Irritable Bowel Syndrome patients exhibit depressive and anxiety scores in the subsyndromal range

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients frequently experience affective disorders and psychiatric outpatients frequently meet criteria for IBS. The exact nature of this co-morbidity is not clear. 34 patients with Rome-II diagnosed IBS were recruited from a Gastroenterology clinic. Patients with social anxiety disorder (10 SSRI-remitted and 7 untreated subjects) were used as a psychiatric comparison, 28 normal subjects from our register were included as a fourth group (Volunteers). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), respectively. Personality traits were measured with the Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP). IBS subjects had BDI and STAI scores intermediate between those of volunteers and patients, despite their lack of a co-morbid psychiatric diagnosis. A principle component factor analysis of the SSP dataset corresponded closely to the solution published with other samples. ANOVA revealed significant between-group differences for 7 of the 13 SSP variables

Phoenix Y6

The mission of this project is to design and fabricate a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fixed-wing drone for use by firefighters and other emergency services. This vehicle will be designed for uses that include surveying wildfires, as well as spotting vehicular accidents, urban fires, and floods. Current drones available on the market are expensive or not designed specifically for emergency response. Our goal is to develop a working prototype of a vehicle that will be able to collect and relay important data such as live video and thermal images in addition to other measurements such as air velocity and humidity

The use of ICT in the assessment of modern languages: the English context and European viewpoints

The ever increasing explosion of highly attractive multimedia resources on offer has boosted the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the teaching and learning of modern languages. The use of ICT to assess languages is less frequent, however, although online testing is starting to develop. This paper examines the national context for the assessment of modern foreign language proficiency in England, outlines the kinds of assessment currently available and the development of electronic forms of assessment and compares the above with the survey results of a European Union (EU) funded project on current good practice in online assessment of languages in other European countries. The findings indicate that speaking is inadequately served by online testing as tests currently focus primarily on receptive language skills. The implications for future successful online testing include the incorporation of interactive skills and effective formative feedback

Emotion regulation and residual depression predict psychosocial functioning in bipolar disorder: Preliminary study

This study explores the predictive value of various clinical, neuropsychological, functional, and emotion regulation processes for recovery in Bipolar Disorder. Clinical and demographic information was collected for 27 euthymic or residually depressed BD participants. Seventy one percent of the sample reported some degree of impairment in psychosocial functioning. Both residual depression and problems with emotion regulation were identified as significant predictors of poor psychosocial functioning. In addition, to residual depression, the results of the current study introduce a variable of emotion dysregulation to account for poor psychosocial functioning among BD populations. Improving emotion regulation strategies, in particular, concentration and task accomplishment during negative emotional states could have important consequences for improving overall psychosocial functioning among this population, helping to reduce both the economic burden and high costs to personal wellbeing associated with B

Emotion regulation in bipolar disorder: Are emotion regulation abilities less compromised in euthymic bipolar disorder than unipolar depressive or anxiety disorders?

This study investigated the profile of emotion dysregulation in Bipolar Disorder (BD) and com- pared it to Unipolar Depression, Anxiety, and Heal- thy control groups. Methods: 148 euthymic patients diagnosed with BD (n = 48), Unipolar Depressive dis- order (n = 50), Anxiety disorder (n = 50), and a Healthy Control (HC) group (n = 48) were evaluated using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). The DERS yields a total score in addition to scores on six subcomponents believed to encapsulate the emotion dysregulation construct. Results: Com- pared to the healthy control group, all clinical groups (BD, Unipolar Depression, and Anxiety) reported significantly greater overall difficulties in emotion re- gulation (Total DERS) and difficulties specific to the DERS subcomponent measures: Goals, Impulse, and Strategies. The profile of emotion dysregulation was virtually identical for the Unipolar Depression and Anxiety groups, with BD demonstrating emotion regulation difficulties intermediate between controls and the two clinical groups. Specifically, emotion re- gulation in the BD group was significantly less com-promised in the domains of acceptance of emotions, emotional awareness, and emotional clarity com- pared to the depression and anxiety groups. Conclu- sions: Emotion regulation abilities among people with euthymic BD were significantly less compromised than Unipolar Depression and Anxiety groups with regards to emotional awareness, acceptance of emo- tions, and understanding of emotions. However, emo- tion regulation abilities pertaining to engagement in goal directed behaviour, impulse control, and access to emotion regulation strategies were similarly com- promised across all three clinical groups. This profile might help enrich extant adjunct psychological in- terventions for BD by enlisting emotion regulation strategies with the aim of decreasing the relapse rate that characterises BD

