Antisocial Personality Disorder Comorbidity in Methamphetamine Use Disorder: Sociodemographic, clinical and childhood trauma correlates

Personality pathology, especially antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), often occurs in patients with methamphetamine use disorder (MAUD). However, little is known about potential risk factors for this dual diagnosis, and the impact of this comorbidity on both the severity of MAUD and levels of functional impairment. Casting light on such phenomena may aid in early identification of treatment targets, assist in the management of patients in this particular population, and contribute to development of treatment strategies. This crosssectional study described and compared sociodemographic, clinical and childhood trauma correlates in patients with a dual diagnosis of MAUD and ASPD (MAUD+ASPD) and those with MAUD without ASPD (MAUD-ASPD). The contribution of sociodemographic and childhood trauma variables in predicting membership of the MAUD+ASPD group was also investigated. A sample of 62 adult patients with a primary diagnosis of MAUD took part in the study. A sociodemographic questionnaire was completed and well established diagnostic measures of ASPD (The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview; MINI) and MAUD (Structured Clinical Interview; SCID - 5) were used to determine diagnostic status. Illness severity was evaluated with the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive scale (adapted for MAUD) (Y-BOCS-du) and functional impairment was assessed with the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS). Histories of exposure and severity of childhood trauma (CT) were measured using the CTQ-SF. Of the 62 participants, 14 (23%) had MAUD and had MAUD+ASPD whereas 48 (77%) had MAUD without ASPD (MAUD-ASPD). Bivariate analyses found significant group differences in terms of gender (df =1) = 8.05; p =< 0.01), language (df = 2) = 7.12; p = 0.03), and level of physical neglect (F(1, 60) = 2.33; M = 9.85; SD = 4.23; p = 0.04). The MAUD+ASPD group members were mostly male (N = 9; 64%), English-speaking and with histories of increased physical neglect. Logistic regression suggested that male gender (beta = 1.08; OR = 8.65; p = 0.01) and English language (beta = 1.55; OR = 11.38; p = 0.03) significantly predicted ASPD comorbidity. There were no significant differences in clinical severity or functional impairment between the MAUD+ASPD and MAUD-ASPD groups. In conclusion, this study indicated that male gender and having English as a first language are associated with MAUD+ASPD but other sociodemographic variables, CT histories and clinical severity and impairment were not. Men who use MA are thus more prone to antisocial behaviour, which complicates their substance use condition. Treatment approaches for MAUD may benefit from developing adaptations that cater for challenges specific to comorbid ASPD. Additionally, the finding regarding first language warrants further investigation. Recommendations for future research are suggested

Difference in Funding Decision Based on the Growth Potential of the Company in Indonesia

The purpose of the study, The research objective was to To find out the differences in funding decisions between companies that have high growth potential and companies that have low growth potential. Research is a quantitative study. Mean difference test is preceded by Common Factor Analysis to analyze which factors in the Investment Opportunity Set can represent the growth ratio of the company so that it can be used to separate companies with high and low growth potential. Furthermore, the analysis is carried out with a regression model to determine the difference in funding decisions on the growth potential of different companies. The results showed that The consumer goods industry and mining sector sectors that have not proven to be significant are the differences in funding decisions between companies that have the potential to grow high and those with low growth potential. In other sectors, it is evident that there are significant differences in funding decisions between companies that have the potential to grow high and those with low growth potential

Aplikasi Google Earth Engine Dalam Menyediakan Citra Satelit Sumberbedaya Alam Bebas Awan

&nbsp; translator Ketersediaan Citra Satelit yang berkualitas menjadi salah satu syarat keberhasilan penelitian sumberdaya alam, secara khusus dibidang kehutanan. Google Earth Engine (GEE) adalah salah satu platform berbasis awan (cloud) yang disediakan oleh Google. GEE bekerja berbasis Bahasa program Java Script. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa aplikasi GEE mampu menyediakan citra satelit yang memiliki tutupan awan sangat rendah atau bebas awan (clouds free). Aplikasi GEE merupakan salah satu solusi penelitian sumberdaya alam terutama pada pulau-pulau kecil di Provinsi Maluku. Afrikaans Albanian - shqipe Arabic - ‎‫العربية‬‎ Armenian - Հայերէն Azerbaijani - azərbaycanca Basque - euskara Belarusian - беларуская Bengali - বাংলা Bulgarian - български Catalan - català Chinese - 中文（简体中文） Chinese - 中文 (繁體中文) Croatian - hrvatski Czech - čeština Danish - dansk Dutch - Nederlands English Esperanto - esperanto Estonian - eesti Filipino Finnish - suomi French - français Galician - galego Georgian - ქართული German - Deutsch Greek - Ελληνικά Gujarati - ગુજરાતી Haitian Creole - kreyòl ayisyen Hebrew - ‎‫עברית‬‎ Hindi - हिन्दी Hungarian - magyar Icelandic - íslenska Indonesian - Bahasa Indonesia Irish - Gaeilge Italian - italiano Japanese - 日本語 Kannada - ಕನ್ನಡ Korean - 한국어 Latin - Lingua Latina Latvian - latviešu Lithuanian - lietuvių Macedonian - македонски Malay - Bahasa Melayu Maltese - Malti Norwegian - norsk Persian - ‎‫فارسی‬‎ Polish - polski Portuguese - português Romanian - română Russian - русский Serbian - Српски Slovak - slovenčina Slovenian - slovenščina Spanish - español Swahili - Kiswahili Swedish - svenska Tamil - தமிழ் Telugu - తెలుగు Thai - ไทย Turkish - Türkçe Ukrainian - українська Urdu - ‎‫اردو‬‎ Vietnamese - Tiếng Việt Welsh - Cymraeg Yiddish - יידיש &nbsp; &nbsp; Double-click &nbsp; Select to translate &nbsp; &nbsp

