Construct development: The Suicide Trigger Scale (STS-2), a measure of a hypothesized suicide trigger state

This study aims to develop the construct of a 'suicide trigger state' by exploring data gathered with a novel psychometric self-report instrument, the STS-2. The STS-2, was administered to 141 adult psychiatric patients with suicidal ideation. Multiple statistical methods were used to explore construct validity and structure. Cronbach's alpha (0.949) demonstrated excellent internal consistency. Factor analyses yielded two-component solutions with good agreement. The first component described near-psychotic somatization and ruminative flooding, while the second described frantic hopelessness. ROC analysis determined an optimal cut score for a history of suicide attempt, with significance of p < 0.03. Logistic regression analysis found items sensitive to history of suicide attempt described ruminative flooding, doom, hopelessness, entrapment and dread. The STS-2 appears to measure a distinct and novel clinical entity, which we speculatively term the 'suicide trigger state.' High scores on the STS-2 associate with reported history of past suicide attempt

Suicide risk in schizophrenia: learning from the past to change the future

Suicide is a major cause of death among patients with schizophrenia. Research indicates that at least 5–13% of schizophrenic patients die by suicide, and it is likely that the higher end of range is the most accurate estimate. There is almost total agreement that the schizophrenic patient who is more likely to commit suicide is young, male, white and never married, with good premorbid function, post-psychotic depression and a history of substance abuse and suicide attempts. Hopelessness, social isolation, hospitalization, deteriorating health after a high level of premorbid functioning, recent loss or rejection, limited external support, and family stress or instability are risk factors for suicide in patients with schizophrenia. Suicidal schizophrenics usually fear further mental deterioration, and they experience either excessive treatment dependence or loss of faith in treatment. Awareness of illness has been reported as a major issue among suicidal schizophrenic patients, yet some researchers argue that insight into the illness does not increase suicide risk. Protective factors play also an important role in assessing suicide risk and should also be carefully evaluated. The neurobiological perspective offers a new approach for understanding self-destructive behavior among patients with schizophrenia and may improve the accuracy of screening schizophrenics for suicide. Although, there is general consensus on the risk factors, accurate knowledge as well as early recognition of patients at risk is still lacking in everyday clinical practice. Better knowledge may help clinicians and caretakers to implement preventive measures. This review paper is the results of a joint effort between researchers in the field of suicide in schizophrenia. Each expert provided a brief essay on one specific aspect of the problem. This is the first attempt to present a consensus report as well as the development of a set of guidelines for reducing suicide risk among schizophenia patients

Assessment Of Dairy Cattle Carbohydrate Feeding Limitations For A Lameness Preventive Diagnosis Expert System Input

Claw lameness in dairy cows can be triggered by biomechanical factors caused by imbalances of the pressure distribution under the hooves when cows are confined in dairy operations with hard concrete flooring. Clinically, the earliest diagnosis of claw lameness is only possible by visually observing faulty locomotion. Unfortunately, the earliest pathological gait signs are characteristics of mild to severe degrees of lameness requiring veterinary intervention and causing economic losses. The results obtained, using a plantar pressure measurement system, yielded a preliminary database on claw pressure distribution, which correlated to claw length and nutritional factors (carbohydrate and fiber available for digestion) formed a preliminary knowledge base used in a Fuzzy Inference System (IRISK) for providing a method to help prevent claw lameness. In order to create the system's UI (IRISK's user interface) nutritional carbohydrate and fiber concentrations, provided by farm mixed and commercial premixed rations, had to be translated mathematically in terms of total rumen available NDF and NFC (Neutral Detergent Fiber and Non Fibrous Carbohydrate respectively) levels. A program was coded in Visual Basic, containing calculations of total DMI (dry matter intake) and accounted for live weight of the cows, lactation phase, production and environmental temperature. The total DMI was then used together with nutrition facts from raw ingredients from farm mixed rations to calculate the total rumen available levels of NDF and NFC. The First module (IRISK) uses the NDF and NFC obtained and together with claw dimensions estimates the total risk level of developing claw lesions.288293Amendola, M., Castanho, M.J., Nääs, I.A., Souza, A.L., Análise Matemática de Condições de Conforto Térmico para Avicultura Usando a Teoria dos Conjuntos Fuzzy. (2004) Biomatemática, 14, pp. 87-92Carvalho, V.R.C., Bucklin, R.A., Shearer, J.K., Shearer, L., 2005(a). Effects of Trimming on Dairy Cattle Hoof Weight Bearing and Pressure Distributions during the Stance Phase Transactions of the ASAE, 48 (4), pp. 1653-1659. , St. Joseph, MI, vCarvalho, V. R. CI. A. NääsM. Mollo NetoV. Massafera Jr. 2005(b). Prediction of Lameness Occurrences in Dairy Cows using a Fuzzy-Logic Based Expert's System. - Part I. International Commission of Agricultural Engineering, Bonn - Germany, v. 7, p. 1-15Nutrient Requirement of Dairy Cattle National Academic Press, W. DC. 381 p. 2001, , NRC, National Research Concil, seventh revised editionRaven, E.T., (1989) Cattle Foot Care and Claw Trimming, pp. 19-33. , Farming Press, UKStone, W.C., Nutritional Approaches to Minimize Subacute Ruminal Acidoses and Laminitis in Dairy Cattle (2004) J. Dairy Sci, 87 (E. SUPPL.), pp. E13-E26Warren, J., Beliakov, G, Van der Zwaag, B. 2000. Fuzzy Logic in Clinical Practice Decision Support Systems. In Proc. of the 33rdHawaii International Conference on System Sciences. IEEE0-7695-0493- 0/0

