Impact of Veterans’ PTSD on Their Children’s Outcomes: Intervening Effects of Family Functioning

The associations among Veterans’ PTSD symptoms, poorer family functioning, and negative child outcomes have been established in the extant literature. However, the influences of family processes on the association between Veterans’ PTSD symptoms and negative child outcomes have not been examined in-depth. The present study aimed to disentangle the role of family processes which may potentially contribute to more efficacious prevention and intervention efforts targeting Veterans and their families. Data were provided by Veterans (N = 69) who were in a committed relationship and the primary caretaker of a child between the ages of 3-18 years. Veterans completed self-report measures assessing their psychological, family, and child’s functioning. Mediation analyses indicated that Veterans’ parenting satisfaction mediated the association between Veterans’ PTSD and negative child outcomes, suggesting that Veteran PTSD symptoms impact one’s satisfaction and feelings of effectiveness as a parent, and that it is partially through one’s satisfaction with the parenting role that the detrimental effects of PTSD impact child functioning. Hierarchical linear regression analyses provided additional support for the unique, significant contribution of parenting satisfaction on child functioning. Additionally, age of the child and the Veteran’s satisfaction in the marriage or similar committed relationship emerged as significant moderators of the association between Veterans’ PTSD and negative child outcomes. Specifically, this association was stronger for children who were 8.5 years of age or older, and for Veterans who reported low to average levels of relationship satisfaction. Results from this current study are discussed within the Family Attachment Network framework. Implications for prevention and intervention efforts related to the role of family processes in modulating the effect of Veterans’ PTSD symptoms on child functioning are also highlighted

Predictors of Pain and Somatic Functioning Following a Combat Deployment

This study sought to identify prospective and concurrent predictors of post-deployment pain and somatic symptoms in a sample of active-duty United States Air Force (USAF) security forces that had recently returned from a high-risk ground mission in Iraq. Within the military population, nearly half (47%) of OEF/OIF veterans report experiencing pain following a deployment. Pain and somatic impairment are associated with lower quality of life, greater use of health care services, and higher rates of mental health symptoms including suicidality, substance use, sleep problems, anxiety, and depression. Moreover, veterans who have been deployed report more pain relative to veterans who have not deployed, and also report higher rates of somatic symptoms, worse general health, and greater physical and psychosocial functional impairment. Whereas considerable research has examined consequences of pain and somatic impairment, little research has examined psychological predictors of pain and somatic symptom severity. Results indicated that intrapersonal psychological factors, particularly depression and posttraumatic stress disorder, significantly predicted pain and somatic symptoms following deployment. Following deployment, perceived barriers to treatment and difficulty with reintegration significantly predicted greater post-deployment pain symptoms. Interpersonal factors including perceived social support, marital distress, and family reintegration, were not significantly associated with pain or somatic symptoms following deployment. The implications for clinical intervention and application of these findings will be discussed

A strong immune response in young adult honeybees masks their increased susceptibility to infection compared to older bees

Honeybees, Apis mellifera, show age-related division of labor in which young adults perform maintenance ("housekeeping") tasks inside the colony before switching to outside foraging at approximately 23 days old. Disease resistance is an important feature of honeybee biology, but little is known about the interaction of pathogens and age-related division of labor. We tested a hypothesis that older forager bees and younger "house" bees differ in susceptibility to infection. We coupled an infection bioassay with a functional analysis of gene expression in individual bees using a whole genome microarray. Forager bees treated with the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae s.l. survived for significantly longer than house bees. This was concomitant with substantial differences in gene expression including genes associated with immune function. In house bees, infection was associated with differential expression of 35 candidate immune genes contrasted with differential expression of only two candidate immune genes in forager bees. For control bees (i.e. not treated with M. anisopliae) the development from the house to the forager stage was associated with differential expression of 49 candidate immune genes, including up-regulation of the antimicrobial peptide gene abaecin, plus major components of the Toll pathway, serine proteases, and serpins. We infer that reduced pathogen susceptibility in forager bees was associated with age-related activation of specific immune system pathways. Our findings contrast with the view that the immunocompetence in social insects declines with the onset of foraging as a result of a trade-off in the allocation of resources for foraging. The up-regulation of immune-related genes in young adult bees in response to M. anisopliae infection was an indicator of disease susceptibility; this also challenges previous research in social insects, in which an elevated immune status has been used as a marker of increased disease resistance and fitness without considering the effects of age-related development

The implementation of omics technologies in cancer microbiome research

Whilst the interplay between host genetics and the environment plays a pivotal role in the aetiopathogenesis of cancer, there are other key contributors of importance as well. One such factor of central and growing interest is the contribution of the microbiota to cancer. Even though the field is only a few years old, investigation of the ‘cancer microbiome’ has already led to major advances in knowledge of the basic biology of cancer risk and progression, opened novel avenues for biomarkers and diagnostics, and given a better understanding of mechanisms underlying response to therapy. Recent developments in microbial DNA sequencing techniques (and the bioinformatics required for analysis of these datasets) have allowed much more in-depth profiling of the structure of microbial communities than was previously possible. However, for more complete assessment of the functional implications of microbial changes, there is a growing recognition of the importance of the integration of microbial profiling with other omics modalities, with metabonomics (metabolite profiling) and proteomics (protein profiling) both gaining particular recent attention. In this review, we give an overview of some of the key scientific techniques being used to unravel the role of the cancer microbiome. We have aimed to highlight practical aspects related to sample collection and preparation, choice of the modality of analysis, and examples of where different omics technologies have been complementary to each other to highlight the significance of the cancer microbiome

The 2011 Outburst of Recurrent Nova T Pyx: X-ray Observations Expose the White Dwarf Mass and Ejection Dynamics

