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Coronary artery abnormalities in children that require bypass grafting are infrequent but represent a well-recognised entity with a broad spectrum of indications beyond Kawasaki disease. Although myocardial revascularisation in children is uncommon, studies have shown that it can yield favourable short- and long-term outcomes, allowing affected children to regain health and grow up to live normal lives.
Myocardial revascularisation in children is an extremely rare intervention in Western countries, accounting for less than 1% of all paediatric cardiac surgeries in this region. It is a highly technically demanding procedure that opens a new arena in cardiac surgery, for which cardiovascular surgeons need to be trained to achieve outcomes as good as those shown in the literature.
We present the experience of paediatric coronary artery bypass grafting in a middle-income country, with a wide range of indications.
Methods:
A retrospective descriptive study was conducted on paediatric patients (under 18 years of age) who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting between 2004 and 2023 at a cardiovascular centre in Bogotá, Colombia. Data were collected from electronic medical records, including demographics, preoperative diagnoses, surgical details, and outcomes. Follow-up included clinical assessment and imaging with echocardiography. Ethical approval was obtained, and confidentiality was ensured.
Results:
Nine paediatric patients (ages 6–17) underwent coronary artery bypass grafting between 2004 and 2023. Kawasaki disease was the most common indication, but there are other aetiologies, including post-arterial switch coronary occlusion, anomalous origin of the LCA from the pulmonary artery, anomalous origin of coronary arteries from the aorta, Takayasu disease, and iatrogenic injury. The internal mammary artery was used in most cases, with successful completion of the planned revascularisation in all patients. There were no perioperative deaths or reinterventions. At a mean follow-up of 5.5 years, all patients showed clinical and biventricular improvement, and all grafts evaluated showed graft patency.
Paediatric coronary artery bypass grafting is a safe and effective treatment for selected congenital and acquired coronary pathologies, even in complex cases. Outcomes are optimised with the use of internal mammary arteries and a multidisciplinary heart team approach. In middle-income settings, favourable short- and mid-term results can be achieved despite follow-up challenges. Paediatric coronary artery bypass grafting should be considered a key component of congenital cardiac surgery training.
We provide an assessment of the Infinity Two fusion pilot plant (FPP) baseline plasma physics design. Infinity Two is a four-field period, aspect ratio $A = 10$, quasi-isodynamic stellarator with improved confinement appealing to a max-$J$ approach, elevated plasma density and high magnetic fields ($ \langle B\rangle = 9$ T). Here $J$ denotes the second adiabatic invariant. At the envisioned operating point ($800$ MW deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion), the configuration has robust magnetic surfaces based on magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibrium calculations and is stable to both local and global MHD instabilities. The configuration has excellent confinement properties with small neoclassical transport and low bootstrap current ($|I_{bootstrap}| \sim 2$ kA). Calculations of collisional alpha-particle confinement in a DT FPP scenario show small energy losses to the first wall (${\lt}1.5 \,\%$) and stable energetic particle/Alfvén eigenmodes at high ion density. Low turbulent transport is produced using a combination of density profile control consistent with pellet fueling and reduced stiffness to turbulent transport via three-dimensional shaping. Transport simulations with the T3D-GX-SFINCS code suite with self-consistent turbulent and neoclassical transport predict that the DT fusion power$P_{{fus}}=800$ MW operating point is attainable with high fusion gain ($Q=40$) at volume-averaged electron densities $n_e\approx 2 \times 10^{20}$ m$^{-3}$, below the Sudo density limit. Additional transport calculations show that an ignited ($Q=\infty$) solution is available at slightly higher density ($2.2 \times 10^{20}$ m$^{-3}$) with $P_{{fus}}=1.5$ GW. The magnetic configuration is defined by a magnetic coil set with sufficient room for an island divertor, shielding and blanket solutions with tritium breeding ratios (TBR) above unity. An optimistic estimate for the gas-cooled solid breeder designed helium-cooled pebble bed is TBR $\sim 1.3$. Infinity Two satisfies the physics requirements of a stellarator fusion pilot plant.
