Parental sensitivity and family conversation:A naturalistic longitudinal study with both mothers and fathers across three time-points in early infancy

Parental verbal sensitivity is known to promote child language skills, but few studies have considered: (a) links between global (i.e., verbal, behavioural and affective) measures of parental sensitivity and infant-initiated conversations, an important precursor to language development; (b) whether maternal and paternal sensitivity show similar links with infant-initiated conversation; or (c) the transactional role of infant conversation for later parental sensitivity. Addressing these gaps, this study of 186 British first-time parents (93 families) examines the developmental dynamics between parental sensitivity and infant communication across the first year of life. We explore; (i) the role of maternal and paternal sensitivity (assessed during structured home observations at 4 months post-partum) for parent-infant conversational interactions at 7 months (indexed by day-long naturalistic recordings), and (ii) whether these mother-infant and father-infant conversations at 7 months shape maternal and paternal sensitivity at 14 months (also assessed via structured home observations). For both male and female infants, maternal (but not paternal) sensitivity at 4 months predicted infant vocalisations and conversational initiation at 7-months. By contrast, neither index of infant talk predicted maternal or paternal sensitivity at 14 months. Together these findings refine understanding of theoretical models of social development and suggest new possibilities for future research

Couple relationship quality and the infant home language environment: Gender-specific findings.

Couple relationship quality is known to drop significantly across the transition to parenthood (Ahlborg & Strandmark, 2001; Doss, Rhoades, Stanley, & Markman, 2009), yet individual differences in the amount of parent-to-infant talk have rarely been studied in relation to variation in couple relationship quality. Addressing this gap, the current study of 93 first-time parents with 4-month-old infants included multimeasure reports of couple relationship quality from both mothers and fathers and examined associations between couple relationship quality and the home language environment, assessed via the Language Environment Analysis (LENA), when infants were approximately 7 months old. LENA consists of a wearable talk pedometer that records a full day of naturalistic parent-infant talk and is coupled to software that provides automated analysis. Given the covariation between depression and both couple relationship quality and parental infant-directed talk, both maternal and paternal depression were controlled for in all analyses. Results showed that, for mothers of sons, frequency of infant-directed talk was inversely related to couple relationship quality. Consistent with family systems theory, this finding provides partial support for the compensation hypothesis. However, variation in couple relationship quality was unrelated to infant-directed speech in fathers or in mothers of daughters. Together, these findings demonstrate that the gender composition of the parent-infant dyads plays a moderating role on the association between couple relationship quality and parent-infant talk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Supramolecular Low-Molecular-Weight Hydrogelator Stabilization of SERS-Active Aggregated Nanoparticles for Solution and Gas Sensing

The potential of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy in both laboratory and field analyses depends on the reliable formation of so-called SERS hot spots, such as those formed during gold or silver nanoparticle aggregation. Unfortunately such aggregates are not stable in solution because they typically grow until they precipitate. Here we describe the use of low-molecular-weight hydrogels formed through pH-triggered self-assembly that occurs at a rate that well matches the rates of aggregation of Au or Ag colloids, allowing them to be trapped at the SERS-active point in the aggregation process. We show that the colloid-containing gels give SERS signals similar to the parent colloid but are stable over several months. Moreover, lyophilized gels can be stored as dry powders for subsequent use in the analyses of gases and dissolved analytes by contact with either solutions or vapors. The present system shows how the combination of pH-switchable low-molecular-weight gelators and pH-induced colloid aggregation can be combined to make a highly stable, low-cost SERS platform for the detection of volatile organic compounds and the microvolume analysis of solutions

The early postnatal period, mini-puberty, provides a window on the role of testosterone in human neurobehavioural development.

Experimental research in non-human mammals indicates that testosterone exposure during early periods of rapid brain development has enduring influences on brain and behaviour. These influences are exerted when testosterone is higher in developing males than females, and the affected characteristics are those that differ by sex. Testosterone is higher in males than in females from about weeks 8 to 24 of human gestation and then again during early infancy, and both of these periods are times of rapid brain development. Substantial evidence suggests that testosterone prenatally influences human neurobehavioral development. Emerging evidence suggests that the early postnatal period is important too. This early postnatal period could provide a window for studying testosterone interacting with experience to shape human gender development.The authors’ work on which this report was based was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (HD24542), by the Economic and Social Research Council ((ES/J500033/1; ES/I901957/1; ES/H016406/1) and by the University of Cambridge.This is the author accepted manuscript. It is currently under an indefinite embargo pending publication by Elsevier

Follicular fluid high density lipoprotein-associated micronutrient levels are associated with embryo fragmentation during IVF

To investigate whether follicular fluid lipid-soluble micronutrients are associated with embryo morphology parameters during IVF. Follicle fluid and oocytes were obtained prospectively from 81 women. Embryo morphology parameters were used as surrogate markers of oocyte health. HDL lipids and lipid-soluble micronutrients were analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Non-parametric bi-variate analysis and multivariable ordinal logistic regression models were employed to examine associations between biochemical and embryo morphology parameters. Follicular fluid HDL cholesterol (r = −0.47, p < 0.01), α-tocopherol (r = −0.41, p < 0.01), δ-tocopherol (r = −0.38, p < 0.05) and β-cryptoxanthine (r = −0.42, p < 0.01) are negatively correlated with embryo fragmentation. Ordinal logistic regression models indicate that a 0.1 μmol/L increase in β-cryptoxanthine, adjusted for γ-tocopherol, is associated with a 75% decrease in the cumulative odds of higher embryo fragmentation (p = 0.010). Follicular fluid HDL micronutrients may play an important role in the development of the human oocyte as evident by embryo fragmentation during IVF