The recurrent nova T Pyx underwent its sixth historical outburst in 2011, and became the subject of an intensive multi-wavelength observational campaign. We analyze data from the Swift and Suzaku satellites to produce a detailed X-ray light curve augmented by epochs of spectral information. X-ray observations yield mostly non-detections in the first four months of outburst, but both a super-soft and hard X-ray component rise rapidly after Day 115. The super-soft X-ray component, attributable to the photosphere of the nuclear-burning white dwarf, is relatively cool (~45 eV) and implies that the white dwarf in T Pyx is significantly below the Chandrasekhar mass (~1 M_sun). The late turn-on time of the super-soft component yields a large nova ejecta mass (>~10^-5 M_sun), consistent with estimates at other wavelengths. The hard X-ray component is well fit by a ~1 keV thermal plasma, and is attributed to shocks internal to the 2011 nova ejecta. The presence of a strong oxygen line in this thermal plasma on Day 194 requires a significantly super-solar abundance of oxygen and implies that the ejecta are polluted by white dwarf material. The X-ray light curve can be explained by a dual-phase ejection, with a significant delay between the first and second ejection phases, and the second ejection finally released two months after outburst. A delayed ejection is consistent with optical and radio observations of T Pyx, but the physical mechanism producing such a delay remains a mystery.Comment: Re-submitted to ApJ after revision

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and anastomotic leak rates across colorectal cancer operations and anastomotic sites : A systematic review and meta-analysis of anastomosis specific leak rate and confounding factors.

Funding Authors have nothing to disclose. No funding was received for the present study. All crude data available upon request.Peer reviewedPostprin

Input for Hybrid Simulation Modelling Construction Operations

Good pre-construction planning efforts are a vital part of the effective management and delivery of construction projects. In order to prepare more accurate schedules and cost calculations, realistic productivity rates to improve precision are needed. The use of simulation for modelling the elements of construction processes can assist with this aspiration. The application of hybrid simulation approaches is particularly appropriate as they can capture complicated behaviour, uncertainties, and dependencies. This paper discusses the use of one such approach combining discrete-event simulation (DES) and system dynamics (SD) to determine more accurate productivity rates. The DES component models the operations with the workflow of the tasks performed. Its input consists of the task elements with their durations and resource information. The factors that influence the productivity rates are taken into account with the help of the SD component. Input for this part of the model includes the factors as well as considerations of their interrelationships and effects. In this work, a case study of such input data for masonry works – for brick- and blockwork – is presented. It shows the input data and its integration in the DES-SD approach for modellers to determine more realistic productivity rates

The Grizzly, March 29, 2018

Local Antiques Warehouse Closes its Doors • Cultivating Resistance Through Conversations Across Difference • International Perspective: Good Day, Sunshine • Kings, Queens and Everything in Between • Eat Your Way Through Edible Books • Opinions: Focus on Bomber\u27s Mental Health Reflects White Privilege; Housing Games: Ursinus Can do Better Than Randomized Lottery • Bears are Back on Track Following California Trip • Comfort Continues Dominant Streakhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1642/thumbnail.jp

Priorities for Governing Large-scale Infrastructure in the Tropics

National governments, International Financial Institutions, and the G-20 have intensified investments of infrastructure to boost economic growth in the wake of economic recessions and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This infrastructure enables investments in large-scale agriculture, ranching, mining, and oil and gas extraction which tend to intensify the current inequalities. These activities is slated to occur in tropical forests and on lands historically occupied by Indigenous, Afro-Descendant, Traditional and other rural peoples. This has unprecedented negative impact on the ecosystem, the biodiversity as well as on the peoples. This article calls for a \u27three-leg\u27 agenda to align infrastructure, development, and sustainability. The first one deals for the stakeholders and society at large to rethink our understanding of the relationships between infrastructure and development. The second one involves with infrastructure planning and decision-making which must be based on territorially-based planning that includes all voices that are affected by these changes. Lastly, approaches to infrastructure planning must greatly expand the scope for public debate and oversight of what infrastructure is needed

Linking sexual and reproductive health and HIV interventions: a systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The international community agrees that the Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved without ensuring universal access to both sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support. Recently, there has been increasing awareness and discussion of the possible benefits of linkages between SRH and HIV programmes at the policy, systems and service delivery levels. However, the evidence for the efficacy of these linkages has not been systematically assessed.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a systematic review of the evidence for interventions linking SRH and HIV. Structured methods were employed for searching, screening and data extraction. Studies from 1990 to 2007 reporting pre-post or multi-arm evaluation data from SRH-HIV linkage interventions were included. Study design rigour was scored on a nine-point scale. Unpublished programme reports were gathered as "promising practices".</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of more than 50,000 citations identified, 185 studies were included in the review and 35 were analyzed. These studies had heterogeneous interventions, populations, objectives, study designs, rigour and measured outcomes. SRH-HIV linkage interventions were generally considered beneficial and feasible. The majority of studies showed improvements in all outcomes measured. While there were some mixed results, there were very few negative findings. Generally, positive effects were shown for key outcomes, including HIV incidence, sexually transmitted infection incidence, condom use, contraceptive use, uptake of HIV testing and quality of services. Promising practices (n = 23) tended to evaluate more recent and more comprehensive programmes. Factors promoting effective linkages included stakeholder involvement, capacity building, positive staff attitudes, non-stigmatizing services, and engagement of key populations.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Existing evidence provides support for linkages, although significant gaps in the literature remain. Policy makers, programme managers and researchers should continue to advocate for, support, implement and rigorously evaluate SRH and HIV linkages at the policy, systems and service levels.</p