In this work, we present a detailed assessment of fusion-born alpha-particle confinement, their wall loads and stability of Alfvén eigenmodes driven by these energetic particles in the Infinity Two Fusion Pilot Plant baseline plasma design, a four-field-period quasi-isodynamic stellarator to operate in deuterium–tritium fusion conditions. Using the Monte Carlo codes, SIMPLE, ASCOT5 and KORC-T, we study the collisionless and collisional dynamics of guiding-centre and full-orbit alpha-particles in the core plasma. We find that core energy losses to the wall are less than 4 %. Our simulations shows that peak power loads on the wall of this configuration are approximately 2.5 MW m-$^2$ and are spatially localised, toroidally and poloidaly, in the vicinity of x-points of the magnetic island chain $n/m = 4/5$ outside the plasma volume. Also, an exploratory analysis using various simplified walls shows that shaping and distance of the wall from the plasma volume can help reduce peak power loads. Our stability assessment of Alfvén eigenmodes using the STELLGAP and FAR3d codes shows the absence of unstable modes driven by alpha-particles in Infinity Two due to the relatively low alpha-particle beta at the envisioned 800 MW operating scenario.
Transport characteristics and predicted confinement are shown for the Infinity Two fusion pilot plant baseline plasma physics design, a high field stellarator concept developed using modern optimization techniques. Transport predictions are made using high-fidelity nonlinear gyrokinetic turbulence simulations along with drift kinetic neoclassical simulations. A pellet-fuelled scenario is proposed that enables supporting an edge density gradient to substantially reduce ion temperature gradient turbulence. Trapped electron mode turbulence is minimized through the quasi-isodynamic configuration that has been optimized with maximum-J. A baseline operating point with deuterium–tritium fusion power of $P_{{fus,DT}}=800$ MW with high fusion gain $Q_{{fus}}=40$ is demonstrated, respecting the Sudo density limit and magnetohydrodynamic stability limits. Additional higher power operating points are also predicted, including a fully ignited ($Q_{{fus}}=\infty$) case with $P_{{fus,DT}}=1.5$ GW. Pellet ablation calculations indicate it is plausible to fuel and sustain the desired density profile. Impurity transport calculations indicate that turbulent fluxes dominate neoclassical fluxes deep into the core, and it is predicted that impurity peaking will be smaller than assumed in the transport simulations. A path to access the large radiation fraction needed to satisfy exhaust requirements while sustaining core performance is also discussed.
The magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibrium and stability properties of the Infinity Two fusion pilot plant baseline plasma physics design are presented. The configuration is a four-field period, aspect ratio $A = 10$ quasi-isodynamic stellarator optimised for excellent confinement at elevated density and high magnetic field $B = 9\,T$. Magnetic surfaces exist in the plasma core in vacuum and retain good equilibrium surface integrity from vacuum to an operational $\beta = 1.6 \,\%$, the ratio of the volume average of the plasma and magnetic pressures, corresponding to $800\ \textrm{MW}$ deuterium–tritium fusion operation. Neoclassical calculations show that a self-consistent bootstrap current of the order of ${\sim} 1\ \textrm{kA}$ slightly increases the rotational transform profile by less than 0.001. The configuration has a magnetic well across its entire radius. From vacuum to the operating point, the configuration exhibits good ballooning stability characteristics, exhibits good Mercier stability across most of its minor radius and it is stable against global low-n MHD instabilities up to $\beta = 3.2\,\%$.
This study aims to outline Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) trends and outcomes in Mexican healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design:
Observational study of case series.
Setting:
Sixteen public hospitals and private academic healthcare institutions across eight states in Mexico from January 2016 to December 2022.
Patients:
CDI patients.
Methods:
Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of CDI patients were obtained from clinical records. Cases were classified as community or healthcare-associated infections, with incidence rates calculated as cases per 10,000 patient days. Risk factors for 30-day all-cause mortality were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression.
Results:
We identified 2,356 CDI cases: 2,118 (90%) were healthcare-associated, and 232 (10%) were community-associated. Common comorbidities included hypertension, diabetes, and cancer. Previous high use of proton-pump inhibitors, steroids, and antibiotics was observed. Recurrent infection occurred in 112 (5%) patients, and 30-day mortality in 371 (16%). Risk factors associated with death were a high Charlson score, prior use of steroids, concomitant use of antibiotics, leukopenia, leukocytosis, elevated serum creatine, hypoalbuminemia, septic shock or abdominal sepsis, and SARS-CoV-2 coinfection. The healthcare-associated CDI incidence remained stable at 4.78 cases per 10,000 patient days during the pre-and pandemic periods. However, the incidence was higher in public hospitals.
