The association of attachment style, postpartum PTSD and depression with bonding- A longitudinal path analysis model, from childbirth to six months.

BACKGROUND: There is substantial evidence that postpartum depression (PPD) is associated with a poor mother-infant bond, however, fewer studies have examined the role of other postpartum psychopathologies such as birth-related PTSD or relevant trait variables such as adult attachment styles in the quality of the mother-infant bond. METHODS: 210 postpartum women were sampled in a maternity ward of a tertiary health care center. Participants completed questionnaires at three-time points. Demographics questionnaire and the Adult Attachment style scale were administrated at 1-4 days postpartum, the City Birth Trauma Scale and the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale two months postpartum and the Postpartum Bonding questionnaire at six months postpartum. RESULTS: The associations between adult attachment styles and postpartum bonding were fully mediated by postpartum psychopathology. Avoidant attachment had indirect effects on bonding through general PTSD symptoms (Beta=0.05, p=.019) and PPD (Beta=0.06, p=.010). Anxious attachment also had indirect effects on bonding through general PTSD symptoms (Beta=0.04, p=.044) and PPD (Beta=0.10, p=.001). In contrast, birth-related PTSD symptoms were not associated with bonding. The model presented a good fit. LIMITATIONS: Women sampled from one health-care center and self-report measures used. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that although birth-related PTSD symptoms may cause difficulties, importantly they may not be associated with bonding difficulties six months postpartum. Therefore, women could be reassured that their birth-related PTSD symptoms, may not impact on bonding. Consequently, if interventions are specifically aimed at improving the mother-infant bond, the general-related PTSD, PPD symptoms and insecure attachment styles should be the focus of treatment

Twisted fallopian tube in pregnancy: a case report

BACKGROUND: Isolated twisted fallopian tube is an uncommon event, isolated twisted fallopian tube in pregnancy is also very rare. The diagnosis is often difficult and established during the operation. The right fallopian tube is most common affected. CASE PRESENTATION: We report an uncommon twisted left fallopian tube in pregnancy. A 34-year-old G(3)P(2) 28 weeks pregnant woman presented with acute left lower abdominal pain. The clinical and ultrasonographic findings led to diagnosis of twisted left ovarian cyst. Emergency exploratory laparotomy was performed. A twisted left fallopian tube and paratubal cyst was noted and left salpingectomy was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful and the pregnancy continued until term without complication. CONCLUSIONS: Although isolated twisted fallopian tube during pregnancy is very rare, it should be included in the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen in pregnancy. Early surgical intervention will decrease obstetric morbidity and may allow preservation of the fallopian tube

Introductory programming: a systematic literature review

As computing becomes a mainstream discipline embedded in the school curriculum and acts as an enabler for an increasing range of academic disciplines in higher education, the literature on introductory programming is growing. Although there have been several reviews that focus on specific aspects of introductory programming, there has been no broad overview of the literature exploring recent trends across the breadth of introductory programming. This paper is the report of an ITiCSE working group that conducted a systematic review in order to gain an overview of the introductory programming literature. Partitioning the literature into papers addressing the student, teaching, the curriculum, and assessment, we explore trends, highlight advances in knowledge over the past 15 years, and indicate possible directions for future research

Vaginal noise: prevalence, bother and risk factors in a general female population aged 45–85 years

Item does not contain fulltextINTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Vaginal noise (VN) is a symptom of pelvic floor (PF) dysfunction and has been described in a few studies. No other risk factors have been described besides parity and pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Underlying mechanisms of VN are unclear. Aims of this study were to describe prevalence, bother and relation between VN and PF (muscle)(dys)function. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed on a general population of 2,921 women (aged 45-85 years). Questionnaires were filled in by 1,397 women, and 800 were selected at random to undergo vaginal examination for POP Quantification and PF muscle function assessment. Chi-square tests, Student's t test and multivariate logistic regression were performed (P < 0.05). RESULTS: Response rate was 62.7%. Prevalence of VN was 12.8%; 72.1% reported only a little bother. Odds ratios for parity and solid stool were high. CONCLUSIONS: VN was strongly related to many symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction, but it was only causing a little bother

Office Space Bacterial Abundance and Diversity in Three Metropolitan Areas

People in developed countries spend approximately 90% of their lives indoors, yet we know little about the source and diversity of microbes in built environments. In this study, we combined culture-based cell counting and multiplexed pyrosequencing of environmental ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequences to investigate office space bacterial diversity in three metropolitan areas. Five surfaces common to all offices were sampled using sterile double-tipped swabs, one tip for culturing and one for DNA extraction, in 30 different offices per city (90 offices, 450 total samples). 16S rRNA gene sequences were PCR amplified using bar-coded “universal” bacterial primers from 54 of the surfaces (18 per city) and pooled for pyrosequencing. A three-factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) found significant differences in viable bacterial abundance between offices inhabited by men or women, among the various surface types, and among cities. Multiplex pyrosequencing identified more than 500 bacterial genera from 20 different bacterial divisions. The most abundant of these genera tended to be common inhabitants of human skin, nasal, oral or intestinal cavities. Other commonly occurring genera appeared to have environmental origins (e.g., soils). There were no significant differences in the bacterial diversity between offices inhabited by men or women or among surfaces, but the bacterial community diversity of the Tucson samples was clearly distinguishable from that of New York and San Francisco, which were indistinguishable. Overall, our comprehensive molecular analysis of office building microbial diversity shows the potential of these methods for studying patterns and origins of indoor bacterial contamination. “[H]umans move through a sea of microbial life that is seldom perceived except in the context of potential disease and decay.” – Feazel et al. (2009)

Two are better than one? The impact of lay birth companions on childbirth experiences and PTSD

Although continuous support during childbirth is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and has well-established benefits, the practice is still not routinely implemented in all maternity settings. We studied the possible effect of an additional lay companion (other than the partner) on childbirth experience and postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Two hundred and forty-six women, who gave birth in maternity wards of a large tertiary health center in Israel, responded to questionnaires in person at 1–4 days (Demographic questions and the childbirth experience questionnaire) and on-line at 8–10 weeks postpartum (City Birth Trauma Scale). Obstetric data were taken from the medical files. Women who were accompanied by their partners and an additional companion were lower in birth-related PTSD symptoms (M = 1.17, SD = 2.61) than women accompanied by only their partner (M = 1.53, SD = 2.79) (F(2, 240) = 4.0, p < 0.05). Women who had a single companion (M = 1.44, SD = 2.61) showed more birth-related PTSD symptoms than women who had two or more companions (M = 1.17, SD = 2.52) (F(1, 241) = 6.4, p < 0.05). In addition, women who had a single companion were higher in general PTSD symptoms (M = 3.91, SD = 4.73) than women who had two or more companions (M = 2.31, SD = 4.29) (F(1, 241) = 4.2, p < 0.05). No differences were found in childbirth experiences of women with single or multiple companions. Allowing more than one lay companion (other than the partner) may be a simple cost-effective way of providing beneficial support in all birth settings, promoting respectful maternity care and reducing childbirth-related PTSD levels and by that future psychopathology sequela