Delivery of Family-Based Treatment for Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa in a Public Health Care Setting: Research Versus Non-Research Specialty Care.

Comparing evidence-based psychotherapy (EBP) to usual care typically demonstrates the superiority of EBPs, although this has not been studied for eating disorders EBPs such as family-based treatment (FBT). The current study set out to examine weight outcomes for adolescents with anorexia nervosa who received FBT through a randomized clinical research trial (RCT, n = 54) or non-research specialty care (n = 56) at the same specialist pediatric eating disorder service. Weight was recorded throughout outpatient treatment (up to 18 sessions over 6 months), as well as at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Survival curves were used to examine time to weight restoration [greater than 95% median body mass index (mBMI)] as predicted by type of care (RCT vs. non-research specialty care), baseline clinical and demographic characteristics, and their potential interaction. Results did not indicate a significant main effect for type of care, but there was a significant effect for baseline weight (p = .03), such that weight restoration was achieved faster across both treatment types for those with a higher initial %mBMI. These data suggest that weight restoration achieved in non-research specialty care FBT was largely similar to that achieved in a controlled research trial. Clinical Trial Registration:http://www.anzctr.org.au/, identifier ACTRN12610000216011

Moderate-severe, chronic aphasia: An exploration of the changes in social roles

This study explored the changes in social roles following a stroke from the perspective of three people living with moderate-severe, chronic aphasia. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with two family members/friends of the people with aphasia. Next, the researchers transcribed the interviews and analyzed them for emergent themes. The researchers used these themes to develop questions and conduct semi-structured interviews with the participants with aphasia—using augmented communication strategies as necessary—to validate, or negate the findings. Although results confirm that a change in social roles is present, some discrepancies exist between family/friends and the people with aphasia

Calico Creek Stabilization

2010 South Carolina Water Resource Conference. Informing strategic water planning to address natural resource, community and economic challenges

Exploring the Relationship Between COVID-19 Unit Designation and Nurse Burnout Syndrome

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted healthcare due to surges in infected patient and respiratory failure. Nursing burnout syndrome (NBS) results from occupational factors leading to mental health problems. Nurses working in intensive care units (ICUs) dedicated to caring for COVID-19infected individuals may be even more susceptible to NBS due to increased burdens of futile care delivery and high mortality rates within overstretched healthcare systems. Identifying socio-demographic, work-related, and psychological predictors of NBS may help organizations mitigate, or at least minimize, the negative psychological impact on ICU nurses working during future pandemics. Purpose/Aims: The aim of this study was to compare burnout levels in ICU nurses providing direct care to COVID infected patients with nurses caring for non-COVID infected patients. Methods: An observational descriptive study was conducted using 1) a case-controlled prospective quantitative comparative design to compare neonatal and pediatric ICU to cardiac and medical ICU survey scores measuring nurse burnout, work-related, and psychological predictors of NBS and 2) across-sectional longitudinal quantitative causal and comparative study design comparing NBS scores for nurses working in a cardiac and medical ICU captured in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to scores captured in the same units after conversion to dedicated COVID-19 ICUs in 2020. This study will explore the relationship between three subscales(Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment) of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) as outcome variables and exposure to COVID-19 infected patients during 12-hour shifts worked as explanatory variables in a subset regression model. The study will also measure four subscales (Vocation, Finances, Health, and Social Relationships) associated with post-traumatic stress disorder using the Well Being Instrument(WBI) as control variables. A convenience sample of direct care registered nurses working in four ICUs in a large tertiary care hospital will be recruited to participate in the study. Female nurses working day shifts were surveyed in February and March 2019in two ICUs. In November 2020, four ICUs were used for sampling of both male and female nurses working either day or night 12-hour shifts based on designation as COVID-19 ICUs. Results: Researchers hypothesize burnout scores among nurses working in neonatal and pediatric ICUs will be less than burnout scores for nurses working in designated COVID ICUs. Additionally, investigators hypothesize nurse burnout measured in cardiac and medical ICUs in 2019 will be less than measurements obtained in 2020 after the same ICUs converted into COVID ICUs. This study will also analyze participant socio-demographic and work-related data for psychological predictors of NBS. Conclusion: NBS has been identified as a global problem facing ICU clinicians. Pinpointing associations betweenCOVID-19 infection and nurse burnout may lead to innovative strategies to mitigate burnout in those caring for the most critically ill individuals during future pandemics. Implications for practice: Further research is required to establish relationships between socio-demographic and work-related psychological predictors of NBS. Understanding relationships between these variables may guide development of strategies to build nurse resilience and decrease NBS in ICU settings impacted during pandemics.https://digitalcommons.psjhealth.org/prov_rn_conf_all/1009/thumbnail.jp

