissection to <4 cm from anal verge.
CONCLUSIONS:TaTME appears to be an oncologically safe and effective technique for distal mesorectal dissection with acceptable short-term patient outcomes and good specimen quality. Ongoing structured training and the upcoming randomized controlled trials are needed to assess the technique further.
Samenvatting
Een 62-jarige vrouw onderging een
double barreled wet colostomy
(DBWC) na een bekkenexenteratie. De DBWC is een relatief onbekende ingreep, waarbij een colostoma wordt aangelegd met twee ...openingen, waardoor urine en ontlasting via gescheiden compartimenten naar buiten worden geleid. Het doel van dit artikel is de DBWC te vergelijken met een gescheiden urostoma en colostoma aan de hand van een casus en een review van de beschikbare literatuur. Er werden drie retrospectieve studies gevonden die een DWBC vergeleken met een gescheiden uro- en colostoma, met in totaal 267 patiënten. Daaruit bleek geen verhoogde mortaliteit en morbiditeit bij een DBWC ten opzichte van een gescheiden urinestoma en colostoma. De conclusie luidt dat een DBWC kan worden overwogen na een bekkenexenteratie.
Arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) are widely employed as delivery vehicles for a large variety of macromolecular cargos. As a mechanism-of-action for induction of uptake cross-linking of ...heparan sulfates and interaction with lipid head groups have been proposed. Here, we employed a multivalent display of the CPP nona-arginine (R9) on a linear dextran scaffold to assess the impact of heparan sulfate and lipid interactions on uptake and membrane perturbation. Increased avidity through multivalency should potentiate molecular phenomena that may only play a minor role if only individual peptides are used. To this point, the impact of multivalency has only been explored for dendrimers, CPP-decorated proteins and nanoparticles. We reasoned that multivalency on a linear scaffold would more faithfully mimic the arrangement of peptides at the membrane at high local peptide concentrations. On average, five R9 were coupled to a linear dextran backbone. The conjugate displayed a direct cytoplasmic uptake similar to free R9 at concentrations higher than 10μM. However, this uptake was accompanied by an increased membrane disturbance and cellular toxicity that was independent of the presence of heparan sulfates. In contrast, for erythrocytes, the multivalent conjugate induced aggregation, however, showed only limited membrane perturbation. Overall, the results demonstrate that multivalency of R9 on a linear scaffold strongly increases the capacity to interact with the plasma membrane. However, the induction of membrane perturbation is a function of the cellular response to peptide binding.
Display omitted
•Multivalency of R9 on a linear scaffold imparts novel cell-binding characteristics.•Multivalency induces strong membrane binding and cell aggregation in erythrocytes.•Severe enhancement of toxicity was only observed in cells showing uptake.
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