Children's emotion understanding: A meta-analysis of training studies.

BACKGROUND: In the course of development, children show increased insight and understanding of emotions-both of their own emotions and those of others. However, little is known about the efficacy of training programs aimed at improving children's understanding of emotion. OBJECTIVES: To conduct an effect size analysis of trainings aimed at three aspects of emotion understanding: external aspects (i.e., the recognition of emotional expressions, understanding external causes of emotion, understanding the influence of reminders on present emotions); mental aspects (i.e., understanding desire-based emotions, understanding belief-based emotions, understanding hidden emotions); and reflective aspects (i.e., understanding the regulation of an emotion, understanding mixed emotions, understanding moral emotions). DATA SOURCES: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, PsycInfo, the Cochrane Library, and manual searches. REVIEW METHODS: The search identified 19 studies or experiments including a total of 749 children with an average age of 86 months (S.D.=30.71) from seven different countries. RESULTS: Emotion understanding training procedures are effective for improving external (Hedge's g = 0.62), mental (Hedge's g = 0.31), and reflective (Hedge's g = 0.64) aspects of emotion understanding. These effect sizes were robust and generally unrelated to the number and lengths of training sessions, length of the training period, year of publication, and sample type. However, training setting and social setting moderated the effect of emotion understanding training on the understanding of external aspects of emotion. For the length of training session and social setting, we observed significant moderator effects of training on reflective aspects of emotion. CONCLUSION: Emotion understanding training may be a promising tool for both preventive intervention and the psychotherapeutic process. However, more well-controlled studies are needed.R34 MH086668 - NIMH NIH HHS; R01 AT007257 - NCCIH NIH HHS; R21 MH101567 - NIMH NIH HHS; R34 MH099311 - NIMH NIH HHS; R21 MH102646 - NIMH NIH HHS; K23 MH100259 - NIMH NIH HHS; R01 MH099021 - NIMH NIH HH

Response rates track the history of reinforcement times

When conditioning involves a consistent temporal relationship between the conditioned stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (US), the expression of conditioned responses within a trial peaks at the usual time of the US relative to the CS. Here we examine the temporal profile of responses during conditioning with variable CS-US intervals. We conditioned stimuli with either uniformly distributed or exponentially distributed random CS-US intervals. In the former case, the frequency of each CS-US interval within a specified range is uniform but the momentary probability of the US (the hazard function) increases as time elapses during the trial; with the latter distribution, short CS-US intervals are more frequent than longer intervals, but the momentary probability of the US is constant across time within the trial. We report that, in a magazine approach paradigm, rats’ response rates remained stable as time elapses during the CS when the CS-US intervals were uniformly distributed, whereas their response rates declined when the CS-US intervals were exponentially distributed. In other words, the profile of responding during the CS matched the frequency distribution of the US times, not the momentary probability of the US during the CS. These results are inconsistent with real-time associative models, which predict that associative strength tracks the momentary probability of the US, but may provide support for timing models of conditioning in which conditioned responding is tied to remembered times of reinforcement.Author note: This work was supported by grant DP0771154 from the Australian Research Council

Response rates track the history of reinforcement times

When conditioning involves a consistent temporal relationship between the conditioned stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (US), the expression of conditioned responses within a trial peaks at the usual time of the US relative to the CS. Here we examine the temporal profile of responses during conditioning with variable CS-US intervals. We conditioned stimuli with either uniformly distributed or exponentially distributed random CS-US intervals. In the former case, the frequency of each CS-US interval within a specified range is uniform but the momentary probability of the US (the hazard function) increases as time elapses during the trial; with the latter distribution, short CS-US intervals are more frequent than longer intervals, but the momentary probability of the US is constant across time within the trial. We report that, in a magazine approach paradigm, rats’ response rates remained stable as time elapses during the CS when the CS-US intervals were uniformly distributed, whereas their response rates declined when the CS-US intervals were exponentially distributed. In other words, the profile of responding during the CS matched the frequency distribution of the US times, not the momentary probability of the US during the CS. These results are inconsistent with real-time associative models, which predict that associative strength tracks the momentary probability of the US, but may provide support for timing models of conditioning in which conditioned responding is tied to remembered times of reinforcement.Author note: This work was supported by grant DP0771154 from the Australian Research Council

Assessing the quality of health technology registers for national guidance development.