Dual Antibiotic Therapy with Vancomycin and Cefazolin for Surgical Prophylaxis in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Background: Perioperative administration of intravenous antibiotics is a routine part of total knee arthroplasty.  Antibiotic selection is a matter of controversy, and the potential risks and benefits associated with each antibiotic selection need to be considered.  The objective of this study is to examine the effects of routine dual antibiotic prophylaxis with both cefazolin and vancomycin on infection and renal failure after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) compared with cefazolin alone. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of primary TKA patients for two years before and two years after routine dual antibiotic prophylaxis was implemented at our institution. 1502 patients were included (567 cefazolin-only and 935 dual prophylaxis).   Results: 2 patients (0.4%) in the cefazolin-only group had a deep surgical site infection, compared with 13 patients (1.4%) in the dual prophylaxis group (p=0.06). 46 patients (8.1%) in the cefazolin-only group had postoperative renal failure, compared with 36 patients (3.9%) in the dual prophylaxis group (p=0.0006). Discussion and Conclusion: Our results did not support the routine use of vancomycin in primary total joint arthroplasty to decrease periprosthetic joint infection. However, we also did not see any clear harm due to renal failure in the routine use of dual antibiotic prophylaxis

No relationship between early postnatal testosterone concentrations and autistic traits in 18 to 30-month-old children.

BACKGROUND: Some previous research has suggested that testosterone prenatally contributes to gender differences in autistic traits, but little is known about the role of testosterone during early postnatal development (mini-puberty). Two prior studies found no sex difference in testosterone postnatally in saliva samples and detected little to no relationship between testosterone postnatally and autistic traits in toddlers. These findings may reflect late measurements of testosterone at 3 to 4 months of age, after the peak of mini-puberty at 1 to 3 months of age. The present study examined the relationship between testosterone at 1 to 3 months of age and autistic traits at 18 to 30 months of age. FINDINGS: Testosterone was measured in saliva samples collected from children at 1 to 3 months of age. When the children (40 boys, 47 girls) reached 18 to 30 months of age, parents completed the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT). Boys had higher concentrations of testosterone postnatally and higher Q-CHAT scores than girls. However, testosterone did not correlate with Q-CHAT scores in boys, girls, or the entire sample. CONCLUSIONS: The current results suggest that testosterone during the early postnatal period does not contribute to later autistic traits. Given our relatively small samples and therefore limited power, however, further research could usefully examine if testosterone in saliva samples collected during the peak of mini-puberty in larger groups predicts autistic traits or other traits that show gender differences.This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council ((ES/J500033/1; ES/I901957/1; ES/H016406/1) and the University of Cambridge.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from BioMed Central via https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-016-0078-

Study protocol; thyroid hormone replacement for untreated older adults with subclinical hypothyroidism - a randomised placebo controlled trial (TRUST)

Background: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is a common condition in elderly people, defined as elevated serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) with normal circulating free thyroxine (fT4). Evidence is lacking about the effect of thyroid hormone treatment. We describe the protocol of a large randomised controlled trial (RCT) of Levothyroxine treatment for SCH. Methods: Participants are community-dwelling subjects aged ≥65 years with SCH, diagnosed by elevated TSH levels (≥4.6 and ≤19.9 mU/L) on a minimum of two measures ≥ three months apart, with fT4 levels within laboratory reference range. The study is a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled parallel group trial, starting with levothyroxine 50 micrograms daily (25 micrograms in subjects <50Kg body weight or known coronary heart disease) with titration of dose in the active treatment group according to TSH level, and a mock titration in the placebo group. The primary outcomes are changes in two domains (hypothyroid symptoms and fatigue / vitality) on the thyroid-related quality of life questionnaire (ThyPRO) at one year. The study has 80% power (at p = 0.025, 2-tailed) to detect a change with levothyroxine treatment of 3.0% on the hypothyroid scale and 4.1% on the fatigue / vitality scale with a total target sample size of 750 patients. Secondary outcomes include general health-related quality of life (EuroQol), fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events, handgrip strength, executive cognitive function (Letter Digit Coding Test), basic and instrumental activities of daily living, haemoglobin, blood pressure, weight, body mass index and waist circumference. Patients are monitored for specific adverse events of interest including incident atrial fibrillation, heart failure and bone fracture. Discussion: This large multicentre RCT of levothyroxine treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism is powered to detect clinically relevant change in symptoms / quality of life and is likely to be highly influential in guiding treatment of this common condition. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01660126; registered 8th June 2012

Managed alcohol programmes: Scoping the potential of a novel intervention to help prevent infection (COVID-19) for people experiencing alcohol dependency and homelessness - Clients

Homelessness affects a significant number of people in Scotland, and access to healthcare can be challenging for this group. During COVID-19, people who are homeless are more vulnerable due to their increased risk of respiratory disease and difficulty in self-isolating. Lockdown restrictions can be challenging for those dependent on alcohol

COVID-19 MAPs Study Briefing - Clients

Homelessness affects a significant number of people in Scotland, and access to healthcare can be challenging for this group. During COVID-19, people who are homeless are more vulnerable due to their increased risk of respiratory disease and difficulty in self-isolating. Lockdown restrictions can be challenging for those dependent on alcohol