The association of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with socioeconomic disadvantage: alternative explanations and evidence

addresses: ESRC Centre for Genomics in Society (Egenis) & Institute of Health Research, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK.OnlineOpen Article. This is a copy of an article published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. This journal is available online at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1469-7610Studies throughout Northern Europe, the United States and Australia have found an association between childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and family socioeconomic disadvantage. We report further evidence for the association and review potential causal pathways that might explain the link.ESRC’s Secondary Data Analysis InitiativeNational Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) for the South West Peninsul

Dentists’ Leadership‐Related Educational Experiences, Attitudes, and Past and Current Behavior

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153576/1/jddj002203372014786tb05741x.pd

Dietary treatment of Crohn’s disease: perceptions of families with children treated by exclusive enteral nutrition, a questionnaire survey

Background: Diet is strongly associated with the aetiology of Crohn’s Disease (CD) and exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is the primary induction treatment in paediatric CD. This study explored opinions around the use of EEN and alternative novel, solid food-based diets (SFDs) expressed by paediatric patients with CD, previously treated with EEN and their parents. Methods: This anonymous questionnaire surveyed families of CD patients treated with EEN over 1 year. Two questionnaire forms were completed; one asking the patients’ opinions and another referring to their main carer. This questionnaire explored participants’ demographic characteristics; acceptability of a repeat EEN course to treat a future flare (EEN repeat); their opinion on how difficult EEN would be compared to an example SFD; and their intention to participate in a future clinical trial assessing the therapeutic efficacy of an SFD in CD. Results: Forty-one families of CD patients were approached with 29 sending replies (71%). Most of our participants were positive on completing another EEN course, however the majority would choose an SFD alternative (Patients: 66, Parents:72%). Both patients and their parents rated EEN to be more difficult to adhere to compared to an example SFD (p < 0.05), and their ratings were strongly correlated (EEN:r = 0.83, SFD:r = 0.75, p < 0.001). The majority of our respondents would agree to participate in a clinical trial assessing an SFD’s effectiveness (Patients:79, Parents:72%) for the management of active CD. Conclusions: While patients with CD and their families would accept an EEN repeat, the majority would prefer an SFD alternative. CD families surveyed are supportive of the development of solid food-based dietary treatments

Effects of Instrument Handle Design on Dental Hygienists\u27 Forearm Muscle Activity During Scaling

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of 4 different commercially available instrument handle designs (A. 16 grams and 12.7 mm diameter, B. 23 grams and 11.1 mm diameter, C. 21 grams and 7.9 mm diameter and D. 18 grams and 6.35 mm diameter) on the muscle activity of four forearm muscles during a simulated scaling experience. Methods: A convenience sample of 27 (n=27) dental hygienists used a Columbia 13/14 curet with four different instrument handles to scale artificial calculus from typodont teeth. Each participant\u27s muscle activity was measured using surface electromyography (sEMG). Results: Similar muscle activity was generated when scaling with instruments at 16, 18, and 21 grams with varying diameter handles. Instrument B generated significantly more muscle activity when compared to each of the other instrument handle designs (p=0.001, p=0.002, p=0.039). The lower left quadrant displayed significantly less muscle activity during scaling than the upper and lower right quadrants (p=0.026, p=0.000), although no significant interaction effect was found with instruments within quadrants. Most participants (62.96%) preferred instrument A, which was rated more comfortable based on weight when compared to the other instruments tested. Conclusions: Instrument handle design has an effect on forearm muscle activity when scaling in a simulated environment. The heaviest instrument with a relatively large diameter (B 11.1 mm and 23 g) generated significantly more overall mean muscle activity compared to the other three instruments. Similar amounts of muscle activity were produced by instruments weighing between 16 and 21 g. Participants\u27 instrument preferences were more affected by handle diameter than weight. Results support the need for further research to determine the impact of these findings on muscle load related to risk of musculoskeletal disorders in a real-world setting

Decoding Developmental Differences and Individual Variability in Response Inhibition Through Predictive Analyses Across Individuals

Response inhibition is thought to improve throughout childhood and into adulthood. Despite the relationship between age and the ability to stop ongoing behavior, questions remain regarding whether these age-related changes reflect improvements in response inhibition or in other factors that contribute to response performance variability. Functional neuroimaging data shows age-related changes in neural activity during response inhibition. While traditional methods of exploring neuroimaging data are limited to determining correlational relationships, newer methods can determine predictability and can begin to answer these questions. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to determine which aspects of neural function predict individual differences in age, inhibitory function, response speed, and response time variability. We administered a stop-signal task requiring rapid inhibition of ongoing motor responses to healthy participants aged 9–30. We conducted a standard analysis using GLM and a predictive analysis using high-dimensional regression methods. During successful response inhibition we found regions typically involved in motor control, such as the ACC and striatum, that were correlated with either age, response inhibition (as indexed by stop-signal reaction time; SSRT), response speed, or response time variability. However, when examining which variables neural data could predict, we found that age and SSRT, but not speed or variability of response execution, were predicted by neural activity during successful response inhibition. This predictive relationship provides novel evidence that developmental differences and individual differences in response inhibition are related specifically to inhibitory processes. More generally, this study demonstrates a new approach to identifying the neurocognitive bases of individual differences

Consumption of a recommended serving of wheat bran cereals significantly increases human faecal butyrate levels in healthy volunteers and reduces markers of inflammation ex vivo.

