Obsessive-compulsive disorder and comorbid depression: the role of OCD-related and non-specific factors

Although comorbid depression is a predictor of poor treatment response in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), there is limited understanding of factors that contribute to depression severity in OCD. The current study examines the influence of OCD-related factors (autogenous obsessions and obsessional beliefs) and non-specific factors (avoidance and anxiety) on depression severity in a sample of OCD patients. There were 56 participants with only OCD and 46 with OCD and comorbid depression. Self-report questionnaires measuring depression, OCD-related factors, and non-specific factors were completed. Although there were no significant differences between the two groups on these variables, depression severity was positively correlated with anxiety, avoidance, obsessional beliefs, and autogenous obsessions in the whole sample. When entered into a multiple regression model to predict depression severity, these factors accounted for 51% of the variance. While OCD-related factors remained significant predictors after controlling for non-specific factors, the non-specific factors made the most significant contributions to the model. Our findings suggest that in addition to dealing with autogenous obsessions, addressing anxiety and avoidance might lead to improvements in the treatment of OCD with comorbid depression

Does Chinese medicine consultation share features and effects of cognitive-behavioural therapy? Using traditional acupuncture as an example

Background: Acupuncture, as part of Chinese medicine (CM), is based on a holistic therapeutic theory. Individualised differential diagnosis is the essence and an integral part of its practice. It leads to an individualised treatment plan. Little research on the nature and effects of the CM consultation has been conducted. Previous studies showed behavioural and cognitive changes after traditional acupuncture treatment. In this article, through a hypothetical case, we illustrated a CM consultation process, examined the changes produced and compared the features between CM consultation and cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). Main text: The two therapies share nine out of eleven features, including five specific factors that took different forms in CM and CBT and four non-specific factors known to partially mediate the relationship between psychological therapies and positive therapeutic outcomes. Although Chinese medicine treatments induce changes in behaviours as well as cognition, CM consultation does not share two essential features of CBT, namely a framework of the interaction between behaviour and cognition and teaching patients how to identify and dispute dysfunctional thoughts. Discussion: CM consultation has CBT-like features and effects. Existing qualitative studies suggest that changes in behaviours and cognition after traditional acupuncture treatment are probably due to the CM consultation process or its combined effect with needling, rather than acupuncture needling alone. This hypothesis provides a new perspective on the contributing factors to acupuncture effect. CBT-like features and effects of traditional acupuncture is underestimated by practitioners and researchers, and need to be taken into consideration in acupuncture trial design and clinical practice

Outbreak of acute hepatitis C following the use of anti-hepatitis C virus--screened intravenous immunoglobulin therapy

BACKGROUND and AIMS: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been associated with intravenous (IV) immunoglobulin (Ig), and plasma donations used to prepare IV Ig are now screened to prevent transmission. Thirty-six patients from the United Kingdom received infusions from a batch of anti-HCV antibody-screened intravenous Ig (Gammagard; Baxter Healthcare Ltd., Thetford, Norfolk, England) that was associated with reports of acute hepatitis C outbreak in Europe. The aim of this study was to document the epidemiology of this outbreak. METHODS: Forty-six patients from the United Kingdom treated with Gammagard (34 exposed and 12 unexposed to the batch) returned epidemiological questionnaires. RESULTS: Eighty-two percent of the exposed patients (28 of 34) became positive for HCV RNA. Eighteen percent of the patients (6 of 34) who had infusions with this batch tested negative for HCV RNA, but 2 of the patients had abnormal liver function and subsequently seroconverted to anti-HCV antibody positive. Twenty-seven percent of the patients (9 of 34) developed jaundice, and 79% (27 of 34) had abnormal liver transferase levels. Virus isolates (n=21), including an isolate from the implicated batch, were genotype 1a and virtually identical by sequence analysis of the NS5 region, consistent with transmission from a single source. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatitis C infection can be transmitted by anti-HCV-screened IV Ig. Careful documentation of IV Ig batch numbers and regular biochemical monitoring is recommended for all IV Ig recipients

The Influential of Physico-chemical Parameters on the Distributions of Oligochateas ( Limnodrilus sp.) at the Polluted Downstream of the TropicalLangatRiver, Peninsular Malaysia

The influential physico-chemical parameters on the spatial and temporal distribution of oligochateas ( Limnodrilus sp.) at the polluted downstream of LangatRiver were studied in comparison to the unpolluted upstream for 10-months sampling from March 1998 to February 1999. Based on the correlation analysis (CA) and multiple stepwise regression analysis (SRA), the distribution, abundance and density of Limnodrilus sp. were almost consistent during the ten time samplings from April 1998 to February 1999. Based on CA, the density and distribution of Limnodrilus sp. correlated negatively with the pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) while positively correlated with conductivity, biological oxygen demand (BOD), NO3, NH3, total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and dissolved concentrations of Cu and Zn. Based on SRA, most of the above parameters are selected as influential factors in affecting the distribution and presence of Limnodrilus sp. on the tropical river. This indicated that the Limnodrilus sp. is a pollutant resistant worm since they can survive in the poor water quality ecosystem. These results based on CA and SRA signified the resistance and tolerance of Limnodrilus sp. survived at the polluted ecosystem of the tropical river. Hence, Limnodrilus sp. is a good bioindicator of polluted rivers in the tropical ecoregion