Performance of maize single-crosses developed from populations improved by a modified reciprocal recurrent selection Performance de híbridos simples de milho desenvolvidos de populações melhoradas por seleção recorrente recíproca modificada

Maize (Zea mays L.) elite inbred lines developed from pedigree programs tend to be genetically related. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate unrelated inbreds to those programs to allow the continued release of outstanding single-crosses. The objectives of this research were to compare the usefulness of a modified reciprocal recurrent selection procedure (MRRS) to improve populations to be used as sources of elite inbreds and outstanding single-crosses to integrate pedigree programs, and to investigate the effects of selection on the relative contribution of general (GCA) and specific combining (SCA) abilities to the single-crosses variation. Eight and six S3 lines from populations IG-3-C1 and IG-4-C1, respectively, selected from the first cycle of the MRRS program were crossed in a partial-diallel mating design, and the 48 experimental and five commercial single-crosses were evaluated in six environments. Grain yield mean of the experimental single-crosses (9.57 t ha¹) did not differ from the commercial single-crosses (9.86 t ha¹), and ten of the 48 experimental single-crosses could be released as cultivars because they compared favorably to the currently used single-crosses. Thus, one cycle of the MRRS procedure improved efficiently the populations allowing the development of outstanding single-cross, but additional cycles of selection should be carried out since none of the experimental single-crosses outperformed the highest yielding commercial single-cross. The relative contribution of the GCA over SCA may have been affected by the MRRS, since the SCA was more important than GCA for some of the traits assessed.<br>Linhagens elites de milho (Zea mays L.) desenvolvidas em programas genealógicos tendem a ser geneticamente relacionadas. Portanto, é necessário incorporar linhagens não relacionadas a estes programas para permitir a liberação contínua de híbridos simples superiores. Comparou-se a utilidade de um procedimento modificado de seleção recorrente recíproca (SRRM) em melhorar populações a serem utilizadas como fontes de linhagens elites e híbridos simples superiores para integrar os programas de melhoramento, e investigar os efeitos da seleção na contribuição relativa da capacidade geral (CGC) e da capacidade específica (CEC) de combinação para a variabilidade dos híbridos simples. Oito e seis linhagens S3 obtidas das populações IG-3-C1 e IG-4-C1, respectivamente, selecionadas do primeiro ciclo de SRRM, foram cruzadas no delineamento dialelo parcial e os 48 híbridos simples experimentais (HSE) e cinco híbridos simples comerciais (HSC) foram avaliados em seis ambientes. A média geral de produção de grãos dos HSE (9.57 t ha¹) não diferiu significativamente dos HSC (9.86 t ha¹), e dez dos 48 HSE poderiam ser liberados como cultivares, pois são comparáveis aos híbridos simples comerciais. Portanto, um ciclo de SRRM foi eficiente em melhorar as populações permitindo a produção de híbridos simples superiores, mas ciclos adicionais de seleção deverão ser conduzidos, pois nenhum dos HSE superou o híbrido simples comercial mais produtivo. As contribuições relativas da CGC e da CEC podem ter sido afetadas pela SRRM, uma vez que a CEC foi mais importante que a CGC para alguns caracteres avaliados