Prevalence and correlates of psychopathic traits in the household population of Great Britain

There are no previous surveys of psychopathy and psychopathic traits in representative general population samples using standardized instruments. This study aimed to measure prevalence and correlates of psychopathic traits, based on a two-phase survey using the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL: SV) in 638 individuals, 16-74 years, in households in England, Wales and Scotland. The weighted prevalence of psychopathy was 0.6% (95% CI: 0.2-1.6) at a cut score of 13, similar to the noncriminal/nonpsychiatric sample described in the manual of the PCL: SV. Psychopathy scores correlated with: younger age, male gender; suicide attempts, violent behaviour, imprisonment and homelessness; drug dependence; histrionic, borderline and adult antisocial personality disorders; panic and obsessive-compulsive disorders. This survey demonstrated that, as measured by the PCL: SV, psychopathy is rare, affecting less than 1% of the household population, although it is prevalent among prisoners, homeless persons, and psychiatric admissions. There is a half-normal distribution of psychopathic traits in the general population, with the majority having no traits, a significant proportion with non-zero values, and a severe subgroup of persons with multiple associated social and behavioral problems. This distribution has implications for research into the etiology of psychopathy and its implications for society

Paranoid Ideation and Violence: Meta-analysis of Individual Subject Data of 7 Population Surveys

This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Schizophrenia Bulletin following peer review. The version of record: Coid, J. W., et al. (2016). "Paranoid Ideation and Violence: Meta-analysis of Individual Subject Data of 7 Population Surveys." Schizophrenia Bulletin 42(4): 907-915.is available online at:doi:10.1093/schbul/sbw006.This study was funded by the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Program Grants for Applied Research funding scheme (RP-PG-0407- 10500). The views expressed in this manuscript are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the UK National Health Service (NHS), the NIHR or the UK Department of Health. There was no editorial direction or censorship from the funders. S.F. was funded by a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship in Clinical Science (095806)

Erk2 but not Erk1 regulates crosstalk between Met and EGFR in squamous cell carcinoma cell lines

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common type of tongue and larynx cancer and a common type of lung cancer. In this study, we attempted to specifically evaluate the signaling pathway underlying HGF/Met induced EGFR ligand release in SSCs. The Met proto-oncogene encodes for a tyrosine kinase receptor which is often hyperactivated in human cancers. Met activation correlates with poor patient outcome. Several studies revealed a role of Met in receptor-crosstalk inducing either activation of other receptors, or inducing their resistance to targeted cancer treatments. In an epithelial tumor cell line screen we recently showed that the Met ligand HGF blocks the EGFR tyrosine kinase and at the same time activates transcriptional upregulation and accumulation in the supernatant of the EGFR ligand amphiregulin (Oncogene 32: 3846-56, 2013). In the present work we describe the pathway responsible for the amphiregulin induction. Findings: Amphiregulin is transcriptionally upregulated and is released into the supernatant. We show that Erk2 but not Erk1 mediates amphiregulin upregulation upon treatment with monocyte derived HGF. A siRNA knockdown of Erk2 completely abolishes amphiregulin release in squamous cell carcinomas. Conclusions: These results identify Erk2 as the key downstream signal transducer between Met activation and EGFR ligand upregulation in squamous cell carcinoma cell lines derived from tongue, larynx and lung

Support for Social Change Among Members of Advantaged Groups: The Role of a Dual Identity Representation and Accepting Intergroup Contact

This preregistered research analyzed survey data from ethnic and religious advantaged groups in 12 countries ( N = 2,304) to examine the interplay between two determinants of support for social change toward intergroup equality. Drawing on the needs-based model and the common-ingroup identity model, we hypothesized that the experience of accepting intergroup contact and the endorsement of a dual identity representation of intergroup relations would be associated with greater support for equality. Furthermore, integrating the logic of both models, we tested the novel hypothesis that the positive effect of accepting contact on support for equality would be stronger under a high (vs. low) dual identity representation. While the predicted main effects received empirical support, we found no evidence for the expected interaction. These findings suggest that interventions to foster support for social change among advantaged group members can promote accepting contact and a dual identity representation independently of each other