It is not how far you go, it is whether you can get there: Modeling the effects of mobility on quality of life in rural New England

Many northern rural areas in the United States present particular challenges to providing year-round transportation options for residents. Climate and the distribution of population and amenities present challenges to developing rural mobility systems that may result in a higher quality of life. Using structural equation modeling and a 2009 survey of residents of Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire, this study estimated how the availability of built amenities, natural amenities, weather and attitudes toward travel explain actual and unserved travel demand and subsequently quality of life. The presence of unserved travel demand significantly decreased quality of life, while the predicted number of trips taken had no impact. With regard to quality of life in northern rural climates, future mobility initiatives would have more impact by addressing trips not taken as measured by unserved travel demand, instead of number of trips or vehicle miles traveled. © 2013 The Authors

Structural and Functional Evaluation of C. elegans Filamins FLN-1 and FLN-2

Filamins are long, flexible, multi-domain proteins composed of an N-terminal actin-binding domain (ABD) followed by multiple immunoglobulin-like repeats (IgFLN). They function to organize and maintain the actin cytoskeleton, to provide scaffolds for signaling components, and to act as mechanical force sensors. In this study, we used transcript sequencing and homology modeling to characterize the gene and protein structures of the C. elegans filamin orthologs fln-1 and fln-2. Our results reveal that C. elegans FLN-1 is well conserved at the sequence level to vertebrate filamins, particularly in the ABD and several key IgFLN repeats. Both FLN-1 and the more divergent FLN-2 colocalize with actin in vivo. FLN-2 is poorly conserved, with at least 23 IgFLN repeats interrupted by large regions that appear to be nematode-specific. Our results indicate that many of the key features of vertebrate filamins are preserved in C. elegans FLN-1 and FLN-2, and suggest the nematode may be a very useful model system for further study of filamin function

A randomised controlled feasibility trial for an educational school-based mental health intervention: study protocol

Background: With the burden of mental illness estimated to be costing the English economy alone around £22.5 billion a year [1], coupled with growing evidence that many mental disorders have their origins in adolescence, there is increasing pressure for schools to address the emotional well-being of their students, alongside the stigma and discrimination of mental illness. A number of prior educational interventions have been developed and evaluated for this purpose, but inconsistency of findings, reporting standards, and methodologies have led the majority of reviewers to conclude that the evidence for the efficacy of these programmes remains inconclusive. Methods/Design: A cluster randomised controlled trial design has been employed to enable a feasibility study of 'SchoolSpace', an intervention in 7 UK secondary schools addressing stigma of mental illness, mental health literacy, and promotion of mental health. A central aspect of the intervention involves students in the experimental condition interacting with a young person with lived experience of mental illness, a stigma reducing technique designed to facilitate students' engagement in the project. The primary outcome is the level of stigma related to mental illness. Secondary outcomes include mental health literacy, resilience to mental illness, and emotional well-being. Outcomes will be measured pre and post intervention, as well as at 6 month follow-up. Discussion: The proposed intervention presents the potential for increased engagement due to its combination of education and contact with a young person with lived experience of mental illness. Contact as a technique to reduce discrimination has been evaluated previously in research with adults, but has been employed in only a minority of research trials investigating the impact on youth. Prior to this study, the effect of contact on mental health literacy, resilience, and emotional well-being has not been evaluated to the authors' knowledge. If efficacious the intervention could provide a reliable and cost-effective method to reduce stigma in young people, whilst increasing mental health literacy, and emotional well-being. Trial registration: ISRCTN: ISRCTN0740602

An Estimate of Avian Mortality at Communication Towers in the United States and Canada

Avian mortality at communication towers in the continental United States and Canada is an issue of pressing conservation concern. Previous estimates of this mortality have been based on limited data and have not included Canada. We compiled a database of communication towers in the continental United States and Canada and estimated avian mortality by tower with a regression relating avian mortality to tower height. This equation was derived from 38 tower studies for which mortality data were available and corrected for sampling effort, search efficiency, and scavenging where appropriate. Although most studies document mortality at guyed towers with steady-burning lights, we accounted for lower mortality at towers without guy wires or steady-burning lights by adjusting estimates based on published studies. The resulting estimate of mortality at towers is 6.8 million birds per year in the United States and Canada. Bootstrapped subsampling indicated that the regression was robust to the choice of studies included and a comparison of multiple regression models showed that incorporating sampling, scavenging, and search efficiency adjustments improved model fit. Estimating total avian mortality is only a first step in developing an assessment of the biological significance of mortality at communication towers for individual species or groups of species. Nevertheless, our estimate can be used to evaluate this source of mortality, develop subsequent per-species mortality estimates, and motivate policy action