Consumers lived experiences and satisfaction with sub-acute mental health residential services

PURPOSE

Sub-acute recovery-oriented facilities offer short-term residential support for people living with mental illness. They are generally highly regarded by consumers, with emerging evidence indicating that these services may support recovery. The aim of the current study was to explore the relationship between personal recovery and consumers' satisfaction with sub-acute residential services, and consumers' views about service features that aid recovery.

METHODS

Consumers at 19 adult Prevention and Recovery Care Services in Victoria, Australia, were invited to complete measures containing sociodemographic information and measures on personal recovery and wellbeing. After going home, participants were invited to complete measures on service satisfaction and experience.

RESULTS

Total and intrapersonal scores on the personal recovery measure increased significantly between Time 1 and Time 2, indicating marked improvement. Personal recovery and satisfaction measures were moderately to strongly correlated. Thematically analysed open-ended responses revealed themes of feeling connected, finding meaning and purpose, and self-empowerment as important aspects of these services, with some recommendations for improvements.

CONCLUSION

Sub-acute residential mental health care may support individuals' personal recovery; consumer satisfaction indicates these services also offer an acceptable and supportive environment for the provision of recovery-oriented care. Further exploring consumers' experiences of sub-acute residential services is essential to understand their effectiveness, opportunities for improvement and intended impacts on personal recovery.

The effect of weight loss on recurrence of atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) after catheter ablation (CA). However, the current data on weight loss interventions show inconsistent results in preventing the recurrence of AF after CA.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic search in MEDLINE and EMBASE to identify studies that reported the outcome of recurrence of AF after CA in obese patients undergoing weight interventions. The subgroup analysis included: (1) Weight loss versus no weight loss, (2) >10% weight loss versus <10% weight loss, (3) <10% weight loss versus no weight loss, (4) Follow-up <12 months, and (5) Follow-up >12 months after CA. Mantel-Haenszel risk ratios with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random effects model and for heterogeneity, I2 statistics were reported.

RESULTS

A total of 10 studies (one randomized controlled trial and nine observational studies) comprising 1851 patients were included. The recurrence of AF was numerically reduced in the weight loss group (34.5%) versus no weight loss group (58.2%), but no statistically significant difference was observed (risk ratio [RR] = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.49-1.18, p = .22). However, there was a statistically significant reduction in recurrence of AF with weight loss versus no weight loss at follow-up >12 months after CA (RR = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.32-0.68, p < .0001). At follow-up >12 months after CA, both >10% weight loss versus <10% weight loss (RR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.31-0.80, p = .004) and <10% weight loss versus no weight loss (RR = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.31-0.49, p < .00001) were associated with a statistically significant reduction in recurrent AF.

CONCLUSION

In patients with AF undergoing CA, weight loss is associated with reducing recurrent AF at > 12 months after ablation and these benefits are consistently seen with both >10% and <10% weight loss. The benefits of weight loss in preventing recurrent AF after CA should be examined in larger studies with extended follow-up duration.

Person-first language in diabetes and obesity scientific publications

AIMS

We aimed to quantify the use of person-first language (PFL) among scholarly articles focusing on diabetes or obesity.

METHODS

PFL and condition-first language (CFL) terms for diabetes and obesity (e.g. diabetic, obese) were identified from existing guidelines and a review of the literature. Exact phrase literature searches were conducted between 2011 and 2020 and results were categorised as PFL, CFL or both.

RESULTS

Among diabetes articles, 43% used PFL, 40% used CFL and 17% contained both. Among obesity articles, 0.5% used PFL, 99% used CFL and 0.2% used both. The use of PFL increased by 3% per year for diabetes articles, compared to 117% for obesity articles. The rate of adoption of PFL in diabetes articles was unchanged in 2018-2020 compared to the 3 years prior.

CONCLUSIONS

While the use of person-first language in diabetes articles had increased over the review period, its rate of adoption has started to slow. Conversely, the use of PFL in obesity articles is nascent and increasing.

The feasibility of an online educational lifestyle program for people with multiple sclerosis: A qualitative analysis of participant semi-structured interviews

Objective

To explore the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial of a multiple sclerosis online course (MSOC) via qualitative analysis of participant semi-structured interviews.