Long-term management of generalised anxiety disorder with low-dose continuous infusions of flumazenil: A case series

Background: Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common anxiety disorder associated with social and occupational impairment. Recently, a theory was postulated that dysfunctional gamma aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAA) are implicated in anxiety symptomology, which could be corrected by flumazenil, an antagonist at the benzodiazepine binding site on the GABAA receptor. Method: Participants had a primary diagnosis of GAD and were treated initially with an eight-day continuous low-dose flumazenil infusion (total 32 mg at a rate of 4 mg/24 h). Some participants were re-treated with a further four- or eight-day infusion. Treatment response was measured as a 50 % reduction in anxiety or stress scores on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale — 21 (DASS-21). Remission was measured as scores ≤ 3 or ≤ 7 on the anxiety and stress subscales of the DASS-21, respectively. Results: Eight cases are reported. All cases met the criteria for treatment response on the anxiety and stress subscale of the DASS-21. Remission was achieved in seven participants on the anxiety subscale and in five on the stress subscale. No changes in hepatic, renal, or haematological function were likely attributed to flumazenil. Conclusion: Data suggest that low-dose continuous flumazenil infusion manages GAD symptoms and is safe. Although these results are promising, future randomised control trials are required to confirm these results

Low-pass sequencing for microbial comparative genomics

BACKGROUND: We studied four extremely halophilic archaea by low-pass shotgun sequencing: (1) the metabolically versatile Haloarcula marismortui; (2) the non-pigmented Natrialba asiatica; (3) the psychrophile Halorubrum lacusprofundi and (4) the Dead Sea isolate Halobaculum gomorrense. Approximately one thousand single pass genomic sequences per genome were obtained. The data were analyzed by comparative genomic analyses using the completed Halobacterium sp. NRC-1 genome as a reference. Low-pass shotgun sequencing is a simple, inexpensive, and rapid approach that can readily be performed on any cultured microbe. RESULTS: As expected, the four archaeal halophiles analyzed exhibit both bacterial and eukaryotic characteristics as well as uniquely archaeal traits. All five halophiles exhibit greater than sixty percent GC content and low isoelectric points (pI) for their predicted proteins. Multiple insertion sequence (IS) elements, often involved in genome rearrangements, were identified in H. lacusprofundi and H. marismortui. The core biological functions that govern cellular and genetic mechanisms of H. sp. NRC-1 appear to be conserved in these four other halophiles. Multiple TATA box binding protein (TBP) and transcription factor IIB (TFB) homologs were identified from most of the four shotgunned halophiles. The reconstructed molecular tree of all five halophiles shows a large divergence between these species, but with the closest relationship being between H. sp. NRC-1 and H. lacusprofundi. CONCLUSION: Despite the diverse habitats of these species, all five halophiles share (1) high GC content and (2) low protein isoelectric points, which are characteristics associated with environmental exposure to UV radiation and hypersalinity, respectively. Identification of multiple IS elements in the genome of H. lacusprofundi and H. marismortui suggest that genome structure and dynamic genome reorganization might be similar to that previously observed in the IS-element rich genome of H. sp. NRC-1. Identification of multiple TBP and TFB homologs in these four halophiles are consistent with the hypothesis that different types of complex transcriptional regulation may occur through multiple TBP-TFB combinations in response to rapidly changing environmental conditions. Low-pass shotgun sequence analyses of genomes permit extensive and diverse analyses, and should be generally useful for comparative microbial genomics

Longitudinal analysis reveals transition barriers between dominant ecological states in the gut microbiome.

