Delusional disorder-somatic type (or body dysmorphic disorder) and schizophrenia: a case report

With regard to delusional disorder-somatic subtype there may be a relationship with body dysmorphic disorder. There are reports that some delusional disorders can evolve to become schizophrenia. Similarly, the treatment of such disorders with antipsychotics has been documented. This report describes a case of delusional disorder - somatic type - preceding a psychotic episode and its successful treatment with an antipsychotic drug, thus contributing to what has been documented on the subject.Key words: Delusional disorder; Somatic; Body dysmorphic disorder; Schizophreni

The correlates of stress, coping styles and psychiatric morbidity in the first year of medical education at a Nigerian University

Objectives: This study was prompted by the heightened concerns about the stress inherent in medical education evident from the incessant requests for suspension of studies due to psychological problems. The objectives of the study were to: (i) survey the students for possible psychological problems at admission, and follow them up till exit for possible changes in morbidity, and (ii) ascertain possible risk factors, and coping strategies. Method: This is a preliminary 2-stage cross-sectional report, which is partof a longitudinal survey. It involves first year medical students of the College of Health Sciences of University of Ilorin between March and April, 2011. Questionnaires used included socio demographic, sources of stress, the general health questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), Maslachfs burnout inventory (MBI), and Brief COPE. Data were analysed using SPSS version 15 at 5% significance level. Chi-square, frequency distributions, Pearsonfs correlation, Odd ratios, and Confidence Intervals were calculated to determine the levels of risk.Results: 79 students returned completed questionnaires. 12 (15.2%) were ghq-12 cases (i.e., scored . 3). Students who had morbidity were 9 times at risk of being stressed consequent upon ecompeting with their peersf and 4 times at risk due to einadequate learning materialsf. Morbidity was significantly more likely to engender use of ereligionf, 4 times less likelyto engender use of epositive reframingf with a trend in the use of eself blamef as coping strategies. Conclusion: Aside from psychosocial/ personal issues in this cohort, academic demand was an additional source of psychological problems thereby causing those who had morbidity to utilize ereligionf and epositive reframingf to cope. There is therefore an apparent need to incorporate the principle of mental health promotion in medical education.Keywords: Stress; Coping styles; Psychiatric morbidity; Medical education; Nigeri

Direct correction of haemoglobin E β-thalassaemia using base editors

Haemoglobin E (HbE) β-thalassaemia causes approximately 50% of all severe thalassaemia worldwide; equating to around 30,000 births per year. HbE β-thalassaemia is due to a point mutation in codon 26 of the human HBB gene on one allele (GAG; glutamatic acid → AAG; lysine, E26K), and any mutation causing severe β-thalassaemia on the other. When inherited together in compound heterozygosity these mutations can cause a severe thalassaemic phenotype. However, if only one allele is mutated individuals are carriers for the respective mutation and have an asymptomatic phenotype (β-thalassaemia trait). Here we describe a base editing strategy which corrects the HbE mutation either to wildtype (WT) or a normal variant haemoglobin (E26G) known as Hb Aubenas and thereby recreates the asymptomatic trait phenotype. We have achieved editing efficiencies in excess of 90% in primary human CD34 + cells. We demonstrate editing of long-term repopulating haematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs) using serial xenotransplantation in NSG mice. We have profiled the off-target effects using a combination of circularization for in vitro reporting of cleavage effects by sequencing (CIRCLE-seq) and deep targeted capture and have developed machine-learning based methods to predict functional effects of candidate off-target mutations

Stakeholders understanding of the concept of benefit sharing in health research in Kenya: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: The concept of benefit sharing to enhance the social value of global health research in resource poor settings is now a key strategy for addressing moral issues of relevance to individuals, communities and host countries in resource poor settings when they participate in international collaborative health research.The influence of benefit sharing framework on the conduct of collaborative health research is for instance evidenced by the number of publications and research ethics guidelines that require prior engagement between stakeholders to determine the social value of research to the host communities. While such efforts as the production of international guidance on how to promote the social value of research through such strategies as benefit sharing have been made, the extent to which these ideas and guidelines have been absorbed by those engaged in global health research especially in resource poor settings remains unclear. We examine this awareness among stakeholders involved in health related research in Kenya. METHODS: We conducted in-depth interviews with key informants drawn from within the broader health research system in Kenya including researchers from the mainstream health research institutions, networks and universities, teaching hospitals, policy makers, institutional review boards, civil society organisations and community representative groups. RESULTS: Our study suggests that although people have a sense of justice and the moral aspects of research, this was not articulated in terms used in the literature and the guidelines on the ethics of global health research. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that while in theory several efforts can be made to address the moral issues of concern to research participants and their communities in resource poor settings, quick fixes such as benefit sharing are not going to be straightforward. We suggest a need to pay closer attention to the processes through which ethical principles are enacted in practice and distil lessons on how best to involve individuals and communities in promoting ethical conduct of global health research in resource poor settings

Exposure assessment of radon in the drinking water supplies: a descriptive study in Palestine

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Radon gas is considered as a main risk factor for lung cancer and found naturally in rock, soil, and water. The objective of this study was to determine the radon level in the drinking water sources in Nablus city in order to set up a sound policy on water management in Palestine.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was a descriptive study carried out in two phases with a random sampling technique in the second phase. Primarily, samples were taken from 4 wells and 5 springs that supplied Nablus city residents. For each source, 3 samples were taken and each was analyzed in 4 cycles by RAD 7 device manufactured by Durridge Company. Secondly, from the seven regions of the Nablus city, three samples were taken from the residential tap water of each region. Regarding the old city, ten samples were taken. Finally, the mean radon concentration value for each source was calculated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean (range) concentration of radon in the main sources were 6.9 (1.5-23.4) Becquerel/liter (Bq/L). Separately, springs and wells' means were 4.6 Bq/L and 9.5 Bq/L; respectively. For the residential tap water in the 7 regions, the results of the mean (range) concentration values were found to be 1.0 (0.9-1.3) Bq/L. For the old city, the mean (range) concentration values were 2.3 (0.9-3.9) Bq/L.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Except for Al-Badan well, radon concentrations in the wells and springs were below the United State Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminated level (U.S EPA MCL). The level was much lower for tap water. Although the concentration of radon in the tap water of old city were below the MCL, it was higher than other regions in the city. Preventive measures and population awareness on radon's exposure are recommended.</p

Coordinated optimization of visual cortical maps (II) Numerical studies

It is an attractive hypothesis that the spatial structure of visual cortical architecture can be explained by the coordinated optimization of multiple visual cortical maps representing orientation preference (OP), ocular dominance (OD), spatial frequency, or direction preference. In part (I) of this study we defined a class of analytically tractable coordinated optimization models and solved representative examples in which a spatially complex organization of the orientation preference map is induced by inter-map interactions. We found that attractor solutions near symmetry breaking threshold predict a highly ordered map layout and require a substantial OD bias for OP pinwheel stabilization. Here we examine in numerical simulations whether such models exhibit biologically more realistic spatially irregular solutions at a finite distance from threshold and when transients towards attractor states are considered. We also examine whether model behavior qualitatively changes when the spatial periodicities of the two maps are detuned and when considering more than 2 feature dimensions. Our numerical results support the view that neither minimal energy states nor intermediate transient states of our coordinated optimization models successfully explain the spatially irregular architecture of the visual cortex. We discuss several alternative scenarios and additional factors that may improve the agreement between model solutions and biological observations.Comment: 55 pages, 11 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1102.335