The Assessment of Cooking Skills and Food Skills and Their Relationship with Nutrition Knowledge, Attitude toward a Healthy Diet and Food Intake: Results of a German Validation Study

There is a lack of validated assessment instruments that capture all facets of cooking skills (CS) and food skills (FS). The goal of this study was to validate the German version of a questionnaire to assess a broad range of CS and FS and to examine its relationship with nutrition knowledge, attitude toward a healthy diet, and food intake. The German version was developed using forward–backward translation. An online survey was completed by students (n = 141), participants from the general Swiss population (n = 50), and nutrition experts (n = 18), including the CS and FS items along with nutrition knowledge, food frequency items, attitude toward a healthy diet and sociodemographic variables. The reliability and construct validity were examined. Results: For all of the samples, Cronbach’s alpha was between 0.85 and 0.88 for CS items and between 0.84 and 0.86 for FS items. The scales were strongly correlated (r = 0.60–0.77, p < 0.01). Nutrition experts showed higher confidence in their CS and FS than students and the participants of the general Swiss population (p < 0.001). CS and FS correlated weakly to moderately with practical nutrition knowledge, attitude toward a healthy diet, and the diet quality index. The German version is an efficient, valid, and highly reliable instrument that seems sensitive to changes. FS, compared to CS, might be more important for a healthy diet

Nutritional Needs in Mental Healthcare: Study Protocol of a Prospective Analytic Observational Study Assessing Nutritional Status, Eating Behavior and Barriers to Healthy Eating in Psychiatric Inpatients and Outpatients Compared to Healthy Adults

Background: Mental disorders are often associated with unhealthy eating behaviors and metabolic comorbidities. This can result in reduced life expectancy and poorer quality of life in people with mental disorders. This study protocol describes an observational study that examines the nutritional status and eating behaviors of people with severe mental illness (SMI) and the need for psychiatric treatment who were between 18 and 65 years old. In addition, the study focuses on possible barriers for healthy eating that have not yet been examined in this population. Methods: A total of 192 study participants will be recruited: 64 inpatients and 64 outpatients from the Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich with SMI as well as 64 healthy individuals from the general population as a control group. The participants will be interviewed regarding their nutritional status, eating behavior, nutrition knowledge, food and cooking skills, personality, attitudes and feelings toward nutrition. In addition, the severity of symptoms and several control variables (e.g., sociodemographic variables and physical activity) will be assessed. For the patient samples, data will comprise routine medical data, and, if available, routine laboratory data. Inpatients will be interviewed once at the beginning of their treatment. Outpatients will be interviewed at the beginning and after 3 months of treatment (same interview questions). Healthy adults of the control group will be interviewed once at any time during the recruitment period. Discussion: The described study will identify nutritional needs and possible barriers to healthy eating in patients with mental disorders. The results will help to define recommendations for nutritional risk screening in psychiatric patients and for planning effective nutritional interventions. Keywords: attitudes; eating behavior; inpatient; mental disorder; nutrition knowledge and skills; nutritional status; psychiatric treatment; severe mental illnes

The functional significance of genital spines in males of the seed beetle callosobruchus maculatus