Prevalence and correlates of psychopathic traits in the household population of Great Britain

There are no previous surveys of psychopathy and psychopathic traits in representative general population samples using standardized instruments. This study aimed to measure prevalence and correlates of psychopathic traits, based on a two-phase survey using the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL: SV) in 638 individuals, 16-74 years, in households in England, Wales and Scotland. The weighted prevalence of psychopathy was 0.6% (95% CI: 0.2-1.6) at a cut score of 13, similar to the noncriminal/nonpsychiatric sample described in the manual of the PCL: SV. Psychopathy scores correlated with: younger age, male gender; suicide attempts, violent behaviour, imprisonment and homelessness; drug dependence; histrionic, borderline and adult antisocial personality disorders; panic and obsessive-compulsive disorders. This survey demonstrated that, as measured by the PCL: SV, psychopathy is rare, affecting less than 1% of the household population, although it is prevalent among prisoners, homeless persons, and psychiatric admissions. There is a half-normal distribution of psychopathic traits in the general population, with the majority having no traits, a significant proportion with non-zero values, and a severe subgroup of persons with multiple associated social and behavioral problems. This distribution has implications for research into the etiology of psychopathy and its implications for society

Areas of improvement in the medical care of SMA : evidence from a nationwide patient registry in Germany

Background Management and treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) has changed in recent years due to the introduction of novel transformative and potentially curative therapies resulting in the emergence of new disease phenotypes. Yet, little is known about the uptake and impact of these therapies in real-world clinical practice. The objective of this study was to describe current motor function, need of assistive devices, and therapeutic and sup‑ portive interventions provided by the healthcare system, as well as the socioeconomic situation of children and adults with diferent SMA phenotypes in Germany. We conducted a cross-sectional, observational study of German patients with genetically confrmed SMA identifed and recruited via a nationwide SMA patient registry (www.sma-register. de) within the TREAT-NMD network. Study data was recorded directly from patient-caregiver pairs through a study questionnaire administered online via a dedicated study website. Results The fnal study cohort consisted of 107 patients with SMA. Of these, 24 were children and 83 adults. In total, about 78% of all participants were taking medication for SMA (predominantly nusinersen and risdiplam). All children with SMA1 were able to sit and 27% of children with SMA2 were able to stand or walk. Impaired upper limb function, scoliosis and bulbar dysfunction were observed more frequently in patients with reduced lower limb performance. Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, as well as the use of cough assists were less common than indicated by care guidelines. Family planning and educational and employment status appear to be related to motor skill impairment. Conclusions We show that the natural history of disease has changed in Germany following improvements in SMA care and the introduction of novel therapies. Yet, a non-trivial proportion of patients remain untreated. We also identi‑ fed considerable limitations in rehabilitation and respiratory care, as well as low labour-market participation among adults with SMA, calling for action to improve the current situation

Interpersonal violence in a deprived Scottish urban area with aggregations of physical health risks and psychiatric morbidity: an ecological study

Background: Glasgow, Scotland, has previously shown exceptional levels of violence among young men, shows aggregations of health conditions, with shortened life expectancy. Health conditions can be both causes and consequences of violence, of shared community-level socio-economic risk factors, and can result from large-scale social forces beyond the control of populations with high levels of violence. The aim of the study was to provide an in depth understanding of the Public Health problem of violence among young adult men in Glasgow East. Method: Ecological investigation of violence and its associations with health conditions in areas of contrasting socioeconomic deprivation. National survey of 1916 British men aged 18–34 years, augmented by a sub-sample of 765 men in Glasgow East (GE). Participants completed questionnaires covering current physical and sexual health, psychiatric symptoms, substance misuse, lifestyle, and crime and violence. Results: The 5-year prevalence of violence was similar in both surveys but fights involving weapons (AOR 3.32, 95% CI 2.29–4.79), gang fights (AOR 2.30, 95% CI 1.77–2.98), and instrumental violence supporting criminal lifestyles were more common in GE, where 1 in 9 men had been in prison. Violent men in both samples reported poorer physical and sexual health and all types of psychiatric morbidity except depression, with multiple high-risk behaviours for both future poor health and violence. Associations between drug and alcohol dependence and violence in GE could not be entirely explained by deprivation

