Posttraumatic stress disorder: a serious post-earthquake complication

<div><p>Abstract Objectives Earthquakes are unpredictable and devastating natural disasters. They can cause massive destruction and loss of life and survivors may suffer psychological symptoms of severe intensity. Our goal in this article is to review studies published in the last 20 years to compile what is known about posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurring after earthquakes. The review also describes other psychiatric complications that can be associated with earthquakes, to provide readers with better overall understanding, and discusses several sociodemographic factors that can be associated with post-earthquake PTSD Method A search for literature was conducted on major databases such as MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, and PsycINFO and in neurology and psychiatry journals, and many other medical journals. Terms used for electronic searches included, but were not limited to, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), posttraumatic symptoms, anxiety, depression, major depressive disorder, earthquake, and natural disaster. The relevant information was then utilized to determine the relationships between earthquakes and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Results It was found that PTSD is the most commonly occurring mental health condition among earthquake survivors. Major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, social phobia, and specific phobias were also listed. Conclusion The PTSD prevalence rate varied widely. It was dependent on multiple risk factors in target populations and also on the interval of time that had elapsed between the exposure to the deadly incident and measurement. Females seemed to be the most widely-affected group, while elderly people and young children exhibit considerable psychosocial impact.</p></div

Additional file 1: Table S1. of Characterization of Anaplasma ovis strains using the major surface protein 1a repeat sequences

Partial msp1a amino-acid sequences containing repeat sequences of A. ovis strains analyzed in this study. (DOCX 31 kb

Performance analysis of TiO2-modified Co/MgAl2O4 catalyst for dry reforming of methane in a fixed bed reactor for syngas (H2, CO) production

Co/TiO2–MgAl2O4 was investigated in a fixed bed reactor for the dry reforming of methane (DRM) process. Co/TiO2–MgAl2O4 was prepared by modified co-precipitation, followed by the hydrothermal method. The active metal Co was loaded via the wetness impregnation method. The prepared catalyst was characterized by XRD, SEM, TGA, and FTIR. The performance of Co/TiO2–MgAl2O4 for the DRM process was investigated in a reactor with a temperature of 750 °C, a feed ratio (CO2/CH4) of 1, a catalyst loading of 0.5 g, and a feed flow rate of 20 mL min−1. The effect of support interaction with metal and the composite were studied for catalytic activity, the composite showing significantly improved results. Moreover, among the tested Co loadings, 5 wt% Co over the TiO2–MgAl2O4 composite shows the best catalytic performance. The 5%Co/TiO2–MgAl2O4 improved the CH4 and CO2 conversion by up to 70% and 80%, respectively, while the selectivity of H2 and CO improved to 43% and 46.5%, respectively. The achieved H2/CO ratio of 0.9 was due to the excess amount of CO produced because of the higher conversion rate of CO2 and the surface carbon reaction with oxygen species. Furthermore, in a time on stream (TOS) test, the catalyst exhibited 75 h of stability with significant catalytic activity. Catalyst potential lies in catalyst stability and performance results, thus encouraging the further investigation and use of the catalyst for the long-run DRM process

High-Resolution Imaging of Parafoveal Cones in Different Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy Using Adaptive Optics Fundus Camera

<div><p>Purpose</p><p>To assess cone density as a marker of early signs of retinopathy in patients with type II diabetes mellitus.</p><p>Methods</p><p>An adaptive optics (AO) retinal camera (rtx1^<b>™</b>; Imagine Eyes, Orsay, France) was used to acquire images of parafoveal cones from patients with type II diabetes mellitus with or without retinopathy and from healthy controls with no known systemic or ocular disease. Cone mosaic was captured at 0° and 2°eccentricities along the horizontal and vertical meridians. The density of the parafoveal cones was calculated within 100×100-μm squares located at 500-μm from the foveal center along the orthogonal meridians. Manual corrections of the automated counting were then performed by 2 masked graders. Cone density measurements were evaluated with ANOVA that consisted of one between-subjects factor, stage of retinopathy and the within-subject factors. The ANOVA model included a complex covariance structure to account for correlations between the levels of the within-subject factors.</p><p>Results</p><p>Ten healthy participants (20 eyes) and 25 patients (29 eyes) with type II diabetes mellitus were recruited in the study. The mean (± standard deviation [SD]) age of the healthy participants (Control group), patients with diabetes without retinopathy (No DR group), and patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR group) was 55 ± 8, 53 ± 8, and 52 ± 9 years, respectively. The cone density was significantly lower in the moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and severe NPDR/proliferative DR groups compared to the Control, No DR, and mild NPDR groups (<i>P</i> < 0.05). No correlation was found between cone density and the level of hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c) or the duration of diabetes.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>The extent of photoreceptor loss on AO imaging may correlate positively with severity of DR in patients with type II diabetes mellitus. Photoreceptor loss may be more pronounced among patients with advanced stages of DR due to higher risk of macular edema and its sequelae.</p></div

Baseline Characteristics of Study Participants.

<p>Baseline Characteristics of Study Participants.</p

Voronoi (6 tiles) Comparisons at 500-μm Eccentricity^*.

<p>Voronoi (6 tiles) Comparisons at 500-μm Eccentricity^{<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0152788#t006fn001" target="_blank">*</a>}.</p

Cone Density Comparisons at 500-μm Eccentricity.

<p>Cone Density Comparisons at 500-μm Eccentricity.</p

Average Cone Density, Spacing, and Voronoi (Mean ± SD) at 500-μm Eccentricity.

<p>Average Cone Density, Spacing, and Voronoi (Mean ± SD) at 500-μm Eccentricity.</p

Intraocular Variability in the Packing Density of Cones between the both Eyes of the Same Participant.

<p>Intraocular Variability in the Packing Density of Cones between the both Eyes of the Same Participant.</p

Position of the Regions of Interest (ROIs) with Respect to the Fovea.

<p>A: Scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) image of the left eye of a healthy control. AO images (white-bordered cross centered at the fovea), taken at 0° and 2° along the vertical and horizontal meridians, are stitched and superimposed on the SLO image. Four 100×100-μm squares are placed 500-μm (yellow squares) from the foveal center within the 4 retinal quadrants. B: Magnified AO image of the temporal 500-μm eccentricity square. AOdetect^® software recognizes and counts the cells marked by red dots. C: Example of manual correction of the automated counts by one grader (1, missed cones; 2, cones erroneously counted by the automated software). D: Color map of Voronoi tiles.</p