Background: The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence makes use of registers to collect data for technologies that require more evidence to inform future decision-making. This is particularly so for the Interventional Procedures Programme, which since 2003 has produced guidance for procedures that are typically not well established, meaning that named registers are often recommended for future data collection. Methods: We constructed a questionnaire based on quality standards for recommended registers defined by the Interventional Procedures Programme. All guidance from 2003 to 2016 were reviewed to identify recommended registers and compile a list of corresponding registries. We made a maximum of four attempts to contact each registry. Each register was scored on seven quality standards: accessibility, responsiveness, data publication, data coverage, data validity, independent oversight and data protection, with a maximum of 14 points. Results: We obtained responses from 17 out of 24 eligible registries, a response rate of 70.8%. The mean total score was 8.5 (standard deviation 2.9, range 4-14). Overall, the quality of recommended registers was disappointing, with a split between large registries that scored highly across all standards and smaller registries that scored poorly. Conclusions: This the first study to our knowledge to assess the quality of registers recommended by health technology assessment agencies. Only a limited number of registers were mature enough to deliver evidence of sufficiently high quality to inform funding decisions. A standardised quality assessment tool is needed to evaluate registers before their recommendation for observational data gathering by decision-making bodies

Safety and Pharmacokinetics of Intranasally Administered Heparin

Purpose: Intranasally administered unfractionated heparin (UFH) and other sulfated polysaccharides are potential prophylactics for COVID-19. The purpose of this research was to measure the safety and pharmacokinetics of clearance of intranasally administered UFH solution from the nasal cavity. Methods: Double-blinded daily intranasal dosing in C57Bl6 mice with four doses (60 ng to 60 μg) of UFH was carried out for fourteen consecutive days, with both blood coagulation measurements and subject adverse event monitoring. The pharmacokinetics of fluorescent-labeled UFH clearance from the nasal cavity were measured in mice by in vivo imaging. Intranasal UFH at 2000 U/day solution with nasal spray device was tested for safety in a small number of healthy human subjects. Results: UFH showed no evidence of toxicity in mice at any dose measured. No significant changes were observed in activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), platelet count, or frequency of minor irritant events over vehicle-only control. Human subjects showed no significant changes in aPTT time, international normalized ratio (INR), or platelet count over baseline measurements. No serious adverse events were observed. In vivo imaging in a mouse model showed a single phase clearance of UFH from the nasal cavity. After 12 h, 3.2% of the administered UFH remained in the nasal cavity, decaying to background levels by 48 h. Conclusions: UFH showed no toxic effects for extended daily intranasal dosing in mice as well as humans. The clearance kinetics of intranasal heparin solution from the nasal cavity indicates potentially protective levels for up to 12 h after dosing

Co-located Heroin Assisted Treatment within primary care: A preliminary analysis of the implications for healthcare access, cost, and treatment delivery in the UK.

The UK is experiencing its highest rate of drug related deaths in 25 years. Poor and inconsistent access to healthcare negatively impacts health outcomes for people who use drugs. Innovation in models of care which promote access and availability of physical treatment is fundamental. Heroin Assisted Treatment (HAT) is a treatment modality targeted at the most marginalised people who use drugs, at high risk of mortality and morbidity. The first service-provider initiated HAT service in the UK ran between October 2019 and November 2022 in Middlesbrough, England. The service was co-located within a specialist primary care facility offering acute healthcare treatment alongside injectable diamorphine. Analysis of anonymised health records for healthcare costs (not including drug treatment) took place using descriptive statistics prior and during engagement with HAT, at both three (n=15) and six (n=12) months. Primary outcome measures were incidents of wound care, skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs), overdose (OD) events, unplanned overnight stays in hospital, treatment engagement (general and within hospital care settings) and ambulance incidents. Secondary outcome measures were costs associated with these events. A shift in healthcare access for participants during HAT engagement was observed. HAT service attendance appeared to support health promoting preventative care, and reduce reactive reliance on emergency healthcare systems. At three and six months, engagement for preventative wound care and treatment for SSTIs increased at the practice. Unplanned emergency healthcare interactions for ODs, overnight hospital stays, serious SSTIs, and ambulance incidents reduced, and there was an increase in treatment engagement (i.e. a reduction in appointments which were not engaged with). There was a decrease in treatment engagement in hospital settings. Changes in healthcare utilisation during HAT translated to a reduction in healthcare costs of 58% within six months compared to the same timeframe from the period directly prior to commencing HAT. This exploratory study highlights the potential for innovative harm reduction interventions such as HAT, co-located with primary care services, to improve healthcare access and engagement for a high-risk population. Increased uptake of primary healthcare services translated to reductions in emergency healthcare use and associated costs. Although costs of HAT provision are substantial, the notable cost-savings in health care should be an important consideration in service implementation planning. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Response of Sorghum Enhanced in Monolignol Biosynthesis to Stalk Rot Pathogens