Conclusions:
Our study underscores the need for routine epidemiology surveillance and standardized CDI classification protocols in Mexican institutions. Though CDI rates in our country align with those in some European countries, disparities between public and private healthcare sectors emphasize the importance of targeted interventions.
Extremely preterm newborns - EPTN (born ≤28 weeks gestational age) are at increased risk of developing autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Demographic and perinatal risk factors associated with ASD risk in EPTN are understudied.
Objectives
(i) In EPTN and born at full-term healthy controls (HC), to characterize the emergence of ASD traits and autistic symptom load at age 18 months; (ii) in EPTN, to identify the influence of perinatal characteristics such as sex and gestational age on autistic symptom load at corrected-age 18 months.
Methods
Observational, longitudinal, prospective, 18-month follow-up study. We recruited a cohort of n=113 EPTN and n=47 HC (the PremTEA cohort); n=57 EPTN and n=42 HC successfully completed the 18-month follow-up visit. We assessed autistic symptom load & risk at 18 months using the M-CHAT-R/F questionnaire. For all EPTN and HC, we collected demographic and perinatal data. Using GLMs, we assessed, in EPTN, the association between demographic/perinatal variables and 18-month autistic symptom levels.
Results
At 18 months, EPTN children showed higher autistic symptom levels than HC (M-CHAT-R/F score, mean (SD) [range] = 2.21 (3.23) [0-12] in EPTN vs. 0.33 (0.57) [0-2] in HC; d=.873, p=.001. In EPTN, we identified differences by gestational age and sex in autistic symptom levels at 18 months (aR2=0.517, p=.006). In particular, female EPTNs born with lower gestational age showed higher autistic symptom load at age 18 months.
Conclusions
Our findings support the need for early screening of ASD symptomatology in EPTN infants, particularly in higher-risk subgroups, such as female patients born with lower gestational ages.
Mental Health problems and substance misuse during pregnancy constitute a serious social problem due to high maternal-fetal morbidity (Cook et al, 2017; JOCG, 39(10) ,906-915) and low detection and treatment rates (Carmona et al. Adicciones. 2022;34(4):299-308)
Objectives
Our study aimed to develop and test the feasibility and acceptability of a screening and treatment clinical pathway in pregnancy, based on the combination of e-Health tools with in-person interventions and, secondly, describe the prevalence of mental illness and substance use problems in this population.
Methods
1382 pregnant women undergoing her first pregnancy visit were included in a tailored clinical pathway and sent a telematic (App) autoapplied questionnaire with an extensive battery of measures (WHO (Five) Well-Being [WHO-5],Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9], General Anxiety Disorder [GAD-7], Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT], Drug Abuse Screening Test [DAST], Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale [C-SSRS] and specifically designed questions on self-harm and psychopharmacological drugs).
Patients who did not respond to the questionnaire on their own received a counseling call.
Based on the screening results, patients were classified into five groups according to severity (Figure 1) and assigned a specific action pathway (Figure 2) that included a range of intervention intensity that goes from an individual psychiatric appointment to no intervention.
Results
Of the 1382 women included in the clinical pathway, 565(41%) completed the evaluation questionnaires. Of these, 205 (36%) were screened as positive (Grades III,IV or V. Table 1) and 3(0.5%) were classified as needing urgent care. Of the patients offered on-line groups (100), 40% (40) were enrolled in them.Table 1:
Grade distribution of those screened as positives
Grade III
97 (17,2%)
Grade IV
105 (18,6%)
Grade V
3 (0,5%)
Concerning prevalence rates, 73 (12,9%) patients endorsed at least moderate anxiety according to GAD-7 (≥10), 65 (11,5%) endorsed at least moderate depression according to PHQ-9 (≥ 10), 17 were positive on DAST (3%) and 63 (11%) patients scored above the threshold in AUDIT-C(≥ 3) for alcohol use.
Image:
Image 2:
Conclusions
High prevalence rates suggest that effective detection and treatment mechanisms should be integrated into usual care. The use of standardized clinical pathways can help with this aim, allowing better clinical management and referral to treatment, but still face challengues to increase retention. The use of e-health tools offers the opportunity to improve accessibility and therapeutic outcomes through online interventions.