Methods

The MSOC was developed in two arms: intervention arm which contained evidence-based lifestyle modification recommendations, and standard-care arm which delivered information from MS websites reflecting standard advice. Participants were recruited via online advertisements, completed a baseline questionnaire, and randomised. Seven modules were delivered over six weeks. Course completers were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Within a qualitative paradigm, interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

Fourteen of the 17 course completers were interviewed: 86% (12/14) female; mean age 50 years; residing in Australia, New Zealand, and the USA, predominantly had relapsing-remitting MS, mean time from diagnosis 9.5 years, and patient-determined disease steps disability assessment distributed evenly across all three categories. Four themes were identified: 1) “Hearing our stories” (hope for the future, feeling represented, exploring the journey of others with MS, learning from diversity, and wanting to connect with others); 2) “Taking the plunge” (not wanting to be first, feelings of nervousness or reluctance and feeling confronted); 3) “The accessibility and safety of being online” (ease of access, going at your own pace, making it work and not letting others down); and 4) “unpacking the course” (ease of navigation, visuals, understandability, and length and timing).

Conclusion

Participants felt represented, found the course accessible and content was easy to understand. These experiences provide important insights and considerations for this digital health intervention.

The impact of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis on graft survival following liver transplantation for primary sclerosing cholangitis

BACKGROUND

Liver transplantation is the only life-extending intervention for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Given the co-existence with colitis, patients may also require colectomy; a factor potentially conferring improved post-transplant outcomes.

AIM

To determine the impact of restorative surgery via ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) vs retaining an end ileostomy on liver-related outcomes post-transplantation.

METHODS

Graft survival was evaluated across a prospectively accrued transplant database, stratified according to colectomy status and type.

RESULTS

Between 1990 and 2016, 240 individuals with PSC/colitis underwent transplantation (cumulative 1870 patient-years until first graft loss or last follow-up date), of whom 75 also required colectomy. A heightened incidence of graft loss was observed for the IPAA group vs those retaining an end ileostomy (2.8 vs 0.4 per 100 patient-years, log-rank P = 0.005), whereas rates between IPAA vs no colectomy groups were not significantly different (2.8 vs 1.7, P = 0.1). In addition, the ileostomy group experienced significantly lower graft loss rates vs. patients retaining an intact colon (P = 0.044). The risks conferred by IPAA persisted when taking into account timing of colectomy as related to liver transplantation via time-dependent Cox regression analysis. Hepatic artery thrombosis and biliary strictures were the principal aetiologies of graft loss overall. Incidence rates for both were not significantly different between IPAA and no colectomy groups (P = 0.092 and P = 0.358); however, end ileostomy appeared protective (P = 0.007 and 0.031, respectively).

CONCLUSION

In PSC, liver transplantation, colectomy + IPAA is associated with similar incidence rates of hepatic artery thrombosis, recurrent biliary strictures and re-transplantation compared with no colectomy. Colectomy + end ileostomy confers more favourable graft outcomes.

Evolutionary history of plant multisubunit RNA polymerases IV and V: subunit origins via genome-wide and segmental gene duplications, retrotransposition, and lineage-specific subfunctionalization

Eukaryotes have three multisubunit DNA-dependent RNA polymerases that are essential for viability, abbreviated as Pol I, Pol II, and Pol III. Remarkably, Arabidopsis thaliana and other higher plants contain two additional nuclear multisubunit RNA polymerases, Pol IV and Pol V. These plant-specific polymerases are not essential for viability but have nonredundant roles in RNA-mediated gene-silencing pathways. Proteomic analyses have revealed that Arabidopsis Pol IV and Pol V have a 12-subunit composition like Pol II. In fact, half of the subunits of Pols II, IV, and V are encoded by the same genes. The remaining Pol IV- or Pol V-specific subunit genes arose through duplication and subfunctionalization of ancestral Pol II subunit genes. These include the genes encoding the largest subunits unique to Pol IV or Pol V, the genes encoding the second- and the fourth-largest subunits that are used by both Pol IV and Pol V, the gene encoding the fifth-largest subunit unique to Pol V and the genes encoding the seventh-largest subunits that are unique to Pol IV and Pol V. On the basis of phylogenetic reconstructions, the gene duplication events giving rise to the first-, second-, fourth-, fifth-, and seventh-largest subunits of Pol IV and/or Pol V occurred independently. Interestingly, a cDNA-mediated duplication of the Pol II seventh-largest subunit gene via retro-tranposition was an early event in Pol IV evolution, preceded only by the duplications of the largest and second-largest subunit genes. Secondary duplication of this cDNA-like gene to generate Pol IV- and Pol V-specific seventh-largest subunits has occurred in Arabidopsis but not all dicotyledonous plants or monocots, indicative of the dynamic evolution of RNA Pol IV and Pol V in plants.

