A mass spectrometric characterization of positive ions created in simple vacuum diodes incorporating oxide cathodes with supplementary analysis of background gases

Simple diodes were constructed utilizing oxide cathodes and nickel anodes. The cathodes were obtained by applying a mixture of barium, strontium, and calcium carbonates to a nickel filament and decomposing them to yield the oxides. The products of decomposition were analyzed by monitoring the composition of the background gases in the vacuum chamber. A portion of the flux of positive ions bombarding the cathode during diode operation was analyzed. It was possible to determine the region of origin of the ions and their potential energy at the time of formation. Positive ions of chlorine, fluorine, sodium, potassium, and rubidium were released at the anode surface when an emission current was drawn. The relative heights of the peaks due to ions created in the interelectrode space were very sensitive to processes occurring in the diode region. Changes in the shape of the peaks due to ions created in the interelectrode space were related to changes in the activity of the cathode and the amount of space charge surrounding the cathode. The transport of BaO was observed in the mass spectra taken at a cathode temperature of 1370ºC. Nondispersive x-ray analysis of the anode facing the cathode operated at 1370ºC revealed the presence of barium and strontium --Abstract, page ii

Negative symptoms and impaired social functioning predict later psychosis in Latino youth at clinical high risk in the North American prodromal longitudinal studies consortium

AIM: Examining ethnically related variables in evaluating those at risk for psychosis is critical. This study investigated sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of Latino versus non-Latino clinical high-risk (CHR) subjects and healthy control (HC) subjects in the first North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study. METHODS: Fifty-six Latino CHR subjects were compared to 25 Latino HC and 423 non-Latino CHR subjects across clinical and demographic variables. Thirty-nine of the 56 CHR subjects completed at least one subsequent clinical evaluation over the 2.5-year period with 39% developing a psychotic illness. Characteristics of Latino CHR subjects who later converted to psychosis (‘converters’) were compared to those who did not (‘non-converters’). RESULTS: Latino CHR subjects were younger than non-Latino CHR subjects and had less education than Latino HC subjects and non-Latino CHR counterparts. Latino CHR converters had higher scores than Latino non-converters on the Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes total negative symptoms that were accounted for by decreased expression of emotion and personal hygiene/social attentiveness subsections. Latino CHR converters scored lower on the global functioning:social scale, indicating worse social functioning than Latino non-converters. CONCLUSION: Based on this sample, Latino CHR subjects may seek treatment earlier and have less education than non-Latino CHR subjects. Deficits in social functioning and impaired personal hygiene/social attentiveness among Latino CHR subjects predicted later psychosis and may represent important areas for future study. Larger sample sizes are needed to more thoroughly investigate the observed ethnic differences and risk factors for psychosis in Latino youth

Functional development in clinical high risk youth: Prediction of schizophrenia versus other psychotic disorders

This study evaluates premorbid social and academic functioning in clinical high-risk individuals as predictors of transition to schizophrenia versus another psychotic disorder. Participants were 54 individuals enrolled in phase one of the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study who over two and a half years of follow-up met criteria for schizophrenia/schizophreniform disorder (n=28) or another psychotic disorder (n=26). Social and academic functioning in childhood, early adolescence, and late adolescence was assessed at baseline using the Cannon-Spoor Premorbid Adjustment Scale. Social maladjustment in late adolescence predicted significantly higher odds of transition to schizophrenia versus another psychotic disorder independent of childhood and early adolescent adjustment (OR = 4.02) and conveyed unique risk over academic maladjustment (O R= 5.64). Premorbid academic maladjustment was not associated with psychotic disorder diagnosis. Results support diagnostic specificity of premorbid social dysfunction to schizophrenia in clinical high-risk youth and underscore an important role for social maladjustment in the developmental pathology of schizophrenia and its prediction. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study (NAPLS 2): Overview and recruitment

The North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study (NAPLS) is a consortium of eight programs focusing on the psychosis prodrome. Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the sites are located at Emory University, Harvard University, University of Calgary, UCLA, UCSD, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Yale University, and Zucker Hillside Hospital. Although the programs initially developed independently, they previously collaborated to combine their historical datasets and to produce a series of analyses on predictors of psychosis in one of the largest samples of longitudinally followed prodromal subjects worldwide. This led to the development of a five year prospective study “Predictors and Mechanisms of Conversion to Psychosis”, (also known as NAPLS-2) with three major aims: (1) to prospectively test the prediction algorithm developed in NAPLS-1, (2) to investigate the neuroanatomical, neurophysiological, neurocognitive, and neurohormonal factors that may contribute to the development of psychosis, and (3) to develop a repository of DNA, RNA, and plasma from participants meeting diagnostic criteria for a clinical high risk (CHR) state and from demographically similar healthy subjects. Funded by NIMH in 2008, NAPLS-2 will generate the largest CHR for psychosis sample with 720 CHR and 240 healthy comparison subjects, and thus will provide statistical power and scientific scope that cannot be duplicated by any single site study. This paper describes the overall methodology of the NAPLS-2 project and reports on the ascertainment and demographics at the midway point of the study with (360 CHR) and 180 controls

Relation between cannabis use and subcortical volumes in people at clinical high risk of psychosis