To increase phenylpropanoid constituents and energy content in the versatile C4 grass sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench), sorghum genes for protiens related to monolignol biosynthesis were overexpressed: SbMyb60 (transcriptional activator), SbPAL (phenylalanine ammonia ase), Bmr2 (4-coumarate: CoA ligase), and SbC3H (coumaroyl shikimate 3-hydroxylase). Overexpression lines were evaluted for responses to stalk pahtogens under greenhouse and field conditions. Greenhouse-grown plants were inoculated with Fusarium thapsinum (Fusarium stalk rot) and Macrophomia phaseolina (charocal rot), which cause yield-reducing diseases. F. thapsinum-inoculated overexpression plants had mean lesion lengths not significantly different than wild-type, except for significantly smaller lesions on two of three SbMyb60 and one of two SbCCoAOMT lines. M. phaseolina-inoculated expression lines had lesions not significantly different from wild-type except one SbPAL line (of two lines studied) with mean lesion lengths significantly larger. Field-grown SbMyb60 and SbCCoAOMT overexpression plants were inoculated with F. thapsinum. Mean lesions of SbMyb60 lines were similar to wild-type, one SbCCoAOMT had larger lesions, whereas the other line was not significantly different than wild-type. Because overexpression of SbMyb60, Bmr2, or SbC3H may not render sorghum more supceptible to stalk rots, these lines may provide sources for development of sorghum with increased phenylpropaniod concentrations

Polymyalgia rheumatica shows metabolomic alterations that are further altered by glucocorticoid treatment:Identification of metabolic correlates of fatigue

OBJECTIVE: In polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), glucocorticoids (GCs) relieve pain and stiffness, but fatigue may persist. We aimed to explore the effect of disease, GCs and PMR symptoms in the metabolite signatures of peripheral blood from patients with PMR or the related disease, giant cell arteritis (GCA).METHODS: Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed on serum from 40 patients with untreated PMR, 84 with new-onset confirmed GCA, and 53 with suspected GCA who later were clinically confirmed non-GCA, and 39 age-matched controls. Further samples from PMR patients were taken one and six months into glucocorticoid therapy to explore relationship of metabolites to persistent fatigue. 100 metabolites were identified using Chenomx and statistical analysis performed in SIMCA-P to examine the relationship between metabolic profiles and, disease, GC treatment or symptoms.RESULTS: The metabolite signature of patients with PMR and GCA differed from that of age-matched non-inflammatory controls (R2 &gt; 0.7). There was a smaller separation between patients with clinically confirmed GCA and those with suspected GCA who later were clinically confirmed non-GCA (R2 = 0.135). In PMR, metabolite signatures were further altered with glucocorticoid treatment (R2 = 0.42) but did not return to that seen in controls. Metabolites correlated with CRP, pain, stiffness, and fatigue (R 2 ≥ 0.39). CRP, pain, and stiffness declined with treatment and were associated with 3-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate, but fatigue did not. Metabolites differentiated patients with high and low fatigue both before and after treatment (R2 &gt; 0.9). Low serum glutamine was predictive of high fatigue at both time points (0.79-fold change). CONCLUSION: PMR and GCA alter the metabolite signature. In PMR, this is further altered by glucocorticoid therapy. Treatment-induced metabolite changes were linked to measures of inflammation (CRP, pain and stiffness), but not to fatigue. Furthermore, metabolite signatures distinguished patients with high or low fatigue.</p