Is there a difference between child self-ratings and parent proxy-ratings of the quality of life of children with a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? A systematic review of the literature

There are contemporary indicators that parent proxy-ratings and child self-ratings of a child’s quality of life (QoL) are not interchangeable. This review examines dual informant studies to assess parent–child agreement on the QoL of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. A systematic search of four major databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane databases) was completed, and related peer-reviewed journals were hand-searched. Studies which reported quantitative QoL ratings for matched parent and child dyads were screened in accordance with relevant inclusion and exclusion criteria. Key findings were extracted from thirteen relevant studies, which were rated for conformity to the recommendations of an adapted version of the STROBE statement guidelines for observational studies. In the majority of studies reviewed, children rated their QoL more highly than their parents. There was some evidence for greater agreement on the physical health domain than psychosocial domains

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

Homens e violência conjugal: uma análise de estudos brasileiros Men and conjugal violence: an analysis of Brazilian studies

O estudo analisou qualitativamente 54 textos brasileiros sobre homens e violência conjugal, relacionados a atividades de pesquisa ou de intervenção. Primeiramente caracterizou-se o material quanto aos temas abordados, ao foco principal e ao tipo de texto. A seguir fizeram-se sínteses e análises das principais considerações dos textos a partir dos eixos temáticos encontrados: diferentes inteligibilidades da problemática, magnitude da violência conjugal, sentidos de homens relacionados à violência e intervenções e/ou políticas junto a homens agressores. A análise teve como parâmetro o ramo de discussões nacionais e internacionais que se esforça por ultrapassar a polêmica em torno da definição do problema como "violência de gênero" ou "violência conjugal", cunhando sobretudo o pressuposto de que existem diversos estilos de conjugalidade violenta. Concluiu-se que a maior unanimidade dos estudos é pensar a problemática como questão relacional de gênero. Defendeu-se, por fim, a ideia de que a escolha da melhor abordagem articuladora entre os polos da polêmica ainda demanda mais investigações, com metodologias qualitativas junto a atores de diferentes camadas e grupos sociais. Quanto às intervenções, propõem-se investimentos no maior número possível de alternativas, valorizando a singularidade dos casos.<br>This study consisted of a qualitative analysis of 54 Brazilian texts about men and conjugal violence related to research or intervention activities. Initially, the material was divided up according to the topics under scrutiny, the main focus and the type of text. Analysis and synthesis of the main considerations of the texts, based on the thematic points revealed, was then carried out. This included the different approaches to the problem, the magnitude of conjugal violence, the attitudes of men vis-à-vis violence and interventions and/or policies towards male aggressors. The parameter for the analysis was the national and international debate seeking to overcome the controversy surrounding the definition of the problem as "gender violence" or conjugal violence," essentially fostering the hypothesis of various types of violent conjugal relationships. It was concluded that the unanimous outcome of the study was to view the problem as a gender relationship issue. Lastly, it was argued that the choice of the best approach between the poles of the controversy requires further investigation using qualitative methodologies together with players from different classes and social backgrounds. With respect to further intervention, it was considered necessary to examine a broad gamut of alternatives emphasizing the singular nature of the cases

Kuluttajabarometri maakunnittain 2000, 2. neljännes

Suomen virallinen tilasto (SVT