Among people at genetic risk of schizophrenia, those who use cannabis show smaller thalamic and hippocampal volumes. We evaluated this relationship in people at clinical high risk (CHR) of psychosis. The Alcohol and Drug Use Scale was used to identify 132 CHR cannabis users, the majority of whom were non-dependent cannabis users, 387 CHR non-users, and 204 healthy control non-users, and all participants completed magnetic resonance imaging scans. Volumes of the thalamus, hippocampus and amygdala were extracted with FreeSurfer, and compared across groups. Comparing all CHR participants with healthy control participants revealed no significant differences in volumes of any ROI. However, when comparing CHR users to CHR non-users, a significant ROI × Cannabis group effect emerged: CHR users showed significantly smaller amygdala compared to CHR non-users. However, when limiting analysis to CHR subjects who reported using alcohol at a ‘use without impairment’ severity level, the amygdala effect was non-significant; rather, smaller hippocampal volumes were seen in CHR cannabis users compared to non-users. Controlling statistically for effects of alcohol and tobacco use rendered all results non-significant. These results highlight the importance of controlling for residual confounding effects of other substance use when examining the relationship between cannabis use and neural structure

Traumatic brain injury in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis

Recent research suggests that a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can significantly increase the risk of later development of psychosis. However, it is unknown whether people at clinical high risk (CHR) of psychosis have experienced TBI at higher rates, compared to otherwise healthy individuals. This study evaluated the prevalence of mild TBI, whether it was related to past trauma and the relationship of mild TBI to later transition to psychosis

Social cognition over time in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis: Findings from the NAPLS-2 cohort

Deficits in social cognition are well established in schizophrenia and have been observed prior to the illness onset. Compared to healthy controls (HCs), individuals at clinical high risk of psychosis (CHR) are said to show deficits in social cognition similar to those observed in patients experiencing a first episode of psychosis. These deficits have been observed in several domains of social cognition, such as theory of mind (ToM), emotion perception and social perception. In the current study, the stability of three domains of social cognition (ToM, social perception and facial emotion perception) was assessed over time along and their association with both clinical symptoms and the later development of psychosis. Six hundred and seventy-five CHR individuals and 264 HC participants completed four tests of social cognition at baseline. Of those, 160 CHR and 155 HC participants completed assessments at all three time points (baseline, 1 year and 2 years) as part of their participation in the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study. The CHR group performed poorer on all tests of social cognition across all time points compared to HCs. Social cognition was not associated with attenuated positive symptoms at any time point in the study. CHR individuals who developed a psychotic disorder during the course of the study did not differ in social cognition compared to those who did not develop psychosis. This longitudinal study demonstrated mild to moderate, but persistent ToM and social perception impairments in those at CHR for psychosis compared to HCs

The relations of age and pubertal development with cortisol and daily stress in youth at clinical risk for psychosis

Prodromal syndromes often begin in adolescence – a period of neurodevelopmental changes and heightened stress sensitivity. Research has shown elevated stress and cortisol in individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis. This cross-sectional study examined relations of age and pubertal status with cortisol and self-reported stress in healthy controls (HCs) and CHR adolescents. It was hypothesized that the relations of age and pubertal stage with cortisol and stress would be more pronounced in CHR youth

Severity of thought disorder predicts psychosis in persons at clinical high-risk

BACKGROUND: Improving predictive accuracy is of paramount importance for early detection and prevention of psychosis. We sought a symptom severity classifier that would improve psychosis risk prediction. METHODS: Subjects were from two cohorts of the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study. All subjects met Criteria of Psychosis-Risk States. In Cohort-1 (n=296) we developed a classifier that included those items of the Scale of Psychosis-Risk Symptoms that best distinguished subjects who converted to psychosis from nonconverters, with performance initially validated by randomization tests in Cohort-1. Cohort-2 (n=592) served as an independent test set. RESULTS: We derived 2-Item and 4-Item subscales. Both included unusual thought content and suspiciousness; the latter added reduced ideational richness and difficulties with focus/concentration. The Concordance Index (C-Index), a measure of discrimination, was similar for each subscale across cohorts (4-Item subscale Cohort-2: 0.71, 95% CI=[0.64, 0.77], Cohort-1: 0.74, 95% CI=[0.69, 0.80]; 2-Item subscale Cohort-2: 0.68, 95% CI=[0.3, 0.76], Cohort-1: 0.72, 95% CI=[0.66-0.79]). The 4-Item performed better than the 2-Item subscale in 742/1000 random selections of 80% subsets of Cohort-2 subjects (p-value=1.3E-55). Subscale calibration between cohorts was proportional (higher scores/lower survival), but absolute conversion risk predicted from Cohort-1 was higher than that observed in Cohort-2, reflecting the cohorts\u27 differences in 2-year conversion rates (Cohort-2: 0.16, 95% CI=[0.13, 0.19]; Cohort-1: 0.30, 95% CI=[0.24, 0.36]). CONCLUSION: Severity of unusual thought content, suspiciousness, reduced ideational richness, and difficulty with focus/concentration informed psychosis risk prediction. Scales based on these symptoms may have utility in research and, assuming further validation, eventual clinical applications

A descriptive study of Ohio superintendents\u27 views of the opioid epidemic, legal options and medical response in schools.

The opioid epidemic has reached all portions of society, including into the lives of youth. This is a descriptive study of the views of Ohio superintendents and other administrators. and their willingness to provide training of school staff to administer naloxone in drug induced overdoses on school property. The research explores variables of school district demographic classifications, as well as, education and drug related experience of school leaders. With other states,such as Massachusetts and West Virginia, serving as models of naloxone training into their school districts, it is imperative to start the research of perceptions of school leaders in implementing training programs for Ohio School Districts.https://ecommons.udayton.edu/stander_posters/1876/thumbnail.jp