The Pioneer 100 Wellness Project involved quantitatively profiling 108 participants\u27 molecular physiology over time, including genomes, gut microbiomes, blood metabolomes, blood proteomes, clinical chemistries, and data from wearable devices. Here, we present a longitudinal analysis focused specifically around the Pioneer 100 gut microbiomes. We distinguished a subpopulation of individuals with reduced gut diversity, elevated relative abundance of the genus Prevotella, and reduced levels of the genus Bacteroides We found that the relative abundances of Bacteroides and Prevotella were significantly correlated with certain serum metabolites, including omega-6 fatty acids. Primary dimensions in distance-based redundancy analysis of clinical chemistries explained 18.5% of the variance in bacterial community composition, and revealed a Bacteroides/Prevotella dichotomy aligned with inflammation and dietary markers. Finally, longitudinal analysis of gut microbiome dynamics within individuals showed that direct transitions between Bacteroides-dominated and Prevotella-dominated communities were rare, suggesting the presence of a barrier between these states. One implication is that interventions seeking to transition between Bacteroides- and Prevotella-dominated communities will need to identify permissible paths through ecological state-space that circumvent this apparent barrier

Mental Health Status, Risk and Protective Factors for Healthcare Staff Prior to the First Major COVID-19 Outbreak in Western Australia

Objectives: Western Australia’s unique public health response delayed the first wave of community COVID-19 transmission for 2 years. We aimed to determine the status of post-traumatic stress (PTSS), depressive, and anxiety symptoms among healthcare staff in major tertiary hospitals, together with associated risk and protective factors prior to the first substantial outbreak of COVID-19.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 431 healthcare staff immediately prior to the Western Australian border re-opening in 2022. Staff were recruited via notices in email newsletters, at four tertiary hospitals and a public mental health clinic in metropolitan Perth. Validated and original questionnaires were administered via Qualtrics.Results: Moderate levels of PTSS (22.3%), depression (21.9%), and anxiety (25.9%) were reported. Pathway analyses indicated that sleep difficulties, workplace stressors, and infectious disease training were associated with higher PTSS, depression and anxiety symptoms, and younger age was associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety. Nursing roles were associated with higher PTSS. Social support and workplace support were associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety but were not associated with PTSS.Conclusion: The findings illustrate high levels of resilience, but indicate a need for structural supports within the health system to foster staff mental health prior to the onset of emergencies

The Vehicle, Spring 2007

Table of Contents She Might Just Take You for GrantedRebecca M. Griffithpage 1 ShwagDarius Juttipage 2 In LoveAmanda Vealepage 9 SubmissiveSarah Ellerpage 10 Wedding SongRebecca M. Griffithpage 11 Why No Ladies and Gentlemen, My Shit Never StinksJacob Fosterpage 13 Death of an English MajorLindsey Durbinpage 14 Summer\u27s PerfumeRebecca M. Griffithpage 15 Gigavolt and ChrisEric Schumacherpage 16 UntitledKris Jonespage 22 Ode to the MuseGreg Harrellpage 23 TenderAmanda Vealepage 24 When the Muses HeaveElizabeth Hoodpage 25 Depression LiftingAmanda Vealepage 26 Red SwordAndrew Deckerpage 27 Warring IdeologyMargaret B. Hamperpage 29 ConfessionGreg Harrellpage 34 A Glass PuzzleBrittany Morganpage 35 Hey MaJacob Fosterpage 36 As July Faded AwayRebecca M. Griffithpage 37 About the LeftoversGina LoBiancopage 38 Me, Myself & ILindsey Durbinpage 39 Iced Parking LotRebecca M. Griffithpage 41 About the Authors Art Submissions Mike\u27s Revelation and MikeSean Walkercovers UntitledChad Navelpage 9 Morning in Tintern AbbeyCarrie Muellerpage 12 WestminsterCarrie Muellerpage 21 A Fighting ChanceOsha Rudduckpage 22 Rooftop SunsetJennifer O\u27Neilpage 25 EIU IVCarrie Muellerpage 28 MandolinOsha Rudduckpage 38 EIU IIICarrie Muellerpage 42https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1087/thumbnail.jp