Fast-wave Current Drive above the Slow-Wave Density Limit

Fast-wave and slow-wave current drive near the mean gyrofrequency were compared in the Irvine Torus. The slow-wave current drive density limit observation was extended by an order of magnitude in wave frequency compared to previous tokamak results. At low densities, the fast-wave antenna was observed to launch slow waves which drove currents that suffered from the current drive density limit identical to waves launched from the slow-wave antenna. At higher densities, current was driven by the fast-wave antenna while none was driven by the slow-wave antenna

Simple overdense rf plasma source

A simple, gas‐fed, radio‐frequency‐driven plasma source is described. By use of lower hybrid waves, noble gas plasmas were produced with electron densities up to 10^12 cm -3 over a range of magnetic fields from 400 G to 1.5 kG and rf frequencies from 2–220 MHz

Efficacy of exogenous enzyme supplementation in releasing metabolisable energy in broiler feeds

This study was conducted with the aim to investigate the efficacy of exogenous enzyme supplementation in releasing metabolisable energy in broiler feeds. Two performance trials were conducted during this study. Effects were measured in terms of the body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, mortality and production efficiency factor in broilers. Correct interpretation and practical application of the positive effects of exogenous enzyme supplementation to commercial broiler feeds can aid nutritionists to develop nutritionally balanced broiler feeds at lower costs. The negative effects of anti-nutritional factors in broilers feeds can be greatly reduced with the strategic use of exogenous enzyme addition to the feed. In the first performance trial, four treatment feeds were fed to broilers. The Positive control feed was a balanced diet, formulated according to standard nutrient specifications used by Daybreak Farms, with only the metabolisable energy marginally lower than the standard to ensure that energy was the first limiting nutrient. Nutrient specification met or exceeded recommendations by the NRC (1994). A Negative control feed, similar to the Positive control, was formulated with 0.35 MJ ME / kg feed less than the Positive control. An Avizyme treatment and a Hemicell treatment were formulated similar to the Negative control, with the addition of 0.05% Avizyme and 0.0125% Hemicell to the respective treatments. The addition of Avizyme and Hemicell to the respective treatments was hypothesised to release an additional 0.35 MJ ME / kg feed. Four thousand three hundred and twenty day-old Ross 788 chicks were randomly divided into four treatment groups, each with eight replicates and 135 birds per replicate for the first seven days. After seven days birds were reduced to 126 birds per replicate. In the second performance trial, five treatment feeds were fed to broilers. The Positive control feed was a balanced diet, formulated according to standard nutrient specifications used by Daybreak Farms, with only the metabolisable energy marginally lower than the standard to ensure that energy was the first limiting nutrient. Nutrient specification met or exceeded recommendations by the NRC (1994). Results of the first performance trial indicated that more than the hypothesised 0.35 MJ ME / kg feed was being released from the feed with exogenous enzyme addition. Subsequently, the difference in metabolisable energy between the Negative control and Positive control treatments were increased for the second trial. A Negative control feed, similar to the Positive control, was formulated with 0.45 MJ ME / kg feed less than the Positive control. An Avizyme treatment and a Hemicell treatment were formulated similar to the Negative control, with the addition of 0.05% Avizyme and 0.0125% Hemicell to the respective treatments. A Combination treatment was formulated similar to the Negative control, with the addition of both 0.05% Avizyme and 0.0125% Hemicell to the feed. Seven thousand five hundred and sixty day-old Ross 788 chicks were randomly divided into five treatment groups, each with 12 replicates and 126 birds per replicate. For both trials, birds were housed in environmentally controlled houses with a similar lighting schedule and ad libitum access to feed and water. Body weights, feed intake and mortality were recorded weekly for the duration of the five week performance trials. The data was statistically analysed, using the general linear model function in SAS (Statistical Analysis Systems, 1989; Statistical Analysis Systems, 1994). Fischer’s protected test was used for the post hoc multiple comparison test. Repeated tests were included in the model. The confidence interval was set at 95%. Initial body weight was tested as a covariate in all the analyses. Incorrect dosing of the trial feeds during the first performance trial prevented the evaluation of the treatments for the entire 35 day period. The difference between the Positive control and the Negative control treatments were not large enough to enable the exact determination of the amount of metabolisable energy that the Avizyme released in the feed. It could, however, be concluded that Avizyme addition to a broiler feed increased broiler production efficacy. The Avizyme treatment was contributed at least 0.35 MJ ME / kg feed during the trial released more than 0.35 MJ ME / kg feed during the extended starter phase of the trial. The above mentioned conclusions served as a motivation to increase the metabolisable energy difference between the Positive control and the Negative control treatments for the next performance trial. Addition of Hemicell to the feed contributed 0.35 MJ ME / kg feed over a five week growing period. With the second performance trial, the Avizyme and Hemicell treatments released an additional 0.45 MJ ME / kg feed, supported by broiler production variables similar to the Positive treatment. The Combination treatment was shown to release more than 0.45 MJ ME / kg feed and significantly increased broiler performance. It was concluded that the combination of Hemicell and Avizyme in a broiler ration had a positive synergistic effect on each other in the young broiler, indicating that exogenous enzymes could be more effective in younger broilers. Although exogenous enzymes resulted in the release of a significant amount of additional metabolisable energy in the feed, the addition of these enzymes should undergo economical evaluation to ensure that the addition of these enzymes is viable under commercial circumstances. Addition of Avizyme with a calculated energy contribution of 0.35 MJ ME / kg and 0.45 MJ ME / kg to the feed realised an income over feed cost (IOFC) of 25 c / kg live weight and 4 c / kg live weight, respectively, during the five week period. The Hemicell treatment showed a negative IOFC (suggesting that Hemicell inclusion will decrease profit) of 24 c / kg live weight during the first four weeks of the first production trial and an IOFC of 2 c / kg live weight during the five week period of the second trial. The combination of both enzymes in the feed returned an IOFC of 16 c / kg live weight. In general the income over feed cost was the highest during the starter phase because of a higher efficacy of exogenous enzyme addition in younger broilers.Dissertation (MSc(Agric))--University of Pretoria, 2012.Animal and Wildlife Sciencesunrestricte

