A scoping review on occupational science research in European contexts

Background A survey showed European occupational scientists cover a broad range in occupational science (OS) research, however, no contemporary overviews of European OS research exists, and current research may provide valuable information for OS and occupational therapy. Aim The aim was to provide an overview of contemporary European OS research. Materials and method A scoping review was performed, including studies conducted in Europe and published in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy (BJOT), the Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy (SJOT) or the Journal of Occupational Science (JOS) between 2015 and 2020. The journals were systematically searched, and quality assessment and thematic analysis were undertaken. Results Findings from 93 articles identified many studies from the Nordic countries. Most studies applied qualitative research methods. Theoretical concepts from OS were used in data generating and discussions. A wide range of demographics, and living conditions were explored. Recent articles took a reflexive stance on the positionality of the researcher/s. Conclusions This review highlights the diversity of OS research, suggesting a solid theoretical knowledge base within European OS research. Significance The results contribute to further development and maturation of the discipline of OS in Europe and internationally

Cognitive impairment among World Trade Center responders: Long-term implications of re-experiencing the 9/11 terrorist attacks

AbstractIntroductionDuring the World Trade Center (WTC) attacks, responders who helped in search, rescue, and recovery endured multiple traumatic and toxic exposures. One-fifth subsequently developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD has been linked to dementia in veterans. This study examined the association between WTC-related PTSD and cognitive impairment (CI) in WTC responders.MethodsA one-third sample of responders (N = 818) reporting for annual monitoring visits were screened for cognitive impairment and dementia using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment from January 2014–April 2015. Concurrent diagnoses of PTSD and major depressive disorder (MDD), as well as serial PTSD and depressive symptom inventories, collected since 2002, were examined in relation to current CI.ResultsApproximately 12.8% and 1.2% of responders in this sample respectively had scores indicative of CI and possible dementia. Current PTSD and MDD were associated with CI. Longitudinal results revealed that re-experiencing symptoms were consistently associated with CI (aRR = 2.88, 95% confidence interval = 1.35–6.22), whereas longitudinal increases in other PTSD and depressive symptoms in the years before screening were evident only among those with CI.ConclusionsAnalyses replicated results from Veterans studies and further highlighted the importance of re-experiencing symptoms, a major component of PTSD that was consistently predictive of CI 14 years later. Clinicians should monitor CI when treating individuals with chronic PTSD

Coordinated analysis of age, sex, and education effects on change in MMSE scores

Objectives. We describe and compare the expected performance trajectories of older adults on the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) across six independent studies from four countries in the context of a collaborative network of longitudinal studies of aging. A coordinated analysis approach is used to compare patterns of change conditional on sample composition differences related to age, sex, and education. Such coordination accelerates evaluation of particular hypotheses. In particular, we focus on the effect of educational attainment on cognitive decline.Method. Regular and Tobit mixed models were fit to MMSE scores from each study separately. The effects of age, sex, and education were examined based on more than one centering point.Results. Findings were relatively consistent across studies. On average, MMSE scores were lower for older individuals and declined over time. Education predicted MMSE score, but, with two exceptions, was not associated with decline in MMSE over time.Conclusion. A straightforward association between educational attainment and rate of cognitive decline was not supported. Thoughtful consideration is needed when synthesizing evidence across studies, as methodologies adopted and sample characteristics, such as educational attainment, invariably differ. © 2012 The Author

Association between an Internet-Based Measure of Area Racism and Black Mortality

Racial disparities in health are well-documented and represent a significant public health concern in the US. Racism-related factors contribute to poorer health and higher mortality rates among Blacks compared to other racial groups. However, methods to measure racism and monitor its associations with health at the population-level have remained elusive. In this study, we investigated the utility of a previously developed Internet search-based proxy of area racism as a predictor of Black mortality rates. Area racism was the proportion of Google searches containing the “N-word” in 196 designated market areas (DMAs). Negative binomial regression models were specified taking into account individual age, sex, year of death, and Census region and adjusted to the 2000 US standard population to examine the association between area racism and Black mortality rates, which were derived from death certificates and mid-year population counts collated by the National Center for Health Statistics (2004–2009). DMAs characterized by a one standard deviation greater level of area racism were associated with an 8.2% increase in the all-cause Black mortality rate, equivalent to over 30,000 deaths annually. The magnitude of this effect was attenuated to 5.7% after adjustment for DMA-level demographic and Black socioeconomic covariates. A model controlling for the White mortality rate was used to further adjust for unmeasured confounders that influence mortality overall in a geographic area, and to examine Black-White disparities in the mortality rate. Area racism remained significantly associated with the all-cause Black mortality rate (mortality rate ratio = 1.036; 95% confidence interval = 1.015, 1.057; p = 0.001). Models further examining cause-specific Black mortality rates revealed significant associations with heart disease, cancer, and stroke. These findings are congruent with studies documenting the deleterious impact of racism on health among Blacks. Our study contributes to evidence that racism shapes patterns in mortality and generates racial disparities in health

Diffusion-weighted MRI, (11)C-choline PET and (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET for predicting the Gleason score in prostate carcinoma