The price of tumor control

Ipilimumab, a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) blocking antibody, has been approved for the treatment of metastatic melanoma and induces adverse events (AE) in up to 64% of patients. Treatment algorithms for the management of common ipilimumab-induced AEs have lead to a reduction of morbidity, e.g. due to bowel perforations. However, the spectrum of less common AEs is expanding as ipilimumab is increasingly applied. Stringent recognition and management of AEs will reduce drug-induced morbidity and costs, and thus, positively impact the cost-benefit ratio of the drug. To facilitate timely identification and adequate management data on rare AEs were analyzed at 19 skin cancer centers. Patient files (n = 752) were screened for rare ipilimumab-associated AEs. A total of 120 AEs, some of which were life-threatening or even fatal, were reported and summarized by organ system describing the most instructive cases in detail. Previously unreported AEs like drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), granulomatous inflammation of the central nervous system, and aseptic meningitis, were documented. Obstacles included patientś delay in reporting symptoms and the differentiation of steroid-induced from ipilimumab-induced AEs under steroid treatment. Importantly, response rate was high in this patient population with tumor regression in 30.9% and a tumor control rate of 61.8% in stage IV melanoma patients despite the fact that some patients received only two of four recommended ipilimumab infusions. This suggests that ipilimumab-induced antitumor responses can have an early onset and that severe autoimmune reactions may reflect overtreatment. The wide spectrum of ipilimumab-induced AEs demands doctor and patient awareness to reduce morbidity and treatment costs and true ipilimumab success is dictated by both objective tumor responses and controlling severe side effects

Früherkennung von Fruchtbarkeitsstörungen

Zur Früherkennung von Fruchtbarkeitsstörungen und Eutererkrankungen beim Milchrind wurden Modelle erarbeitet, um Zwischentragezeiten bzw. Mastitiserkrankungen vorhersagen zu können. Die Früherkennung basierte auf den anfallenden Informationen rund um das Management einer sächsischen Milchviehherde. Im Fruchtbarkeitsmodell konnten hohe Sensitivitäten bei Fehlerraten um 20 Prozent erreicht werden. Im Eutererkrankungsmodell lagen die Fehlerraten bei über 50 Prozent. Daher sind die Frühwarnsysteme noch nicht praxisreif

Shifting cancer care towards Multidisciplinarity: the cancer center certification program of the German cancer society

Background: Over the last decades numerous initiatives have been set up that aim at translating the best available medical knowledge and treatment into clinical practice. The inherent complexity of the programs and discrepancies in the terminology used make it difficult to appreciate each of them distinctly and compare their specific strengths and weaknesses. To allow comparison and stimulate dialogue between different programs, we in this paper provide an overview of the German Cancer Society certification program for multidisciplinary cancer centers that was established in 2003. Main body: In the early 2000s the German Cancer Society assessed the available information on quality of cancer care in Germany and concluded that there was a definite need for a comprehensive, transparent and evidence-based system of quality assessment and control. This prompted the development and implementation of a voluntary cancer center certification program that was promoted by scientific societies, health-care providers, and patient advocacy groups and based on guidelines of the highest quality level (S3). The certification system structures the entire process of care from prevention to screening and multidisciplinary treatment of cancer and places multidisciplinary teams at the heart of this program. Within each network of providers, the quality of care is documented using tumor-specific quality indicators. The system started with breast cancer centers in 2003 and colorectal cancer centers in 2006. In 2017, certification systems are established for the majority of cancers. Here we describe the rationale behind the certification program, its history, the development of the certification requirements, the process of data collection, and the certification process as an example for the successful implementation of a voluntary but powerful system to ensure and improve quality of cancer care. Conclusion: Since 2003, over 1 million patients had their primary tumors treated in a certified center. There are now over 1200 sites for different tumor entities in four countries that have been certified in accordance with the program and transparently report their results from multidisciplinary treatment for a substantial proportion of cancers. This led to a fundamental change in the structure of cancer care in Germany and neighboring countries within one decade