The ability to remotely monitor cognitive skills is increasing with the ubiquity of smartphones. The Mobile Toolbox (MTB) is a new measurement system that includes measures assessing Executive Functioning (EF) and Processing Speed (PS): Arrow Matching, Shape-Color Sorting, and Number-Symbol Match. The purpose of this study was to assess their psychometric properties.
Method:
MTB measures were developed for smartphone administration based on constructs measured in the NIH Toolbox® (NIHTB). Psychometric properties of the resulting measures were evaluated in three studies with participants ages 18 to 90. In Study 1 (N = 92), participants completed MTB measures in the lab and were administered both equivalent NIH TB measures and other external measures of similar cognitive constructs. In Study 2 (N = 1,021), participants completed the equivalent NIHTB measures in the lab and then took the MTB measures on their own, remotely. In Study 3 (N = 168), participants completed MTB measures twice remotely, two weeks apart.
Results:
All three measures exhibited very high internal consistency and strong test-retest reliability, as well as moderately high correlations with comparable NIHTB tests and moderate correlations with external measures of similar constructs. Phone operating system (iOS vs. Android) had a significant impact on performance for Arrow Matching and Shape-Color Sorting, but no impact on either validity or reliability.
Conclusions:
Results support the reliability and convergent validity of MTB EF and PS measures for use across the adult lifespan in remote, self-administered designs.
Leveraging the National COVID-19 Cohort Collaborative (N3C), a nationally sampled electronic health records repository, we explored associations between individual-level social determinants of health (SDoH) and COVID-19-related hospitalizations among racialized minority people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PWH), who have been historically adversely affected by SDoH.
Methods:
We retrospectively studied PWH and people without HIV (PWoH) using N3C data from January 2020 to November 2023. We evaluated SDoH variables across three domains in the Healthy People 2030 framework: (1) healthcare access, (2) economic stability, and (3) social cohesion with our primary outcome, COVID-19-related hospitalization. We conducted hierarchically nested additive and adjusted mixed-effects logistic regression models, stratifying by HIV status and race/ethnicity groups, accounting for age, sex, comorbidities, and data partners.
Results:
Our analytic sample included 280,441 individuals from 24 data partner sites, where 3,291 (1.17%) were PWH, with racialized minority PWH having higher proportions of adverse SDoH exposures than racialized minority PWoH. COVID-19-related hospitalizations occurred in 11.23% of all individuals (9.17% among PWH, 11.26% among PWoH). In our initial additive modeling, we observed that all three SDoH domains were significantly associated with hospitalizations, even with progressive adjustments (adjusted odds ratios [aOR] range 1.36–1.97). Subsequently, our HIV-stratified analyses indicated economic instability was associated with hospitalization in both PWH and PWoH (aOR range 1.35–1.48). Lastly, our fully adjusted, race/ethnicity-stratified analysis, indicated access to healthcare issues was associated with hospitalization across various racialized groups (aOR range 1.36–2.00).
Conclusion:
Our study underscores the importance of assessing individual-level SDoH variables to unravel the complex interplay of these factors for racialized minority groups.
Cancer patients are among the most vulnerable populations during and after a disaster. We evaluated the impact of treatment interruption on the survival of women with gynecologic cancer in Puerto Rico following Hurricanes Irma and María.
Methods:
A retrospective cohort study among a clinic-based sample of women with gynecological cancer diagnosed between January 2016 and September 2017 (n = 112) was done. Women were followed from their diagnosis until December 2019, to assess vital status. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazards models were performed.
Results:
Mean age was 56 (± 12.3) years; corpus uteri (58.9%) was the most common gynecologic cancer. Predominant treatments were surgery (91.1%) and chemotherapy (44.6%). Overall, 75.9% were receiving treatment before the hurricanes, 16.1% experienced treatment interruptions, and 8.9% died during the follow-up period. Factors associated with treatment interruption in bivariate analysis included younger age (≤55 years), having regional/distant disease, and receiving > 1 cancer treatment (P < 0.05). Crude analysis revealed an increased risk of death among women with treatment interruption (HR: 3.88, 95% CI: 1.09-13.77), persisting after adjusting for age and cancer stage (HR: 2.49, 95% CI: 0.69-9.01).