Genitalstacheln, -haken und dergleichen, die Weibchen während der Kopulation verletzen, sind bei Männchen vieler Tierarten zu finden. Die Funktion solcher Genitalstrukturen und die Kräfte, die zu ihrer Evolution und Beibehaltung führen, werden seit Jahrzenten diskutiert. Der Adeagus von Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) beispielsweise ist mit Stacheln versehen, die den weiblichen Geschlechtstrakt durchbohren und Narben hinterlassen. Eine komparative Studie hat gezeigt, dass Männchen mit längeren Genitalstacheln unter Spermienkonkurrenz höhere Befruchtungserfolge erzielen als kurzstachelige Männchen. Auf welche Weise die Stacheln den Befruchtungserfolg erhöhen, blieb allerdings ungeklärt. Im Rahmen meiner Diplomarbeit habe ich zwei Hypothesen über die Funktion der Genitalstacheln untersucht, die Perforierungshypothese und die Ankerhypothese. Die Perforierungshypothese besagt, dass die Genitalstacheln dazu dienen, den weiblichen Geschlechtstrakt zu perforieren, damit mehr Ejakulat der Männchen in die Hämolymphe der Weibchen gelangt. Das ist für die Männchen vorteilhaft, da sich im Ejakulat Substanzen befinden, die das weibliche Verhalten zugunsten der Männchen manipulieren. Obwohl angenommen wird, dass Genitalstacheln bei mehreren Insekten diese Funktion haben, ist diese Diplomarbeit meines Wissens die erste Studie, in der diese Hypothese überprüft wird. Laut der zweiten Hypothese - der Ankerhypothese - dienen die Genitalstacheln als Anker während der Kopulation, um zu verhindern, dass die Weibchen die Kopulation früher beenden, als es für die Männchen optimal ist. Dieser Hypothese zufolge ist zu erwarten, dass langstachelige Männchen länger kopulieren als kurzstachelige Männchen, da sich längere Stacheln effektiver verankern sollten. Um die Perforierungshypothese zu prüfen, wurden lang- und kurzstachelige Männchen mit 14-C markiert und untersucht, ob sich das Ejakulat von langstacheligen Männchen besser im weiblichen Körper ausbreitet. Die Ankerhypothese wurde getestet, indem die Kopulationsdauer von Paaren verglichen wurde, bei denen die Männchen entweder lange oder kurze Genitalstacheln hatten. Zusätzlich wurde überprüft, ob langstachelige Männchen unter Spermienkonkurrenz einen höheren Befruchtungserfolg haben, da in beiden Hypothesen davon ausgegangen wird, dass das so ist. Die lang- und kurzstacheligen Männchen, die in den Versuchen verwendet wurden, wurden mit zwei sich ergänzende Methoden erzeugt. Zum einen wurden Selektionslinien mit langen und kurzen Stacheln gezüchtet, zum anderen wurden Genitalstacheln mit einem Mikrolaser gekürzt, um Männchen mit unterschiedlicher Stachellänge zu erzeugen. Langstachelige Männchen kopulierten nicht länger als kurzstachelige Männchen, daher sprechen die Resultate gegen die Ankerhypothese. Des Weiteren zeigte es sich, dass sich mehr Ejakulat von langstacheligen als von kurzstacheligen Männchen im Körper des Weibchens ausbreitete und dass langstachelige Männchen unter Spermienkonkurrenz einen höheren Prozentsatz von Eizellen befruchteten als kurzstachelige Männchen. Diese Resultate sprechen dafür, dass die Genitalstacheln von C. maculatus die Ausbreitung des Ejakulats im weiblichen Körper fördern, und dass dies langstacheligen Männchen Befruchtungsvorteile verschafft. Die Studie illustriert darüber hinaus, wie sexuelle Selektion - in Form von Spermienkonkurrenz - die Morphologie von männlichen Genitalien beeinflussen kann.Male genitalia that bear spines, hooks and other conspicuous projections that cause harm to females during mating are common among animals. Yet, our knowledge about the function of such harmful genital traits is limited. In the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus, males possess genital spines that injure females during copulation. These spines aid males in sperm competition, but their exact function is unknown. Here, I explored the functional significance of the genital spines in C. maculatus by assessing two potential sperm competition advantages. (1) I investigated, if the genital spines increase the dispersal of accessory seminal substances throughout the females‟ body. (2) I explored whether the spines function as an anchor during copulation to prevent females from terminating the copulations earlier than beneficial for males. To test these hypotheses, I compared the mating performance of long and short spined males, which I generated experimentally in two complimentary ways. First, I used artificial selection to create long and short spined lines. Second, I shortened genital spines using micro laser ablation. Since copulation duration was not related to spine length, my results did not support the anchor hypothesis. However, my results showed that the dispersal of accessory seminal substances throughout the females‟ body increased with increasing spine length, and that long spined males achieved advantages in sperm competition. This provides the first evidence that genital spines increase male fertilization success by perforating female tissues, through which accessory seminal substances can pass more efficiently. Moreover, my results illustrate one way in which sexual selection can shape genital morphology

Fluorometric approaches to analyze the structure-function relationship of excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs)

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Predicting coercion during the course of psychiatric hospitalizations