Time-Dependent Block and Resurgent Tail Currents Induced by Mouse β4154–167 Peptide in Cardiac Na+ Channels

Resurgent tail Na+ currents were first discovered in cerebellar Purkinje neurons. A recent study showed that a 14-mer fragment of a mouse β4 subunit, β4154–167, acts as an intracellular open-channel blocker and elicits resurgent currents in Purkinje neurons (Grieco, T.M., J.D. Malhotra, C. Chen, L.L. Isom, and I.M. Raman. 2005. Neuron. 45:233–244). To explore these phenotypes in vitro, we characterized β4154–167 actions in inactivation-deficient cardiac hNav1.5 Na+ channels expressed in human embryonic kidney 293t cells. Intracellular β4154–167 from 25–250 μM elicited a conspicuous time-dependent block of inactivation-deficient Na+ currents at 50 mV in a concentration-dependent manner. On and off rates for β4154–167 binding were estimated at 10.1 μM−1s−1 and 49.1 s−1, respectively. Upon repolarization, large tail currents emerged with a slight delay at −140 mV, probably as a result of the rapid unblocking of β4154–167. Near the activation threshold (approximately −70 mV), resurgent tail currents were robust and long lasting. Likewise, β4154–167 induces resurgent currents in wild-type hNav1.5 Na+ channels, although to a lesser extent. The inactivation peptide acetyl-KIFMK-amide not only restored the fast inactivation phenotype in hNav1.5 inactivation-deficient Na+ channels but also elicited robust resurgent currents. When modified by batrachotoxin (BTX), wild-type hNav1.5 Na+ channels opened persistently but became resistant to β4154–167 and acetyl-KIFMK-amide block. Finally, a lysine substitution of a phenylalanine residue at D4S6, F1760, which forms a part of receptors for local anesthetics and BTX, rendered cardiac Na+ channels resistant to β4154–167. Together, our in vitro studies identify a putative S6-binding site for β4154–167 within the inner cavity of hNav1.5 Na+ channels. Such an S6 receptor readily explains (1) why β4154–167 gains access to its receptor as an open-channel blocker, (2), why bound β4154–167 briefly prevents the activation gate from closing by a “foot-in-the-door” mechanism during deactivation, (3) why BTX inhibits β4154–167 binding by physical exclusion, and (4) why a lysine substitution of residue F1760 eliminates β4154–167 binding