Conclusions:
Findings underscore the detrimental impact of treatment interruption on cancer survival in the aftermath of hurricanes, emphasizing the need for emergency response plans for this vulnerable population.
We present a novel method for numerically finding quasi-isodynamic stellarator magnetic fields with excellent fast-particle confinement and extremely small neoclassical transport. The method works particularly well in configurations with only one field period. We examine the properties of these newfound quasi-isodynamic configurations, including their transport coefficients, particle confinement and available energy for trapped-electron-instability-driven turbulence, as well as the degree to which they change when a finite pressure profile is added. We finally discuss the differences between the magnetic axes of the optimized solutions and their respective initial conditions, and conclude with the prospects for future quasi-isodynamic optimization.
The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia Autism Severity Scale (PAUSS) scale can be derived from the Positive and Negative Schizophrenia Syndrome Scale, enabling an assessment of psychotic and autistic dimensions with a single tool.
Objectives
The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of autistic traits and the diagnostic, developmental, clinical, and functional correlates of this phenotype in a sample of early-onset psychosis (onset before age 18 years; EOP).
Methods
Prospective observational 2 year- follow-up study in a sample of young people with a first-episode of EOP. Demographic, perinatal, developmental, cognitive, clinical, and functional data were collected. PAUSS total scores and socio-communication and repetitive behaviors subscores were calculated. We used the proposed cut-off points for adult populations to define prevalence of autistic traits (PAUSS≥30). Subgroups of patients with and without autistic traits were identified based on the total PAUSS terciles. We used the Cronbach’s alpha test to assess the PAUSS internal consistency. Linear mixed models were performed to compare changes in PAUSS during follow-up between diagnostic subgroups [i.e., non-affective psychosis (including schizophrenia and schizophreniform disorder), affective psychosis (including bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder and major depressive disorder with psychotic features), and other psychosis (including brief psychotic disorder and psychosis not otherwise specified)]. Developmental, clinical, and functional variables were compared between subgroups with and without autistic traits with logistic regression analysis.
Results
248 patients with PIT were included (age 15.69 ± 1.86 years, 38.65% female). The prevalence of autistic traits in EOP was 7.04%, with significantly higher prevalence in the group of patients with non-affective psychosis (15.20%) than in other diagnostic groups. PAUSS scores significantly decreased over time, with no significant differences in the trajectories of the total PAUSS and its subscores among the three diagnostic subgroups during the 2-year follow-up. The PAUSS showed good internal consistency at all visits (Cronbach’s alpha > 0,88). Patients with autistic traits presented longer duration of untreated psychosis, longer duration of the first inpatient admission, poorer social adjustment in childhood, poorer functionality, greater clinical severity, and poorer response to treatment during follow-up than patients without autistic traits.
Conclusions
The PAUSS is an easy-to-apply tool that can be useful to differentiate psychosis subgroups with worse prognosis.
Disclosure of Interest
J. Suárez Campayo: None Declared, L. Pina-Camacho: None Declared, J. Merchán-Naranjo: None Declared, C. Ordas: None Declared, V. Cavone: None Declared, R. Panadero: None Declared, G. Sugranyes: None Declared, I. Baeza: None Declared, J. Castro-Fornieles: None Declared, E. de la Serna: None Declared, C. Arango Consultant of: Acadia, Angelini, Gedeon Richter, Janssen Cilag, Lundbeck, Minerva, Otsuka, Roche, Sage, Servier, Shire, Schering Plough, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, Sunovion and Takeda, C. Diaz Caneja Grant / Research support from: Exeltis and Angelini
Extremely preterm birth (defined as birth before 28 weeks’ gestational age) has been associated with risk of developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in infancy. The underlying physiopathological pathways that condition the emergence of ASD on these kids remains unknown, although there is increasing evidence that oxidative stress and inflammation play an important role.
Objectives
We investigated the association and the predictive value of marker levels with the primary outcome (risk for ASD at age 6 months, defined as presence of two or more clinical ASD “red flags” at this age), and with other demographic and clinical variables.
Methods
In a sample of N= 68 extremely preterm newborns, we collected urine samples from birth up to first week of life (T1= birth, T2=24-72 hours, T3=day 7), and analysed levels of biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation, and assessed risk for ASD at age 6-months. Through liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, we obtained levels of lipid peroxidation, DNA and protein oxidation metabolites, alongside levels of inflammation markers.
