Irrational beliefs and their role in specific and non-specific eating disorder symptomatology and cognitive reappraisal in eating disorders

Background: Research on which specific maladaptive cognitions characterize eating disorders (ED) is lacking. This study explores irrational beliefs (IBs) in ED patients and controls and the association between IBs and ED-specific and non-specific ED symptomatology and cognitive reappraisal. Methods: 79 ED outpatients with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or other specified feeding or eating disorders and 95 controls completed the Attitudes and Beliefs Scale-2 (ABS-2) for IBs. ED outpatients also completed the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3) for ED-specific (EDI-3-ED Risk) and non-specific (EDI-3-General Psychological Maladjustment) symptomatology; General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) for general psychopathology; Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) for cognitive reappraisal. Results: Multivariate analysis of variance with post hoc comparisons showed that ED outpatients exhibit greater ABS-2-Awfulizing, ABS-2-Negative Global Evaluations, and ABS-2-Low Frustration Tolerance than controls. No differences emerged between ED diagnoses. According to stepwise linear regression analyses, body mass index (BMI) and ABS-2-Awfulizing predicted greater EDI-3-ED Risk, while ABS-2-Negative Global Evaluations and GHQ predicted greater EDI-3-General Psychological Maladjustment and lower ERQ-Cognitive Reappraisal. Con-clusion: Awfulizing and negative global evaluation contribute to better explaining ED-specific and non-specific ED symptoms and cognitive reappraisal. Therefore, including them, together with BMI and general psychopathology, when assessing ED patients and planning cognitive–behavioral treatment is warranted

An effective 6DoF motion model for 3D-6DoF Monte Carlo Localization

This paper deals with the probabilistic 6DoF motion model of a wheeled road vehicle. It allows to correctly model the error introduced by dead reckoning. Furthermore, to stress the importance of an appropriate motion model, i.e., that different models are not equally good, we show that another model, which was previously developed, does not allow a correct representation of the uncertainty, therefore misguiding 3D-6DoF Monte Carlo Localization. We also present some field experiments to demonstrate that our model allow a consistent determination of the 6DoF vehicle pose

Bronchoalveolar lavage causes decrease in PaO2, increase in (A-a) gradient value and bronchoconstriction in asthmatics.

7siAbstract The aims of this study were to (1) record the changes of (arterial oxygen partial pressure) PaO2, (arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure) PaCO2, (percentage saturation of haemoglobin with oxygen in arterial blood) SaO2 and alveolar-arterial (A-a) oxygen gradiant resulting from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in asthmatic and normal subjects; (2) measure changes in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), vital capacity forced (FVC) associated with BAL; and (3) assess possible predictive factors for the degree of hypoxaemia and impairment of spirometry resulting from BAL. Bronchoscopy and BAL (150 ml) were performed in 24 asthmatics and 15 healthy subjects. Serial arterial blood samples (radial artery) were obtained in all subjects: T1 and before T2 after local anaesthesia; T3 at end of bronchoscopy; T4 after BAL and 5 min, 15 min, 1 h, 2 h, 8 h and 24 h (T5-T10) after the procedure, FEV1 and FVC were measured immediately before and 5 min afer bronchoscopy. Baseline PaO2 was lower in asthmatics (10.2 +/- 0.8 kPa) than in healthy subjects (10.8 +/- 0.8). Both groups showed a significant decrease in PaO2, and a significant widening in (A-a) oxygen tension gradiant at T3-9, with respect to T1 (P < 0.05). PaO2 reached a significantly lower value in asthmatics (7.1 +/- 0.6 kPa) than in HS (7.7 +/- 0.5; P < 0.05). In asthmatics, FEV1, FVC and the ratio FEV1/FVC decreased significantly after BAL (P < 0.001). In healthy subjects, FEV1 and FVC decreased significantly (P < 0.001), whereas FEV1/FVC did not. The fall in FEV1 after BAL was significantly greater in asthmatics (32.4 +/- 10.0%) than in healthy subjects (17.7 +/- 4.6; P < 0.001). Severity of asthma, basline FEV1 or initial PaO2 did not predict the degree of hypoxaemia or the fall of FEV1. It is concluded that BAL causes more severe hypoxaemia and a greater decrease in FEV1 in asthmatics compared to healthy subjects, strongly supporting the recommendation of special caution and careful monitoring when BAL is undertaken in asthmatics.nonemixedSPANEVELLO A; MIGLIORI GB; SATTA A; SHARARA A; BALLARDINI L; IND PW; NERI M.Spanevello, Antonio; Migliori, Gb; Satta, A; Sharara, A; Ballardini, L; Ind, Pw; Neri, M

Fatal poisoning of four workers in a farm: Distribution of hydrogen sulfide and thiosulfate in 10 different biological matrices