Background: Coercive measures (such as seclusion, mechanical restraint, and forced medication) during psychiatric inpatient treatment should be avoided whenever possible. Different interventions were already developed to reduce coercion, but for their effective application, it is crucial to know the risk factors of individuals and clinical situations that might be associated with coercion. Since the results of previous studies differ considerably the current study aims to fill this gap by evaluating the course of the exertion of coercion in detail. Methods: In this study, we analyzed clinical, procedural, and sociodemographic data from patients (n = 16,607 cases) who were treated as inpatients in Switzerland’s largest psychiatric institution with 320 beds during the years 2017 to 2020. We used regression models to identify predictors for the exertion of coercion, the number of coercive measures during a treatment episode and time until exertion of the first and last coercive measure. Results: Coercive measures are mostly used during the first days of treatment. We identified clinical parameters such as manic or psychotic episodes to be the most relevant predictors for the exertion of coercion. Cases with those disorders also received coercion more often and earlier in their treatment course than other diagnostic groups. Other promoting factors for frequency and early application of coercion were involuntary admission and factors of chronicity and clinical severity. Conclusions: Knowing the risk factors may help to target preventive strategies for those at highest risk. In particular, interventions should focus on the critical timeframe at the beginning of treatment

Association between perceived coercion and perceived level of information in involuntarily admitted patients: Results from a multicenter observational study in Switzerland.

Involuntary admissions (IA) to psychiatric hospitals are controversial because they interfere with people's autonomy. In some situations, however, they appear to be unavoidable. Interestingly, not all patients perceive the same degree of coercion during IA. The aim of this study was to assess whether the level of knowledge about one's own IA is associated with perceived coercion. This multicenter observational study was conducted on n = 224 involuntarily admitted patients. Interviews were conducted at five study centers from April 2021 to November 2021. The Macarthur Admission Experience Survey was administered to assess perceived coercion. Knowledge of involuntary admission, perceptions of information received, and attitudes towards legal aspects of involuntary admission were also assessed. We found that higher levels of knowledge about IA were negatively associated with perceived coercion at admission. Perceived coercion did not differ between study sites. Only half of the patients felt well informed about their IA, and about a quarter found the information they received difficult to understand. Legislation in Switzerland requires that patients with IA be informed about the procedure. Strategies to improve patients' understanding of the information given to them about IA might be helpful to reduce perceived coercion, which is known to be associated with negative attitudes towards psychiatry, a disturbed therapeutic relationship, avoidance of psychiatry, and the risk of further coercion

Assessment of Nutritional Status and Risk of Malnutrition Using Adapted Standard Tools in Patients with Mental Illness and in Need of Intensive Psychiatric Treatment

People with severe mental illness (SMI) are often in poor physical health, resulting in higher mortality and reduced life expectancy compared to the general population. Although eating habits are one of the main predictors of physical health, few studies assess the nutritional status and eating behavior of people with SMI. The aim of this study was to examine the nutritional status and risk of malnutrition in people with SMI who were in need of intensive psychiatric treatment. The cross-sectional study included 65 inpatients and 67 outpatients with psychotic or depressive disorders from the Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich. Patients’ assessments at admission included anthropometric measurements, such as weight and height, and interview data including severity of symptoms and functioning (SCL-K-9, PHQ-D, CGI, m-GAF), personal and medical data, nutrition risk screening tools (adapted NRS, MNA-SF), and laboratory values. The results showed that 32% of the inpatients and 34% of the outpatients were at risk of malnutrition, which was associated with higher levels of psychiatric symptoms and lower levels of functioning. Regardless, the body mass index (BMI) was overweight in both groups (mean BMIinpatients = 25.3, mean BMIoutpatients = 27.9). These results indicate that a substantial proportion of psychiatric patients seems to be at risk of malnutrition, despite most being overweight, and hence they might benefit from nutritional support during their psychiatric treatment. Moreover, nutritional risk screening tools specifically developed for the mental healthcare setting are needed

Attitudinal variance among patients, next of kin and health care professionals towards the use of containment measures in three psychiatric hospitals in Switzerland

