This research provides the first support for a possible psychological universal: Human beings around the world derive emotional benefits from using their financial resources to help others (prosocial ...spending). In Study 1, survey data from 136 countries were examined and showed that prosocial spending is associated with greater happiness around the world, in poor and rich countries alike. To test for causality, in Studies 2a and 2b, we used experimental methodology, demonstrating that recalling a past instance of prosocial spending has a causal impact on happiness across countries that differ greatly in terms of wealth (Canada, Uganda, and India). Finally, in Study 3, participants in Canada and South Africa randomly assigned to buy items for charity reported higher levels of positive affect than participants assigned to buy the same items for themselves, even when this prosocial spending did not provide an opportunity to build or strengthen social ties. Our findings suggest that the reward experienced from helping others may be deeply ingrained in human nature, emerging in diverse cultural and economic contexts.
Measuring Diagnoses: ICD Code Accuracy O'Malley, Kimberly J.; Cook, Karon F.; Price, Matt D. ...
Health services research,
October 2005, Volume:
40, Issue:
5p2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Objective. To examine potential sources of errors at each step of the described inpatient International Classification of Diseases (ICD) coding process.
Data Sources/Study Setting. The use of disease ...codes from the ICD has expanded from classifying morbidity and mortality information for statistical purposes to diverse sets of applications in research, health care policy, and health care finance. By describing a brief history of ICD coding, detailing the process for assigning codes, identifying where errors can be introduced into the process, and reviewing methods for examining code accuracy, we help code users more systematically evaluate code accuracy for their particular applications.
Study Design/Methods. We summarize the inpatient ICD diagnostic coding process from patient admission to diagnostic code assignment. We examine potential sources of errors at each step and offer code users a tool for systematically evaluating code accuracy.
Principle Findings. Main error sources along the “patient trajectory” include amount and quality of information at admission, communication among patients and providers, the clinician's knowledge and experience with the illness, and the clinician's attention to detail. Main error sources along the “paper trail” include variance in the electronic and written records, coder training and experience, facility quality‐control efforts, and unintentional and intentional coder errors, such as misspecification, unbundling, and upcoding.
Conclusions. By clearly specifying the code assignment process and heightening their awareness of potential error sources, code users can better evaluate the applicability and limitations of codes for their particular situations. ICD codes can then be used in the most appropriate ways.
•Twenty-two studies investigated pre- and probiotics and fermented foods on cognition.•No intervention had a significant effect on global or specific domains of cognition.•Heterogeneity regarding the ...population, cognitive tests, and intervention identified.
This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate randomized controlled trials that investigated the use of probiotic, prebiotic, and fermented food interventions for cognitive performance. In total, 22 studies (n = 1551) were included that investigated probiotics (11 studies, n = 724), prebiotics (5 studies, n = 355), and fermented foods (6 studies, n = 472). Despite several individual studies (14 of 22) reporting significant improvements in specific cognitive domains, results of the pooled meta-analysis found no significant effect for any intervention for global cognition (Probiotics: g = 0.115, 95 %CI -0.041, 0.270, p = 0.148; Prebiotics: g = 0.077, 95 %CI -0.091, 0.246, p = 0.369; Fermented food: g = 0.164 95 %CI -0.017, 0.345, p = 0.076) or any individual cognitive domain. Most studies (16 of 22) had low risk of bias. These results do not support the use of probiotic, prebiotic, and fermented food interventions for cognitive outcomes. This may be due to the limited number of small and short-term studies as well clinical heterogeneity relating to the population, cognitive tests, and intervention. Therefore, further trials that investigate these interventions in clinical populations using adequately powered samples are warranted. PROSPERO: CRD42019137936
Breakfast cereals are popular grain foods and sources of polyphenols. Malting alters polyphenol content and activity; however, effects are varied. The total polyphenol content (TPC), radical ...scavenging activity (RSA), and polyphenol profile were analyzed in unmalted and malted grains (wheat, barley, and sorghum) and breakfast cereals (wheat, barley) by Folin Ciocalteu Reagent (FCR), % inhibition of the free radical 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picryl‐hydrazyl, and high performance liquid chromatography. Higher TPC was observed in all malted grains and breakfast cereals compared with unmalted samples (p < 0.05). Higher RSA was also observed in all malted samples compared to unmalted samples (p < 0.05) except for wheat grain to malted wheat grain. In this study, malting induced additional polyphenols and antioxidant activity in grains and cereal products. Malted grain breakfast cereals may be practical sources of polyphenol antioxidants.