Wheat bran cereals are an important source of dietary fibre. The aim of the study was to investigate if a high intake (120 g) of fibre rich breakfast cereal (which delivers the UK Government guidelines for fibre intake in one serving but is three-fold higher than the manufacturers recommended serving) has additional potential health benefits compared to the recommended serving (40 g, containing 11 g of dietary fibre). To assess this, the study determined the short chain fatty acid (SCFA) profiles in human faecal, urine and plasma samples after consumption of two different servings of fibre-rich cereal. Inhibition of prostanoid production was measured (ex vivo) in human colonic fibroblast cells after cytokine (IL-1β) inflammation stimulation. Eight healthy volunteers, 18-55 years old; BMI (18-30 kg/m2) consumed the wheat bran-rich "ready to eat cereal", at both the high (120 g) serving and recommended (40 g) serving. Faecal, urine and plasma samples were collected at baseline, throughout the five-hour intervention period and approximately 24 hours following consumption. Faecal butyrate showed the largest increase (p < 0.05) of more than a two-fold change following the consumption of the recommended serving of wheat bran cereal (from 13.95 ± 9.17 to 31.63 ± 20.53 mM) and no significant change following the higher serving (from 21.96 ± 11.03 to 22.9 ± 12.69 mM). ANOVA analysis also found a weak serving effect (p = 0.046) of the portion size (high vs. recommended) only for butyrate in urine 24 hours after consumption of the bran cereal. The physiological nutritionally relevant concentrations of faecal SCFAs, as determined in the volunteers' faecal samples showed significant anti-inflammatory activity or the individual faecal SCFAs; acetate (p < 0.001), propionate (p < 0.001) and butyrate (p < 0.01), as well as in combination. Plasma folate was also increased after consumption of both wheat bran servings and was significant (p = 0.037) at the three-hour time point following consumption of the high wheat bran serving. The consumption of the recommended serving (40 g) of wheat bran cereal increased the total microbial SCFAs levels (from 96.88 to 136.96 mM) compared to the higher serving (120 g) (from 110.5 to 117.64 mM) suggesting that the intake of the higher portion size is likely to promote a faecal bulking effect and thereby decrease colonic SCFA levels. These data indicate that consumption of the recommended serving of wheat bran cereal serving would therefore be sufficient to promote microbial butyrate formation, reduce colonic inflammation and increase plasma folate levels in humans

Characterization of electrospun nanocomposite scaffolds and biocompatibility with adipose-derived human mesenchymal stem cells

Electrospun nanocomposite scaffolds were fabricated by encapsulating multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) in poly (lactic acid) (PLA) nanofibers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the fabrication of nanofibers, and transmission electron microscopy identified the alignment and dispersion of MWNT along the axis of the fibers. Tensile testing showed an increase in the tensile modulus for a MWNT loading of 0.25 wt% compared with electrospun nanofibrous mats without MWNT reinforcement. Conductivity measurements indicated that the confined geometry of the fibrous system requires only minute doping to obtain significant enhancements at 0.32 wt%. Adipose-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were seeded on electrospun scaffolds containing 1 wt% MWNT and 0 wt% MWNT, to determine the efficacy of the scaffolds for cell growth, and the effect of MWNT on hMSC viability and proliferation over two weeks in culture. Staining for live and dead cells and DNA quantification indicated that the hMSCs were alive and proliferating through day 14. SEM images of hMSCs at 14 days showed morphological differences, with hMSCs on PLA well spread and hMSCs on PLA with 1% MWNT closely packed and longitudinally aligned

Effect of increasing fruit and vegetable intake by dietary intervention on nutritional biomarkers and attitudes to dietary change : a randomised trial

This work was funded by The Scottish Government Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Sciences Division (RESAS) and supported by the Rank Prize Funds.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The development of a new measure of quality of life in the management of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: the Reflux Questionnaire.

INTRODUCTION This paper reports on the development of a new measure of health-related quality of life for use among patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), funded as part of the REFLUX trial. This is a large UK multi centre trial that aims to compare the clinical and cost effectiveness of minimal access surgery with best medical treatment for patients with GORD within the NHS. Method Potential items were identified via a series of interviews and focus groups carried out with patients who were receiving/had received medical or surgical treatment for GORD. The final measure consisted of 31 items covering 7 categories (Heartburn; Acid reflux; Wind; Eating and swallowing; Bowel movements; Sleep; Work, physical and social activities). The measure produced two outputs: a quality of life score (RQLS) and five Reflux symptom scores. Reliability (internal consistency), criterion validity with the SF-36 and, sensitivity to change in terms of relationship with reported change in prescribed medication were assessed amongst a sample of 794 patients recruited into the trial. RESULTS The measure was shown to be internally consistent, to show criterion validity with the SF-36 and sensitive to changes in patients use of prescribed medication at baseline and 3 month follow-up. DISCUSSION The Reflux questionnaire is a new self-administered questionnaire for use amongst patients with GORD. Initial findings suggest that the new measure is valid, reliable, acceptable to respondents and simple to administer in both a clinical and research context