BACKGROUND In psychiatric treatment containment measures are used to de-escalate high-risk situations. These measures can be characterized by their immanent amount of coercion. Previous research could show that the attitudes towards different containment measures vary throughout countries. The aim of this study was to compare the attitudes towards containment measures between three study sites in Switzerland which differ in their clinic traditions and policies and their actual usage of these measures. METHODS We used the Attitude to Containment Measures Questionnaire (ACMQ) in three psychiatric hospitals in Switzerland (Zurich, Muensingen and Monthey) in patients, their next of kin (NOK) and health care professionals (HCP). Furthermore, we assessed the cultural specifics and rates of coercive measures for these three hospitals. RESULTS We found substantial differences in the usage of and the attitudes towards some containment measures between the three study sites. The study site accounted for a variance of nearly zero in as needed medication to 15% in seclusion. The differences between study sites were bigger in the HCPs' attitudes (up to 50% of the variance), compared to NOK and patients. In the latter the study site accounted for up to 6% of the variance. The usage/personal experience of containment measures in general was associated with higher agreement. CONCLUSIONS Although being situated in the same country, there are substantial differences in the rates of containment measures between the three study sites. We showed that the HCP's attitudes are more associated with the clinic traditions and policies compared to patients' and their NOKs' attitudes. One can conclude that patients' preferences depend less on clinic traditions and policies. Therefore, it is important to adapt treatment to the individual patients' attitudes. TRIAL REGISTRATION The study was reviewed and approved by the Cantonal Ethics Commission of Zurich, Switzerland (Ref.-No. EK: 2016-01526, decision on 28.09.2016) and the Cantonal Ethics Commission of Bern, Switzerland (Ref.-Nr. KEK-BE 2015-00074). This study has been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. The permission for conduction of the study was granted by the medical directors at the three study sites. The authors informed the respondents (patients, NOK, HCP) of their rights in the study in an oral presentation and/or a cover letter. They assured the participants of the confidentiality and anonymity of the data, and the voluntariness of participation. Patients were given an information sheet with the possibility to consent in the conduction of the study. Return of the completed questionnaires from HCP and NOK was constituted as confirmation of their consent. No identifying factors were collected to ensure privacy. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors

Predictors for early and long-term readmission in involuntarily admitted patients

BACKGROUND It is a common aim to reduce psychiatric readmissions. Although risk factors for readmissions were described, specific data in the group of patients with potentially aversively experienced involuntary admissions are lacking. To better understand underlying mechanisms, it is important to identify factors that are linked to readmissions in this specific patient group, which is the purpose of the current paper. METHODS A four-year cohort of N = 3575 involuntary admissions (IA) was followed-up for subsequent re-hospitalization. Demographic, administrative and clinical factors associated with short- (within 30 days) or long-term (> 30 days) readmissions were examined using logistic regression modelling. RESULTS Almost half of all IA cases were readmitted within the observation period, whereof every fifth readmission was within the first month after discharge from the involuntary index hospitalization. Adjusted regression modelling revealed problematic substance use at admission and assisted living or homelessness as risk factors for readmission, while high functioning at discharge, anxiety disorders, no subsequent treatment after discharge or IA due to danger to others were negatively associated with readmission. Factors specifically linked to short-term readmission were substance use and personality disorders, abscondence or discharge by initiation of the clinic, as well as being discharged to any place except the patient's home. There were no specific risk-factors for long-term readmission. CONCLUSIONS To prevent readmissions after IA, especially for patients at risk, the aim of treatment strategies should be to focus on intensive discharge planning, enable continuous treatment in the outpatient setting, and provide social support

Haploid selection within a single ejaculate increases offspring fitness

Diploid organisms produce haploid gametes for sexual reproduction, resulting in a biphasic life cycle. Although selection during the diploid phase is well understood, selection during the haploid gametic stage and its consequences are largely ignored despite its potential importance for fundamental evolutionary processes, including the rate of adaptation and inbreeding depression, as well as for applied research into fertilization technology. A current dogma assumes that in animals selection on the haploid gametic genotype is minimal. We examined the importance of haploid selection in the zebrafish and found strong fitness consequences of selection on sperm phenotype in the resulting offspring. Genomic data support the idea that these effects may well be the consequence of selection on the haploid sperm genotype