Results
Compared to those with no risk for ASD, patients at risk for ASD showed significantly higher levels of 14(RS)-14-F4t-NeuroP at 24-72 hours of life (d=1.296, p=.018) and significantly lower levels of total isoprostanes at 24 hours of life (d=1.161, p=.048). In patients at risk for ASD, levels of 14(RS)-14-F4t-NeuroP decreased significantly over time from 24-72 hours (T2) to day 7 of life (T3), p=.032.
Conclusions
In summary, we obtained a panel of urine biomarkers potentially predictive of early risk for ASD in extremely preterm newborns.
A single-field-period quasi-isodynamic stellarator configuration is presented. This configuration, which resembles a twisted strip, is obtained by the method of direct construction, that is, it is found via an expansion in the distance from the magnetic axis. Its discovery, however, relied on an additional step involving numerical optimization, performed within the space of near-axis configurations defined by a set of adjustable magnetic field parameters. This optimization, completed in 30 s on a single CPU core using the SIMSOPT code, yields a solution with excellent confinement, as measured by the conventional figure of merit for neoclassical transport, effective ripple, at a modest aspect ratio of eight. The optimization parameters that led to this configuration are described, its confinement properties are assessed and a set of magnetic field coils is found. The resulting transport at low collisionality is much smaller than that of W7-X, and the device needs significantly fewer coils because of the reduced number of field periods.
Dual pathology during pregnancy, described as the co-occurrence of substance use and mental health problems, is one of the leading preventable causes of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity; however, effective and accessible treatments are lacking.
Objectives
As part of the WOMAP(Woman Mental Health and Addictions on Pregnancy) initiative, our study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an e-health-based psychotherapeutic program compared to enhanced usual care.
Methods
This effectiveness clinical trial was conducted between 2016-2020 in 5 hospitals in the Madrid (Spain) metropolitan area. 2014 pregnant women under 26 weeks of pregnancy were screened. Eligible participants(n=120) were those who screened positive for co-occurring symptoms (AC-OK screener) and were not receiving specialized behavioral treatment. Participants were assessed in depth at baseline, 2,4,8 and 12 months(PHQ-9;GAD-7;PCL-5;AUDIT;DAST;Fagerström) and randomized to the usual care control group(n=38) or to two groups of a 10-session pregnancy-adapted psychotherapeutic program, one delivered by App/internet(n=41) and one by telephone(n=41). Intent-to-treat analyses assessed effectiveness.
Results
Statistically significant effects of the intervention were found for mental health symptoms in the telephone group as compared to the control and App/internet groups, with an improvement effect starting earlier (2 months) and lasting longer (figures 1-3). Regarding substance use, due to the lack of other substances consumption, only smoking and alcohol cessation rates were analyzed. Patients in the App/internet and telephone groups discontinued significantly more, earlier and for a longer period compared to the control group(figures 4-5).
Conclusions
E-health psychotherapeutic programs could benefit pregnant women with dual disorders. An App/internet implementation could only be useful if focused solely on substances.
The ‘Critically Endangered’ Red-fronted Macaw is endemic to seasonally dry, rain-shadowed valleys in the south-central Andes of Bolivia. The remoteness and inaccessibility of most of this region have hampered the rigorous collection of reliable range-wide data on the species’ global, local and breeding population sizes. Such data are imperative, however, for effective conservation and management. Estimated to number up to 5,000 birds in the early 1980s, the most recent and thorough survey to date reported a total of only 807 macaws and a breeding population fraction of about 20% in 2011, disjunctly distributed across eight breeding and six foraging areas and divided into four genetic clusters. Ten years later, we reassessed the species’ population sizes and breeding distribution with increased survey effort and geographic coverage. Six teams simultaneously surveyed different sections of the species’ entire known breeding range in four watersheds focusing on nesting sites. We estimated a global population size of 1,160 macaws, a breeding population fraction of 23.8–27.4% (138–159 nesting pairs) and discovered four new breeding areas. Watersheds and breeding areas differed widely in nesting pair and total macaw numbers. The Mizque watershed held 53% of the species’ breeding and 41.5% of its global population and had the highest breeding population fraction of 30.7–34.9%; the Pilcomayo watershed obtained the lowest values (6%, 8.5% and 14.1–18.2%, respectively). Two of the four documented genetic clusters (subpopulations) each held well over 50 breeding individuals. Two of the eight breeding areas documented in 2011 were found unoccupied in 2021. Numbers of nesting pairs per breeding area in 2011 were poorly correlated with those in 2021, and timing of breeding activities also differed between years. Our new data indicate that the Red-fronted Macaw no longer meets IUCN Red List criteria for ‘Critically Endangered’ species and that it should be downlisted to ‘Endangered.’