Mapping of serotype-specific, immunodominant epitopes in the NS-4 region of hepatitis C virus (HCV):use of type-specific peptides to serologically differentiate infections with HCV types 1, 2, and 3

The effect of sequence variability between different types of hepatitis C virus (HCV) on the antigenicity of the NS-4 protein was investigated by epitope mapping and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with branched oligopeptides. Epitope mapping of the region between amino acid residues 1679 and 1768 in the HCV polyprotein revealed two major antigenic regions (1961 to 1708 and 1710 to 1728) that were recognized by antibody elicited upon natural infection of HCV. The antigenic regions were highly variable between variants of HCV, with only 50 to 60% amino acid sequence similarity between types 1, 2, and 3. Although limited serological cross-reactivity between HCV types was detected between peptides, particularly in the first antigenic region of NS-4, type-specific reactivity formed the principal component of the natural humoral immune response to NS-4. Type-specific antibody to particular HCV types was detected in 89% of the samples from anti-HCV-positive blood donors and correlated almost exactly with genotypic analysis of HCV sequences amplified from the samples by polymerase chain reaction. Whereas almost all blood donors appeared to be infected with a single virus type (97%), a higher proportion of samples (40%) from hemophiliacs infected from transfusion of non-heat-inactivated clotting factor contained antibody to two or even all three HCV types, providing evidence that long-term exposure may lead to multiple infection with different variants of HCV

Nestin in immature embryonic neurons affects axon growth cone morphology and Semaphorin3a sensitivity

Correct wiring in the neocortex requires that responses to an individual guidance cue vary among neurons in the same location, and within the same neuron over time. Nestin is an atypical intermediate filament expressed strongly in neural progenitors and is thus used widely as a progenitor marker. Here we show a subpopulation of embryonic cortical neurons that transiently express nestin in their axons. Nestin expression is thus not restricted to neural progenitors, but persists for 2–3 d at lower levels in newborn neurons. We found that nestin-expressing neurons have smaller growth cones, suggesting that nestin affects cytoskeletal dynamics. Nestin, unlike other intermediate filament subtypes, regulates cdk5 kinase by binding the cdk5 activator p35. Cdk5 activity is induced by the repulsive guidance cue Semaphorin3a (Sema3a), leading to axonal growth cone collapse in vitro. Therefore, we tested whether nestin-expressing neurons showed altered responses to Sema3a. We find that nestin-expressing newborn neurons are more sensitive to Sema3a in a roscovitine-sensitive manner, whereas nestin knockdown results in lowered sensitivity to Sema3a. We propose that nestin functions in immature neurons to modulate cdk5 downstream of the Sema3a response. Thus, the transient expression of nestin could allow temporal and/or spatial modulation of a neuron’s response to Sema3a, particularly during early axon guidance

Properties and performance of rubberwood particleboard treated with BP® fire retardant

Rubberwood composites are available in many sizes and are frequently used as furniture and partitioning inputs. However they are naturally combustible and may limit its usage for other value-added products. Treating wood composites with fire retardant was one of the most effective ways to prevent such occurrence. In this study, Rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis) particleboards were incorporated with BP® fire retardant through hot and cold soaking processes. Four different concentrations of fire retardant were applied for the study i.e., 15, 20, 25 and 30% (w/v). Treated and untreated particleboards were exposed to early burning performance test. Fire performance was assessed based on the amount of weight loss and width of burnt area formed on the boards after they were exposed to a fire source. The study shows that BP® had significantly affected the burnt area of the treated particleboards. Insignificant reductions of weight loss were recorded between 15-30% treatment concentrations. Early burning performance showed that increase of fire retardant concentration up to 25% (w/v) reduced the weight loss. There was no further weight loss reduction recorded above that concentration. The burnt area decreased as the concentration level of BP® increased. The smallest burnt area was recorded for the boards treated with 30% BP®. The addition of fire retardant had interfered slightly with the physical and mechanical properties of the treated particleboards. The physical and mechanical properties of the particleboards were adversely affected compared to untreated boards with increasing concentration of BP®

Effect of Inflow and Infiltration in Sewerage System of Residential Area, Kuantan, Pahang

Inflow and infiltration is a phenomenon in sewerage systems that can have negative effects on the environment and human health if not treated properly. Collaboration has been made between Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) and Indah Water Konsortium Sdn. Bhd. (IWK) where the purpose is to evaluate the amount of inflow and infiltration happening in sewerage systems of residential areas in Kuantan. For this part of the study, one sewer pipeline (MH92a–MH92b) was selected at the residential area of Bandar Putra, having a population equivalent of 1694. The method used in this research was the Flowrate method to tabulate data. ISCO 2150 and 4250 Area Velocity Flowmeters were used to measure flow rate data in the sewer pipeline, whereas ISCO 674 Rain Gauge was used to collect rainfall intensity data. Calibration of all the equipment was done at the Hydrology and Hydraulic Laboratory in UMP. The data was collected for 41 days with each measurement separated by an interval of five minutes. The result shows that the average percentage Infiltration Rate of Qpeak and Qave in this residential catchment were 10.3% and 26.5% which is higher than the value mentioned in Hammer and Hammer (2012). Inflow and infiltration is a real concern, so more study is required to determine whether revision of the infiltration rate recommended in the Malaysian Standard is needed