We evaluate the distribution of sulfide and thiosulfate (TS) in biological samples of four dairy farmers died inside a pit connected to a manure lagoon. Autopsies were performed 4 days later. Toxicological analyses of sulfide and TS were made using an extractive alkylation technique combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Autopsies revealed: multiorgan congestion; pulmonary edema; manure inside distal airways of three of the four victims. Sulfide concentrations were cardiac blood: 0.5–3.0 μg/mL, femoral blood: 0.5–1.2 μg/mL, bile: <0.1–2.2 μg/mL; liver 2.8–8.3 μg/g, lung: 5.0–9.4 μg/g, brain: 2.7–13.9 μg/g, spleen: 3.3–6.3 μg/g, fat: <0.1–1.5 μg/g, muscle: 2.6–3.5 μg/g. TS concentrations were cardiac blood: 2.1–4.9 μg/mL, femoral blood: 2.1–2.3 μg/mL, bile: 2.5–4.4 μg/mL, urine: <0.5–1.8 μg/mL; liver <0.5–2.6, lung: 2.8–5.4 μg/g, brain: <0.5–1.9 μg/g, spleen: 1.2–2.9 μg/g, muscle: <0.5–5.6 μg/g. The cause of death was assessed to be acute poisoning by hydrogen sulfide (H2S) for all the victims. Manure inhalation contributed to the death of three subjects. The measurement of sulfide and TS concentrations in biological samples contributed to better understand the sequence of the events. Subjects 3 provided the highest concentration of sulfide in brain, thus, supporting the hypothesis of a rapid loss of consciousness and respiratory depression. One by one, the other farmers entered the pit in attempts to rescue the coworkers but collapsed. Despite the rapid death, subject 3 was the only one with TS detectable in urine. This could be due to differences in metabolism of H2S

Improved overall survival in dendritic cell vaccination-induced immunoreactive subgroup of advanced melanoma patients

BACKGROUND: We present our experience of therapeutic vaccination using dendritic cells (DC) pulsed with autologous tumor antigens in patients with advanced melanoma. METHODS: Twenty-one pretreated advanced melanoma patients were vaccinated with autologous DC pulsed with 100 μg/ml of autologous-tumor-lysate (ATL) or – homogenate (ATH) and 50 μg/ml of keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). The first 8 patients were treated subcutaneously or intradermally with immature-DC (iDC) (range 4.5 – 82 × 10(6)) and the remaining 13 intradermally with in vitro matured DC (mDC) (range 1.2–26 × 10(6)). Subcutaneous interleukin-2 (3 × 10(6 )IU) was administered from days 3 to 7 of each treatment cycle. RESULTS: Three of the 8 iDC patients obtained stabilizations (SD), each of 6 months' duration. The 13 mDC patients showed 1 complete response (8 months), 1 partial response (3 months), 2 mixed responses (6 and 12 months) and 3 SD (9, 7+, and 3+ months). Overall responses (OR) were observed in 4/21 (19%) patients, or 4/13 (30.7%) considering mDC treatment only. 10/21 (47.6%) patients showed non progressive disease (NPD), with 7/13 (53.8%) cases of NPD for mDC-treated patients. No major toxicities were observed. The positive delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) test to ATL/ATH and/or KLH correlated with increased overall survival (OS). Median OS was 24 months (range 3 – 45) for the 10 DTH-positive (1 iDC and 9 mDC) and 5 months (range 3–14) for the 11 DTH-negative patients (P < 0.001). The in vitro evaluation of gamma IFN-secreting T-cells in 10 patients showed good correlation with both DTH (75%) and clinical outcome (70%). CONCLUSION: Vaccination using DC pulsed with ATL/ATH and KLH in advanced melanoma patients is well tolerated and can induce a clinical response, especially when mDC are used. Successful immunization, verified by positive DTH, leads to longer survival

Effect of raloxifene on IGF-I and IGFBP-3 in postmenopausal women with breast cancer

The effect on the IGF system of 60 mg and 600 mg daily of raloxifene administered for 2 weeks prior to surgery was investigated in 37 postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Raloxifene significantly decreased insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) as compared to placebo (P < 0.05) with no dose–response relationship. No significant change was observed in IGFBP-3, while the IGF-I/IGFBP-3 molar ratio was decreased by treatment, with a statistically significant effect only for the higher dose. Given that high plasma levels of IGF-I have been suggested as a risk factor for breast cancer, these findings provide further support for the potential activity of raloxifene in breast cancer prevention. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co

Self-reported history of Pap-smear in HIV-positive women in Northern Italy: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: The incidence of invasive cervical cancer in HIV-positive women is higher than in the general population. There is evidence that HIV-positive women do not participate sufficiently in cervical cancer screening in Italy, where cervical cancer is more than 10-fold higher in women with AIDS than in the general population. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the history of Pap-smear in HIV-positive women in Italy in recent years. We also examined the sociodemographic, clinical, and organizational factors associated with adherence to cervical cancer screening.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2006 and June 2007 in Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy). All HIV-positive women who received a follow-up visit in one of the 10 regional infectivology units were invited to participate. History of Pap-smear, including abnormal smears and subsequent treatment, was investigated through a self-administered anonymous questionnaire. The association between lack of Pap-smear in the year preceding the interview and selected characteristics was assessed by means of odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals adjusted for study centre and age.RESULTS: A total of 1,002 HIV-positive women were interviewed. Nine percent reported no history of Pap-smear, and 39% had no Pap-smear in the year prior to the date of questionnaire (last year). The lack of Pap-smear in the last year was significantly associated with age &lt;35 years (OR = 1.4, compared to age &gt; or =45 years), lower education level (OR = 1.3), first HIV-positive test in the last 2 years (OR = 1.4), and CD4 count &lt;200 cells/microl (OR = 1.6). Conversely, when women were advised by a gynecologist rather than other health workers to undergo screening, it significantly increased adherence. Non-significantly higher proportions of lack of Pap-smear in the last year were found in women born in Central-Eastern Europe (OR = 1.8) and Africa (OR = 1.3). No difference in history of Pap-smear emerged by mode of HIV-acquisition or AIDS status.Three hundred five (34%) women reported a previous abnormal Pap-smear, and of the 178 (58%) referred for treatment, 97% complied.CONCLUSIONS: In recent years the self-reported history of Pap-smear in HIV-positive women, in some public clinics in Italy, is higher than previously reported, but further efforts are required to make sure cervical cancer screening is accessible to all HIV-positive women