Temper tantrums are sudden, overt negative emotional displays that are disproportionate to the eliciting event. Research supports that severe temper tantrums during the preschool period are associated with preschool psychopathology, but few studies have identified which characteristics of preschool tantrums are predictive of distal psychopathological outcomes in later childhood and adolescence. To examine this question, we used a prospective, longitudinal dataset enriched for early psychopathology. Participants (N = 299) included 3-to 6-year-old children (47.8% female) assessed for tantrums and early childhood psychopathology using diagnostic interviews and then continually assessed using diagnostic interviews over 10 subsequent time points throughout childhood and adolescence. We identified two unique groupings of tantrum behaviors: aggression towards others/objects (e.g., hitting others) and aggression towards self (e.g., hitting self). While both types of tantrum behaviors were associated with early childhood psychopathology severity, tantrum behaviors characterized by aggression towards self were more predictive of later psychopathology. Children displaying high levels of both types of tantrum behaviors had more severe externalizing problems during early childhood and more severe depression and oppositional defiant disorder across childhood and adolescence. Findings suggest that tantrum behaviors characterized by aggression towards self are particularly predictive of later psychopathology.
This study aimed to summarise the evidence for efficacy of combination treatment of intranasal corticosteroid spray with oxymetazoline hydrochloride nasal spray for chronic rhinitis.
Method
Nine databases were systematically searched from study inception in September 2016 to 1 June 2020. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement was followed.
Results
A total of 130 studies were screened, and 4 randomised controlled trials comprising 838 patients met inclusion criteria. The study found superior improvement of nasal congestion from onset of treatment to completion in intranasal corticosteroid spray and oxymetazoline hydrochloride groups compared with control groups. Intranasal corticosteroid spray and oxymetazoline hydrochloride use resulted in higher nasal volume (standard error of mean 1, 15.8 + 1.1 ml; p < .03) compared with either placebo (12.1 + 0.9 ml) or oxymetazoline hydrochloride (12.4 + 0.8 ml) alone (p = 0.003).
Conclusion
Intranasal corticosteroid spray and oxymetazoline hydrochloride combination treatment may be superior in reducing rhinitis symptoms compared with either intranasal corticosteroid spray or oxymetazoline hydrochloride alone, without inducing rhinitis medicamentosa.
Previous literature supports antipsychotics’ (AP) efficacy in acute first-episode psychosis (FEP) in terms of symptomatology and functioning but also a cognitive detrimental effect. However, regarding functional recovery in stabilised patients, these effects are not clear. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to investigate dopaminergic/anticholinergic burden of (AP) on psychosocial functioning in FEP. We also examined whether cognitive impairment may mediate these effects on functioning.
Methods
A total of 157 FEP participants were assessed at study entry, and at 2 months and 2 years after remission of the acute episode. The primary outcomes were social functioning as measured by the functioning assessment short test (FAST). Cognitive domains were assessed as potential mediators. Dopaminergic and anticholinergic AP burden on 2-year psychosocial functioning [measured with chlorpromazine (CPZ) and drug burden index] were independent variables. Secondary outcomes were clinical and socio-demographic variables.
Results
Mediation analysis found a statistical but not meaningful contribution of dopaminergic receptor blockade burden to worse functioning mediated by cognition (for every 600 CPZ equivalent points, 2-year FAST score increased 1.38 points). Regarding verbal memory and attention, there was an indirect effect of CPZ burden on FAST (b = 0.0045, 95% CI 0.0011–0.0091) and (b = 0.0026, 95% CI 0.0001–0.0006) respectively. However, only verbal memory post hoc analyses showed a significant indirect effect (b = 0.009, 95% CI 0.033–0.0151) adding premorbid IQ as covariate. We did not find significant results for anticholinergic burden.
Conclusion
CPZ dose effect over functioning is mediated by verbal memory but this association appears barely relevant.