Occupational Therapy’s Role in Addressing College Campus Well-Being

The purpose of this study is to (1) explore occupational therapy’s role in mental health and (2) investigate the effects of Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation and mindfulness in reducing symptoms of depression, stress or insomnia among college students. This study utilized a pre/posttest design with participants randomized into 2 groups: CES alone (Group A) and mindfulness meditation and CES (Group B). A purposeful sample of college students were recruited, all with a previous diagnosis or self-report of stress/anxiety. This study measured sleep, anxiety, trait mindfulness, and daily function using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, Functional Status Questionnaire, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Measurements were taken at baseline, weeks 5, 8, and 12. Following intake, students began the 5-week treatment protocol. In week 1, participants completed CES or CES/meditations for 7 days. In weeks 2-5, participants completed 4-5 times/week, 20-40mins each, depending on tolerated dosage. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant effect of time over 8 weeks for HAM-A [F(1,22) = 19.42, p \u3c 0.05], FMI [F(2,21) = 10.41, p \u3c 0.05], PSQI [F(2,22) = 19.01, p \u3c 0.05], and FSQ Social Role Function [F(2,21) = 5.00, p \u3c 0.05]. There were no significant differences between groups for all four assessments, nor a significant effect of time for the Physical/Psychological FSQ categories. Results reveal that time is the biggest factor in reducing anxiety, and increasing mindfulness, sleep, and daily function, despite differences in groups. This demonstrates that CES and mindfulness might be effective treatment methods for mental health in OT

Pan-viral serology implicates enteroviruses in acute flaccid myelitis.

Since 2012, the United States of America has experienced a biennial spike in pediatric acute flaccid myelitis (AFM)1-6. Epidemiologic evidence suggests non-polio enteroviruses (EVs) are a potential etiology, yet EV RNA is rarely detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)2. CSF from children with AFM (n = 42) and other pediatric neurologic disease controls (n = 58) were investigated for intrathecal antiviral antibodies, using a phage display library expressing 481,966 overlapping peptides derived from all known vertebrate and arboviruses (VirScan). Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of AFM CSF RNA (n = 20 cases) was also performed, both unbiased sequencing and with targeted enrichment for EVs. Using VirScan, the viral family significantly enriched by the CSF of AFM cases relative to controls was Picornaviridae, with the most enriched Picornaviridae peptides belonging to the genus Enterovirus (n = 29/42 cases versus 4/58 controls). EV VP1 ELISA confirmed this finding (n = 22/26 cases versus 7/50 controls). mNGS did not detect additional EV RNA. Despite rare detection of EV RNA, pan-viral serology frequently identified high levels of CSF EV-specific antibodies in AFM compared with controls, providing further evidence for a causal role of non-polio EVs in AFM

Instability of the mitochondrial alanyl-tRNA synthetase underlies fatal infantile-onset cardiomyopathy

Recessively inherited variants in AARS2 (NM_020745.2) encoding mitochondrial alanyl-tRNA synthetase (mt-AlaRS) were first described in patients presenting with fatal infantile cardiomyopathy and multiple oxidative phosphorylation defects. To date, all described patients with AARS2-related fatal infantile cardiomyopathy are united by either a homozygous or compound heterozygous c.1774C>T (p.Arg592Trp) missense founder mutation that is absent in patients with other AARS2-related phenotypes. We describe the clinical, biochemical and molecular investigations of two unrelated boys presenting with fatal infantile cardiomyopathy, lactic acidosis and respiratory failure. Oxidative histochemistry showed cytochrome c oxidase-deficient fibres in skeletal and cardiac muscle. Biochemical studies showed markedly decreased activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I and IV with a mild decrease of complex III activity in skeletal and cardiac muscle. Using next-generation sequencing, we identified a c.1738C>T (p.Arg580Trp) AARS2 variant shared by both patients that was in trans with a loss-of-function heterozygous AARS2 variant; a c.1008dupT (p.Asp337*) nonsense variant or an intragenic deletion encompassing AARS2 exons 5-7. Interestingly, our patients did not harbour the p.Arg592Trp AARS2 founder mutation. In silico modelling of the p.Arg580Trp substitution suggested a deleterious impact on protein stability and folding. We confirmed markedly decreased mt-AlaRS protein levels in patient fibroblasts, skeletal and cardiac muscle, although mitochondrial protein synthesis defects were confined to skeletal and cardiac muscle. In vitro data showed that the p.Arg580Trp variant had a minimal effect on activation, aminoacylation or misaminoacylation activities relative to wild-type mt-AlaRS, demonstrating that instability of mt-AlaRS is the biological mechanism underlying the fatal cardiomyopathy phenotype in our patients.Peer reviewe

ROOT-ZONE CHARACTERISTICS AND BERMUDAGRASS RESPONSE TO SALINE WATER DELIVERED BY SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION

Population growth and recurring drought conditions have placed high demands on freshwater resources in South Carolina. Thus, turfgrass irrigation management practices that reduce freshwater use while maintaining quality turfgrass need to be identified. Previous research in the arid Southwest USA documents water conservation on bermudagrass by using saline water sources and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems. A field-scale facility was constructed in Florence, SC, to evaluate `Tifway\u27 bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. X C. transvaalensis Burtt Davy) quality, growth, and rootzone characteristics when subjected to saline (3.15 dS m-1) or freshwater (0.07 dS m-1) irrigation, SDI lines spaced 41 or 81 cm, and irrigated to replace 65 or 100% ETp. For eight-week periods during the summer months of 2007 and 2008, weekly quality was monitored visually and by documenting the spectral reflectance of a near-infrared and a red wavelength. Growth was assessed by clipping yields, stolon counts, and root mass determinations. Soil electrical conductivity (ECe) was assessed for three soil depths at pre, mid, and post experiment each year. Turfgrass average quality scores were acceptable each year even though the 2007 experiment encompassed an extreme drought period. Observed wilt during the 2007 experiment suggests that additional saline water, or cycling with freshwater may be necessary during extreme drought periods. Post experiment shoot density and root mass as well as mid and post experiment ECe were greater from saline irrigated bermudagrass than freshwater irrigated bermudagrass in 2007. There was minimal influence from factor treatments, and only for post-experiment measurements in 2008. These results suggest that saline water can be applied at reduced volumes through a SDI system during periods of high freshwater demand to maintain quality bermudagrass. This experiment also evaluated the relationship between the qualitative (visual) and quantitative (spectral reflectance) assessment of quality and the relationship of spectral reflectance to primary stress factors (soil moisture and soil salinity). The two forms of quality assessment were positively correlated for both experiments. Spectral reflectance was not as consistently correlated with soil moisture during the 2007 experiment as compared to 2008. However, spectral reflectance was positively correlated with ECe during the 2007 experiment in which drought persisted, but not in the 2008 experiment. Monitoring spectral reflectance allows for assessment of turf response to primary stress variables