"It's as if you're locked in": qualitative explanations for area effects on smoking in disadvantaged communities

Evidence suggests that place of residence may be associated with smoking independently of individual poverty and socio-economic status. Qualitative research undertaken in disadvantaged communities in Glasgow explored possible pathways which might explain this 'area effect'. A poorly resourced and stressful environment, strong community norms, isolation from wider social norms, and limited opportunities for respite and recreation appear to combine not only to foster smoking but also to discourage or undermine cessation. Even the more positive aspects of life, such as support networks and identity, seem to encourage rather than challenge smoking. Policy and intervention responses need to tackle not only individual but also environmental disadvantage.

Evaluation of amylase and lipase in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis relies heavily on a raised amylase.

METHODS

In the present study patients were prospectively categorized, without knowledge of pancreatic enzyme levels, into acute pancreatitis (AP; n = 51), disease controls (n = 35), indeterminate as to pancreatitis (n = 189) or exclusions (non-pancreatitis diseases where amylase may be elevated; n = 53).

RESULTS

Enzyme levels were analysed by receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curves, with specificity > 80%. Day 1 serum lipase gave the greatest diagnostic accuracy (area under ROC curve = 0.128; P = 0.041 vs serum amylase). At the calculated diagnostic threshold of 208 U/L, lipase gave a sensitivity of 67% and a specificity of 97%. Other diagnostic thresholds (day 1) were: serum total amylase, 176 U/L (ROC 0.104, sensitivity 45%, specificity 97%), urinary total amylase, 550 U/L (ROC 0.108, sensitivity 62%, specificity 97%) and serum pancreatic isoamylase, 41 U/L (ROC 0.107, sensitivity 63%, specificity 85%). At delayed diagnosis (3 days) no enzyme was superior to lipase. The combination of lipase and amylase did not increase diagnostic accuracy.

CONCLUSION

Serum lipase is recommended for diagnosis of AP, both early and late in the disease. Although highly specific when elevated, all pancreatic enzymes have low sensitivity for diagnosis.

The 1998 Lindberg Award. Comparison of glycerol preservation with cryopreservation methods on HIV-1 inactivation

Cryopreservation and glycerol preservation are 2 successful methods for long-term preservation of human cadaver skin. Preservation is subjected to strict criteria to minimize the risk of disease transmission. This investigation compares the effects of glycerol preservation and cryopreservation on the inactivation of HIV-1. The effects of glycerol preservation and cryopreservation on inactivation of both extracellular and intracellular HIV-1Ba-L were investigated. After exposing HIV-1Ba-L-infected material to various concentrations of glycerol or to 10% dimethyl sulfoxide followed by cryopreservation, uninfected peripheral blood mononuclear cells were added to the treated material. At different time points during the culture, supernatants were taken to quantify HIV-1Ba-L and reverse transcriptase levels to determine HIV-1Ba-L infectivity. Cell-free HIV-1Ba-L was inactivated within 30 minutes in 70% and 85% glycerol. Also, intracellular HIV-1Ba-L in infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells or infected cadaver skin was completely inactivated by glycerol treatment in vitro. Cryopreservation did not show any extracellular or intracellular HIV-1Ba-L inactivation. Glycerol preservation--but not cryopreservation--of human cadaveric donor skin can inactivate both extracellular and intracellular HIV-1.

