Commentary : Fatty acids, breastfeeding and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Fatty acid deficiencies are linked to Autism Spectrum Disorder. This commentary discusses the protective role of breastfeeding and the urgency of research into the human infant\u27s intake of colostrum to prevent fatty acid deficiency

Feasibility Testing of the Alert for AFib Intervention.

Improving early detection and treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) is critical because untreated AF is a major contributor to stroke and heart failure. We sought to generate knowledge about the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial to test the effect of the Alert for AFib intervention on knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about treatment-seeking for signs and symptoms of AF. Adults ≥65 years old (96% White) at risk for developing AF were randomized to receive the Alert for AFib intervention ( n = 40) or an attention control session ( n = 40). Feasibility goals for recruitment, participant retention, adherence, perceived satisfaction and burden, and intervention fidelity were met. From baseline to study completion, knowledge ( p = .005) and attitudes ( p < .001) about treatment-seeking improved more in the intervention group compared with the control group. Results support testing the effectiveness of the Alert for AFib intervention in a large trial

Human dimensions survey of park visitors at the Southeast Kansas Nature Center

The management of our natural resources is often a complex task, as many actions have direct or indirect human consequences. Not only do natural resource managers have to evaluate species’ needs and the quality and availability of habitats, the human dimension of the resource needs to be integrated into planning and management efforts. As our society becomes more diverse, natural resource agencies should understand stakeholder values and behaviors in order to manage the resource in an informed, adaptive manner. In collaboration with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, and Parks (KDWP), we developed a survey to assess the demographics and environmental values of visitors to the Southeast Kansas Nature Center in Galena, KS. The Center and surrounding parkland provide a diverse array of resources to park visitors, threatened and endangered herpetofauna, and rich bird community. Data will be collected by students in the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Management class at Pittsburg State University. We will use a snowball sampling methodology to distribute an online survey to adult park visitors. We anticipate presenting data on how park visitors found out about the Center, how visitors utilize the park, their interests in the environment, and how they perceive various aspects of nature. Data will be used by the director of the SE KS Nature Center to inform their park management objectives and actions, promotional materials, and relationships with park visitors

I Keep my Problems to Myself: Negative Social Network Orientation, Social Resources, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Cancer Survivors

Cancer survivors treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplant rely on their social network for successful recovery. However, some survivors have negative attitudes about using social resources (negative social network orientation) that are critical for their recovery

Social Media Seen as Mostly Good for Democracy Across Many Nations, But U.S. is a Major Outlier

As people across the globe have increasingly turned to Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and other platforms to get their news and express their opinions, the sphere of social media has become a new public space for discussing – and often arguing bitterly – about political and social issues. And in the mind of many analysts, social media is one of the major reasons for the declining health of democracy in nations around the world.However, as a new Pew Research Center survey of 19 advanced economies shows, ordinary citizens see social media as both a constructive and destructive component of political life, and overall most believe it has actually had a positive impact on democracy. Across the countries polled, a median of 57% say social media has been more of a good thing for their democracy, with 35% saying it has been a bad thing.There are substantial cross-national differences on this question, however, and the United States is a clear outlier: Just 34% of U.S. adults think social media has been good for democracy, while 64% say it has had a bad impact. In fact, the U.S. is an outlier on a number of measures, with larger shares of Americans seeing social media as divisive

Pregnancy complications and their association with postpartum depression symptoms : a retrospective study

Objective: Postpartum depression affects around 17% of the women worldwide and has considerable implications for maternal and child health. While some risk factors have been identified, the association between pregnancy and delivery complications and postpartum depression is less well understood. This study aims to determine whether specific pregnancy complications are associated with risk of postpartum depression symptoms (PPDS). Method: This study analysed a subset of variables collected as part of a larger study exploring pregnancy circumstances and maternal-foetal health outcomes. Mothers residing in Australia provided information on their biological children aged 3–13 years. Pregnancy complications were analysed using bivariate analyses and binary logistic regression. Results: Mothers (N = 1,926) reported on N = 3,210 pregnancies (mean number of pregnancies = 1.27, SD = 0.97). At the time of childbirth, mothers were on average 30.1 years old (SD = 5.14). Experiencing a pregnancy complication increased the risk of PPDS (X2 = 16.45, df = 1, p < 0.001) However, logistic regression analyses indicated an increased risk of PPDS was associated with the specific pregnancy complications of cytomegalovirus (AOR = 7.06, 95% CI[1.51,32.98]), emergency caesarean (AOR = 1.67, 95% CI[1.31,2.12]), foetal distress before birth (AOR = 1.49, 95% CI[1.16,1.91]), induced labour (AOR = 1.55, 95% CI[1.25,1.91]) and placenta previa (AOR = 2.60, 95% CI[1.44,4.71]). Conclusion: Specific pregnancy complications were associated with PPDS, suggesting that some complications may pose a greater risk for PPDS than others. This study contributes to the growing understanding of peripartum risk factors for postpartum depression, and suggests that early clinical identification of at-risk mothers and early prophylactic and supportive care may be warranted to reduce that risk. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Microspatial distribution of trace elements in feline dental hard tissues: early life exposure to essential and toxic elements

IntroductionTrace elements play a key role in dental tissue development, as dental hard tissues accumulate both essential and toxic trace elements during mineralization. Characterization of the spatial accumulation pattern of trace elements may provide insight into exposure to toxic elements over time and to the nature of disease processes affecting the hard dental tissues. Here, we present the first report of the use of laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to map the microspatial distribution of multiple trace elements, essential and toxic, across feline dental hard tissues.MethodsEleven teeth were extracted from 8 cats. Nine teeth were from 7 cats diagnosed with idiopathic tooth resorption on intraoral radiographs prior to extraction. Two teeth were included from a cadaver that had no signs of tooth resorption on intraoral radiographs. The normal dental tissue was analyzed from each sample using LA-ICP-MS to map the microspatial distribution of essential and toxic trace elements across feline enamel, dentin, and cementum.ResultsResults showed a higher accumulation of barium and strontium in coronal dentin as compared to root dentin. The timing of the accumulation mirrors nursing timelines seen in teeth from human and non-human primates, consistent with barium and strontium being sourced from maternal milk. Results also showed a higher uptake of lead in the coronal dentin, suggesting this lead exposure was likely passed from mother to offspring.DiscussionThis work characterizes a baseline for elemental distribution in feline teeth linked to early life exposure to toxic elements such as lead and provides a framework for future studies investigating long-term environmental exposures to trace elements, essential and toxic, and their involvement in feline systemic and dental diseases