Objectives To evaluate the accuracy of transrectal ultrasoundguided (TRUS) biopsy, diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ¹¹C-choline (CHOL) positron emission tomography (PET), and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET in predicting the prostatectomy Gleason risk (GR). Methods The study included 21 patients who underwent TRUS biopsy and multi-technique imaging before radical prostatectomy. Values from five different tests (TRUS biopsy, DW MRI, CHOL PET, FDG PET, and combined DW MRI/ CHOL PET) were correlated with the prostatectomy GR using Spearman’s ρ. Tests that were found to have significant correlations were used to classify patients into GR groups. Results The following tests had significant correlations with prostatectomy GR: TRUS biopsy (ρ=0.617, P =0.003), DW MRI (ρ=–0.601, P =0.004), and combined DW MRI/CHOL PET (ρ=–0.623, P =0.003). CHOL PET alone and FDG PET only had weak correlations. The correct GR classification rates were 67 % with TRUS biopsy, 67 % with DW MRI, and 76 % with combined DW MRI/CHOL PET. Conclusions DW MRI and combined DW MRI/CHOL PET have significant correlations and high rates of correct classification of the prostatectomy GR, the strength and accuracy of which are comparable with TRUS biopsy. Key Points • Accurate determination of the Gleason score is essential for prostate cancer management. • DW MRI ± CHOL PET correlated significantly with prostatectomy Gleason score. • These correlations are similar to that between TRUS biopsy and prostatectomyJoe H. Chang, Daryl Lim Joon, Sze Ting Lee, Chee-Yan Hiew, Stephen Esler, Sylvia J. Gong, Morikatsu Wada, David Clouston, Richard O, Sullivan, Yin P. Goh, Henri Tochon-Danguy, J. Gordon Chan, Damien Bolton, Andrew M. Scott, Vincent Khoo, Ian D. Davi

InForm software: A semi-Automated research tool to identify presumptive human hepatic progenitor cells, and other histological features of pathological significance

Hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) play an important regenerative role in acute and chronic liver pathologies. Liver disease research often necessitates the grading of disease severity, and pathologists' reports are the current gold-standard for assessment. However, it is often impractical to recruit pathologists in large cohort studies. In this study we utilise PerkinElmer's "InForm" software package to semi-Automate the scoring of patient liver biopsies, and compare outputs to a pathologist's assessment. We examined a cohort of eleven acute hepatitis samples and three non-Alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) samples, stained with HPC markers (GCTM-5 and Pan Cytokeratin), an inflammatory marker (CD45), Sirius Red to detect collagen and haematoxylin/eosin for general histology. InForm was configured to identify presumptive HPCs, CD45 +ve inflammatory cells, areas of necrosis, fat and collagen deposition (p < 0.0001). Hepatitis samples were then evaluated both by a pathologist using the Ishak-Knodell scoring system, and by InForm through customised algorithms. Necroinflammation as evaluated by a pathologist, correlated with InForm outputs (r 2 = 0.8192, p < 0.05). This study demonstrates that the InForm software package provides a useful tool for liver disease research, allowing rapid, and objective quantification of the presumptive HPCs and identifies histological features that assist with assessing liver disease severity, and potentially can facilitate diagnosis

Personalized recurrence risk assessment following the birth of a child with a pathogenic de novo mutation

Following the diagnosis of a paediatric disorder caused by an apparently de novo mutation, a recurrence risk of 1–2% is frequently quoted due to the possibility of parental germline mosaicism; but for any specific couple, this figure is usually incorrect. We present a systematic approach to providing individualized recurrence risk. By combining locus-specific sequencing of multiple tissues to detect occult mosaicism with long-read sequencing to determine the parent-of-origin of the mutation, we show that we can stratify the majority of couples into one of seven discrete categories associated with substantially different risks to future offspring. Among 58 families with a single affected offspring (representing 59 de novo mutations in 49 genes), the recurrence risk for 35 (59%) was decreased below 0.1%, but increased owing to parental mixed mosaicism for 5 (9%)—that could be quantified in semen for paternal cases (recurrence risks of 5.6–12.1%). Implementation of this strategy offers the prospect of driving a major transformation in the practice of genetic counselling

Recipient mucosal-associated invariant T cells control GVHD within the colon

Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are a unique innate-like T cell subset that responds to a wide array of bacteria and yeast through recognition of riboflavin metabolites presented by the MHC class I–like molecule MR1. Here, we demonstrate using MR1 tetramers that recipient MAIT cells are present in small but definable numbers in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) target organs and protect from acute GVHD in the colon following bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Consistent with their preferential juxtaposition to microbial signals in the colon, recipient MAIT cells generate large amounts of IL-17A, promote gastrointestinal tract integrity, and limit the donor alloantigen presentation that in turn drives donor Th1 and Th17 expansion specifically in the colon after BMT. Allogeneic BMT recipients deficient in IL-17A also develop accelerated GVHD, suggesting MAIT cells likely regulate GVHD, at least in part, by the generation of this cytokine. Indeed, analysis of stool microbiota and colon tissue from IL-17A–/– and MR1–/– mice identified analogous shifts in microbiome operational taxonomic units (OTU) and mediators of barrier integrity that appear to represent pathways controlled by similar, IL-17A–dependent mechanisms. Thus, MAIT cells act to control barrier function to attenuate pathogenic T cell responses in the colon and, given their very high frequency in humans, likely represent an important population in clinical BMT