Female survivors of abuse attending A & E with self-injury

Accident and Emergency departments are concerned with trauma whatever the source or client age. This mixed trauma culture can be a distressing place, not least for women whose self-injury is 'self-inflicted' rather than accidental in nature. The women, who might be survivors of childhood sexual abuse, are sometimes viewed as service abusers, on occasions subjected to misinterpretation, labelled as 'time-wasters' and consequently stigmatized. The misunderstanding based on misinterpretation of language and theory is explored briefly, as is some appropriate literature on self-injury and abuse. The definitions of self-injury and some of the myths associated with self-injuring women are developed. The relationship of self-injury with suicide is briefly explored, as are issues related to distress and self-injury. The demand on nurses and the case for the development of an appropriate non-medical theory is explored. Areas of positive practice, some of which were visited while the author was on a Nightingale Scholarship, are noted as is the need for nurses to learn from voluntary and survivor groups who work with and for self-injuring women. Client needs and staff awareness is examined in brief. Literature from the survivor perspective is utilized and the conclusion is drawn largely from the recommendations made by this literature.

Role of the cytoskeleton in calcium signaling in NIH 3T3 cells. An intact cytoskeleton is required for agonist-induced [Ca2+]i signaling, but not for capacitative calcium entry

Treatment of NIH 3T3 cells with cytochalasin D (10 microM, 1 h at 37 degrees C) disrupted the actin cytoskeleton and changed the cells from a planar, extended morphology, to a rounded shape. Calcium mobilization by ATP or by platelet-derived growth factor was abolished, while the ability of thapsigargin (2 microM) to empty calcium stores and activate calcium influx was unaffected. Similar experiments with nocodazole to depolymerize the tubulin network yielded identical results. Platelet-derived growth factor induced an increase in inositol phosphates, and this increase was undiminished in the presence of cytochalasin D. Therefore, the blockade of agonist responses by this drug does not result from decreased phospholipase C. Injection of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) released calcium to the same extent in control and cytochalasin D-treated cells. Confocal microscopic studies revealed a significant rearrangement of the endoplasmic reticulum after cytochalasin D treatment. Thus, disruption of the cytoskeleton blocks agonist-elicited [Ca2+]i mobilization, but this effect does not result from a lower calcium storage capacity, impaired function of the IP3 receptor, or diminished phospholipase C activity. We suggest that cytoskeletal disruption alters the spatial relationship between phospholipase C and IP3 receptors, impairing phospholipase C-dependent calcium signaling. Capacitative calcium entry was not altered under these conditions, indicating that the coupling between depletion of intracellular calcium stores and calcium entry does not depend on a precise structural relationship between intracellular stores and plasma membrane calcium channels.

Characterization of a human cell line expressing high levels of cDNA-derived CYP2D6

We have developed a human B-lymphoblastoid cell, designated h2D6v2, which expresses high levels of CYP2D6 cDNA. Microsomal P450 contents of 160 pmol mg-1 protein were observed. NADPH-fortified microsomes exhibited a substantial capacity to hydroxylate the prototype CYP2D6 substrates bufuralol and debrisoquine. Kinetic parameters, apparent Km, turnover number, Ki for quinidine inhibition and stereospecificity of bufuralol hydroxylation, observed with the human lymphoblast expressed enzyme were similar to those observed in human liver microsomes or purified liver CYP2D6 proteins. Therefore, the human lymphoblast expressed material appears to faithfully reflect the authentic protein. Relative to control cells, h2D6v2 cells were more sensitive to the cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), supporting our previous observation with a cell line expressing lower levels of CYP2D6. h2D6v2 microsomes were capable of metabolizing NNK and NNK metabolism and mutagenicity were markedly inhibited by the addition of quinidine, a CYP2D6 inhibitor. h2D6v2 cells coupled with control cells, represent a useful in vitro system for studying xenobiotic metabolism by the clinically important, polymorphic CYP2D6. The human lymphoblast system offers the desirable ability to couple metabolic transformation studies with toxicological endpoints such as cytotoxicity and mutagenicity.

Computerized axial tomography in the detection of intraocular foreign bodies

CAT scanning was used in the localization of intraocular and periorbital foreign bodies in 36 consecutive patients. The method was found to be convenient, well-tolerated by the patient, and provided accurate and useful clinical information. Six cases are described to illustrate clinical situations where traditional localizing methods were unable to supply satisfactory information and where CAT scanning proved to be of significant assistance. This included uncooperative patients, multiple foreign bodies, anterior foreign bodies, and foreign bodies adjacent to the posterior scleral wall.