Practical Application
This study utilized malting in a unique way to investigate potential health benefits of polyphenols and antioxidant activity in grains (wheat, barley, and sorghum) and ready‐to‐eat breakfast cereals (wheat and barley). This study found that grains and breakfast cereals are important sources of antioxidant polyphenols, and these were significantly increased in malted varieties. Understanding this is important as grains and breakfast cereals are widely consumed staple foods. Consuming healthier grain products may be a practical strategy in reducing the risk of noncommunicable diseases such as colorectal cancer and type‐2 diabetes, where wholegrain consumption may be important in prevention.
Issue addressed: Running since 1999, the Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon (SWKT) is the world's largest triathlon series for children and adolescents up to 16 years. This report seeks to describe ...participants of the TRYathlon and their perceptions of the event.
Methods: An online survey was made available to Australian parents/guardians of participants enrolled in the 2020 SWKT. Organisational data was also employed to describe the reach of the SWKT since its inception.
Results: Parents/guardians (n = 568) reported that the average child age was 9.12 (SD = 1.95, range = 6-16) and 58.6% were male. Parents/guardians identified 12 children as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (2.0%) and 87 (14.6%) spoke a language other than English. The majority of parents/guardians rated their child's physical activity (PA) competencies as pretty good, or really good, for cycling (87.5%), swimming (80.9%) and running (79.5%). Most parents (66.0%) stated that their child was glowing with pride after completing the event, enjoyed or really enjoyed the event (98.8%), and thought their child would maintain their PA levels following the event (72.9%).
Conclusions: The SWKT series has demonstrated longevity and an ability to reach a large number of participants, providing opportunities to build health promotion awareness. Importantly the event instils a sense of confidence and pride related to PA competency in its participants; however, its long-term effectiveness requires further exploration.
So what?: Mass participation events such as SWKT could be incorporated into larger health promotion strategies to encourage childhood PA and foster healthy physical and psychosocial development.
•Malted-wheat may supply additional dietary antioxidants compared with non-malted wheat.•Malted-grain food products offer potential as a functional food.•Extended trials testing malted-wheat in vivo ...are warranted.
Metabolic dysfunction in obesity may be attenuated by whole-grain intake, which has been attributed to synergistic actions of bioactive compounds. Germination/malting may increase grain bioactives, including polyphenols, however biological effects compared with non-germinated grains are unclear. Polyphenols and biological effects were compared between malted-wheat (MLT) and whole-grain wheat (CON) breakfast cereals. Polyphenol content and antioxidant activity were significantly higher (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively) in MLT. Corresponding obesity-related biomarkers were measured in 10 overweight/obese adults in a 2×4-week double-blind, randomised, crossover trial. Following both interventions, diastolic blood pressure reduced significantly with time (P<0.05) and low-density lipoprotein increased slightly (P<0.05) over time. A significant time*cereal effect (P<0.05) was found for insulin resistance, decreasing following CON and increasing with MLT. No other significant metabolic or inflammatory differences were found. Whilst MLT contained significantly increased polyphenols, cumulative effects in attenuating obesity-related metabolic dysfunction may require increased consumption.
Gender-diverse individuals are at increased risk for mental health problems, but it is unclear whether this is due to shared environmental or genetic factors.
In two SPARK samples, we tested for ...associations of 16 polygenic scores (PGSs) with quantitative measures of gender diversity and mental health. In study 1, 639 independent adults (59% autistic) reported their mental health with the Adult Self-Report and their gender diversity with the Gender Self-Report (GSR). The GSR has 2 dimensions: binary (degree of identification with the gender opposite that implied by sex designated at birth) and nonbinary (degree of identification with a gender that is neither male nor female). In study 2 (N = 5165), we used a categorical measure of gender identity.
In study 1, neuropsychiatric PGSs were positively associated with Adult Self-Report scores: externalizing was positively associated with the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder PGS (β = 0.10 0.03–0.17), and internalizing was positively associated with the PGSs for depression (β = 0.07 0–0.14) and neuroticism (β = 0.10 0.03–0.17). Interestingly, GSR scores were not significantly associated with any neuropsychiatric PGS. However, GSR nonbinary was positively associated with the cognitive performance PGS (β = 0.11 0.05–0.18), with the effect size comparable in magnitude to the associations of the neuropsychiatric PGSs with the Adult Self-Report. Additionally, GSR binary was positively associated with the nonheterosexual sexual behavior PGS (β = 0.07 0–0.14). In study 2, the cognitive performance PGS effect replicated; transgender and nonbinary individuals had higher PGSs (t316 = 4.16).
We showed that while gender diversity is phenotypically positively associated with mental health problems, the strongest PGS associations with gender diversity were with the cognitive performance PGS, not the neuropsychiatric PGSs.
This research explores the connection between gender diversity, mental health, and genetic factors. It reveals that gender-diverse individuals often experience more mental health issues. Interestingly, rather than finding evidence linking these mental health challenges to genetic risk factors, the study discovered a replicable positive correlation between gender diversity and genetic markers for higher cognitive performance. This suggests that gender-diverse individuals typically have more of these cognitive performance gene variants. Finally, the study presents some early evidence suggesting that interactions between the environment (e.g., stigma) and genetic risk explain some of the elevated risk to mental health in gender-diverse individuals.
Three strains of
Lactobacillus acidophilus, two of
Lactobacillus casei and one of
Bifidobacterium were screened for β-glucosidase activity using ρ-nitrophenyl-β-
d-glucopyranoside as a substrate and ...their potential for the breakdown of isoflavone glucosides to the biologically active aglycones in soymilk. Isoflavones quantification with HPLC and β-glucosidase activity were performed after 0, 12, 24, 36, and 48
h of incubation in soymilk at 37
°C. All six micro-organisms produced β-glucosidase, which hydrolysed the predominant isoflavone β-glucosides. There was a significant increase and decrease (
P
<
0.05) in the concentration of isoflavone aglycones and glucosides, respectively, in fermented soymilk. Based on the concentration of isoflavones during peak β-glucosidase activity, the hydrolytic potential was calculated.
L. acidophilus 4461 had the highest aglycone concentration of 76.9% after 24
h of incubation, up from 8% in unfermented soymilk (at 0
h). It also had the best isoflavone hydrolytic index of 2.01, signifying its importance in altering the biological activity of soymilk.
The presence of phytate in calcium-fortified soymilk may interfere with mineral absorption. Certain lactic acid bacteria (LAB) produce the enzyme phytase that degrades phytates and therefore may ...potentially improve mineral bioavailability and absorption. This study investigates the phytase activity and phytate degradation potential of 7 strains of LAB including: Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC4962, ATCC33200, ATCC4356, ATCC4161, L. casei ASCC290, L. plantarum ASCC276, and L. fermentum VRI-003. Activity of these bacteria was examined both in screening media and in calcium-fortified soymilk supplemented with potassium phytate. Most strains produced phytase under both conditions with L. acidophilus ATCC4161 showing the highest activity. Phytase activity in fortified soymilk fermented with L. acidophilus ATCC4962 and L. acidophilus ATCC4161 increased by 85% and 91%, respectively, between 12 h and 24 h of fermentation. All strains expressed peak phytase activity at approximately pH 5. However, no phytate degradation could be observed.
There is increasing interest in the development of fortified foods enriched in menaquinone-7 as high dietary intakes may reduce the incidence of osteoporosis and cardiovascular calcification. In this ...work we explore the potential of using food ingredients as fermentation substrates for the development of such products. It was found that a combination of soy protein and glycerol was the most suitable for MK-7 production. The process was scaled-up; use of a dual feeding strategy was found to avoid foaming and improve MK-7 production. The MK-7 titre and productivity were 99 mg L−1 and 2.1 mg L−1 h−1 respectively, amongst the highest values reported in the open literature. Finally, the resulting product was formulated into a food (soymilk); it was found that 75% of the MK-7 remained after 24 weeks of room temperature storage. These results clearly demonstrate an approach to utilise food ingredients for the production of MK-7 enriched functional foods.
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